http://www.perlmonks.org?node_id=201664

Hello

Preface: this post could be a repetition of old ones, I tried a search but I didn't found any. In case it is an old and already closed argument of discussion, I apologize.

Days ago I read a post where they said that the heavy load on perlmonks.org is due in a somewhat large part by a lot of people reloading the page to refresh the chatterbox.

Searching around the monastery I also read about the #perlmonks channel on irc.slashnet.org and of a couple of efforts to interface the chatterbox to an IRC server

And I asked myself: why have a webchat that generates high load and efforts in interfacing it to IRC when we could do the opposite?

I mean: why not having all the chat where it is supposed to be, on IRC, and having it replicated on the web but without the possibility of posting via web?

Ciao!
--bronto

# Another Perl edition of a song:
# The End, by The Beatles
END {
  $you->take($love) eq $you->make($love) ;
}

Replies are listed 'Best First'.
Re: chatterbox causes heavy load? So why don't switch to IRC?
by Aristotle (Chancellor) on Sep 30, 2002 at 11:45 UTC

    You can already do your own part for the preservation of resources by going to a light node like the Default Node for bouncing on the chatterbox.

    The next best bet, depending on your habits, is probably to use the framechat or the Java Chatterbox.

    Even better would be using one of the many chatterbox clients that just poll the XML ticker, a much lighter hit than for any browser-suitable page. There are many different ones available to suit any tastes - framechat2, Curses Chatterbox Client, Perl/Tk Chatterbox Client or Win32::GUI Chatterbox client to name just a few. See also the two lists of clients (both incomplete). Super Search is probably of service here if these don't appeal.

    Finally, a CB->IRC interface would have the advantage that a single XML ticker polling client can have any number of users listening. Actually, jcwren has already written one: Robomonk - An IRC to PM Bridge. You just have to launch it onto some IRC server. (Don't bother with the demo mentioned there, it's been offline for a while now.)

    Going whole hog and running exclusively on IRC would be a mistake IMO. The XML feed was set up to allow lightweight external access - make use of it!

    Makeshifts last the longest.

Re: chatterbox causes heavy load? So why don't switch to IRC?
by BrowserUk (Patriarch) on Sep 30, 2002 at 10:41 UTC

    I made the suggestion before, but I think it worth repeating. As we already have an IFRAME used for the ad at the top of the screen, would it be a hugely provocative move to make the CB a IFRAME as well?.

    Done this way, a click on the talk button would only need to refresh the cb, which should a reduced load on the server by not having to re-build the entire page with associated DB hits etc. ?


    Cor! Like yer ring! ... HALO dammit! ... 'Ave it yer way! Hal-lo, Mister la-de-da. ... Like yer ring!
      I don't know what the support for iframes is like now but you could make it an optional user setting. I bet you would still lighten a lot of load.

      -Lee

      "To be civilized is to deny one's nature."
        IFRAME is part of canonical HTML since 4.0 and supported by MSIE and Mozilla for years. Shouldn't be much of a problem methinks!

        Added bonus: the main page loads independent of the scatterbox stuff, which could improve the overall (subjective) experience. ++BrowserUk.

        --
        Cheers, Joe

Re: chatterbox causes heavy load? So why don't switch to IRC?
by tommyw (Hermit) on Sep 30, 2002 at 10:25 UTC

    For starters, I'm stuck behind a corporate firewall, so I can't use IRC.

    --
    Tommy
    Too stupid to live.
    Too stubborn to die.

      That's easy enough to do, we create a nodelet at the same time, that allows you to 'refresh' what's just happened in the IRC channel... oh wait...

      --
      It's not pessimism if there is a worse option, it's not paranoia when they are and it's not cynicism when you're right.

      What prevents anyone installing an IRC server to use port 80? or 25? or any of the well-known ports? That's the ground where gnutella clients strive. Why couldn't perlmonks?

      Ciao!
      --bronto

      # Another Perl edition of a song:
      # The End, by The Beatles
      END {
        $you->take($love) eq $you->make($love) ;
      }

Re: chatterbox causes heavy load? So why don't switch to IRC?
by rinceWind (Monsignor) on Sep 30, 2002 at 10:26 UTC
    I do know that the Everything2 site has a CB, but does the opposite to what you are suggesting.

    All dialogue and /me actions taking place on the CB are echoed onto IRC channel #catbox from bot user catboxer - but I believe there is no interface the other way.

    This may be easier to implement on PM than what you were suggesting, and implementation would not disrupt the existing monk userbase.

Re: chatterbox causes heavy load? So why don't switch to IRC?
by kodo (Hermit) on Sep 30, 2002 at 11:16 UTC
    I can't connect to any IRC-Server here because of a firewall, too. Only have a http/ftp-proxy available so Chatterbox is really fine for me, it's the only "Chat-Thing" I have here at work...it's my connection to the outer world from here don't take it away! :))

    But if it causes so much load on the server, maybe a seperate CB-Server should do the job?

    giant