Live Chat won't load
 

I tried to access Live Chat both Sunday Night and just now.

After entering my username and password, the system starts to load the Java Applet, then just hangs. I can exit IE, so it is not causing a system crash, I just never get to the Chat Window.

Any Ideas?

Just happened to me also. Logged on to the chat, and it loaded as far as the outline of the chatbox, but no details appeared, then it locked up completely. Had to log off default and restart as I could not exit the page from that point. Netscape 4.7

bj-21.



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'Tis better to have played and won, then never to have played at all.

I was finally able to get in on the night of the 19th, but other users had an awful time.

One user got booted at least 12 times.

Are the problems in chat related to the slowness problems the boards have been having?

[This message has been edited by CameraGuy (edited 03-20-2001).]

Chat hasn't been working for me since maybe Thursday.

Worked fine for me, plus several others who were on at the time, last night (Sunday, March 25th). If there were problems, maybe they're over.

I've still got problems, and I'm sure they're specific to my machine, though I have no idea why. I'm able to get into chat at home, but not on my work computer. It doesn't matter if it's Netscape or IE.

I sign in to chat, java starts up, then the applet loads, then it says "transferring data from host3.digichat.com" -- and that's it. It continues to say that indefinitely, but the chat window never pops up on the screen.

Anyone have any ideas?

I am guessing that it may be a firewall issue. I have had similar problems with other programs utilizing ports that were closed by the firewall. When that happens, I get the type of error you are describing.

But then, it could be something totally different.

Michael's getting in touch with the company that provides the technology to try and find a reason and solution for this.

Personally, I've logged into the chat on Macs (IE4.5, IE4 and NN4.7) and on PCs (IE5.5, NN4.7) and can usually get in, although there have been times that I've had to wait up to a minute until the Java kicks in.

We would definitely love to move to a more stable solution that offers some of the niceties that the current one has (custom icons, multiple rooms, private messaging). If anyone knows of a solution that:

1. Won't break the bank (always an important factor)
2. Is easy for our audience to jump into and enjoy.
3. Is customizable as far as look and feel
4. Is cross-browser/platform (at least to PCs and Macs on 4.+ version browsers)
5. Won't overtask our servers (cgi-driven chats tend to)

We're always open for suggestions...

I apologize for the difficulties some of you have experienced using FT Live!, and appreciate the emails so that we know if there's a problem.

Water Polo Ref, we did have proxy problems before, but our vendor gave us a tunneling solution that seemed to take care of most proxies. But who knows, maybe it wasn't a complete fix...

[This message has been edited by dan at WebFlyer (edited 03-29-2001).]

What about IRC?

Whatever you switch to, make sure it will support Linux/UNIX as well. I love the Live Chat, it my favorite part of FT. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif


edit for UBB-oops


[This message has been edited by markbach (edited 03-29-2001).]

Whoops, I whipped that last one out so fast that I forgot a few more requirements:

6. Stores log files/transcripts
7. Membership model. We want to have the option to make the chat "public" (as we do for the monthly events) or "private", where you have to be a registered FlyerTalker to participate.


Mark, thanks for the support and suggestion...

I'm getting CameraGuy's and Blackjack-21's symptoms (on a Mac with System 8.1) tonight. Tried both Netscape 4.7x and IE 5.0x, a few times each. No firewall, regular dial-up connection. It's worked fine every time until now.

More specifics, in case they help:

Netscape loads the 147K DigiChat applet (30+ seconds), shows the Chat screen with a grayed-out Connect button but no chat window, and crashes with a Type 3 error (but does not hang or bring down the system).

IE goes to the new page, says "Applet error ... closing" after a second or two, never displays the grayed-out Connect button, and leaves the new page in that state. The rest of its behavior, including other open pages, continues normally. It doesn't hang or crash.

In case it helps you folks debug this, the Java error log from one IE try follows. (I hope line size issues don't mess it up.)

4/4/2001 @ 1:29:2
java.lang.ClassFormatError
at java.lang.ClassLoader.defineClass(ClassLoader.java )
at apple.jam.JMAppletClassLoader.loadClass(JAMAppletC lassLoader.java)
at apple.jam.JMAppletClassLoader.findClass(JAMAppletC lassLoader.java)
at apple.jam.JMAppletClassLoader.loadClass(JAMAppletC lassLoader.java)
at apple.jam.JMAppletClassLoader.loadClass(JAMAppletC lassLoader.java)
at apple.jam.JMAppletViewer.doLoadCode(JAMAppletViewe r.java)
at apple.jam.JMAppletViewer.setState(JAMAppletViewer. java)
at apple.jam.JMViewerEvent.post(JAMAppletViewer.java)
at apple.jam.JMAWTContext.run(JAMSessionFrameHolder.j ava)
Class Loader Exception: fileioexception (digi.digichat.DigiChatApplet)
AWTContext exception: java.lang.NullPointerException
AWTContext exception: java.lang.NullPointerException
AWTContext exception: java.lang.NullPointerException


[This message has been edited by Efrem (edited 04-03-2001).]

