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Based on the last Chat Ref Task Force meeting, Meebo was the popular candidate for implementation. Meebo can support all of our desired protocols and services and eliminates the need for maintaining a stand-alone software client. However, Meebo has significant drawbacks due to limitations in visual notifications when a new session is started. It also has drawbacks in that sessions are broken when users navigate from pages with embedded Meebo widgets. One solution is Oregon State University's "float the box" option. (See hab.la below for another widget-based solution.)
The alternative to the Meebo route is to implement an open-source, standalone, software client solution called Pidgin (see below). This doesn't have Meebo's limitations but would require maintaining open-source software on Ref Desk computers. It would also preclude implementing point-of-need widgets such as on "No Entires Found" catalog result pages.
The Meebo Firefox extension has now reached the development point that I believe it is suitable for the Library's chat reference service. I would like the task force to recommend installation in Firefox during the spring workstation re-imaging (on the ref desk computers). We can then test, evaluate and train over the summer.
I would like to get together in the next few weeks to all try it out together (and feel free to download and use on your own). I will need to know our decision by very early May to get this included in the build.
Please add evaluation comments here in the wiki.
Question from Diana: Does hab.la resolve the visual notification problem as well? If so, does the box stay on the monitor until it's responded to?
After initially setting Meebo to keep chat logs (Preferences > Chat Logs > Save my IM history to view later) which I think is actually the default setting, chat logs are kept on the *Meebo server* for all conversations with *buddies*. These logs are accessed by right clicking the buddy name on the buddy pop-out and selecting "View chat log". While these chat logs are easy to access, they cannot be downloaded at this time (they can be copied and pasted). A final limitation is I cannot figure out how to add the temporary Meebo users as buddies, so users accessing us anonymously through the Meebo widget will not be logged. Maybe someone else can figure out how to add a temporary Meebo user as a buddy? This may also be a software upgrade down the line.
Setting status in the Firefox Meebo extension is now really easy--In the Buddy pop-out, click the down arrow to choose various status states.
Visual notifications are now very obvious using the Firefox Meebo Extension. An alert box now appears above any open windows at the lower right of the screen when a new message arrives. This is not as good as Trillian where the dialog box also appears on top of any open windows, but should suffice. There is also an audio notification that is noticeable and not disruptive if we choose to use it.
Question from Diana: Does this mean that we will have to use Firefox at the Reference Desk in order to receive questions? Also, do you know yet: will every Reference Desk computer receive questions? Or will we need to designate a computer for chat reference?
<rawhtml> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://static.hab.la/js/wc.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> wc_init("2868-7621043-10-4103"); </script> </rawhtml>
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