Suggestions for Google Talk Chat Widget

Google released a little web application called Google Talk Chatback Badge, where can chat with everyone who visits your website. Google hasn’t added any robust new features against its current competition. We might as well call it the Charlie Brown of chat widgets. Unlike MeeboMe, and Aim Wimzi, you have to click on it in order to initiate a chat session, and there are tons of useful features left out to give that could give this Plain Jane a boost. Its only shining quality is how neat and tidy it looks with the rest of your site.

Color Schemes

It could use some colors. white and blue reminds me of the old days of the web. At least the quote bubble is curvy.

Flash Embed Option

It needs a Flash version. iFrames are too exploitable, and I’d even advocate for web browsers to ask whether to load content in an IFrame just to reduce javascript attacks by a considerable amount. Since its iFrame, there is no anyway to put this on your Myspace page, so people please don’t ask about it.

Badge Saving For Later Use

Currently, it just generates a code everytime you visit the page, which defaults to your real first and last name, or whatever name you set up in your Google Account. If you had previously set up a nickname, it will get lost if you need it again for whatever reason. You’ll have to retype the nickname again to generate the code.

Guest Names For Each Person

Guests should be able to set their nickname and each Guest should be assigned a unique number. Currently all Guests respond as Guest, making it confusing at times.

Thats about it. Knowing Google, these suggestions, if they do consider them, will get added quietly.

How To Get Aim Wimzi on Facebook Workaround

Aim Wimzi is now on Facebook. Follow the instructions below!

Official Wimzi Application

The Official Aim Wimzi Application is now setup at Facebook

Customized Wimzi Application

Customize your Aim Wimzi with your own graphics here!

1. Copy and Paste the Following Code below into your Facebook HTML BOX.

<fb:swf swfsrc="YOUR KEY GOES HERE" width=190 height=275 imgsrc="http://i13.tinypic.com/4uxcsd4.jpg"/>

2. Go to Aim Wimzi

3. Click No for Location Check

4. Click Code

5. Choose Flash

6. Copy and Paste Your Embed Code in Notepad

The Screenshot below shows what you should be highlighting.

 

http://o.aolcdn.com/aim/web-aim/wimzi.swf?appKey=12345678s&theme=morningmist

 

 

7. COPY the Highlighted text

8. On Facebook, PASTE the text over where it says: YOUR KEY GOES HERE

9. Now Save and your done!

In Facebook, your code should look similar to this.

<fb:swf swfsrc="http://o.aolcdn.com/aim/web-aim/wimzi.swf?appKey=12345678&theme=morningmists" width=190 height=275 imgsrc=" http://i13.tinypic.com/4uxcsd4.jpg" />

Thanks to aniarkanityinc@aim.com for the tip.

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AimWimzi and the Prisoner of MeeboMe

So LIEK on Friday, Aim Wimzi came all up into MeeboMe’s face and said
"AND WHAT! "
MeeboMe wuz like,
"SO WHAT! I STILL GOT BETTER CHATROOMS AND BETTER AIM THAN YOU!"

Thus starts the new chapter of AOL’s magical journey to steal everyone else’s ideas. Maybe they thought of it first but took too long to deploy… Or maybe they…. nevermind.

A big blow to Meebo’s MeeboMe service was quietly released on Friday, allowing users to place an Aim Widget on their site. AimWimzi is actually derived from Aim Whimsicals. In the beginning, Aim Whimsicals let users sign onto your website using their own AIM screen name. You could give them their own full buddy list, or let them IM you directly. It wasn’t really practical, only because most people would still just use Aim 5.9. In the meantime MeeboMe’s service let anyone place a widget on their website, allowing people to IM directly to you. The only drawback to MeeboMe was that you had to login to Meebo.com. Since Meebo doesn’t have an offline client, it didn’t make much sense to use it either. You’d have to go to the website just to sign on, and leave it open until your finished. So it was a good opportunity for AOL to strike back at this weak point to create AimWimzi. Very practical in that all you have to do is sign onto Aim from anywhere, and your instantly logged in from the widget. You can change and customize the widget on the fly without needing to repost the code. However, you’ll have to manually edit the size if your going to change it.

Aim Wimzi works by creating a random screen name for the visitors of your site. Only they can IM you first. Your buddy list will show a new category with the title of the widget, and automatically updates (although slowly) whenever a visitor has the widget enabled. You can remain anonymous by typing a customized Display Name. You don’t have to worry about random people IMing your real screen name every minute like they do to me.

Aim Wimzi does have a bug where if you access it too many times, it will display a message saying your Appkey is missing. If you do see this message, don’t worry, its only happening to you, not your other visitors.

What will AOL copy next? You know AOL there is one place you don’t have dominance over, WAP. Yes thats right WAP! We need an AIM Wap Client for anyone with a cellphone, not just T-moblie customers. Lets get rid of txt message AIM and move it all onto the Web. Make a lovely FREE BREW application for Verizon customers and we’ll have a deal! You can even put ads in it too.