Groups - can we stop the chat?

Another dumb question - apologies in advance....

I own a group that we use for our customers. We have promised that we will use it only for announcements and won't be spamming them (I get tired of 20 messages a day from some clubs repeating the same announcement over and over again).

So here is my question - is there any way to disable group Chat, so that people don't get annoyed by the more "chatty members"? Or maybe limit it to the owners of the group, and not "everybody"?

Answers will be appreciated

This annoying habit of carrying on conversations in groups chats made for clubs or others happens all the time. Mostly be idiots who don't know any better or don't care. It's the reason many people leave these groups.

I don't think there's an option for doing anything like drowning these jokers out.

No way now. There's at least one jira, asking for this, though: http://jira.secondlife.com/browse/MISC-731. (It seems like a very desirable extension of Group functionality, but only has one vote at the moment, so maybe there are others lurking somewhere, waiting to be linked together.)

I just ignore it mostly, but there should be a better system. In a business group, there should be a way to control who gets on group chat definitely.

I have been wondering for sometime now and this seems like a really good time to ask. What is the big deal that people have with chatting in a group. Groups are collections of people that share a common interest and chatting about that common interest is what they do in group chat. For a 'world' that is supposed to promote sharing and the convergence of ideas there sure is a ton of 'STOP SPAMMING' the the GROUP CHATs. My opinion, if you don't like the chat that people are doing in the GROUP then ignore it. Typing tons of 'stop spamming' and then having multiple people do the same is doing nothing more than the spamming about which people are complaining.

Don't like it, ignore it and move one.

There was somone who shall remain nameless spamming Mankind's group - kept joining and leaving immediately after spamming. He was a bit naughty and asked everyone to IM at the same time expressing what they thought (I didn't condone this or join in) and also to AR her for spamming not only his group but others.

LL received a LOT of ARs. She was suspended for a week and Mankind got suspended for a day (he asked for it ... but on balance I think he felt it was worth it for all the annoyance this woman had caused).

Slightly off-topic I guess but it PROVES that if a lot of ARs come in at the same time LL can take action. I post this as an refreshing change from the usual whinging about LL.

Re group chatter annoying you = don't be in the group

I don't know under what circumstances this happens but sometimes when I go to IM back say this is for announcements, not idle gossip, I get a dialogue back saying I don't have rights to post. I have dropped many groups for precisely this idle chat where the group charter specifically says the channel is only for announcements.

Callila, I know of only one group chat that is specifically for chat and not announcements. The vast majority of group chatters are breaking group charters. I'd rather they live with that idea and stop, than my having to live with the fact they can't follow guidance?

Thanks for the heads-up on the JIRA - will vote for that and anything similar I find.

While I agree that some groups are most definitely for the more social aspect of chatting and are very effective for that, there are other applications for groups (like the one I mentioned) where chatting is really not appropriate, because it can be perceived by our customers as an annoyance.

If the option is there, then the creator of the group has the power to set it up however they wish.

bilbo99 Emu:

I can understand where you are coming from but you have to realize that most people don't bother to read anything, least of all the rules. Of those that do read them, most, 80% or more, will ignore them for their own self purposes. My suggestion is again...ignore it, as you won't be able to stop it.

I'm with you on this. There are many groups I am in which I don't mind getting contact from (let's say for instance Coconut Ice) as it is always welcome update. There are some groups tho, like Sanctuary, which I'd like to be in to indicate my interest in the music ... but the event spamming makes my teeth revolve!!!

One of the very few bugs that most of us I'm sure wish were actually a feature.

Can't ignore it. The stupid IM box keeps blinking at you. Maybe important, maybe some idiot, can't tell without looking. Ok, some idiot. Close that IM box. Oh here we go, another blinking IM . . . wait that's the group I closed the IM box for . . dang it. Ok I'll ignore that blinking IM box. *hours later* my I'm bored, I wonder why my friends never came on (borked friend list). Well, let's close all those blinking IM's I ignored. Wait, these IM's were all from my friends wondering why I am not replying. Getting annoyed as time passes. Wondering how I am able to stay inside SL without actually being at my computer. etc.

So, you're suggesting that we "ignore" the pop ups and blinking that goes on when someone sends a new chat message in a group?

