The FP Room - yay or nay?

[John Esak]

Mark,

Your message is the most explicit, useful, etc. so far. *That* in itself
should tell me that the FP Room is the greatest thing since sliced bread.
:-)

Were it not for that place, we two would still be scorching each other
unmercifully for no good reason.  (Well I had good reason, you were always
just wrong.)

[hehehe, see what I mean... imagine back to the time when you wouldn't have
know that was a joke, just because I forgot a smiley] This makes the room
worth it's weight in cyberspace gold.

Anyway, I'm looking for quantity of responses here, so I'll give it a couple
days. As to the server. I do own the one I have, don't need to lease or get
invovlved with others just now. George will be putting out a new, really
good one that I'll eventually switch to anyway.  But, thanks for the offer
on the TEamSpeak and Ventrillo. Ventrillo... what a funny name... I envision
a little puppert with mean eyes, hiding a dagger in his box. He comes out
and kills all the other talk engines... then they make a movie and 3
sequesls about it. :-)

JE


> -----Original Message-----
> From: filepro-list-bounces at lists.celestial.com
> [mailto:filepro-list-bounces at lists.celestial.com]On Behalf Of Fairlight
> Sent: Saturday, November 12, 2005 7:07 AM
> To: Fplist (E-mail)
> Subject: Re: The FP Room - yay or nay?
>
>
> Simon--er, no...it was John Esak--said:
> > who use the FP Room *and* this mailing list as well. Does the
> FP Room add
> > to, or detract from this mailing list? Is it helpful? Should it
> stay around?
> > Is it worth the rather enormous effort of the various people who give so
> > much time so generously to its working and well being?
>
> In order:
>
> I consider The fP Room an augment to this list.  It shares most
> of the same
> community, and as such is something I consider an extension.
>
> It's extremely helpful in a plethora of ways.
>
> Yes, it should stay around as long as you feel like maintining it.  I
> believe it's a very worthwhile resource for everyone that's used it.  More
> people should, honestly.
>
> The value of the effort involved by contributors can be guaged by both the
> contributors and the recipients.  We have some (both on the list and here)
> that are bi-directional, and we have some uni-directional people as well.
> It's hard to lay a flat answer on this.  However, if I believe that it's
> helpful and that it should persist, I have to also believe that it's worth
> the effort for any involved in making it work, obviously.  So yes, it's
> worth the effort.
>
> [Snip tech explanation.]
>
> First, can I address something on the technical side?  As far as
> software and cost/upgrade/downgrade goes, have you considered other
> software?  TeamSpeak 2 has a Speex 25.9 Kbit codec that's not bad (I
> use it daily)--nearly the same quality as the current setting of the fP
> Room, although it does not have a codec currently that hits 44.1--which
> I've always thought sounds better, yes, but is overkill as well.  It's
> pretty cheap to license TeamSpeak, if you even need a license.  If it's
> considered non-commercial use, you wouldn't even need to, actually.  Even
> if you did, it's really fairly inexpensive.  I'm -not- saying you -should-
> switch.  I'm trying to give you another option though, if you don't like
> either of your current ones.  No mini-browser is present, but for VOIP it
> works pretty much identically.  If you'd like to test drive it, I have
> a server and would be happy to run through it with you.  There's also a
> product I've heard good things about but have not personally tried, called
> Ventrillo.  That one has a 44.1 codec that's supposed to be
> phenomenal, and
> it also has the rather unique ability to tune the volume of each person
> you're hearing, individually -on your end-.  That could solve quite a few
> problems and save a lot of time, don't you think? :) Ventrillo also had
> file transfer capabilities (direct, peer-to-peer), if I was given the
> correct information and am remembering it correctly.  Those two
> features in
> Ventrillo could actually make losing the mini-browser worth it, IMHO.  Not
> familiar firsthand with Ventrillo's pricing, if any exists.  No
> clue.  Just
> hear rave reviews from fellow gamers who use it.  Actually, one
> potentially
> negative thing to keep in mind is that TeamSpeak is full duplex.  That
> could be a jarring change to get use to, to be fair.  I'm unsure of
> Ventrillo's status in that regard.  You might gain things, but you'd also
> lose the queue system, which does help there.
>
> Okay, done with the tech suggestions/options.  If you're interested in
> exploring them, let me know and I'll help you as much as you want.  If
> you're not, understood, and no problem.
>
> Now the social side...
>
> As for splitting up the room under -any- software, I really don't think
> it's necessary, nor do I think it would be the wisest move.  If you're in
> one place, you can respond to everyone from a central location.  If you
> split it, you're going to have some in one room, others in another, and
> some confusion about who's where, a lot of room flipping both to switch
> conversations and to simply find people...it will simply make it -less-
> accessible a resource, rather than more.  Whether it's been food,
> politics,
> fP, music, whatever, those that I've known in the last two years there
> have never had a problem sharing and being polite about interrupting or
> switching topics temporarily if need be.
>
> I would not split the room.  It's a community, same as here.  I say don't
> fragment it.  It's going to cause more problems than it would solve--and I
> haven't really observed a problem.  The furthest I'd go is to
> provide, say,
> one or two separate channels where a couple/few people -could- pair off to
> discuss something in more detail if it becomes really involved and there
> is a lot going on and they don't want -any- distraction (e.g., you and
> Jim are working and concentrating on barcode or printing stuff that just
> -has- to be done two hours ago and can't have the distractions).  That's
> been required very rarely, so I'd consider it only an emergency spillover
> facility, not a necessity, and only use it when necessary.
>
> I'd give continuance a definitive "YEA" vote--as long as it's not too big
> a burden on you personally, John.  I know what running something like
> that takes.  If you're willing, and if people are appreciative of it as
> evidenced by their responses, I think it should definitely continue.
>
> I'm certainly thankful for its existence.  It's done a lot for me in many
> ways, both technical and personal.  I'm grateful for the help that's been
> given me there, and to the people who do so.  Special thanks to the usual
> "coffee clutch". :)  I haven't been hanging out near as much in the last
> six months, but I've been by more often lately.  I -still- enjoy it, and
> every time I've been by, I've benefitted in some way.
>
> And you've been a remarkable host for two years!  "Well done!" doesn't
> actually start to describe how much you pour into things helping people
> there, both by maintaining it, and by direct contribution.  Can't praise
> you highly enough on either.
>
> Bests!
>
> mark->
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