This sounds like a good idea, but is also a problem on many forums. When people install a shoutbox, members start to talk on there, and stop posting on the forum less. Great idea though. Thanks for contributing.
I was actually thinking about adding one of these to help create a more friendly/close atmosphere for the community. The basic shoutbox coding shouldn't be too hard, however those extra features will prove to be a little more challenging. Nevertheless this is a good idea, and will be added most definitely.