Hey guys, I've just noticed there's a 'Chat' button next to the 'Rmail' button in the top right hand corner.

It's pretty unpopulated. You guys should come join us.

Hmm, I'm old-school (read Dinosaur). I don't go around pressing buttons unless I know
a) exactly what they do, and
b) how to undo what I've just done if I don't like it.

So, what does the 'Chat' function do, how does it differ from this forum, and how do I unsubscribe? :)

In reply to icosahedron152 (msg # 2):

It opens an IRC chat.

You can come and go as you please.

there isn't really a subscription.

It requires Java.  I don't see the point in downloading an ancient outdated technology.  Perhaps RPoL would consider going with https://webchat.freenode.net/ that could be dropped into RPoL with iframes?

Actually- if you download an IRC chat (yes, still dinosaur - but, effective) - you can chat without the java nonsense.

In reply to Genghis the Hutt (msg # 4):

While RPoL provides a link to the Chat, we do not actually control it.  It was set up by users, and is run/moderated by them using a third party service provider.  So RPoL (this site) is not really in a position to consider going with anything.  That would be entirely up to the people who do run the Chat.

Well, I tried, it didn't work (just loaded an empty grey box), and so I've done my good deed for the day.

I used to be in there a lot. Then I wandered away from rpol for a few years, and I kind of hate ircstorm, so when I wandered back toward IRC, I set up on goodchatting instead. So now I sit in an IRC chat channel called "rpol," but not the one that's linked to from here. It's basically just a channel I set up for people I knew from 2005-2009ish, some of whom missed sitting in chat with each other, but the novelty has since worn off and now it's mostly just me and one other friend most of the time.

How is that possible?  I thought I remembered reading (and this was years ago, so I could be remembering it wrong) that advertising on RPoL for a third-party communication site in that manner was grounds for a ban.  Now one is linked from the main page?  Again, I could easily be wrong.

I don't think RPoL has ever had a blanket ban on advertising third party communication sites.  Only on advertising games being run on those sites (and even then, only if they're being advertised outside Offsite Gaming).

In any case, since the link was put there by the guy who owns RPoL, it's probably okay that it's there (and has been since at least 2003).

IIRC jase and one or two others used to moderate the chat, many moons ago.  Then some of us did, but eventually jase didn't renew it, then others did, and eventually as Nerwen said, everyone kind of wandered off.  The link should probably be removed unless jase wants to set it up properly again.

Yeah, seems empty...

I was in a game a couple of years ago that used the chat area to play through scenes 'real-time'...the GM would copy and paste (after editing) the chat session into a game post for those who weren't involved.

So, it does sometimes see use, just not necessarily regularly daily visits from people.