N Gauge Forum

Notices, Help With Problems and Your Forum Ideas... => Forum Ideas and Problems. => Topic started by: trainsdownunder on January 16, 2013, 02:33:13 AM

Title: Skype icon
Post by: trainsdownunder on January 16, 2013, 02:33:13 AM
Hi

Without wishing to take traffic and thread conversation/info away from the forum and with the absence of a Chatroom facility, would it be possible for members to have an icon with Skype name on their profile. Purely optional to show details obviously.

Skype can be a very useful tool as in one can "show and tell" so to speak when helping members out. Occaissionly I have found I want to ask something very specific that may not fit in the thread and a short conversation may save a long winded typed effort

Cheers
Title: Re: Skype icon
Post by: Pengi on January 16, 2013, 07:16:02 AM
Thanks for this suggestion - we will consider it
Title: Re: Skype icon
Post by: Tank on January 16, 2013, 01:27:17 PM
Sure, quite easy to do. :thumbsup:

Edit:-  Right, I've done it, but I need to make an icon for it.  I can't access the forum by FTP to add it at work so I'll add it later.
Title: Re: Skype icon
Post by: trainsdownunder on January 16, 2013, 10:14:16 PM
Thanks guys for the speedy response. I'm sure people will find this useful

Colin
Title: Re: Skype icon
Post by: Tank on January 17, 2013, 10:53:15 AM
Right, the button is now there.  Sadly I can't get it to forward to anything......  Does each user have a set page?  If so, what is the address?
Title: Re: Skype icon
Post by: trainsdownunder on January 17, 2013, 12:23:33 PM
Don't think it goes to a page as such as Skype calls are launched through the Skpe prg that has to be downloaded and installed. So I guess the icon would need to call the target prg; on my machine that would be "C:\Program Files\Skype\Phone\Skype.exe". Normal default location etc for install.

The alternative is for the icon to show the Skype name from the profile as people have to send invites before Skpe conversations to be made. That would work for me. KIS principle  - Keep it Simple.

Cheers
Title: Re: Skype icon
Post by: EtchedPixels on January 17, 2013, 01:33:05 PM
Skype if installed as a helper uses a skype: url format - doesn't work with every set up. Or you could just use Google hangouts - far more civilised ;)

Anyway read

http://www.skype.com/intl/en/tell-a-friend/get-a-skype-button/ (http://www.skype.com/intl/en/tell-a-friend/get-a-skype-button/)

and you'll see how the skype urls work
Title: Re: Skype icon
Post by: Tank on January 17, 2013, 02:39:29 PM
Thanks guys.  I've already looked at the buttons, but it's not what I need.

With the help of Whiteswan I've managed to connect the icons to each users 'online status'.  Work in progress until I find the right thing (I don't use Skype).
Title: Re: Skype icon
Post by: EtchedPixels on January 17, 2013, 02:42:24 PM
skype:skypeid?call

is the URL you want. It'll magically work for most users if skype is present and just have the browser say it doesn't know the url type otherwise.

Alan
Title: Re: Skype icon
Post by: trainsdownunder on January 17, 2013, 09:03:51 PM
Maybe we should look at Google Hangouts if easier to work through the forum.

Oddly enough it seems not that many people are aware of the use of Skype I suppose us "Foreign Folk" just find it the natural way to make free calls to see people back home.

Just trying to find an alternative to "Chatroom" facility.

I suspect we would need to do a quick Tutorial for people as the Goole one makes it look like "just click this and your done" - not quite the case.
Title: Re: Skype icon
Post by: EtchedPixels on January 17, 2013, 09:06:07 PM
Hangouts work way better for multiway discussion, otherwise I don't really care - I don't want to talk to any of you  :beers: