RookChat is an open source programming project and RinkWorks feature started by Samuel Stoddard to create a featureful and configurable HTTP/CGI chat room engine. Its features include, as of the 2.1 release:
Users may create rooms as they wish, either public or private, with either moderated or unmoderated discussion.
Four administrative levels to allow the owner fine-tuned control over the powers of individuals.
A variety of administrative commands, from the normal quieting, kicking, and banning to the more unusual shrinking, possessing, and turning into a moron (filtering all of the user's public messages with the Dialectizer, another RinkWorks feature).
Message filtering is available for censoring vulgarities in public messages.
Multi-lingual support, for the automated chat room messages. Currently supported are: American and British English, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Latin, Babelfish Japanese, and the two joke English "dialects" Hick and Pirate.
Private messages, viewable by the recipient both in your current room and others.
Memos, stored private messages.
A range of resources for the automation of memo lists. (Similar to mailing lists.)
Automatic transcript recording and storage for all users.
Automated password recovery by E-mail.
Graphical smilies.
Bots, chat robots that host games; currently, there are AcroBot, Buzzword, Chat Bingo, Country Quiz, Kick-a-Mole, MatchBot, Math Race, Quiz Blitz, Snag, State Quiz, and Whack-a-Mole (all described here.)
Dice rolling for any number of dice, each with any number of sides.
Unit conversion between Imperial and Metric, as well as within those systems (such as feet to inches).
RookChat v1.0 was released on August 5, 2003.
