(11-18-98) I've recently received an inquiry for help from the Johns Hopkins Children's Center and Grant-A-Wish Foundation in Baltimore, Maryland. Child Life Specialist Russ Ravert, M.S., at the Children's Center says they need help in setting up a secure, confidential, and password-protected chatroom (you can only get into the room with the right password) for their special children at the center. At the center, there are about 44 children with cystic fibrosis. 18 of them have internet access and 11 of them are accessing the Internet via WebTV. Go to http://www.med.jhu.edu/cfteen/welcome/ for more detailed information about Johns Hopkins Children's Center.

Those of you who use chat know that chat is an intriguing and stimulating experience. The children at Johns Hopkins Children's Center could benefit from using chat. I'm not a chat guru and don't really use chat that much nowadays. But maybe you can help: What the center needs is a secure, confidential, easy-to-use, password-protected chat and that is WebTV-compatible. Security and confidentiality are high priorities. As most WebTV viewers know, WebTV has access to TalkCity chat but it is not secure and confidential enough for use by the special children at the Johns Hopkins Children's Center. There is IRC (Internet Relay Chat) with one-to-one "private" conversations such as using the /DCC CHAT command, but that's for two users and could be considered too complicated to use. Unfortunately, WebTV cannot work with a java-based chat or ICQ chat. And some cgi-server-based chat programs easily crash with a WebTV. So, if anyone can help to provide a WebTV-friendly, hopefully easy-to-use, secure, confidential and password-protected solution, please send your email to email_no_longer_required and your message will be passed on.

Below is the original message from Johns Hopkins Children's Center:

Date: Wednesday, November 18, 1998 8:01 AM
Subject: Chat, WebTV, Hopkins project

Ruel,

I'm hoping you can give some advice - I started a project with teens from Johns Hopkins Children's Center (http://www.med.jhu.edu/cfteen/welcome/) and we provide WebTVs for those without computers or internet access. We have not had a chat yet, but want to add one.

I've looked at html-based chats that don't seem to do well on the WebTV, and have seen Talk City which works great. Here's the deal, though: our site is password-protected and security and confidentiality are important. We need a chat that is compatible with computers and WebTVs, we can specify who can enter, and the facilitator has control on when it is open and such. Do you have any suggestions?

I know you must be really busy keeping up the awesome website and probably get hundreds of e-mails, but any help would be great. Thanks,

Russ Ravert, M.S.
Child Life Specialist
Johns Hopkins Children's Center
and Grant-A-Wish Foundation

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