A couple of weeks ago, we quietly released some improvements to the "follow-me" widget. The main improvement is that the patron no longer has to click on a link inside the chat window in order to initiate the "follow-me" behavior. Now, the follow-me behavior starts immediately upon the patron beginning a chat.
Why is this important? It has to do with usability and widget placement. Previously, since the follow-me feature only began after the patron clicked a link from inside the chat session itself, it was easy for the patron to accidentally navigate away from the chat by first following a link on the same web page or by doing a search in any search dialog present on the page.
For example, one place I think the follow-me widget may be useful is inside a catalog, an environment with pervasive search boxes and links. Now, with the improvement, if the patron starts a chat and then performs a search while inside that same browser window, the chat will continue to work and stay on top of the catalog results page. The same thing applies to the patron following a link found on the same web page as the chat. Librarians do not have to try to remember to get the patron to first follow a link from the chat.
See the movie for a quick demo.
The API has also been enhanced, and you can use the Configurator and Servinator to create follow-me widgets and customize their options.
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