Lycos chat
The Lycos Chat is part of an online community called worldsbiggestchat , which was developed in Denmark and consists of several chats from different providers and languages. The German part was the operator of the web portal since 2001 Lycos provided and was of members of the German Internet offers of Lycos, T-Online and Yahoo usable. The chat was sent to Noesis Ltd. sold.
Providers in the worldsbiggestchat community were Lycos ( Germany , England , France , Italy , Netherlands , Spain ), Spray ( Norway , Sweden ) and Jubii (Denmark). These now all belong to Noesis.
Structure and functions
construction
The chat is structured like a ship . Everything that happens “on board” falls within this framework. The most important bot is the captain and there is a ranking system that is based on the ranks of the seafarers . The more experienced a chatter becomes, the higher this rank becomes and he can rise in 179 steps from the passenger via the smutje and the boatswain to the lieutenant at sea and finally reach the highest rank of Neptune .
The chat is divided into two areas. These are the "My Page" area, in which individual user pages ( profile ) can be created, information and settings can be changed and news about the chat ( bridge ) can be read, and the chat window in which all messages can be read and written.
Functions
Through the use of actions , frequently used expressions, for example when entering a room, are automatically written by entering a command. Text formatting is possible through effect actions , in which the text is usually framed by a graphic or highlighted in color.
bridge
On the bridge , information about current events in the chat as well as changes to the chat are announced and explained at irregular intervals. Small tips for troubleshooting are also given, if known. A complete list of all navigators can also be found here, as well as an overview of which of them is currently accessible.
technology
At the turn of the year 2005/2006, almost all of the WBC's country chats were successively converted to the new .NET technology. After the conversion of the German chat, it was offline for a long time or ran falteringly, which has improved significantly thanks to a large number of updates. The main reason for the change was the easier troubleshooting and simpler implementation of new functions such as the porthole (review page for uploaded photos), some of which were newly installed in 2006.
New community
A new chat community has been in trial operation since April 2007. High-ranking regular chatters in particular were invited to view the English beta version of the planned JubiiWorld and make suggestions for improvement. A public beta version has only been established in the US.
The new community is no longer structured like a ship on which everything happens. Now the Chatter, now called Islander (in the original, there is no translation available), awaits a complete island with different areas that houses all functions. There is a ship in the port on which normal chat operations continue as before. Other chat rooms such as the previous CityDeck or private cabins have been moved to the island. A lighthouse houses the search function and the Walk of Fame provides information about the hardest-working chatters.
It is not yet known when the new community will finally open.
Moderation
There are no fixed topics in the chat, which is why the service is not moderated . However, there are chatters called navigators who are supposed to ensure order and a pleasant atmosphere in the chat. They are not present in every room, but can be addressed privately at any time in the event of problems (even across rooms). Navigators are appointed from the ranks of the most experienced chatters and do their administrative duties on a voluntary basis after they have passed a type of school leaving examination.
New navigators are initially on their way as assistants. Depending on whether more experienced navigators are sought, the rank rises to third , second or first navigator . This also increases the rights of navigators. Requirements to become a navigator are currently: the rank of lieutenant at sea , a minimum age of 16 years and successfully completed quests.
Navigators can mainly be found in the ballroom or on the landing stage . New chatters always arrive in this room first, here they are introduced to the chat and contact persons for questions can be reached quickly.
Safety for children
Children's chat
There is a so-called child protection team in Lycos Chat that takes special care of the youngest chatters. There is a separate room (“KinderChat” on the youth deck) for the little ones on board, where they can be among themselves.
Current information and safety tips can be found on the website of the child protection team.
The chat's new support page can be used to send screenshots to a chat navigator in the event of harassment attempts by other chatters.
An alarm button in the chat ensures a quick call for help from a navigator. Since November 5, 2007, Lycos Europe has been working together with the chat providers RTL interactive and Knuddels in the "Self-Control Chat", an association led by the FSM .
In April 2014, the minimum age was raised from 12 to 16 years, so children are no longer allowed to access the chat, and the child protection team has also been a thing of the past since that day.
Chat license
Since autumn 2006, the so-called “chat license” has been included in the child protection team's program. Children up to the age of 15 can take a kind of test here, in which the correct use of the website of the child protection team and correct behavior towards other people on the Internet are in the foreground. As a reward, there is a certificate for successful completion, which the chatters can put in their profile.
Actions
In the chat there are a variety of actions that are organized with the help of navigators or by the normal chatters themselves.
Chat weddings can be held and a quiz is held weekly . Other games, such as a Mr. and Mrs. Lycos election or a scavenger hunt , have also been conducted.
sales
The turnover of the WBC consists largely of advertising in the chat and profile as well as donations. Since January 1, 2010, extensive functions are only available against payment.
criticism
- The ranking system makes the chat more addictive , as there is always an incentive to improve one's rank for new opportunities; An easy entry and large chat rooms, in which there are mainly many regular chatters, promote the return value.
- Due to frequent technical problems, the ship often comes to a standstill or the chat process is slow, which is why the chat is often referred to as Flycos (Fly = to fly, i.e. an involuntary leaving the chat due to technical problems).
See also
Web links
- en.lycos.social - Official website of Lycos Chat
- "Bridge" of the Lycos chat
- Partner sites : "Chatter Info"
- www.chatten-ohne- risik.net Brochure about security tests of chats
- kinderschutz-im.lycos-chat.com Child protection page
- de.worldsbiggestchat.com Login page for the chat
- www.worldsbiggestchat.com Homepage of the WBC with all country chats
- www.stern.de Report of the show Stern TV about harassment in Lycos Chat
Individual evidence
- ↑ http://kct.de.vc ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Archived copy ( Memento of the original from July 18, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and not yet checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Report to Heise Online
