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Meebo Launches MeeboMe

techcrunch.com — Palo Alto based Meebo is a Sequoia backed web chat company that allows users to access popular instant messaging services on a web page instead of using downloaded software.

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  • BloodJunkie, on 10/12/2007, -2/+41That is freakin' fantastic. Every ebay auction should have one of these.
    • koregaonpark, on 10/12/2007, -3/+18I agree, this is pretty amazing. But as Mike states, having a site-owner message you as you browse his/her site is kinda scary. Maybe it will become common in the future, but just now it's awkward.

      Imagine if they put these on adult sites... now that would be really scary.

      @ webtech: how about a better description next time? Yours says nothing about this story. That might prevent it from being dugg to the front-page.
    • Tiabin, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6"But as Mike states, having a site-owner message you as you browse his/her site is kinda scary. Maybe it will become common in the future, but just now it's awkward."

      There's software that can already do this. I know, because I've used it. (though don't anymore -- expensive)
      http://www.liveperson.com/
    • sahaskatta, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3i hope meebo works good, because i get a free liveperson-type account with my 1and1 hosting plan and the service is awful. the service never works properly, it is too slow, and the UI looks terrible.
    • tricops, on 10/12/2007, -0/+4That reminds me though of dialing up old BBSes back in the day. It was always a bit of a surprise when you dialed up a little 2-3 line BBS and the Sysop was bored so randomly started a chat with you while you were browsing around....
    • DJSdotcom, on 10/12/2007, -0/+7It was added to an eBay auction and then taken down. Someone from eBay commented saying that the only type of live chat they'd be interested in supporting on auction pages would be integrated Skype chat. So much for that idea...
    • akinbanjo, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3This is extremely cool, and works very well. Could use some more options though, like not displaying if you're not signed on - some basic colour scheme editing, and it will be all set. I plan on using this for dealing with customer support requests...I could just write a simple server side script that will show the code between certain times, but then that's not flexible nor is it dynamic enough.
    • Cytranic, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5This is going stright back to the BBS days where sysops would message the user as he was browsing the bbs! Freeking awesome!
    • SpacemanSpiff, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3The trolls are gonna have a field day with this.
    • marketmasta, on 10/12/2007, -1/+0question...can this be placed in signatures of outging emails in outlook?
  • VLADOCAR, on 10/12/2007, -1/+7Cool tool!
  • Dihuko, on 10/12/2007, -6/+16Meebo is awesome, I use it a lot. By the way, please link directly to the source:
    http://www.meebome.com/
    • Eragmus, on 10/12/2007, -0/+17This time it may be a better idea to link to the blog because that lets people who nothing about Meebo read a "review" of sorts of the new service being dugg. That way, when they go to meebo.com, they'll know a little more about what they're going to use.
  • hydeph, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6I don't see how this is scary. Your meebo ID and network screen names (AIM, MSN, etc..) are still kept private. It doesn't seem to me that you'll be giving away any more information than the website admin could get anyway from you simply visiting the site. By this I mean things like IP, browser info, etc...

    Meebo's comments on MeeboMe privacy:
    http://blog.meebo.com/?page_id=174
  • immorak, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It only connects to your meebo account.

    The user that runs the site can't really be seen by people who visit unless they leave their name and the people who visit can't be seen unless they leave a name.
    • ModernTenshi, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Um . . . part of the widget setup asks you to either enter your current meebo account name, or create one to even use the widget in the first place. When you place the widget on your site, it will tell the user if the person who owns the site, and therefore the widget, is on-line (ie: signed in to their meebo account on meebo's site). If they are, you can message them.

      When the site owner is logged in to their meebo account, they will now see a special section of their buddy list labeled with whatever they named the widget (mine is Chat the Geek), and they can either message those people, or know how many people are looking at their site at the moment. When a visitor messages them, a chat window opens in meebo for that conversation. The users can even change the generic user name they're given to one that reflects their real name or a nickname, and if they revisit the site, the name they entered is stored in the cookie, which is pretty sweet. Even if they don't enter a personalized name, they will be given a meebo generated one. Not the best system, but hey, it works.

