Academia - What should we call our chat room

I propose The Ivory Tower, as this is the place where academics of all sorts clichéically and metaphorically live.


As much of academia (profs, TAs) has them (or uses them in the case of undergrads), another option might be 'Office Hours.'


What about the common room?

Exist[s] to provide representation in the organisation of college or residential hall life, to operate certain services within these institutions [...], and to provide opportunities for socialising.

Seems to cover it to me. Every UK university I tried Googling used it (or a derivative such as JCR, MCR and/or SCR) in some form, most in the above sense (Bristol, Cambridge, Durham, Exeter, Kent, Lancaster, Leicester, Nottingham, Oxford, Reading, St Andrews, Southampton, York, UCL, Birmingham, Hull), some as the name of a physical social space (Imperial) or events facility (Cardiff). Some universities have named their online student communities or e-learning sites after it (Manchester).

It is also used in the US, although less common. Where used it seems to carry similar connotations, for instance the stated purpose of MIT's recently opened Quantum Information Science (QIS) Common Room is as a

venue for impromptu technical discussions and [...] social events

(link).

My only concern is that it might be biased towards the UK and other English-speaking countries.

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