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Computer: Web Technology
Delayed chat   (+1)  [vote for, against]
For slow repliers

When discussing online, sometimes two or more questions come up, but some people tend to answer one question only (usually the first question or the last one) and leave all the rest open.

It might be a cultural issue, although it happens with people from all around the world. Say I have a list of questions: I want to know if they can provide the service I'm asking for, I want to know how much it costs, and when they expect to deliver. Also I want to ask if they saw my umbrella that I left over when I was in the office.

I can't say: Can you do it, and if so when and for how much. And did you perhaps see the umbrella I left in your office? No. Because I'll get only one answer.

So I put in the delayed-chat box on the side my own notes, on separate lines. I can connect and detach notes, and I can choose to put them onto the chat.

This is a chrome extension that is set to show in the empty area usually available to the right or left of the main chat or discussion, and can eaisily be "popped over" or hidden when wanted. It can ask you if you want to remember your entries for the particular chat.

You can also mark some of your remarks as private so they aren't sent by mistake, and can be used as reminders for yourself, and you hide some remarks and show them again later at will.
-- pashute, Oct 31 2017

If you are asking someone in a chat all these questions, odds are they don't know the answer, and will just refer you to a web page, and ask you if you are happy that they solved your problem.

I find most of these online chats just a diffuser; sort of an ablative shield against consumer dissatisfaction. Consumers can bash against it, and will eventually leave with less energy.

In some ways, similar to democracy.

It's not a bad idea -- provided they actually answer some of it. I suspect, it would not happen, if they only have one answer to give.
-- mylodon, Oct 31 2017



random, halfbakery