Sorry, but they get distracting and get in the way of my other functins that I am trying to do at that moment.
Theres nothing like trying to carry on a conversation with a friend, or several friends, when you have multiple chat sessions popping up and blinking. AND be in the middle of trying to build something with texture and edit windows open...sorry, but at that moment, I could care less about what one should wear to a leather and lace event. ~rolls eyes~


and yes, they can be stopped.....leave the group...and tell the charter why you are leaving

Xcite has a non chat group specifically for this purpose. I made sure to sign up with that one....I wish more clubs would do this.

hehe

yeah that ^^

So you are saying that there is a way to keep people from chatting in a group? Can you tell the OP, that is what the original poster was asking.

Can anyone loan me $25?

Yes, here you go.

Do not pay too much attention to the picture on the bill, that really isn't Hillary Clinton on it. Really.

If you have a ton of IMs open (and I generally have way too many to fit in the box even stretched right across the screen) those extra ones are very annoying. Especially when you closed them and up they pop ... had to leave a group the other day cos it would NOT stay closed and there's only so many "Helooooooou my firoends" you can cope with. No that is not a typo.

For me... if I join a group that tells me it is for "group notices" or "group updates" etc, then I don't expect to read how Johnny is selling land at a place that has nothing to do with the group. Nor do I expect to read ongoing conversations. I expect it to be messages that come from the group owners to give updates on what's going on, which 99% don't require a response from anyone.

There are groups in which "casual conversation" can be had - if I sign up for those, then I expect chatter in them.

FWIW... ignoring them doesn't always work if then darn chat box pops up everytime someone has something to say in a chat window that I am trying to ignore.

Just my 3 cents

Then please log in to the JIRA system and vote for the issue - the link was given above. Let's try to raise it above the noise of the crowd in there. I can't believe that in its simplest form it is difficult to make happen. So far there are three votes, which doesn't add up to the people saying they like it in here, considering the creator gets a vote

I'm with you all the way, Markubis. ESPECIALLY when I'm trying to build. I'm the kind of person who can't ignore a ringing telephone...or a flashing IM tab.

In fact, I wish that the Busy Mode function would MUTE the darn IM window. Instead, the messages still come through. Yeah, the senders get my "away" message...but there's that blinking tab, niggling at meeee!

Ah building ... sighs wistfully ... that thing I don't get to do for people crying on my shoulder.

LOL

If any of my IHOS group members start up stupid inane chat I give them about 10 seconds to shut it down. They get one chance. If they start another stupid chat I kick them out of the group. Harsh but guess what? It's my group and my chat, and the only chat that happens is relevant to the store. People aren't leaving in droves, sales are doing fine, so gee it can't offend TOO many people.

I was shopping at a store once that had just sent out a notice to me stating they'd put out new products. The store was chaotic, the displays confusing, so I joined their group to ask a simple product related question. The nanosecond i did so i was threatened by the group owner, their grunts, in group chat and private IMs. I felt like a six year old kid trying to reach the top shelf! All i did was ask a simple question about a scripted kitsune tail, in a most polite manner, but you would've thought i'd just unleashed a fart in parliament. I then went on to tell them that not only was i not spending my lindens with them (over private IM) but i felt they could've just answered the damn question and moved on. Prime example of paranoia leading to poor, rash decisions, by a group owner. "Shut up or be booted" is NOT what i want to hear when i'm offering to buy your thingamabob

The new subscription methods for releasing product announcements are far superior to using/creating groups and asking customers to join them. Groups should be a conglomeration of like minded individuals who want to discuss a general theme or specific subject. Group owners should have the ability to monitor group chats (not notices) while they are offline if they so desire, to monitor abuse of the group. Since this isn't possible, group members should be thick-skinned enough to close out the session and move on when it goes awry. Recently a popular group i'm in had a mini-revolt from some members who didn't want more than one message/notice per day re: the same event. We are all so obsessed with controlling the information we assimilate online that we've redefined what are 'normal' amounts of advertising, info and such and tend to retaliate against what would be deemed 'spam'. If one wanted to be really picky, one could suggest dividing groups up into subgroups- those for notices only, those for officer only chatting, and the wide open ones. Maybe a 'new power' could be added to enable group chats. Personally, i want a bot to speak for me, just saying randomly generated quips and throwing things.