jquery – keep window from changing scroll position while prepending items to a list?

Store a reference to the first message before you prepend new messages, and after you prepend, set the scroll to the offset of that message:

$(document).on('scroll', function() {
    var scroll = $(document).scrollTop();
    if (scroll < 1) {
        // Store eference to first message
        var firstMsg = $('.message:first');

        // Prepend new message here (I'm just cloning...)
        $('body').prepend(firstMsg.clone());

        // After adding new message(s), set scroll to position of
        // what was the first message
        $(document).scrollTop(firstMsg.offset().top);
    }
});

Demo: http://jsfiddle.net/GRnQY/

Edit: I noticed you wanted it with a button. You might have to do a little more math:

$(document).on('click', '#loadMore', function() {
    var firstMsg = $('.message:first');

    // Where the page is currently:
    var curOffset = firstMsg.offset().top - $(document).scrollTop();

    // Prepend
    firstMsg.before(firstMsg.clone());

    // Offset to previous first message minus original offset/scroll
    $(document).scrollTop(firstMsg.offset().top-curOffset);
});

Demo: http://jsfiddle.net/GRnQY/5/