Ideas to have multiple users available across multiple computers

I work for a library and we are working to integrate Spark into our staff’s computers, but there’s one small thing we’re working to overcome. At current our front desk computers are logged in always to a generic (circ1, circ2, circ3) Windows account and can be manned by any number of people. What we’d like to have happen is somehow to have Spark on the front desk computers and have it so a staff member in the back or remote location can ask a question which would hit all 3 computers to get a better chance of someone responding. Any ideas? I had been considering having each station having its’ own Spark login and then having all of them autopoulate into a chat, but I imagine that unless the person asking a question pings all three users to make the window flash it will get overlooked.

Spark is a personal instant messenger client meant for one person usage. I think your case needs some specialized solution rather. The only thing i can think of is to have one user and login with it on all three computers. Just with different Resource values (Advanced menu on the login screen), so it won’t kick already logged client when logging in with another. Then you can set a system property in Openfire (presuming you use it for a server):

route.all-resources to a value true (create the property if there is no such in the list)

Restart the server to make sure it is enabled. Then it should route first message send to a user to all connected resources. But this doesn’t always work as it only routes to all resources if a message is not sent to one specific resource. And this will happen as clients tend to add a resource to a message when conversation begins.

I have learned about another system property recently, which should work always, but i haven’t tested this.

route.really-all-resources

You can try using it instead (same way as the above).

But this won’t work if you want different users logged on those desktops. Another way would be for remote user to send a broadcast to a group containing these 3 users, so all of them would get that message. But that is a bit inconvenient to use separate menu or right clicking the group and selecting the broadcast option every time to send a message. Also, when one user replies, how would other two know about that?

There is also Fastpath plugin for Openfire (it is integrated into Spark). Which was designed for helpdesk scenario. When a requester sends a message to a workgroup queue and Fastpath routes it to a first free agent, and then this agent can forward the message to another agent, etc. But, Fastpath is not in development for many years, so i ten not to suggest it strongly.

Or maybe you need to use group chat (all three users joining it, so they all will see remote user’s message and if someone already replied).