The BlogChat Host and Visitor client pages keep track of all BlogChat history while they remain active.

BlogChat Hosts can press the Show History button to get a page containing the last two hours of history. The number of hours in this history list is controlled by a parameter in the URL. If you change the h=2 to h=3, you will get 3 hours of history, for instance.

BlogChats are transient. We regularly delete chat data over 12 hours old from our databases to keep them small and fast. It is up to the individual Host to save chat data. Simply open the Show History window to display the data you want, and use File...Save As from your browser to save the history as an html file.

The BlogChat Host receives informational messages as well as the normal chat messages.

When a Visitor begins a session, a message informs the Host of their name, ip address, hostname, and the browser they are using.

When a Host begins a session, the same information is reported, but also the current Visitor Password and Timezone for the chat, since the new host may have changed them on enttry.

When a Visitor or Host changes their name, the Host is notified the next time the Visitor's client sends an update request (every 5 seconds). This means that when the user is typing in their name, an update request may happen, causing the Host to receive a name change notice and the user list to update with a partial name. This is normal.

Names stay in the user list as long as their client has made an update request in the last 15 seconds. This means that when someone changes their name, they appear twice in the list until the old name expires. Also, when someone leaves the BlogChat, their name will stay in the list for 15 Seconds.

On rare occasions, a user who is behind a firewall with multiple outbound interfaces will appear more than once in the user list with different ip addresses.

When the last Host leaves a BlogChat, new Visitors will not be able to enter. Visitors in session will be allowed to carry on chatting for 5 minutes, at which point they will receive the Host Not Online message.

Once you have logged in as a Host, you are allowed into the BlogChat Host page.

This page looks very much like the Visitor chat page, but has some extra stuff at the bottom.

At the top above the chat window are entry fields for Name and URL. Your Host name will be displayed in a different colour from Visitor names so people know you are a Host. If you provide a URL, your name will be a clickable link which launches a browser window to that URL.

Below the chat window is the entry field and button for you to submit text to the chat.

Beneath the text entry is the Host panel, consisting of some buttons, a checkbox, and a list of active users. Users are displayed with Hosts first, then Visitors, showing user type, name and ip address for each.

The History button pops up a window listing chat history.

The Userlist button pops up the same userlist that the Visitors see.

When the Sound? checkbox is checked, an audio notification announces the arrival of any new messages.

The Eject button allows you to eject a visitor from your BlogChat session. This sends a special ejection message to their BlogChat client. They will continue to receive the ejection message if they try to re-enter the BlogChat until that message falls outside the time for which message history is provided to Visitors on startup (usually two minutes). The eject button does nothing unless a visitor is selected from the active users list.

Each BlogChat is only active while someone is acting as a Host - a member of the chat session who is running the Host application in their browser. To act as a Host, you need the Host password for that particular BlogChat.

With your BlogChat ID and Host password, you visit the Host Login page by following the URL which was sent to you upon registration.

When logging in, you enter your BlogChat ID and password. (Your BlogChat ID may already be filled in.)

Optionally, you can choose when logging in as a Host to set a Visitor Password and select a Timezone for the BlogChat. Unless you change these settings, they will read "no change", meaning they will use the values that were last set for them.

The default Visitor Password is blank, meaning Visitors will not be asked for a password.

The default Timezone is the timezone of the server. Different BlogChat servers may be in different timezones. Once set to your timezone, it will be remembered for your BlogChat ID.

To change either of the optional settings while in a BlogChat, the Host must re-enter through the Host Login page.

This allows multiple Hosts to administer a BlogChat. A new Host can change the Visitor Password on arrival, and adjust the timezone to reflect their point of view.

When the Visitor Password is changed, it only affects new Visitors, not those already in session.

BlogChat allows you to be the host of an interactive web-based text chat. Visitors can see if you are online and instantly join in real conversation with you and others.

It's remarkably simple to use. You don't need to install anything, you and your visitors don't need instant messenger accounts. Anyone you authorize can be a host, anyone can be a visitor.

If you have a website, you can provide a visual status indicator which pops up a BlogChat window when clicked. You can even host a BlogChat embedded right in your webpage.

If you don't have a website, you can still host a BlogChat by giving people a special URL to visit.

The chat remains open as long as a host is online. As a host, you can see who is online and can eject users if necessary. You can share your host password with a trusted friend or colleague and have multiple hosts in a single chat. Hosts can set an optional password which vistors must use to enter the BlogChat.