Update Apr 8: Click me to help plan for the next chat!

~~~~~~~~~older messages~~~~~~~~

*uses a Modly trick to make this post start the thread*

THREAD PURPOSE: To organize a regular chat with PKmates
IDEA BY: phoenixwriter and Aurora North (in a hidden forum)
WHO CAN POST HERE: Anyone who wants to chat with fellow Portkey-ers!
NOTE TO PK Chat Mods: Feel free to take charge of this planning session!
For the technical stuff:
About using a client: Read this post and the 2 that follow it. Rach recommends this for Mac users *cough* Sandra *cough*.
For other questions (download & configure chat client, using IRC on your browser): Read "How To Chat in Portkey".


LATEST UPDATE as of April 7 4:45 AM GMT:
Get ready for the PK Chat on April 7 10 PM to midnight GMT -- 17 hours away!
Check your local time somewhere below, in green fonts. Also do Step #3, Familiarize yourself with PK's Chat Room, in blue fonts below. Post any problems here ASAP, and one of our techies (Rach, Nielle, James, Nappa) will help you. </span>

USEFUL IRC CODES courtesy of Rach / Scrivenshaft:

/me [action] = The action command. Eg, /me dances will appear in the channel as *Scrivenshaft dances

/msg [screen name] = sends a message to another channel member privately. It's the IRC equivalent of PMing - so I could send a message to Pen by typing /msg pen hello pen! How are you?

/describe [screen name] [action] = a cross between the first two! So, if I wanted to say to Pen that I was worried about something, I would type /describe Pen am worried, and Pen would see on her screen "*Rach is worried".

/nick [new name] = changes your screen name.

/query [screen name] = opens another window for a private chat with someone. So if I wanted to open a window to talk to Pen in private, I'd type /query pen.

/away [away message] = lets everyone know you're not at the computer right now. Eg /away eating would let everyone know I was away because I was eating


Previous update as of April 3 GMT: Vote for the first chat's DATE & TIME!
This is it, guys, we'll follow whichever date-hour combination gets the most votes!


REVISED STEPS TO PLAN FOR THE CHAT as of Apr 3 GMT:

1. Select the date and hour you prefer for the first chat.
The hours in this latest poll were the 2 top vote getters in our previous poll. As for the dates? Many US and UK schools are on holiday this week. Plus many countries / cultures will observe Easter this weekend. Might as well use that time for the chat, right?

2. Check the Multi-Zone Time Conversions somewhere below. Or use this Time Converter courtesy of phoenixwriter. Make allowances for DST in your area.

3. Familiarize youself with PK's Chat Room. Go there now to see how it works! Take a look at this guide: How To Chat in Portkey. Download that Trillian client, then go make test posts in the Chat Room. Don't be shy to make tests there -- you might see me doing the same repeatedly.

4. Show up for the chat!


~~Time Zone Conversions~~
Take the "previous day / next day" notes in reference to our chat's final date, whenever it may be.
Warning: I used an Excel worksheet for these times. I might've gotten my formulas wrong.

GMT 1 AM - 3 AM
=> UK: same without DST
=> Germany & Austria without DST: 2 AM - 4 AM
=> USA - Ohio without DST: previous day 8 PM - 10 PM
=> USA - California without DST: previous day 5 PM - 7 PM
=> Australia - Sydney without DST: 11 AM - 1 PM
=> SE Asia (e.g., Philippines) without DST: 9 AM - 11 AM
=> Chile / Canada (Atlantic Time) without DST: 9 PM - 11 PM


GMT 4 AM - 6 AM
=> UK: same without DST
=> Germany & Austria without DST: 5 AM - 7 AM
=> USA - Ohio without DST: previous day 11 PM - 1 AM
=> USA - California without DST: previous day 8 PM - 10 PM
