The CoC History

 

2006.7.19

 

The NEW CoC web site as of 11.00 pm July 17, 2006 is live!

We have worked out all the kinks and wanted to give you a verbal history of the Chamber of Chat.

Article written by Troy Hipolito of ISO Interactive


I History Lesson

II Version 00

III What’s Next For the CoC?

History Lesson


Back in 1999 I was what I thought to be a seasoned web designer. With nearly 3 years of real world experience I was feeling pretty top of the world. Then I saw something pretty amazing. Something that made me realize that maybe I was not as talented as I thought. Maybe I was just a big fish in a little pond. Maybe I was at the level of apprentice and not a master.

Indeed….


This realization was not as devastating as you might think. I was not sad, or disappointed. In fact it was another point in my life where my eyes opened. Everyone has a few of those. This time I met it with arms open wide. I realized that there was something much more.


What was it you ask I saw? It was “HabboHotel” (www.habbohotel.com). One of the first true multi-user interactive chat worlds. It was great to strive for something better then what I was currently doing. To know that there is more then just web design out there. In fact I know now as I knew then that there are different ways to experience communication.


Different ways to experience communication…


So there planted the seed for the Chamber of Chat. Now, we did not know it was going to be the Chamber of Chat. At least not what we would call it or what type of people would want to be involved.

I started to try to learn the application of choice for such an interactive world. That application was called Macromedia Director (now an Adobe.com product). I think it was in version 6 at the time. I think the latest is version 11 which was packaged with Macromedia Studio MX 2004. Who knows where the MX comes from, I guess it just sounds cool. Anyways, I could write a whole article on Director history. If you're interested you can view a couple histories of Macromedia Director that are already available on the web:


a. http://www.lingoworkshop.com/Articles/history.php

b. http://inventors.about.com/library/inventors/bl_Lingo_programming.htm


I really sucked. Well at first. Then I started the slow transition from designer to a little more developer. Now I am one of the few but growing true hybrids (balance design and programming). There are better designers and better programmers but not many that better hybrids. True hybrids understand the entire animal or the whole picture. It is about the details. It is always in the details.

Now just to be clear, Macromedia Director was not a hard core programming tool but it was close.


Moving right along…


A few years later I teamed up with 2 other individuals with equal ambition. These were Jorge and Carl. Carl you probably already know. He is the implementer of chat 3D design and the main multi user programmer. Jorge was put on the task to make the reusable walking functions. I started with a plan, avatar functions, logic, and the basic elements of the walking functions just mentioned. I end up doing all the database programming and learning more than I could ever ask for. I am sure Carl and Jorge feel the same way as they had equally monumental tasks.

Soooo this is how we split up the tasks.


Jorge Rodriguez =

  1. Built out a reusable “A” path algorithm and created a software product out of it.
    Eventually that would end up being isoSTUDIO software. You can get a free copy of it at:     http://www.isointeractive.com/products/isointeractiveStudio/demo_01.htm.
  2. Secondary Lingo Programming

Carl Lydon =

  1. 3D readings and Avatars
  2. Primary MUS (shockwave multi user) developer
  3. Primary Lingo Programming

Troy Hipolito =

  1. Architect
  2. Creative Director
  3. Secondary Lingo Programming
  4. Primary Database and Web Programming (give credit to my good friend Chuck Neal for helping out)

I came up with the following. The first site map that would eventually end up being The Chamber of Chat was fairy simple. It showed structure, function and understanding.

The first Avatar tests can be found on my resource learning site at:

http://www.shocksites.com/openSource/020203.asp


Version 00

As a team we worked out a single chat room: “Version 00". We also called it “Alpha”. This room did not have many of the capabilities the current CoC has. Heck, it did not even have a database login. With “Beta” or “Version 0.1” we incorporated a database login using MS ACCESS (yeah that is funny - ACCESS). Then we created a primitive administrative side.


Then came the hackers….. Dun, dun, duuuuun…..


The hackers would cause all sorts of trouble. They made people say bad words, go to different places, and pretend they were someone they were not. Man! Talk about identity theft! We did not know who was being possessed and when. We had to shut the chat room down for about 4 months.


Version 1.0 (still Beta) was designed to protect people. We created a special server side application called the “Pass-through”. It finds out if you are really who you say you are and if you're really in the chat or just hacking in from outside.


Version 1.5 had a much more stable database model. We start using MySQL with ASP. It worked very well.


Versions 1.5 - 5.0 were continual advancements. Version 2.0 was when it became the Chamber of Chat.


Version 5.0 and after, we introduced Moderators (Mods) and Mod functions. Yeah! Mods can throw lightning bolts and send people to Azkaban!


Version 6 the spell guide book became animated.


Version 7+ Mods could be invisible and have a shield against spells.


Version 7.7 New administrative functions added and a brand new web site design with all the options: Databse news features, HTML newsletter system, and downloads.


What’s Next For the CoC?

Well we have put countless hours in the development of the current Chamber of Chat. It is one of the most prized projects we ever worked on.


Currently the CoC is supported by The Leaky Cauldron and ISOinteractive. That means most of the work is done for free. Since the developers and designers for the current CoC are also the staff of ISOinteractive, they of course need to work on paid projects.


However, I do think we can continue development if we get funding. So we are applying to the Google ad program to earn money for future development. It would be nice if we were even picked up by someone officially associated with the Harry Potter franchise. There is plenty of opportunity for these companies to expand the CoC into an entire world with games and all sorts of things. And have you seen a better chat? Well the quality stands out enough that I think this is a possibility.

The future plans (if we receive funding) are to expand the entire chat system. With the new system we could add rooms or games as needed. These could be one player or multi-user games. It could be isometric (the style currently) or even have real 3D rooms. Can you imagine Battle Chess? Imagine an entire world!


The following is a proposed site map of the functionality.