Google has slowly been withdrawing support for Java – the software our chat forums require in order to work.
As a result, those who use the Google Chrome browser have been having difficulties accessing the chat forums. There were workarounds that involved changing some advanced settings, but from September 1, 2015 Google Chrome stopped allowing Java to run regardless of the settings a user selects.
Since users of Google Chrome make up around a third of our visitors, we had to take action.
As a result, we are trialling a new type of chat software in chat forum one.
The new software will work on any browser (including tables and mobile phones) and no plugins or downloads are required.
Forums two and three will adopt the new software in the near future.