      If anyone wants to, they can see the widget in action on my blog, which can be found in my digg profile. I hate plugging blogs on digg just as much as the next digger, but I'm just throwing mine out as an example for anyone that actually wants to see the widget on a site. If I'm logged into meebo, send me a message!

      I've been using meebo since around January or February of this year, and love it. If they at least add file transfer to the service, I'll probably start using meebo exclusively over other clients. Add video/voice chat, and I'll definitely use it exclusively.

      I heart meebo. It detracts from my productivity at work daily.
    • ModernTenshi, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5Cool new factoid: whatever name you enter in the widget carries over to OTHER widgets as well. I tested my site's widget by entering my nick name, and it worked perfectly. Then I saw that the widget in the techcrunch writeup about meebo me ALSO has the nickname I entered on my site! That is totally ***** cool!
  • webtech, on 10/12/2007, -3/+2More cool stuff from meebo:
    http://go2web2.blogspot.com/2006/06/gomeebo-cool-meebo-widgets-for-your.html
  • glitch1501, on 10/12/2007, -1/+3this is pretty sweet, meebo is awesome, i use it all the time
  • skeltoac, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5We just added it to WordPress.com: http://wordpress.com/blog/2006/08/02/widget-wednesday-meebo-me/
  • Recluse, on 10/12/2007, -2/+2Meebo is great, I use it at work all the time.
  • spectrox, on 10/12/2007, -1/+5Meebo is the best AJAX application to come along in a while. It is actually useful and not just flashy.
  • ph30nix, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6just for "added" security...
    https://www.meebo.com

    I use it at work; cuz regular http is blocked :)
  • colemip, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I love this.
  • pkulak, on 10/12/2007, -0/+6Dugg for Meebo using Jabber instead of building yet another crappy, closed protocol.
  • fak3r, on 10/12/2007, -1/+8Would be strange if you were on Amazon.com and a salesperson IM'd you, "Hello, can I help you find anything today?" Part of the fun of shopping online is that you're left alone IMO.
    • nathanrobinson, on 10/12/2007, -3/+1chat goes the other way around dude. the person can ONLY chat with you IFF you initiate the session by sending a message.
    • beejay, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Personally, I'd like to have that option. Alienware, for example, already has a sales chat applet, and it's very useful. Even if the initial contact were unsolicited, I could always choose not to reply, unlike when a comissioned salesperson walks up to me at a store and harasses me.

      Edit: and, I'm pretty sure nathanrobinson is incorrect. I read that the person CAN initiate chat with you. Just ignore them! It's not like it tells them your name or SSN or something.
    • caseysousa, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1@nathanrobinson

      Incorrect. If a person is viewing the page, they can receive an IM from the owner. The user doesn't have to initiate the chat session. RTFA.
  • gothsquirrel, on 10/12/2007, -6/+2Not knowing what Meebo was, The title sounded very perverted.
  • leighhalliday, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Maybe this is a dumb question... but do you have to be signed into meebo to use it? It would be cool if you could get messages say on msn messenger, which I use at home. I only really use meebo at work for purely stealth purposes.. and no annoying windows popping up everywhere.

    I know on msn you can receive messages from random people not on your list... because every once in a while I receive a message from some girl wanting to show me pictures of herself.
    • smorrison, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0I agree. It would excellent if they could route meebome guests' conversations to any (for me MSN) of the IM clients you happen to be logged in to.
      i.e. I'm at work with only Windows Messenger running, someone IM's me from my site and it pops up via Windows Messenger. That would be excellent.
    • caseysousa, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I wish they would route it through to any Jabber connected client. I like using Adium, so I don't want to have to keep a browser tab open all the time with my Meebo account logged in. Hopefully they will open it up soon, and make this possible.
  • gweedo767, on 10/12/2007, -0/+3http://grebowiec.net

