Chat Modifications - GSBOS: Generic Shout Box Operating System

What is it?
GSBOS is at a glance a simple shoutbox, users can send messages and everyone else can see it. However, it utilizes Javascript intervals and DOM methods to create a 'typing' effect on every message that shows, and is designed to look like a generic console application. The use of typing messages allows for cool tags such as '[delete]' and '[speed]' that delete letters after they have been typed or makes certain words type faster. An unintended side effect of the way this was created also makes it use much less bandwidth than major chatboxes, as it does not wipe the screen then redownload a bulk of messages each time; It only gets what it needs.

Can I see it in action?
There is a demo set up at http://www.dinnerbone.com/forums. You must register to use it, or log in using one of the following:
'test' - Normal chat
'butterfingers' - To try the Butterfingers effect
'stupid' - To try the 'stupid' effect.
The password for them all is 'test1'.

How customisable is it?
I have aimed to make as much customisability as possible, and you can see the result in the admin options. You can alter anything from message typing speed to the console background to the rate of butterfingers that members have.

Wait, 'butterfingers'?
GSBOS also features per-user effects that, well, have no real purpose but to amuse. 'Butterfingers' causes the effected people to type with lots of generated mistakes, and 'Stupidize' (For lack of a better name) forces people to acknowledge their own IQ. For example, if I were to be under the effects of Stupidize and say "Hey, my name is Dinnerbone and I'm the author of GSBOS!", it would appear as "hallo dinnerdones anme am dinneroben nd dinndrbone duh author of gsbos yah".

Does it work in every browser?
Unfortunately, I have not been able to test this in quite a lot of browsers. However, it should work in most modern browsers.

How do I install it?
Read readme.txt

What features does it have?

• /mute [username] - Mutes [username]. Admin only.
• /unmute [username] - Unmutes [username]. Admin only.
• /stupid [username] - Puts [username] under the 'stupid' effect. Admin only.
• /unstupidize [username] - Removes the 'stupid' effect from [username]. Admin only.
• /butterfingers [username] - Puts [username] under the 'butterfingers' effect. Admin only.
• /unbutterfingers [username] - Removes [username] from the 'butterfingers' effect. Admin only.
• /who - Displays a list of active shoutbox users.
• /clear - Clears the screen, but only for the user who types this.
• /prune - Deletes every message in the shoutbox, for every user. Admin only.
• /say [username]: [message] - Fakes a message from [username] saying [message]. You must seperate the message and username with a colon. Admin only. [username] must be a valid user.
• Almost 100% customisable.
• Easy on the bandwidth.
• [delete]text goes here[/delete] deletes 'text goes here' after typing it out, letter by letter.
• [deletewords]text goes here[/deletewords] deletes 'text goes here' after typing it out, word by word.
• [speed=50]text goes here[/speed] types 'text goes here' at a rate of one letter every 50ms. This may be restricted to certain speeds in the ACP.
• 'Natural typos' creates typos while typing out every message at a set rate (In the ACP). All typos are deleted then fixed after typed out.
• 'Butterfingers' causes a user to make lots of typos at a set rate in their message, that are not fixed when typed out.
• 'Stupidize' causes a user to act their IQ.
• 'Mute' causes a user to shut up.
• A message 'history' is shown for old messages sent before a user loads the shoutbox. These not typed out to save delays; It will only type out new messages.
• Easily positioned on any page on your forums.
• Usergroup based permissions, easily customizable
• Private messages via the shoutbox

To-do

• Ignore user support
• Floating/Docking support
• A limit on how long it takes to type out an individual message
• More per-user effects
• An ability to delete existing messages.
• ???
• Got an idea? Please tell me

Change log (Newest at top!)
1.0.5

• /help command added
• Improved /stupid
• Usergroup permissions - you can now assign which group can use which commands
• Private message support, use /pm username: message
• /me and /me's added
• Fixed a major bug with the [instant] tag that crashed browsers
• Added /format, see the /help command for usage

1.0.4

• Fixed a bug prevent style="" attributes breaking the shoutbox on IE browsers

1.0.3

• BBCode support!
• Smiley support!
• Fixed the time showing incorrectly

1.0.2

• Flood protection
• Custom positioning

1.0.1

• Minor bug fixes
• [speed] now works
• IE now works

[soundbarrierpro]

Question.

