Meebo meets Pidgin!

UPDATE: We're currently experience difficulties with Pidgin set-up, so use the old Meebo method until further notice. When the problem has been addressed, the following will go into effect:

Our chat reference service has changed a bit, for the better we hope. We are now using Pidgin, in concert with Meebo. Systems gurus Bryan and Dan, who set this up for us (thank you!!), will undoubtedly cringe at my attempt to explain what this means, but here goes…
Pidgin is kind of another layer that we put on top of Meebo that we hope will have the advantage of making our IM sessions more stable. Also, it can be set up to log on automatically, so we won’t forget to logon at the beginning of a shift (I’m guilty, I admit…).

Here’s what it will look like:
If you are on the computer closest to the public computers (where the students usually sit, I think), Pidgin will open and log onto IM automatically when you log onto the computer. You don’t have to go to Meebo or anything to logon anymore. It’s an application that runs on screen, not in a browser window, so it’s very nice that way – it doesn’t get lost or inadvertently closed among your sea of browser windows (guilty, again). Several chats can open at one time within the Pidgin window, each identified by a separate tab. If the tab is blue, it indicates that the guest is waiting for a response from you. If it’s gray, the ball’s in their court. If they’ve left the conversation, they get x’ed out.

If you are on the computer nearest the elevators, Pidgin won’t open automatically, but you can open it by going to the Start menu and then All Programs. Select Pidgin. Then it will log on. You shouldn’t have to type in any usernames or passwords (but if you do, for some reason, they are the same as Meebo). If you log on, and someone else is already logged onto Pidgin, you will bump them off.

Pidgin is supposed to sound every 30 seconds or so if there’s a chat waiting. This is nice if you happen to be away from the desk when it first comes in; it should continue sounding until you acknowledge it. We’re not sure that this feature is working right now, but Bryan’s looking into it.

I would urge you all to try it out with your partner at the desk to see what it looks like. And please let me know if you have questions or problems with it (or let Bryan know, as he will probably be able to provide an explanation!)

Oh, and my apologies to those of you who were on the desk and encountered Pidgin before I managed to get this message out!