The reason so few were using it is because there were so many problems w/ it - dating back to 2011 when IB was in charge & in 2012, & even a year ago IB was saying hey we've got new features coming, hang on. I'm sorry but 4 years is a long time for people to hang on. No wonder there aren't too many participating!

Also I don't buy the idea that just because the conversation closes out that it meant it had no value. It was chat, not an archive. And FWIW - prior to IB acquiring FT there were regularly lots of FTers posting on chat nightly. IB didn't like the way chat worked (even though it worked well for years before IB took over). Heck it was even mentioned that & gave some b.s. reason for discontinuing the old chat. And then when IB said chat was working in '13 IB did very little in terms of announcement on it publicly, and FTers went to the alternate method of chatting (not on IB).

IB dropped something that was of value & had lots of FTers posting on it, including from Australia, etc, in the middle of the night. FT Chat use to be a vibrant community w/ lots of FTers posting.

And let's chat (pun intended!) about the mobile app, which is also years behind schedule. Heck it was a year ago at this time IB said we'd have a new mobile app in early 2015. Now it's sometime in 2016. (and even prior to last year we were told it was just around the corner).

If you don't want to lose folk who aren't willing to put up w/ all the problems they're encountering w/ the mobile app IB needs to get its act together. It's not like IB is a small shop w/ just a couple of employees. Most people access FT via mobile devices. To have a crappy mobile app hurts FT/IB. And I'm sure KKR would like more people to check in/click.

* It should be noted that my comments are not specific to IBobi/Paul, who I know & like (and who is just the messenger).

Cheers. Sharon