Next Step? Add Live Chat or Social Groups to USG

[deusex]

I want your feedback. I'm planning to add a Live Chat feature to the website and also bring back Social Groups. I didn't want to add anything new until members got used to the new USG. I also don't want to add both features at once, so based on your feedback, I'll add one or the other in January.

So let me know which feature you'd like to see first? Here's a brief description of each feature:

Live Chat:

This is pretty much what you think it is, it will be a place to chat live with other members in real time. It allows multiple rooms, image uploads, the ability to go into a private chat with other members and more.

My main concern is that it may be a bit underused as there's sometimes only a few members online at USG at one time. It could, however, encourage more members to visit more often and also encourage all the lurking guests to finally take the plunge and officially join USG.

Social Groups:

Basically an improved version of the Social Groups from the old USG. Members will be able to create and manage their own Social Groups. These could be groups dedicated to certain styles, brands or even locations (i.e. New York Underwear Group or Dore Fan Club). These new social groups will allow the creator of the group to make a header image for the group, set the rules, choose whether to make it public or private (invite only). Members of each group can upload images, embed videos and do most of the things you can do when you create forum posts or comments. They can also create calendar events for their groups.

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Keep in mind, both of these addons will benefit from more members joining and visiting regularly. I'm already seeing an increase in new member registrations and hopefully dormant USG members will venture back and find the new website and enjoy all the changes and upgrades. You can always help by letting your friends and Internet buddies know that USG has a new lease on life!

 

[alexthonger]

I think the live chat would be a great addition. We can even set times for gatherings. I miss the old chat rooms back in the day like yahoo chat rooms.

 

[mandrake]

Both are great ideas, thanks John.
The chat feature could be great fun, but you need several guys to be online at the same time. Hopefully it would encourage more guys to join.
Can't wait to try it out when you get a chance to add the feature.

 

[Socrates]

Yep - chat room would be ultra cool, I think. But as mentioned, it tales two or more to make it work. Usually, once a few get in, it takes off. Thing to do is linger if you can.

Per

 

[deusex]

Thanks guys for the feedback. I'll definitely be adding Chat to the site but I'm still monitoring it. Since launching the new USG, the number of active members online at any one time is increasing, but still a bit low. But, as mentioned in another post, we're getting new members signing up every day so I don't think it will take too long before I decide to install it.

 

[Deanobear]

I think Live Chat ... hmmmm

 

[jason_jackson_1]

Thanks guys for the feedback. I'll definitely be adding Chat to the site but I'm still monitoring it. Since launching the new USG, the number of active members online at any one time is increasing, but still a bit low. But, as mentioned in another post, we're getting new members signing up every day so I don't think it will take too long before I decide to install it.

That would be great. On other, more general, sites (e.g. Squirt) they have an underwear chat room but there's rarely anyone in there so I'm always disappointed. An underwear orientated chat on USG would be a fantastic turn on for me. Thanks John.

 

[SweatyAussie]

I think I'll abstain from voting.

The live chat sounds more appealing, but the disadvantage is that, as people have said, there may not be the critical mass required on this site for it to take off. They had a similar idea on the old GuysIntoJeans site, which was somewhat like USG but for jeans rather than underwear. There was very rarely more than 2 or 3 members in the chat room at any one time, and you were lucky to get any chat happening at all. Some guys floated the idea of logging on to chat at a certain time, but this was invariably the time that best suited Americans - besides which, having to check the time before entering chat would seem to take away the spontaneity and make it more like a chore.

The social groups have the advantage that you can visit them at any time and leave messages and photos that will eventually be seen by the entire group.

I suggest deusex have a look at other chat sites like Menchats and Gearfetish and Gaydar, compare their membership stats with ours and look at how much chat activity is in the rooms, and estimate how that would translate to USG. Menchats has a LOT of activity, but much of it is in the form of "Wanted Ads" rather than real chat.

 

[deusex]

I think I'll abstain from voting.

The live chat sounds more appealing, but the disadvantage is that, as people have said, there may not be the critical mass required on this site for it to take off. They had a similar idea on the old GuysIntoJeans site, which was somewhat like USG but for jeans rather than underwear. There was very rarely more than 2 or 3 members in the chat room at any one time, and you were lucky to get any chat happening at all. Some guys floated the idea of logging on to chat at a certain time, but this was invariably the time that best suited Americans - besides which, having to check the time before entering chat would seem to take away the spontaneity and make it more like a chore.

The social groups have the advantage that you can visit them at any time and leave messages and photos that will eventually be seen by the entire group.

I suggest deusex have a look at other chat sites like Menchats and Gearfetish and Gaydar, compare their membership stats with ours and look at how much chat activity is in the rooms, and estimate how that would translate to USG. Menchats has a LOT of activity, but much of it is in the form of "Wanted Ads" rather than real chat.

All valid points.

I personally never cared for the social groups as I found so many got created than abandoned. But if guys want it, I'll add it back.

As for chat: I'm probably going to add chat to my Your Jockstraps website first. Although there's only 350 members over there right now, there are often more guys online there than there are here. There's a lot of guys over there coming from a very old dedicated jockstrap community that apparently has died, and chat was a major part of that community. They are asking for it. They're also asking for it to have the ability to include video. I have no problem having video as a part of the chat but it has to be optional. I think I have found a solution that does exactly that.

One thing to add in favor of adding Chat - it could attract new members to join.

 

[StrykerMax]

I think the live chat would be a great addition. We can even set times for gatherings. I miss the old chat rooms back in the day like yahoo chat rooms.

I too miss Yahoo chat. Especially the video chat.

 

[lovessquirters]

I vote for live chat. I cum to the site and check who is online and try and chat about undies and other things, which always leads to my cock leaking precum!

 

[Deleted member 3098]

I've never done chats or social on internet.Maybe you should ask members what the best days and the best time and make it regular

 

[alexthonger]

How about discord?

 

[SweatyAussie]

I've never done chats or social on internet.Maybe you should ask members what the best days and the best time and make it regular

The problem with that is that "best time" is going to depend on what time zone you are in. I've seen this tried on other sites, and the inevitable result is that it becomes a club consisting mostly of North Americans, with a few Europeans.

There are, of course, more people on the planet living in the Perth time zone than in any other - but unfortunately, most of them speak only Mandarin.

 

[Speedo501]

Live chat on here would be a great addition. sometimes just a few logged on chatting actively is better than 100, with most just watching.

 

[toolcam]

Enjoying being male and sharing it is always a plus! Here we know we enjoy wearing as little as possible and showing it off. A live chat would be so much fun. I miss dick.net

 

[Deleted member 2822]

There is no other video chat rooms for JUST underwear or jocks anywhere that I can see. Believe me, i've looked. There are user created rooms once in a while here and there but they dissapear at the end of the day and their not constant. It would be fun. Hell, make the chat room for your jockstraps and usg the same chatroom if its cheaper and have 2 seperate rooms or whatever (shit that would be a great problem to have, jockstrap room or underwear room) Just give it some time to grow, wont be busy the first week, just give it a chance. I have heard the new chat software isn't cheap, so try loading it up with adds or whatever. Put adds everywhere. Nobody wants to pay a monthly subscription. Please try not to go that route. This is just my dumb opinion, I know nothing about running a website, or the costs associated with it, I bet its not cheap. But yea a chat for JUST undergear would be hot. Love this site and your jockstraps, thanks again, it's appreciated.

 

[undieguy]

I'm all for live chat......

 

[microstringlvr]

I really liked the interest groups from the old USG. I created a few based on underwear brands and pple could ask specific qns and share their pics there. Very helpful

 

[undieguy]

Live Chat and cam!!!!!!