Sounds like a great idea. I'll be having a lot of free time starting June (summer vacation), and I'm good at coding, so I think that I could probably help on this.

As for the server stuff, it's not too necessary for a lot of space; all the server really needs to store are names and i.p. addresses, and status (on or off) (if using one-to-one communication), everything else can be handled directly between the two chat clients.

When it comes to scriptkiddies, access to the chat client and/or certain people could be limited or based on meeting certain criteria such as time on AO, antipoints, and/or amount of posts. People could also set the criteria for themselves so that only those they want or who fit their individual criteria can contact them.

Since this is a security site, I suggest that the communications will be encrypted though with which algorithm, I know not, though it may be choosable based on user programs/preferences.

If a community chat is wanted, like our own private IRC, we probably would need servers, though I believe JP probably has enough spare space that we could do this, though we could make it so that users can choose to use their own computers/servers as the servers for the program. In the latter case, JP's servers could just hold the addresses of active servers.

Of course, due to the nature of the users on this site, the program must be entirely open source, to qualm suspicions.

After the basic program(s) is/are created and tested, subsequent additions could include compatability with others such as AIM, trillian, and IRC.

For "special features", I propose a few of the following:
* uses the same rules as the forums, so that things such as smilies also work in chat
* includes a special browser for the AO forums
* since I know so many of you like em, it will also include IRC commands (if possible)
* quick pm access through the chat client

For interoperability, the program could be totally selfcontained, or after the basic (windows) version is done, it will be adopted to others as soon as possible by any who can spare the time, though final authentication for use must go through a central program administrator.

Like windows media player, the program could also be able to utilize skins for a more adoptable look and feel.

Being as the program is for a site concerned with security, by people concerned with security, the program could be updated faster to accomodate problems/bugs/security issues. Along with that, there will probably be an auto-update feature that operates in the background so users don't have to bother with large periodic upgrades.


Thanks for the patience if you read this whole post, and I will update it as I see more issues to address. Maybe later (if I get to and/or remember this) I will start to post the beginnings of the code for the program.