    Added it earlier today. Feel free to test it.
    • gweedo767, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2As an update, about 9 people have messaged me now via the service and it seems to be working without a hitch. Great work Meebo.com.
    • fak3r, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I was chatting with you about it not working on my site, and then you dropped out. Was I right, is Meebo 'dugg'? I'll call again later.
  • xs5x, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1It's up and running on my site: http://www.jeffwu.net
    I think it would be better if you could see other people's messages aswell, that way it can function as a mini-chatroom.
  • hastings, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1You can already do this with the switchboard (http://theswitchboard.ca). Plus you can actually engage in a real-time audio chat as well.
  • socokoolaid, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I've been watching Meebo for a while and always expected a lot from it. This is an interesting concept. I expect Meebo to go even farther with this and awe us with other new things. It would really be interesting for chatters if Meebo expanded to support chat rooms, not just conferences, and maybe even voice. Replace the chat clients all together.
  • jaythree9, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1Meebo rocks! And this just makes then even better!
    I wouldn't have IM at my work if it weren't for Meebo. thanks meebo.
  • thenativeraver, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1I [heart] sandy.
  • haggie, on 10/12/2007, -2/+0My computer comes to a grinding halt whenever I log into their site.

    Vaguely interesting product in search of a business model. I'll be impressed if they get it to really work well and I'll be REALLY impressed if they find a business model.
  • b7j0c, on 10/12/2007, -5/+2do not use meebo if you care about security. meebo is not like gaim. gaim and its work-alikes pass your id/password on to the authentication server for the service you are using (yahoo,msn etc) without archiving it on a third-party server. you can verify this for yourself. meebo is routing this data through their own servers. regardless of meebo's policies, users should not engage in this practice, it is inherently insecure.

    if you really like to use this service, i recommend using a separate account that you are willing to expose to anyone interested.

    what i would like to see is yahoo and the other services block meebo. by doing so, they would shut off a huge avenue of potential security threats.
    • crache, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0do you mean block their ipblock? So that anyone unlucky enough to be on it can't use any client to connect? Or block them on an application level? Meebo uses libgaim.. that would cut off a lot of people, including adium!
  • Kilroy2004, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2Does anyone know why everyone always shows up at offline for me (even myself?)
  • jk3us, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I've been developing something like this using xforms, python and jabber. You can give a try/look at http://dev.jk3.us/jabber/ ... I plan to release some source sometime. if you're interested, please let me know.
  • glafira, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2This is pretty kickass.
  • Ambimom, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1I have been using Meebo for months...and I love it! It has everything but webcam and voice...but there's skype for that!
  • sethjs, on 10/12/2007, -0/+5hey b7j0c - i just noticed your comment up there on meebo's security. when we launched meebo a bunch of users asked for enhanced security, so we responded by adding a bunch of security layers to meebo. all data from meebo's servers is passed to the IM networks in the format they request (same as GAIM as that's what's on our backend). hence, if that's SSL (MSN for example), then that's how it goes. for communication from the browser to meebo, all passwords are encrypted using 1024 bit RSA security keys (done on the fly in the javascript, check it out using httpanalyzer), and users are also able to access meebo over SSL at https://www.meebo.com. that way all communication is completely secure. hope that abates some of your security fears!! seth
  • Guder, on 10/12/2007, -0/+2I just installed it on mey site. Slick little interface, and it seems to work decently well.
  • netMASA, on 10/12/2007, -1/+2I made some widgets too for meebome:

    Mambo/joomla:
    http://fileupload.ning.com/dl/?1762519

    Wordpress widget:
    http://fileupload.ning.com/dl/?1762483

    Typepad widget:
    http://fileupload.ning.com/typepadgen.php
  • tittayz, on 10/12/2007, -2/+1there's so much astroturfing going on here, it's not even funny
  • melmyfinger, on 10/12/2007, -1/+1Digg effect? The widget just hangs on "updating connection..."
  • Friethoff, on 10/12/2007, -0/+0Really great, put it up my site immediately
  • aura, on 10/12/2007, -0/+1I've added it to my Contact page so people can instantly contact me if i'm available.

    The widget worked last night but is having issues today, but meebo is alpha for a reason.
  • talledega500, on 10/11/2007, -0/+1well they blocked my meebo. Its not as stealthy as you think. In fact its not stealthy at all.

    but you can use this and it will be.

    http://www.mysecureisp.com
  •  

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