=> Australia - Sydney without DST: 2 PM - 4 PM
=> SE Asia (e.g., Philippines) without DST: 12 noon - 2 PM
=> Chile / Canada (Atlantic Time) without DST: midnight - 2 AM next day


GMT 7 AM - 9 AM
=> UK: same without DST
=> Germany & Austria without DST: 8 AM - 10 AM
=> USA - Ohio without DST: 2 AM - 4 AM
=> USA - California without DST: previous day 11 PM - 1 AM
=> Australia - Sydney without DST: 5 PM - 7 PM
=> SE Asia (e.g., Philippines) without DST: 3 PM - 5 PM
=> Chile / Canada (Atlantic Time) without DST: 3 AM - 5 AM


GMT 10 AM - NOON
=> UK: same without DST
=> Germany & Austria without DST: 11 AM - 1 PM
=> USA - Ohio without DST: 5 AM - 7 AM
=> USA - California without DST: 2 AM - 4 AM
=> Australia - Sydney without DST: 8 PM - 10 PM
=> SE Asia (e.g., Philippines) without DST: 6 PM - 8 PM
=> Chile / Canada (Atlantic Time) without DST: 6 AM - 8 AM


GMT 1 PM - 3 PM
=> UK: same without DST
=> Germany & Austria without DST: 2 PM - 4 PM
=> USA - Ohio without DST: 8 AM - 10 AM
=> USA - California without DST: 5 AM - 7 AM
=> Australia - Sydney without DST: 11 PM - 1 AM next day
=> SE Asia (e.g., Philippines) without DST: 9 PM - 11 PM
=> Chile / Canada (Atlantic Time) without DST: 9 AM - 11 AM


GMT 4 PM - 6 PM
=> UK: same without DST
=> Germany & Austria without DST: 5 PM - 7 PM
=> USA - Ohio without DST: 11 AM - 1 PM
=> USA - California without DST: 8 AM - 10 AM
=> Australia - Sydney without DST: next day 2 AM - 4 AM
=> SE Asia (e.g., Philippines) without DST: Midnight to 2 AM next day
=> Chile / Canada (Atlantic Time) without DST: 12 Noon - 2 PM


GMT 7 PM - 9 PM
=> UK: same without DST
=> Germany & Austria without DST: 8 PM - 10 PM
=> USA - Ohio without DST: 2 PM - 4 PM
=> USA - California without DST: 11 AM - 1 PM
=> Australia - Sydney without DST: next day 5 AM - 7 AM
=> SE Asia (e.g., Philippines) without DST: next day 3 AM - 5 AM
=> Chile / Canada (Atlantic Time) without DST: 3 PM - 5 PM


GMT 10 PM - Midnight
=> UK: same without DST
=> Germany & Austria without DST: 11 PM - 1 AM next day
=> USA - Ohio without DST: 5 PM - 7 PM
=> USA - California without DST: 2 PM - 4 PM
=> Australia - Sydney without DST: next day 8 AM - 10 AM
=> SE Asia (e.g., Philippines) without DST: next day 6 AM - 8 AM
=> Chile / Canada (Atlantic Time) without DST: 6 PM - 8 PM



~~~Poll Results~~~

Second poll's results as of Apr 7 1 PM GMT. Poll ran from Apr 3 to Apr 7
This is it -- vote for the first chat's DATE & TIME! Vote now, don't wait and see! Poll is open from Apr 3 - 7 only. Check the first post for time conversions.

April 7 Wed 1 AM - 3 AM GMT [ 2 ] [8.70%]
April 7 Wed 10 PM - midnight GMT [ 5 ] [21.74%]
April 8 Thur 1 AM - 3 AM GMT [ 2 ] [8.70%]
April 8 Thur 10 PM - midnight GMT [ 0 ] [0.00%]
April 9 Fri 1 AM - 3 AM GMT [ 2 ] [8.70%]
April 9 Fri 10 PM - midnight GMT [ 3 ] [13.04%]
April 10 Sat 1 AM - 3 AM GMT [ 4 ] [17.39%]
April 10 Sat 10 PM - midnight GMT [ 2 ] [8.70%]
April 11 Sun 1 AM - 3 AM GMT [ 3 ] [13.04%]
April 11 Sun 10 PM - midnight GMT [ 0 ] [0.00%]
Total Votes: 23


First poll's results as of Apr 3 6 AM GMT. Poll ran from Mar26 to Apr 3

1 AM - 3 AM GMT [ 5 ] [31.25%]
4 AM - 6 AM GMT [ 2 ] [12.50%]
7 AM - 9 AM GMT [ 0 ] [0.00%]
10 AM - Noon GMT [ 1 ] [6.25%]
1 PM - 3 PM GMT [ 1 ] [6.25%]
4 PM - 6 PM GMT [ 2 ] [12.50%]
7 PM - 9 PM GMT [ 2 ] [12.50%]
10 PM - Midnight GMT [ 3 ] [18.75%]
Total Votes: 16




~~~~Advertising The Chat ~~~~


To help attract more people to the chat, can everyone help advertise this thread? You may copy and paste any of the following codes in your signatures, and keep it there until the first chat is over. Save your original sig/s in your PM boxes for the moment. Feel free to change the wording, colors, and/or font sizes.

