Problem: Users hang around in chat room like ghosts

[Paul Aurich]

On 2010-08-26 06:18, Stefani Whelan wrote:
> We have two problems - one more annoying than the other:
> 
> 1- They close the chat window, shut down computer. The next day boot, login
> to Pidgin automatically, try to join the existing chat room, and can't. They
> get "Conflict" because they show as still in it. I kick them out with /kick
> and then they can join. I created the chat room, this has never happened to
> me.

  * What server software and version are you using?
  * What version of Pidgin is everyone using?
  * What happens if they quit Pidgin before shutting off their computers?
  * What about if the users write "/part" into the window (manually
leaving the room) before quitting Pidgin?

> 2. While in the chat room, John created an alias say, "Jason G." for
> jasong at tcompany.com. When I join the chat room in the morning, it showed
> John T. being in it, but he wasn't. John was able to join. Now it shows
> "John T." *and* "jasong at tcompany.com". And it's been there ever since. If I
> try to /kick him, I get "Unable to kick user Jason G." and "Unable to kick
> user jasong". 

What do you mean by 'alias'?  Do you mean that he changed his in-room
handle from "jasong at tcompany.com" to "Jason G."?

Is the room anonymous, semi-anonymous, or not anonymous?

Would you provide the Help->Debug Window output from your joining the
room (preferably with a few people besides the ghosts in there)?  (I'd
like to see if you're the owner of the room and get a sense of what the
affiliation/roles of people in the room are)

I think there might be an issue with kicking a room occupant whose
handle contains a space (although the error message you reported
suggests I'm wrong on that).

> 
> Obviously the first is more annoying, but solvable. Why are people sometimes
> left in the chat room and sometimes not? Can it be server related?

It does sound like a server bug, TBH.  I'd like to get more data before
I really assert that, though. :)

One last question: when users shut off their computers, do they appear
to log out in your buddy list?

~Paul

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