Very interesting answers in both camps. I am pro live chat if a person feels they would like a supportive chat at the time but I can definitely see the problems as well now that I have read these posts. Truth be told I don't think live chat is a bad idea but I don't think we are ready for that here yet. Cheers

I agree, d2m

When your really hurting, its sooo valuable to be able to go into a live chat and talk with other people that are going through, or understand what your going through. Ive found the live chat a completely valuable tool.

I think the value of being able to help ease someones pain in thier time of need outweighs everything else. IMO. I used to use the chat site at lifering, which was life saver at times. Great people there, but they all follow abstinence programs, so I no longer go in and chat with them, due to TSM being a drink your way out program. lol

Coincidentally, lifering live chat room is where I found out about TSM from someone who did it over 3 years ago and is abstinent now.

Any hoo thats my 2 cents on live chat.

N101CS, I would contribute financially, whether that be a one-time fee or monthly.

Someone said that chatrooms on websites aren't very active; true in the case of Moderation Management's, but utterly false at SMART's--theirs has a number of chatrooms, some with 24/7 availability, others reserved for scheduled meetings, and they are always active. In fact, the meeting rooms have a user limit and fill up almost instantly (one must get there a few minutes before and jump in the second the meeting starts).

I have not been fond of chats generally, but could really, really use one populated by TSMers. I've attended both online and in-person SMART meetings, and both were extremely helpful, particularly the local F2F, but SMART is abstinence-focussed, so members are, to say the least, less than sympathetic towards someone using TSM. Moderation Management strongly discourages users of their site to, as they put it, 'log on with a load on'.

The original post in this thread was made in 2009--four years ago! I know things have progressed enough to make implementation and hosting of chatrooms far easier, cheaper, perhaps even free.

Please do it! Get a chat! I find forums/boards, weirdly, tend to increase my sense of isolation (one of the last things I need), leading me to stop using a lot of them.

All the best to everyone,

Xanthippe