Want to chat with Portkey-ers? <-- this will appear in the smallest fonts in your sig

ORIGINAL STARTING POST:

At first a disclaimer I don't act here as Mod rather as someone who had quiet a nice time in the Portkey-Chat *the room is suddenly hot*. Anyway I just wondering what you guy's think about this since Portkey has really a chat so we ought to use it.

Now to my little plans and how we do it. Since at Portkey we have members from Europe, Australia, Asien and America we need to find the right time. This would be at least a Saturday or a Friday and the Chat will be at least so around 5 hours. I know you guys think I'm nutters but 5 hours aren't really long if you think one log in 2 hours before its over since he just stood up in Australia.

To get all this right we ought to use a timezone so we get things straight how big is the timehole we have to close. So if you are interest tell me which time you have. The most easiest is if you write: GMT (thats the UK time) +1 (this say I'm one hour ahead of UK)
or if you are from UK you just write 0, if you behind UK its -1.

So that you can look how this works here a TimezoneMap

To get the time straight if I tell you guys when a Chat will be and you want to know which time is it by you there is a converter: TimeConverter

So just tell are you interest to chat with your following Portkeymates?


Listing some timezones here for easy reference:

UK = GMT (0)
Australia => GMT +10 (It does have three different TZ: Australia-west: GMT +8. middle GMT+9, east GMT +10) <-- does Australia have different timezones?
Philippines / Singapore / Hongkong / Malaysia / Indonesia => GMT + 8
California, USA => GMT - 8 without DST
Ohio, USA => GMT - 5 without DST
Chile => GMT - 4
Europe=> GMT +1 (without UK)~PhoenixWriter

I'd be interested in that! But not right now *yawns* just take a look at how late it is. I have a test tomorrow...

Ri

Great idea!

I'm GMT+0 I think....something like that, well I'm in England anyway.

~Bec

I might be able to do it. I'm GMT +10

Gems

*raises hand* Californian, here. So, that would be GMT+5, right? I think this would be a great idea. That's one aspect of PK that I haven't fully explored quite yet.

---Kalie

Nevada so...GMT- 8...and Kalie, its the same for you not GMT + 5. *snickers* hehe (There is my wide humor again)

Chammy

Don't forget, people, that Daylight Saving is nearly upon us and that's going to complicate things. Not least because not everybody changes their clocks at the same - eg. the USA change on th 1st sunday in April and the UK on the last sunday in March.

And then you have to allow for the fact that the southern hemisphere are appling the whole thing in reverse to the northern hemisphere so that there are 9 hrs between London and Sydney in July and 11hrs in January.

And on top of that there are places that, sensibly, just don't bother with Daylight Saving at all (anyone here from Arizona?)

For more info you can go here http://webexhibits.org/daylightsaving/index.html

Yes I,am from Arizona. (So I guess GMT-8)

Sondra

alchemist you sure have a talent to confuse us, no? And yes you right from the 28th March till 5th April (I think) UK has GMT+1 and California GMT -7 not that complicate I guess.

But anyway I see we have a pretty big hole there. Hmm this let me think if we start a Chat by the time: 8pm (GMT) this mean that:
Australia: 6am (5 am, 4 am)
California: 12 at midday
Europe: 9 pm

If we say we let it go uhm 8 hours then its to end: 4am (GMT) this mean:
Australia: 2 pm (12, 1pm)
California: 8pm
Euope: 5am

Just a time to think about.

That's fine with me Phoienex!

I'll try and be there as often as I can.

~Bec

Al is right about Daylight saving, in Sydney, we'll be going back to the correct time at the end of this month. Sydney is currently at +11GMT and will be back to +10GMT in a couple of weeks.

Also, isn't PK's chat feature IRC? Some people don't know how to use IRC, and I know for some people, it won't load in their browser (Sandra?). Anybody feel like explaining IRC?

Nielle, happy to join in.

A few things: WTH is IRC? I don't know how to use it, since I don't even know what it is.

Next: I won't even try to understand the daylight saving thing. I will just do whatever phoenix does, since she's in the same timezone as I am.

