[WEB4LIB] Alternative to VR

[frogheart.6290431 at bloglines.com]

The web contact center software from LivePerson allows you to monitor whenever
people on your pages. You first have to embed code into the pages so that
it can be monitored; then whenever you are logged into LivePerson, you will
be notified when a person is on a page on your site. You can see the IP address
of the user and what browser they are using. You can also send a floating
"chat with me" icon across that user's screen.

At the library at Baruch
College, we used to use this software (when it was called HumanClick). We
switched to 24/7 Reference a few years ago, mostly because it allowed us to
join a chat reference cooperative and thereby get 24-hour coverage of our
service.

One major downside we discovered with the software is that if
the service goes down for any reason, it makes it hard or impossible for any
page that has the tracking code embedded in it to load. For a while, we had
the code embedded in the main page that links to all the databases. After
a couple of times of seeing the chat service go down and thereby taking down
the databases page, we took the code out that critical page so it wouldn't
screw things up so royally.

I don't know if there are still similar problems
like that with LivePerson now. I just took a look at the HP site and launched
a chat session to see if I could figure out what software is used on that
site. It looks like they are using Webline, which Cisco acquired in 1999.


Hope some of this helpful.

Stephen Francoeur
Information Services Librarian

Newman Library
Baruch College
151 E. 25th Street
New York, NY 10010


Teaching Librarian web site
http://www.teachinglibrarian.org/

Digital
Reference blog
http://www.teachinglibrarian.org/weblog/blogger.html

---
alsaffarj at bvu.edu wrote:
Hi all - - 
> 
> After a year's worth of offering
VR service, we are looking at
> alternatives.  We are a bit disinfanchized
with VR software, and the
> investment of time/energy/money/training that
goes along with it.   I
> had a light-bulb moment the other day when 'window
shopping' on the HP
> web site.   I had put some things in my cart, and was
continuing to
> shop, when a window popped-up with a lady from HP inquiring
whether I
> needed some assistance.   It was cool.   I don't know what software
they
> employ, nor the functionality of it, but wouldn't it be neat if we
could
> eyeball the catalog and/or databases for activity, and (when it's

> convenient for us), proactively push out a "noticed you are searching,

> want some help?"  message!      Unlike VR, it wouldn't mean monitoring

> endlessly, waiting for them to come to us.   Is anyone doing this, and,

> if so, please comment on your experience, software employed, and
> feedback
from users.  
>  
> 
> Jackie AlSaffar
> Reference Librarian / Centers
Liaison
> Buena Vista University Library
> 610 W. 4th Street 
> Storm Lake,
IA  50588
> 
> 712.749.2089
> 800.383.2821
> 
>