Years ago when Doug Hirsch started DS, we had instant chat which had text, audio, and video, just like facebook, hangouts and skype. It was way ahead of it's time, but as the site grew, so did the problems so instant chat was removed. Many members left as a result. Doug ended up selling DS to Sharecare which is owned by Dr Oz.

As computers and IT in general changed, DS was forced to chage in order to keep up so this site was built and all of our journals were transferred to here. Many members had trouble logging in to this new site and the management was giving individual attention to those members but many still quit out of frustration.

The management tells me that getting instant chat back is at the top of their wish list.

I wish I had more hopeful news for you.

~~~Peace~~~

sorry your struggling with things....this place lost the chat room feature about 5 or more years ago....they know we want it but they do nothing here to do anything but make money....

Thanks guys.. I wasn't aware of that. It's a little disheartening to know they had it and took it out and the reasons why but not surprising. There's always going to be those who ruin things for others as unfortunate as it may be. I'll just have to keep looking I suppose.

Thanks again!

Tmillerofde, if you let me friend you, in here, however you do that, lol, I'm brand new, I'll be there if you need me as much as I can. I'm usually on my phone as I read alllll the time. Dont watch tv but my husband does. It's just noise to me. But the offer stands and first and foremost I'm a "Christ" ian. I've been trying to find chat rooms, but so far all the men want more than chat! So. As messed up as I am right now, I ignore them ... I mean, my husband doesn't desire me and he says he loves me, so I'm assuming all the want is sex... lol.. ain't happening... anyway, I'm here to listen.

Thanks Kfinkle. I'm never one to turn down a new friend. I'm too old and too tired and quite honestly too burned out to even try and play mind games with anyone so what you see is pretty much what you get with me. I'm mostly just looking for others like myself who are kind of trapped in a shitty situation with no real friends to talk to and just want someone to kill time with maybe occasionally sitting around chatting on some kind of chat site if one is to be found or voice chat via Google Hangouts or Discord if willing until the good Lord calls us home. Even before all this covid stuff started happening, I never really went out or saw or talked to anyone so I've been aching to find someone to talk to hence the post about wishing this place had a chat site. :/

So yeah feel free to add me as a friend if you'd like. I promise not to bite.. well.. hard anyways.. lol

Yeh i agree i think a friendship chat option would be really helpful.

would be nice.. i've met a handful of people on here who have been really nice but so far i've yet to find anyone who's had either the time or inclination to want to jump on voice chat. talking back and forth thru messages is nice and all but it's just not the same as actually being able to talk with someone and i seriously miss that..

I'm new here but always open for a chat with others. I am quite lonely and have no friends. I have a husband and 2 teens but they are all so busy with their own lives. I don't work so I don't see people every day. I miss being needed and I miss just having conversations about every day things with people. I'm a Christian as well, so it's nice to have others to give support to and receive support from.

@LovingSoul feel free to add me as a friend if you want. i'm always up for talking with whomever about whatever.. i think the last time i spoke with anyone not including my gf or my roomie was almost a year ago? sucks..

Hello, it's very difficult times with covid being around I think everyone goes into hiding, I do agree DS could do with a chat room but I know it would be difficult with everyone living in different parts of the world I live over the pond but I will always do my best to support anyone I know what you are saying about talking like on the phone or webcam but if you want a friend that you can message I'm always around.
Keep smiling and good luck.

i dont usually try and get people to do webcam chats just cause it usually blows up in my face even just trying to ask them to do voice chats..

like i was chatting with this girl i'd run into while playing an online game.. she had asked for help doing a mission and i was in the area so figured why not. i helped her out with the first mission and then another and then she offered to help me with a couple of mine and things just kind of went from there with us playing together for most of the rest of the day.

as we were playing, we got to talking about other games we'd played just to see if there was a shared interest and come to find out we played a lot of the same games so we added each other to our friends lists on Steam agreeing to meet up in other games as well. we seemed to be getting along great and i really did like talking to her and yes occasionally flirting but she was flirting pretty heavily right back so it seemed like everything was all cool..

at least until i told her hey my hands were killing me cause i had arthritis and all this typing back and forth had them feeling like they were about to fall off. I told her that i would love to keep talking to her though so would she be okay with jumping on Discord or Skype for voice chat? and omg did she totally lose her shit! every reply after was in all CAPS saying OMG! HOW COULD YOU ASK ME THAT?! I AM NOT GETTING ON SKYPE AND SHOWING YOU MY TITS! i was like.. ummmm.. that's not what i asked? i said voice chat? but she just kept going off on me so i just kind of sighed and logged off. she sent me a couple more colorful messages thru Steam till i removed her from my friends list and blocked her.

it sucked cause i thought i'd found a new friend to play with cause usually i'm always playing games solo and i wont lie, all the flirting back and forth we were doing was pretty nice, too.. i dont really get that kind of attention hardly ever so it made me feel good which was why it felt like more of a kick in the teeth later when things with her went south. ever since then i pretty much shied away from talking to anyone in games and definitely against asking anyone to get on voice chat.

that was several years ago but it's taken me this long to get up the courage again to start looking just cause i'm tired of never having anyone to talk to.