MathIM: A LaTeX web-based chat

tommycli

Hi everyone. Out of a personal need to send complicated equations to my Physics classmates over instant messenger, I've pieced together a LaTeX enabled web-based chat system.

Two people can go to the website, enter a chat room, and chat with standard LaTeX math.

It's at http://www.mathim.com. Thought some other people might find it useful. Let me know if there are any bugs, suggestions, or questions.

fulford

This looks like a great tool, just the sort of thing I have been looking for.

But, I have been having trouble getting it to work. I make up a room name, select "Start Chatting", it takes me to a new window. The preview works ok, but I just get
"Chat loading, please wait".

Am I supposed to have some software loaded, or are the room names only certain allowed names?

I would love to be able to get this working for my students.

Glenn

tommycli

Hi, there was a problem with the site. It should be fixed now. Please let me know if there are any other problems.

fulford

Hi, seems to be another problem. All my backslashes are translated to forward slashes. This happens on both PC on Internet explorer and on Mac on Safari.

There was a brief discussion on the MacTeX mail list about chat tools with latex, so I mentioned your Mathim site.

Glenn

rocomath

Who all uses this? Is it safe?

tommycli

Seems like mostly math and physics students.

It's safe.

CompuChip

I was going to use it for a mathful discussion with some fellow students, but it seems to have become ridicilously slow (to the point where just loading the chat takes ~5 minutes and no text appears anymore). Pinging the site gives about 120 ms RTT. Is this a regular problem? When it worked for a few minutes, it was very nice though!

tommycli

Hi, I agree there's been slowness issues in the past few days, which is why I've moved the thing to a new server yesterday. Hopefully that solves any speed issues.

pardesi

ok is it possible to have it in ur own forum i mean kinda emebedd it or something like that
also some suggestions...i think u run that on miktex...
u shud update that...since codes like \binom{n}{r} don't work....
also is it possible for u to have chemistry packages like m-chem

tommycli

Sorry, I don't run it on miktex. I can't add m-chem packages etc.

You can have your own room by choosing a secret room name.

Thanks.

pardesi

sorry i forgot this .........the idea was superb!!!!!!

tommycli

This was down for a period of 15 days or so. It's been fixed now.

Theoretiker

this is really cool. It is a good and faster way to talk with a fried about sheets.

Thanks

CylonMath

Useful site.
Its nice not to download 80+MB of Latex tools to write a friend some symbols.

Redbelly98

Thread locked, due to attracting too many posts (now deleted) that do not contribute to the discussion.