diff -r 2dc60fa78c41 -r 110311d59b2f src/js/widgets/tweetsWidget.js
--- a/src/js/widgets/tweetsWidget.js	Thu Dec 01 16:07:24 2011 +0100
+++ b/src/js/widgets/tweetsWidget.js	Thu Dec 01 16:20:39 2011 +0100
@@ -76,12 +76,23 @@
       /* we're called from the "close window" link */
       /* cancel the timeout */
       window.clearTimeout(this._timeoutId);
+      this._timeoutId = null;
     }
     
     this.selector.hide("blind", 400);
     
 };
 
+/* cancel the timeout if the user clicks on the keep panel open button */
+IriSP.TweetsWidget.prototype.keepPanel = function() {
+    if (this._timeoutId != undefined) {
+      /* we're called from the "close window" link */
+      /* cancel the timeout */
+      window.clearTimeout(this._timeoutId);
+      this._timeoutId = null;
+    }
+};
+
 IriSP.TweetsWidget.prototype.draw = function() {
   var _this = this;
   
@@ -89,6 +100,7 @@
   this.selector.append(tweetMarkup);
   this.selector.hide();
   this.selector.find(".Ldt-tweetWidgetMinimize").click(IriSP.wrap(this, this.closePanel));
+  this.selector.find(".Ldt-tweetWidgetKeepOpen").click(IriSP.wrap(this, this.keepPanel));
   
   this._Popcorn.listen("IriSP.PolemicTweet.click", IriSP.wrap(this, this.PolemicTweetClickHandler));
 };