http://qs321.pair.com?node_id=863238

I love the ChatterBox, I really do. On good days it is a hopping place where one can have a rousing conversation and get all kinds of help. When the quiet moments strike, it tends to get a bit sad even with the few variations of the message and all is quiet.... I would like to suggest a few more messages that could be helpful.

Little things like that would spice of the messages in the chatterbox when someone like me decides to just watch it for an hour when no one is saying anything. Since the messages also show up in the Chatterbox Nodelet, they could be helpful there too. I know this is probably a silly idea, but why not give it a shot? :)

Update: Add another item to the list.

Have a cookie and a very nice day!
Lady Aleena

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: and all is quiet in the Chatterbox, but it doesn't have to be.
by marto (Cardinal) on Oct 04, 2010 at 10:47 UTC

    I'm fond of the nonsense which pops up in the CB when nobody is talking, I'd hope we don't lose that. Perhaps a list of helpful messages could be drafted, in addition to the ones you already have. This reminds me of Oblique_Strategies.

      I think it would be cool to have several sets of quip lists, such as:

      • lwall quotes
      • Oblique Strategies
      • MJD quotes
      • Chuck Norris factoids
      • the lists available in /usr/share/fortune
      • and of course the current rather arbitrary set of quips.
      The user could select which one(s) she wants to see quips from.

      What is the sound of Windows? Is it not the sound of a wall upon which people have smashed their heads... all the way through?

        Indeed, IMHO this would be really cool to have.

        Cheers

Re: and all is quiet in the Chatterbox, but it doesn't have to be.
by halfcountplus (Hermit) on Oct 04, 2010 at 10:58 UTC

    My suggestion: Think before you act, gunslinger. Which is maybe a bit (unintentionally) contra Lady Aleena's intentions, but it could link (nb: making some of those quips potential links is a great idea!) to How do I post a question effectively?; IMO many people should heed that advice before they ask anything. There are often posts that (probably) could have been easily solved but are ignored because they are so badly composed, and this could at least occasionally be because someone didn't even stop to consider that the writer != the reader. 'Nother thot: Lack of clarity will get you nowhere.

    Something I've found cause to repeat, repeatedly, on other programming forums (but here for the first time) is that 75%+ of the threads I intend to start never appear, because in the course of composing them, I think, "Well if I was reading this the first thing I would suggest is you try _______", and low and behold I solve my own problem.

    These lil' ideational hint links could be used with those clever fortune cookie phrases that appear over the search bar too (currently mine is: "laziness, impatience, and hubris").

Re: and all is quiet in the Chatterbox, but it doesn't have to be.
by ChuckularOne (Prior) on Oct 04, 2010 at 18:36 UTC
    I've been on perlmonks for over 10 years and I am still intimidated by the Chatterbox. It's really quite odd since I have no problem pestering people with questions and I've noticed that the conversations are typically very polite.
Re: and all is quiet in the Chatterbox, but it doesn't have to be.
by RecursionBane (Beadle) on Oct 05, 2010 at 18:18 UTC

    I like this idea quite a bit. Some more quote suggestions:

    Say something... You know you want to!

    Fear is the mind-killer. Ask a question and overcome your fear!

    The first chat is the hardest.

    In-line Perl is a program saved!

    ~RecursionBane
Re: and all is quiet in the Chatterbox, but it doesn't have to be.
by mojotoad (Monsignor) on Oct 06, 2010 at 01:59 UTC
    How about "You've been staring at that hash for hours. Do you know where your keys are?"

    Or more to the point: "Nobody learns if nobody asks."

    Cheers,
    Matt

Re: and all is quiet in the Chatterbox, but it doesn't have to be.
by mojotoad (Monsignor) on Oct 12, 2010 at 05:31 UTC
    I just read another one today...

    Nothing grows where nothing learns.

    (one of the characters in Kage Baker's "The Sons of Heaven", part of the "Company" series)

    Cheers
    Matt

Re: and all is quiet in the Chatterbox, but it doesn't have to be.
by hok_si_la (Curate) on Oct 21, 2010 at 16:31 UTC
    It may be a bit too comprehensive and random but I would like to see the chatterbox spit out fortunes like the Phosphor screensaver does when all is quiet. I used to just lay in my bed and read them in college. Oh the days.