Idle-Tolerant Chatbox Alternatives

The forum's current chatbox logs out idlers, which is not conducive to lurking. Otherwise, it is commendably convenient. Is the timeout merely a toggleable option?

If not, potential alternatives include Skype, TeamSpeak, Steam, and IRC. Skype and Steam both require accounts. Everything except IRC requires a clientside install, but also permits voicechat.

All should be joinable via link, assuming the relevant client is installed, so the nontrivial part would be to retain the list of connected users. TSViewer and Mibbit have flawed offerings for TeamSpeak and IRC, respectively. For Skype and Steam, there seems to be nothing.

Please discuss necessity and whatever else comes up. I can help to set up Steam or IRC. I would be trivially inconvenienced by Skype usage, and not at all by the other alternatives.

Oooh I'd join an IRC, Steam, or Skype! Maybe even a TeamSpeak if I could be bothered to download. :P

I think RPP has a steam group, we don't have a skype group though. That'd be nice.

I think quite several of us still have each other on Skype, we just don't remember under what names. Or I don't anyhow.

Shoot, I might have to recover my Microsoft account for Skype.

As Omni points out, there are in fact two disused Steam groups. Snowy is even co-admin of [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], which has everyone from the other save Ji and Crim. Its groupchat can be joined [You must be registered and logged in to see this link.], even as a guest.

You could always just make a new one; I'm not sure my Skype account works as a Microsoft account, for instance, so you might need to make a Skype account anyway.

I'll go throw myself into those, then. Though, I'm "On" Skype more often than I am steam, if only because Skype also works on my phone.

I like Skype because it's a constant chat log instead of having to join it. Like if you're in it you can lurk without having to actively start lurking.

Additional complaint, when my internet is throttled, as it is 3/4ths of the month, excepting the hours of 2AM to 8AM on those days, holding a steam connection can be... spotty. Skype however, is a remarkably stable platform, and I only ever drop that when the whole internet goes down due to a heavy storm or the like.

Holy shit, I didn't even know we had a Steam group.