Is there any interest in setting up a Discord server, or even a public-facing Citadel server for Internet based AREDN communication?
I ask because I am new to this idea and would like to find people in my area or nearby to talk to it about in a live-chat environment. I am looking at the possibility of shooting for a REALLY long direct connection IF its possible (it may not be) and have some questions.
Many local groups have implemented different alternatives to facilitate dialogue. Some use groups.io, Mattermost, Mumble, Rocket Chat, IRC Chat, google hangouts, skype or whatever is easiest and most familiar for the local hams to use. There's lots of flexibility to use the best tool for your local needs.
In this sense I am meaning more for the community as a whole. To help bring the entire participant base together. Facilitate idea sharing, collaboration, bringning on newcomers.
Please don't split the user base. Seen that on too many groups. Everyone is on one platform, and then someone thinks that something new would be great as an add on. Some people move to the new platform, some stay on the old platform, and very few regularly are on both. The result is that the community becomes split and ideas are lost because they were on the wrong platform.
There is an active group on Facebook, but as K6CCC, Jim just pointed out, Most of the dialog is completely redundant to the posts on our Forum. Both forums are global in scope, so I don't know what you gain from creating yet another forum.
That is a fair point. I have no intention of splitting a community. I am a product of the 'instant gratification' generation, so something like a live chat room appeals to me. Forums were on their way out of the main stream when I started using the internet, so I haven't gotten used to them yet. I will gladly do so though for such a project as this!
Look up the meaning of the word "discord.'"
Y'all have some really strong opinions on this! For clarification, I do not intend to start anything, I am new to the community and am not here to make waves, just have discussion.
To some of your points, discord has fantastic search capability AND the ability to make different "channels" for discussion on specific topics.
The only reasons I would want such a place are:
1. To appeal to more (newer) hams who have no idea that this is even something people are doing,
2. To have a place where people CAN shat frivilously but also find people nearby and have live chats about coordinating setups.
To reiterate, I DO NOT intend to start a chat server for this community. Just trying to gague interest. It does not seem like there is any.
One justification for chat channels is local network planning and coordination. In my case, AREDN chat channels based in the Bay area, the Central Coast of California, and Southern California.
Orv W6BI