How Can You Use MathIM for 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]

MathIM

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.