Talkita is a Google Chrome extension

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the Talkita Google Chrome extension, which enables users to communicate with others on the same website. Participants explore its potential applications, limitations, and implications for user interaction on platforms like Physics Forums (PF) and others.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants express surprise that no one has previously discussed Talkita, highlighting its unique concept of facilitating communication among users on the same website.
  • Concerns are raised about the current beta stage, with multiple bug reports indicating potential instability.
  • Some participants question how Talkita operates, specifically whether it utilizes website resources or functions independently through Google's infrastructure.
  • There is skepticism about the effectiveness of the chat feature, particularly regarding the potential for unproductive conversations in large groups, as all users on a domain would be placed in a single chat room.
  • Participants note that if Talkita uses PF's resources, it could negatively impact site performance, especially with high traffic volumes.
  • Suggestions are made for dividing chat into "blocks" based on topics, although some participants indicate that this idea has already been proposed and may not be pursued.
  • There is a discussion about the advantages of real-time communication on e-commerce sites like Amazon, where users could interact before making purchases.
  • Some participants clarify that Talkita currently only supports text chat, leading to disappointment among those expecting audio capabilities.
  • Concerns are raised about the potential for trolls and the impact of self-promoting users within chat environments.
  • Participants acknowledge that while the concept has potential, significant work is needed for it to be effective and self-sustaining.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express a mix of curiosity and skepticism about Talkita, with no consensus on its viability or effectiveness. Concerns about resource usage, chat dynamics, and moderation capabilities remain unresolved.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight limitations regarding the current functionality of Talkita, including its reliance on website resources and the challenges of managing conversations in large groups. The discussion reflects varying assumptions about user behavior and the technical requirements for effective implementation.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to users of online forums, developers of communication tools, and those involved in web-based interactions, particularly in the context of enhancing user engagement on platforms like PF and e-commerce sites.

WiFO215
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I'm surprised no one has posted a thread on this as yet. Talkita is a Google Chrome extension that allows you to talk to people who are on the same website as you. Check it out!

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/gffkbdneeepeccpbpoaciomdibieaiii

This way, I can chat with whoever is online on PF. :)
 
Computer science news on Phys.org


A lot of bug reports at the moment in the beta stage.

Seems like a rather unique idea and something that may work. However, given I use firefox exclusively I can't say it's of any use to me.

I'm slightly curious how it operates. Does it use the website resources or is it independent (running through some Google system)?

Of course, the only people you can talk to are others using Chrome along with this add on.

Personally, I don't see this as something that will take off in its current state. Every person on one domain is stuffed in one chat room. Now imagine if 1/10th of PF through traffic used Chrome and had this installed, that would give you around 150 users in one room. There won't be much in the way of a productive conversation occurring and if it uses PF resources it will only serve to severely hinder site performance.
 
Last edited:


jarednjames said:
A lot of bug reports at the moment in the beta stage.

Seems like a rather unique idea and something that may work. However, given I use firefox exclusively I can't say it's of any use to me.

I'm slightly curious how it operates. Does it use the website resources or is it independent (running through some Google system)?

Of course, the only people you can talk to are others using Chrome along with this add on.

Personally, I don't see this as something that will take off in its current state. Every person on one domain is stuffed in one chat room. Now imagine if 1/10th of PF through traffic used Chrome and had this installed, that would give you around 150 users in one room. There won't be much in the way of a productive conversation occurring and if it uses PF resources it will only serve to severely hinder site performance.
Yep, I used to be an addict of video conferencing. Voice ate up bandwidth, so we restricted people from using it. I find that voice in things like yahoo chat is realtime and landline quality, I'm sure voice degrades with the number of users. Your personal connection will definitely affect the quality.
 


Evo said:
Yep, I used to be an addict of video conferencing. Voice ate up bandwidth, so we restricted people from using it. I find that voice in things like yahoo chat is realtime and landline quality, I'm sure voice degrades with the number of users. Your personal connection will definitely affect the quality.

Well we've all seen what chat does to PF when there's only a handful of people in it. If this service does utilise PF resources (which I'd assume it would*, but would like verification) it could cause major issues.

