Its All Pidgin to Meebo

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Its All Pidgin to Meebo

• Crystal Goldman
• University of Utah
• MPLA/ULA 2008 Conference
• Salt Lake City, Utah

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Meebo v. Pidgin

• Why not use traditional chat reference?
• Why these programs?
• Background of each
• Features
• Pros/Cons of each
• Personal Recommendations

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Deficiencies of Chat Reference

• Multiple chat protocols that patrons might prefer
  to use
• AIM, GoogleTalk, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo, etc.
• IM is single-user, and library reference
  departments are multi-user
• Need one public identity, but multiple librarians

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Why Pidgin and Meebo?

• Free
• Interface with embeddable widget
• Trillian
• Multiple chat protocols
• libpurple
• Programming library
• Connects to/interfaces with all chat networks
• Manages accounts and preferences

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Meebo History

• Created by Seth Sternberg, Elaine Wherry, and
  Sandy Jen in 2005.
• Received funding from Sequoia Capital in December
  2005 and Draper Fisher Jurvetson in January 2007
• Six chat protocols
• Embeddable Meebo Me widget
• Meebo Rooms to embed a chat room
• Firefox extension, browser sidebar with buddy
  list

http//www.meebo.com
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Pidgin History

• Formerly Gaim, created in 1999 by Mark Spencer
• Dispute with AOL for their AIM naming trademark
• Fifteen chat protocols
• Allows developers to create their own custom
  plugin applications
• http//www.pidgin.im

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Finch and Adium

• Finch is the text-based version of Pidgin
• Adium
• Pidgins sister project for Mac OSX
• Like Pidgin, it uses a plugin system
• essential features provided through plugins
• http//www.adiumx.com

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Meebo

• Pros
• Web-based
• Accessible from anywhere with the internet
• Simple user interface
• Video/Audio Conferencing
• Cons
• Logging in bumps other users offline
• Does not log chats from widget

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Pidgin

• Pros
• Pidgin4lib - feature/plugin specifically targeted
  at library needs
• Interfaces with Meebo widget using a plugin
• Logs all chats regardless of origin
• Cons
• Complicated interface, high learning curve
• Plugin system, must update manually
• Must download to each computer
• Portable app on USB drive
• Windows only, must use a sister program in order
  to switch to Mac

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Sources Consulted

• About Adium. (2006). Retrieved April 12, 2008,
  from http//trac.adiumx.com/wiki/AboutAdium
• About meebo Instant messaging everywhere. (2008)
  Retrieved April 20, 2008, from http//www.meebo.co
  m/about
• Adium. (2008) Retrieved April 5, 2008, from
  http//www.adiumx.com
• Casey, M. E. Savastinuk, L. C. (2006) Library
  2.0. Library Journal 131(14) 40-42.
• M is for meebo the meebo storylive and uncut.
  (2008) Retrieved April 16, 2008, from
  http//www.meebo.com/history
• Pidgin Portable. (2008) Retrieved March 31, 2008,
  from http//portableapps.com/apps/internet/pidgin_
  portable
• Portable Adium. (2008) Retrieved April 20, 2008,
  from http//www.freesmug.org/portableapps/adium
• Wells, C. A. (2003) Location, location, location
  The importance of placement of the chat request
  button. Reference User Services Quarterly
  43(2) 133-137. Retrieved March 7, 2008 from
  Library, Information Science Technology
  Abstracts.
• What is Pidgin? (2008) Retrieved April 5, 2008,
  from http//www.pidgin.im/about