Curious about the chatroom costing that much.
It's true that in an HTTP system the PC has to constantly poll the server for any updates, whereas with a java-based user end there is no traffic whatever unless somebody has sent or received a message.
AFAIK all the original chatrooms used java (or dedicated .exe clients) but later had to move to HTTP because most people use them at work where the non-HTTP ones got blocked by properly configured corporate firewalls
I am actually pretty unhappy with the whole business of
web based forums; I have been using
Usenet for over 10 years and much prefer its incredible efficiency, killfiles for unwanted posters, etc.
Of course I can see why web based forums have "taken over the world": #1 simplicity of use; #2 pretty presentation with advertising being possible; #3 everything can be archived.
But one pays a price for this, which is that the range of expertise on these forums will always be rather limited because, in any human activity whether it is flying or growing tomatoes, those who know most about it have the least amount of time to write about it.
So, a web forum will always be suspended in mid-air, between those who have lots to say but never say anything worth reading, and those who have something worthwhile to say but don't visit very often because they are too busy.
Usenet suffers the same problem of course, but IMHO it stabilises at a much better position, containing much more expertise as a result. If I want to ask a very specific technical Q about anything, I head for e.g. rec.aviation.ifr or whatever.
Just a meaningless rant really