* Given it's only an add on made by a private party, I don't see it as having it's own resources to handle the volume of traffic it could potentially generate. You would need something along the lines of Microsoft / Yahoo / Google to back this to be self supporting. As it stands it does appear to use the website resources you are currently visiting.
 


Perhaps we ought to suggest the possibility of being able to divide into "chat blocks" where different topics are going on in each block. I'm just wondering how much of an advantage it would have over the forum.

I'm guessing it would be really advantageous on sites like Amazon wherein I can talk to others before buying a product.
 


anirudh215 said:
Perhaps we ought to suggest the possibility of being able to divide into "chat blocks" where different topics are going on in each block. I'm just wondering how much of an advantage it would have over the forum.

The 'division' has already been suggested - if you read the comments they mention allowing people to only chat with those on the same web page as them - so you'd only speak to people currently interested in your thread. This doesn't solve the number of user issue and currently they have indicated they aren't bothering with this.

Advantage wise, none. Given PF is a forum based site all it does is serve to speed up communication. Which might seem like a good thing at first but there are a number of drawbacks created with this, two major ones are:

a) Ability to moderate is lost.

b) Chat can become garbled and the track of conversation can easily be lost in the mass postings erupting onto the screen at once - a problem compounded if you have people discussing different topics all at once (join a big chat room somewhere to see what I mean, or go somewhere really busy and try and hold a conversation as people talk over you).
anirudh215 said:
I'm guessing it would be really advantageous on sites like Amazon wherein I can talk to others before buying a product.

Again, unless self supporting it will hog resources. If this is the case and Amazon don't add more resources to cover for it then it could do some serious damage.

You already have product reviews from customers to help guide you.
 


Is this just a chat function (text)? It's not talking (audio)? If it's texting, that is so lame.
 


Evo said:
Is this just a chat function (text)? It's not talking (audio)? If it's texting, that is so lame.

Just text, no audio function. Blimey that could bring down websites.
 


jarednjames said:
Just text, no audio function. Blimey that could bring down websites.
Pfffft, when he said talk, I thought he meant *talk*. So he meant texting. PFFFFTT
 
  • #10


jarednjames said:
The 'division' ... to help guide you.

Well I agree with what you said, especially about being able to moderate posts, so perhaps its isn't so great an idea on this forum. On places like Amazon however, there might be a large number of people with good opinions on electronics goods who might not post on the 'reviews' section. It would be nice talking to them. This has its own problems, but let's see how it evolves. :)
 
  • #11


Evo said:
Pfffft, when he said talk, I thought he meant *talk*. So he meant texting. PFFFFTT

Well the concept does seem unique and something I could see being useful in some circumstances. However, I think there is a lot of work to be done and it definitely needs to be self supporting so far as the hosting goes.
 
  • #12


anirudh215 said:
On places like Amazon however, there might be a large number of people with good opinions on electronics goods who might not post on the 'reviews' section. It would be nice talking to them. This has its own problems, but let's see how it evolves. :)

Large numbers of people in one room? Yeah, you'll get useful conversation there. Don't forget there be trolls lurking too.

EDIT: Plus, wouldn't it make sense to have people trying to sell your product via this method as well? A free advertising solution for smaller businesses perhaps?

You get people to go there and deliberately direct people towards their own goods, whether truthfully or blatantly lying to them - who's to know?
 
  • #13


jarednjames said:
However, I think there is a lot of work to be done and it definitely needs to be self supporting so far as the hosting goes.
No kidding.
 
  • #14


jarednjames said:
Large numbers of people in one room? Yeah, you'll get useful conversation there. Don't forget there be trolls lurking too.

EDIT: Plus, wouldn't it make sense to have people trying to sell your product via this method as well? A free advertising solution for smaller businesses perhaps?

You get people to go there and deliberately direct people towards their own goods, whether truthfully or blatantly lying to them - who's to know?


Hmmm, yeah, this is what I meant when I said it came with its own problems. Still a pretty cool feature though, with OR without audio.
 
  • #15


Yech. There it goes. I went to YouTube with Talkita switched on. YouTube comments. Ugh.
 

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