Google Hangouts has changed since we used it last as an EX chat. It was fun!. I don't remember laughing that much in AGES! I haven't done a lot of study on it, but I believe you no longer need to have a Google Plus account. Google, I heard, just eliminated the Plus side of the business due to hacking invasions. Also, I believe you can invite anyone into the chat. They don't have to have a Google account at all. The only requirement would be for the person who starts the hangout to have the email addresses of those wishing to join. As I said, I haven't looked into it. But I could if there is enough interest. For those unfamiliar with Google Hangouts, it's similar to a Skype session with a group. I haven't checked, but I suspect all those people who gave me their email addresses for the last get together are still probably somewhere in my Google account memory somewhere. Once you have the addresses, you could just invite a person to join you in the Hangout on a general basis.
Obviously you have to be careful, protective and very mindful with those email addresses you know and trust. I, personally, have never shared any email address given to me with anyone else on this site (without permission from that person) or anywhere else. BUT, to ensure privacy, you can set up a new email account for yourself just for that purpose. That way if something negative happens, you get bombarded by somebody on the site whom you'd rather not have contact with, or a spam artist gets hold of your account - you can delete that email account without any consternation.
As far as the necessity for a "moderator": I think the person who sets up the chat would probably be in charge of moderation. If things got out of hand they'd just shut down the chat. But I can't really imagine that kind of thing happening with this EX group. The personal email addresses we'd share would be with people on the site who are here to quit or here to offer support or just have fun and hang out with. This is not the same as a normal internet "chat" room. Which can get really nasty.
Again this would not be an "open" chat group. It would be a "Hey, anybody interested in getting together tonight or over the weekend at X time to hang out?" If BecomeAnEX were to have their own chat room, it would definitely need a moderator and it would be a whole different ball of wax. The Hangout that I set up before was just within our small group, of those interested who were willing to give me their email address.
Again, if there's enough interest, I could try to figure out how the new Google chat system works. Perhaps it could become a larger group due to the fact that anyone could be invited without having a Google account. But then whomever sets up that particular chat has to be mindful of the responsibility of having those email addresses. I would say that a respected Elder should only be the one to set up such a group within this EX community. But - that's something to be thought about and considered if anyone want to set up a chat.
Just passing on thoughts here, Missy, from having a weeeee bit of experience with a brief chat room here. That's all I can base my opinion on. And when I say "weeee" I mean it. There may have had three or four chats? together. So I am definitely NOT an expert on that.
freeneasy Anything you want to add? Jennifer-Quit ? Any thoughts?
I would help if moderators were needed. Anyone else think this is a good idea????
