Maybe I'm just not on Gaim enough but I've never chatted with anyone from Tribe.

I agree Carrie. My first experience here was a disappointment.

Firstly, I don't recall instructions on how to use Tribechat being posted anywhere on tribe. It was only by grace of luck that I happened upon a tribe topic and was pointed to this tribe. So no ones probably on it because no one is made aware of how to use it. Secondly, if my experience is any indication, something that sounds like a service tribe offers, is actually an outside service that requires more downloads and (from what I'm readng here) considerable futzing to make it work right. Sounds like a waste of time when my friends all have some other program that would allow it.

I would find a chat feature useful only if I could click on an online users status dot and hav it ask me if I want to open a chat with the user. It would auto request the chat (with a link to my profile included) and await their response. If they agree, zoom, away we go. Users could set their preferrences to reflect their interest in chatting. If they don't wish to be pestered then they'd get no requests, and the person would have to resort to a PM request.

As is: no interest has yet been generated by my visit to this tribe.