Efrem,

Thanks for the error log and feedback; we'll send this on to DigiChat and see what they come up with.

In the meantime, do you have the latest Java machine installed on your system (2.2.4)? If not, and you have the time, go to http://asu.info.apple.com and then click the "Go To - MRJ 2.2.4" link to download the lastest JVM.

Dan, I'm having problems the last 2 nights as well. I had the Java Console log with full debugging, and I just emailed it to you. I hope it helps diagnose the problem.

running Mozilla 0.81 (Build ID 2001031611) under Linux 2.2.14, JRE 1.3.0_01

I just contacted our chat vendor (via _their_ chat...) and conveyed our problems. They're going to move us over to another chat server, so we'll see if this fixes the connectivity problems...

They're good with person-to-person support, so I can't knock them there. Anyway, hang tight folks and we'll see about a better chat... Got your error log, Mark; thanks

svpii, danville 1K, and I have been able to get in this afternoon if we let the chat applet load, then when it looks like it is just sitting there trying to connect, minimise the window. After 5 or 10 minutes, the chat window loads and we are able to get in. Looks like its waiting for something to timeout.

Dan,

Thanks for the suggestion. I'm afraid I'm hopelessly out of date in that regard! The good news is that I just got a "new" G3 (new to me, well used otherwise) with enough RAM (96 megs) to run reasonably current stuff. Once I get it up and running, I'll make sure it's current as far as its Java runtime goes.

Whatever you did seems to have worked. I got right in this evening (12:30am EDT). Thanks, Dan, and digichat.

thanks, but we may not be out of the fire yet...

One of the things that may have been causing the login problems is an applet we use to allow users behind a firewall to access the chat. I removed it, and now we seem to have better luck logging in. We'll have to replace it soon, though, to allow our guest speakers (who often connect via their corporate access) in. I've spoken with our vendor and they should have this applet installed and working on their servers hopefully today...

thanks for your patience and feedback...

I've also been having problems the last several days, and it continues today. The chat app simply won't load. DigiChat seems to continously have server problems, is it time for a new app? The error message for today is that it can't find the digichat server.

Well, I just tried and got in almost immediately. Actually faster than last time.
But no one was there... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Well, this is the first time I've tried to get in in April, and, lo and behold ...

IT'S ALIVE!! IT'S ALIIIIIIVE!

Naturally, I feel pretty cool that I had the problem first. Yeah, that's it.

Well, the missing applet has been moved over, as well as the rest of the chat engine. I've checked it on a couple servers and platforms, and I'm logging in with no problems (other than the occasional wait while IE wrestles with Java).

We should be done tinkering around with the chat for the time being. If anyone continues to experience errors while logging in, try the following steps:

1. Clear your browser's cache.
2. Restart your browser, especially if it's been running for a while.

If this doesn't fix it, send an email to [email protected] with information on the type of error you're experiencing, as well as the operating system and browser you're using.

Thanks for everyone's help and patience with this.

Dan, you rock!

Just one more thing...
After tomorrow's UA Chat, can you remember to set the chat rooms back to their regular state (unmoderated, no special announcements, and login/logout show up)? Usually, it takes about a week for it to migrate back. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/smile.gif

sure thing...

OK, chat's not working anymore for me. Back to how it has been. It must have to do with this firewall thing you mentioned, Dan.

Can't we go back to how things were yesterday?

I'm not behind a firewall, and it's not working for me either... and never has over the last few days. Still getting the following:

load: class com.diginet.digichat.client.DigiChatApplet not found

Win98, IE 5.0

Down. Again. Getting tiresome.

Same thing for me tonight. Win98. MSIE and NN both don't load the live chat.

FewMiles..

Is Live Chat down AGAIN?

I have not been able to get in and I have tried several times over the past 8 hours.

William

I'm having problems getting in also... let me go bug DigiChat and see what's going on.

Dan, still unable to get into the live chat room. Perhaps you should make a general announcement on all of the boards when the problem is finally fixed. Thanks for all of your help on our behalf.

I did this tonight...took about 45 minutes, but i finally got in!

I can't spend 45 minutes ON Chat, much less wait that long... http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

Still down--both last night and tonight.
Even keeps trying to load when I go back to the forums, and continues onto other websites
until I log off default. http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/frown.gif

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'Tis better to have played and won, then never to have played at all.

try it now... I removed a parameter DigiChat originally told me to place... go figure.

Dan -- It's working now, thanks!

It works again. You should remove parameters more often! http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/wink.gif