"Live Help" system

Please join this group if you are able to provide text-based help to other members.

To provide interactive help, similar to telephone helpline but with several advantages:

• Work can be shared more easily
• Text record of the conversation for future reference, or posting on the site if suitable
• Operator can provide standard "canned" responses, including pointing the user at a web page.
• Operators can talk to each other to get input if they don't know the answer to a question etc.

The system is installed already, but not completely set up and only partially tested. Here are some factors:

• The system is running on a separate server to our main sites. That's to ensure there's no performance impact on our main sites.

• For the above reason, there is potentially less security than on our main sites. It runs on a "shared" server - basically that means I have far less control and security is only as good as the web-host provides - there's no reason to think it's not adequate, but for this reason I'm saying don't use real names or give out any sensitive information.

• Why use this rather than Skype or Messenger etc? Simply because it's a web based, doesn't require you to install anything, and doesn't require exchange of any id or email address. Basically, other than your IP address you remain completely anonymous.

• Operators (helpers) can be assigned to one or more departments - user chooses which department they want to speak with. Multiple simultaneous operators can be online. So basically the task can be shared. Operators can talk to each other, so help each other out too.

So, please join this project if you can help with "manning" the system or can help in other ways.