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Originally Posted by onesnowyowl
Yeah, it disappeared last night when I was in the middle of finding out more about Steak n Shake from Shani and DEI37.
Some warning would have been appreciated. I still think an explanation of why the shoutbox is gone is due. I understand some people don't like it, but there are a great many of us who do like it, and do use it, and would appreciate knowing why it's gone.
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Short answer: there are lots of things that lots of people like or would like - that doesn't mean they ought to be part of the site.
Long answer: The shoutbox detracted from the chat room and unnecessarily split discussion up into two groups: chatters and shouters. The occasional firewall issue aside, the shoutbox was only marginally more convenient than clicking the "chat" link at the top of the page, so that wasn't a compelling argument for keeping it. Moderating the shoutbox was a bitch: the logs were a pain in the ass to go through so it was difficult to catch up and get context, and if/when action needed to be taken, there were not many tools at our disposal other than full-on warnings, which are not often warranted. It tended to slow down the site - sometimes only by a little, sometimes by a lot. Arguments that chat is less active were also not compelling due to the fact that chat is what you make of it. If everyone who liked using the shoutbox were to click the "chat" link and leave it open the same way they did with the shoutbox, there would be just as much discussion in there (minus the couple people who can't get into IRC from work, or who refuse to go into IRC for whatever reason). Finally, while having fun and goofing off a bit is perfectly reasonable, having it displayed at the very top of the front page for all potential new members to see as their first impression is not an effective way to highlight the relatively mature and open discussion we try to foster here. The chat room - or Tilted Nonsense - is a much more appropriate venue for that kind of enjoyment.