Thing 10: Chatting with Skype & Meebo

There are many different ways to “chat” online using Internet telephony software (voice chatting) or instant messaging software (text based chatting). In the lesson, we’ll explore voice chatting with Skype and text chatting with Meebo.

Chatting Online with Skype

Skype is easy to install software that, in essence, turns your computer into a telephone. Users make free phone calls between Skype-equipped computers and inexpensive calls between Skype computers and regular landlines or cell phones. Other neat features: it supports free teleconferencing for up to 9 people, it has built in voicemail, and it can turn conversations into recorded podcasts for sharing with others. Skype has about 250 million users across the world.

To “skype”, you simply download and install the free software and then obtain a headset with microphone. The Skype interface looks like regular instant messaging software, but conversations are all voice, no text! You call your friends/colleagues over the Internet by typing in their phone number using the dial pad.

Skyping allows you to keep in better contact with people, particularly those based internationally or in areas not well served by conventional phone systems. The cost to use is free to low, depending on what type of call you make. Skype initiated conference calls are free, with no long distance charges incurred by participants. View the rates for calling phones internationally.

Chatting Online with Meebo

Meebo is a web-based instant messaging (IM) system. You don’t need to download or install any software to chat online using Meebo, rather it allows you to access all of your other IM accounts (e.g. AIM, Yahoo, Google Talk, ICQ…) with just one login. Once you login, you see all of your contacts from these different accounts in one chat window.

Importantly, Meebo also lets you create a chat widget that you can embed directly into a web page, blog, or social network (such as Facebook). If you’re not online, messages will be saved and pop up the next time you log in. For example, the North Carolina State University Library has an embedded Meebo widget for chatting with patrons. The UCI Libraries recently also recently launched a chat widget for QuestionPoint, seen off of the Databases to Get You Started page.

Exercises

1) Exploring Skype

• Put in a workticket with IT to install Skype on your machine.
  
• Borrow a headset from MRC or ILC to test it out (be sure to bring your UCInet ID).
  
• Log in to the library demo account and explore the interface.
• Search for potential Skype users and add them to the demo account:

• Call two of the contacts in the library demo account, for example Langson Reference and Melanie (you can leave a voicemail).

• Explore the conference call feature by clicking on “create conference”. Drag and drop names from the contact list to create a conference group.
• Optional: create your own Skype account.

2) Exploring Meebo

• Go to Meebo.com and login into at least one of your existing IM accounts:

• Explore the interface and functionality offered by Meebo.
• Chat with one of your contacts and note all the communication options (including video chat, online gaming, etc.) by clicking on the rocket ship in the chat window.
  

3) Time for Reflection: Create a Blog Post

Blog about your experience chatting with Skype and Meebo. How could these tools be used in the Libraries to support the work that we do?