[KLUG Members] live chat software

[Adam Tauno Williams]

> > > A client wants to add live chat software to their website.  Their idea
> > > is to have something like a help desk.
> > I'm not certain what is meant by "to their website", 
> A button on the website that says "Chat life with your rep" or something
> similar.  

There is a client.  You can probably find a Java client to start from
the server,  there are dozens and dozens of XMPP clients.

> The software would, I assume, be installed on the server.  Is this
> correct?

The messaging software must be, yes.  

> > but I'd use
> > XMPP/Jabber.  The JIVE messenger server is very straight forward to
> > setup and operate.
> > http://www.jivesoftware.org/messenger/
> How does this get through a firewall?  I understand how someone can
> initiate a connection to get through their own firewall, but how does
> the recipient get notified/connected?

They run the client;  in the case of Exodus (what we use on Win32) it
sits in the system tray and pops up upon receipt of a message.  So the
internal people run the client and it awaits connections.  The external
people either run a client, either installed or downloaded on-demand
from the site, or it is possible to EMIT Jabber messages via PHP (but,
of course, PHP can't register a callback to recieve notification since
it only exists for the generation of the page).

> client - firewall - internet/server/etc - firewall - recipient

You port forward the XMPP port through the firewall to the XMPP server.
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