And when are we planning on doing this?

Ri, trying to remember when they have daylight saving in Austria and Germany

Ok, I've just had a quick look on the chat part and I have one question....HOW DO YOU WORK THAT DAMN THING?!?!!

I have no clue....I can't even see where to post! ARGH!

Anyone care to help me out?

~Bec

Hurrah for PK's tech person, Nielle! *claps*

This chat looks like fun. Brings back memories of old days . . *should stop getting so nostalgic*

My experiences with the PK chat are nt all that great. Curse my Mac. I remember that I can view what the people are saying, I just can't tyupe, at all. There is no place to do so, in my case. But I'll check it out...

I think monthly chats would be best, but that's just my opinion.

And I've got that weird feeling that the chat will be 90% wonk-populated. I'm already feeling sorry for the other 10%.

Ri

You know the wonk isn't that bad. Since they know how they keep a topic on. I know that in the past we had problems to kill the silence. I admit everytime I did post I did kill the chat so you should know me as chat-killer.
But anyway how often do we chat? one a week or all two weeks? I think once a month is a bit to low since I know you guys if you get a go you might even start to chat in smaller groups more often.
So I think all two weeks sounds okay, no?

Frequency of chats - once every 2 weeks is ok, so is monthly. Now the most important question is ...

When will the first chat be?

Next chat details can be decided near the end of that session, or posted here afterwards.

There is it the poll.

I voted for Saturday April 3. (I only have to go to school very scarcely after 2-4-04, and therefore have loads of time)

Ri

Sorry, PW, I've just realized that perhaps it would be better if we make a poll for the hour/time first? I'll PM you about it later today or tomorrow. Sorry!

I'll remove this poll in the meantime. Best to do it early, while there are only a couple of votes cast. We'll put up another poll soon, promise!

Everyone, could you post what chat times (hours and day) would you prefer? Example: "Saturday 12 noon - 6 PM, Sydney Australia time". If you can give it in GMT time, even better. We'll have to choose Friday, Saturday, or Sunday. No dates yet.

We'll make a poll out of that info. Then the next step would be to pick a date.

EDITED wording there.

Okay, so basically I have time on Saturday (um, actually I have a lot of time on Saturday...) I come home from school at *calculates* 11am GMT and I think the chat is not going to last until I have to go to bed, since I go to bed when I want to. Of course there is always the dark cloud that is my family hovering over my head, meaning that they might want to use the computer too... but we've got two other computers, so that should be okay

Ri

Ack, I'm getting confused now... this means more coffee!

Nielle maybe you should remember Ri that you are in Australia this say 11 hour's ahead of the GMT time.

Phoenixwriter *who hopes she didn't confuse you to much. *

Wow this thread is really confusing.

A PK chat sounds like a lot of fun, I am definately in.

And I don't have much of a preference on time, I'm in Pacific (California I think) time, since I live in Washington state. As long as it's not in the wee hours of the morning...


Kristina

The only way I think it is possible for me to chat at the moment is if I view the chat and relay my message to someone I can talk to on Y!M. I tried the chat last night and I couldn't see what I was typing, then the typing thing disappeared out of nowhere.

I'm in California, so that's I think.... GMT+5? That's what Kalie said and she's in Cali too. I'd love to do it, and if it's on a Saturday, I think I can go at almost any time...lol. Who needs sleep?

-Elena

(BTW, This is my 100th post!! w00t!!! I'm so happy!)

EDIT: Ok so Chammy informs me it's GMT-8. Sorry! I was confoosed lol.

*sigh* Yeah, I know I screwed up on the hours...My mistake. Pen corrected me on the first page though. I ought to go back and change my initial post.

---Kalie

<--- me after attempting to do time conversions for UK, Germany, Australia, USA, and SE Asia, many times

Many Pinoy Portkeymates are interested, if only to watch the rest of you chatter. When is Holy Week? Maybe we could have it then.


If anyone can compile a maximum of 10 alternatives, we can insert a poll here asking "Which day and time combination would you prefer?"

Something like:
Sat 12 noon GMT
Sun 12 noon GMT

These are only examples.


*pinches little Phoenix's cheeks*


I'm off to buy insulin and blood test strips for my mom!
Plus it's about time I have my birthday party. Anyone who wants to celebrate with me can ask for ice cream from this kid in my avatar
<-----------------

~Pen