[Web4lib] Using DOM scripting to show/hide Meebo widget based on login status

[Pam Sessoms]

On Wed, Oct 7, 2009 at 9:10 AM, Cox, Thomas <Thomas.Cox at tufts.edu> wrote:
> We are considering adding the Meebo widget to the pages of our library
> website.  We are concerned, however, about off-hours time when a
> librarian is not logged on.  I'd like to perform some DOM scripting such
> that if a librarian is not logged on, we hide the widget.  Does anyone
> know if the Meebo widget exposes the login status?   Has anyone done
> this?

Yeah, in my experience, you're on target: patrons seldom leave contact
information for later follow-up in offline Meebo widgets, which is
frustrating.  As far as I know, Meebo doesn't have any kind of
presence API that would let you show/hide the widget easily.

A few years ago, I had some code in place that checked the presence of
our main AIM account and then, depending on whether that AIM account
was online or offline, it displayed or hid our Meebo Me widget.  When
offline, we showed a link to our e-mail reference service instead.
Then, we just signed into the Meebo and AIM accounts at the same time
to show/hide the widget.  It worked pretty well for the most part,
although on rare occasion, the presence statuses didn't match
correctly because one or the other of the two services (AIM or Meebo)
involved had a problem. Looks like AOL still offers the Presence
service:  http://dev.aol.com/aim/presence  If you'd like, I can see if
I can find the old code we used to use for the show/hide part.

Nowadays, we use LibraryH3hlp, which has a very straightforward
presence API and is built for exactly this sort of thing, but it may
be overkill for where you're at right now with your overall service.
Mostly, people seem to best benefit from libh3lp when they've reached
the point of needing to have more than one librarian at a time
staffing their chat/IM service.  LibraryH3lp has its own native
widget, or it can use Meebo Me widgets through its gateway system.
(disclosure: I'm one of the libraryh3lp people).

Best wishes,
-Pam.

-- 
Pam Sessoms
Interim Head, Undergraduate Library
Phone 919/962-1355; AIM:  SessomsPam
UNC-Chapel Hill, CB 3942
Chapel Hill, NC  27514-3922