Chat can be entered without Java support

[pengolodh_sc]

--- In HPFGU-OTChatter, "bohcoo" wrote:
> --- In HPFGU-OTChatter, "kizor0" wrote:
> > 
> > Most of the time I spend my Sunday nights on computers
> > that I can't install Java on, and thus can't access
> > chat. I've heard a couple of offhand comments about
> > other ways of getting to the weekly chat than the
> > button on the left, do all of them use the same kind of
> > applet?
> 
> 
> 
> Bohcoo adds:
> I am so glad you brought this question up. I, too, cannot
> visit the chat any longer -- after I had to replace my
> hard drive. My new hard drive says that Java is enabled,
> but, try as I might, through every avenue available to
> enter the Sunday chat, I can't. I'm sorry you are having
> trouble too, but somewhat relieved to hear I am not the
> only one having a problem. I sure hope there is someone
> in the group who can help us. I've missed you guys!

The chatroom on the group homepage isn't always entirely functional, 
in my experience.  Going via the page chat.yahoo.com, logging in 
with your Yahoo-identity, and then typing
/join HP:1
will work better, though there is a certain tendency to be 
automatically logged out of chat after a while.  With older versions 
of Yahoo!Messenger it is/was possible to join chats, though that 
possibility seems to be gone in the most recent version.  

A last possibility is to use third-party chat clients.  For years, 
the preferred chat-client was CheetaChat, but sadly, updates to it 
stopped one or two years ago.  Currently it seems a bit up in the 
air whether it will be upgraded or abandoned forever by its 
developer.  Moderators should see this as a sign to remove 
CheetaChat from the HPfGU FAQ, btw.

Shortly before Christmas I downloaded another chatclient, called 
YahElite.  So far I've only used it in one chat, but it worked well, 
and I wasn't booted from chat once (though I was in it for probably 
six hours).    It is less streamlined than CheetaChat was, and 
doesn't include graphical avatars or multiline ASCII emotes (but 
then, many would consider that to be a very positive feature, rather 
than a lack).  It's programmed in C, and doesn't require Java.  It 
will run on Windows (from Win95 and more modern), and Linux if you 
have WINE.

Logging on is fast, and it will remember the rooms that you have 
specified that you want to start in.  It includes options for 
automatic logging of transcripts, as well as saving transcripts in 
various formats.  It's a small installation, and as far as I could 
determine doesn't use much system-resources (2MB RAM typically is 
the claim of the website - I haven't measured, myself).  I have not 
yet examined whether it has voice-reader built-in.  The one 
disadvantage I've encountered so far is that the most recommended 
protocol for accessing chat causes Yahoo!Messenger to log off, if 
you're using the same ID as in Yahoo!Messenger.

The webpage for YahElite is:
http://yahelite.org/deep/files/yahelite/

The install-file can be found at:
http://yahelite.org/deep/files/yahelite/_download.shtml

They also have a simplified version called YAHAY, which is supposed 
to be "So Simple even grandma can use it".

There are other chat clients out there, as well - use Google, for 
instance, and search for:
yahoo chat clients
or similar search-terms.

Best regards
Christian Stubø
Who just read all the digests from December 20th to now in one go.