There are two other major chatbox's here. Both are ajax. Both can be opened to full screen. Both also are extremely bandwidth intensive if used as a regular means to communicate, like during live events.

Firstly, how intensive is this CB? Second, will all user names show up as they join and type their message?

An additional comment....Are you able to create rooms for specific live events? Say I have three games and don't want them all to be involved in the same chat. Can they all have their own room for their specific event?

Thanks

[dinnerbone]

Originally Posted by soundbarrierpro

Question.

There are two other major chatbox's here. Both are ajax. Both can be opened to full screen. Both also are extremely bandwidth intensive if used as a regular means to communicate, like during live events.

Firstly, how intensive is this CB? Second, will all user names show up as they join and type their message?

An additional comment....Are you able to create rooms for specific live events? Say I have three games and don't want them all to be involved in the same chat. Can they all have their own room for their specific event?

Thanks

This shoutbox does not use nearly as much bandwidth as other major shoutboxes/chatboxes. They delete every message and download the whole lot every few seconds, whereas this only gets new messages which is much more efficient. Also, this checks for new messages straight after it finishes 'typing out' existing messages, meaning you can set the refresh rate much higher than you would normally and it will still be very fast when there is an active conversation going on.

To better explain the message grabbing system and demonstrate how it's more efficient than grabbing every message every time, let's imagine we have one shout/chatbox running, "Chatbox A", and GSBOS running on the same site. Both have 1 message being sent every two seconds, and both are set to refresh every 5 seconds. Chatbox A will be downloading all of the old messages including the new messages every 5 seconds, not only using lots of bandwidth but also causing unwanted lag. GSBOS will only be downloading the new messages, saving lots of bandwidth and also, assuming the message takes less than two seconds to type out, will have next to no lag at all, and the messages will be adding virtually seamlessly. If we then assume no more messages are being added to either shoutbox, Chatbox A will still be downloading all those messages every 5 seconds, whereas GSBOS will be downloading, well, nothing.

Different rooms/chats are hopefully on their way next version

Originally Posted by soniceffect

You are seriously bloody quick LOL ..... good work m8 ...

Installed, Nominated & Donated

Thankyou for your support

[soundbarrierpro]

Ok, I'm going to try.

[macc]

thanks for update - works perfect!

regards

macc

[soundbarrierpro]

Ok, just installed. Anything gotta be CHMOD'd? I uploaded the upload contents to root, I imported XML, then adjusted the settings in ACP GBOS options. There's nothing in Usergroup manager for perms????

[Collussus]

Originally Posted by soundbarrierpro

Ok, just installed. Anything gotta be CHMOD'd? I uploaded the upload contents to root, I imported XML, then adjusted the settings in ACP GBOS options. There's nothing in Usergroup manager for perms????

There's nothing to be CHMOD'd, In the usergroup manager, per usergroup it should show the 2nd and 3rd block as GSBOS permissions

[soundbarrierpro]

Originally Posted by Collussus

There's nothing to be CHMOD'd, In the usergroup manager, per usergroup it should show the 2nd and 3rd block as GSBOS permissions

Got it Don't know why though, I had to completely close my browser windows and reopen before Perms showed. Meh, no big deal. Very nice. I like it very nice and easy.

Cool job voted MOTM for neat stuff!

Question though?

How do you make the module for cmps dynamic across all of your styles? It only works on my default style and not on my other styles on cmps.

[GateKeper]

Template Module Options

Style
If you are adding a new template to use with this module, please specify the style(s) you would like to add this template to here.
To select more than one style, hold down the 'Ctrl' key while selecting styles with your mouse.

make sure you pick all the styles you want this to be on....

[soundbarrierpro]

I don't get the /utilities? How do you use them and what do they do?

[dinnerbone]

Originally Posted by soundbarrierpro

I don't get the /utilities? How do you use them and what do they do?

GSBOS doesn't a /utilities command?