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I've spoken with the Project Manager for MSN Messenger, and have a good understanding of where Microsoft is heading and what their plans are for future extensions. Also, I have a current copy of the protocol they are using, RVP, based mostly on the HTTP-DAV standard.

Being heavily involved in the Instant Messaging arena via Jabber, I can understand Microsoft's need to deploy this functionality and keep it as open as possible, since the fight is against the entrenched closed systems.

So far I have seen nothing that leads me to believe that they are doing anything sly here, it appears that they honestly want to deploy an open messaging platform, using their own protocol until a standard one is available. An upgraded client should be out this fall along with a server component that works with Exchange, but anyone is free to develop an independent server and/or client that interoperates, and that is exactly what I'll be working on adding into Jabber.

I can't guarantee Microsoft will stand behind their plans or keep it as open as they are saying, but I know that if they didn't it would cause a bigger press headache than AOL is experiencing over this, so I doubt that will happen. I think it's safe to say that for once we can look at Microsoft as a partner in this battle against closed instant messaging platforms.

Jer
jeremie@jabber.org

AOL's closing it's protocol? Switch protocols:

http://www.ietf.org/html.charters/impp-charter.htm l

Don't like that one, try this:
Jabber

Check out Jabber. It's goals almost exactly coincide with what you have stated. (plus, it's an Open Source project ;)

http: //www.jabber.org/

Over at www.jabber.org work has been slowly but steadily going on a cross-platform, cross-protocol instant messaging system. The architecture of this client will allow communication between any combination of the native Jabber client users, AIM users, ICQ users, and more. I'm afraid by the time I myself beefed up my (at-present) meager programming skills, it would be too late or they'd be done by then, but perhaps someone will read this who can help beat Microsoft, AOL, IBM or whoever may come to try to make sure instant messaging is divided up into exlusionist camps where you need powwow, AIM, ICQ and 12 other programs running just to talk to everyone.

Well there are some around. Try Jabber which although not finished appears to be quite close to beta.

Jabber is almost EXACTLY what you are asking for! It's a bit more complex and extensible, but with that added complexity you have MANY more options, check it out and help get it done sooner!!!

http://jabber.org/

Jabber is almost EXACTLY what you are asking for! It's a bit more complex and extensible, but with that added complexity you have MANY more options, check it out and help get it done sooner!!!

http://jabber.org/

Jabber is definately still moving along, and this will not really affect it for various reasons. Right now the project is restructuring a little and adding threading to the codebase, and a beta should be out by summers end, check it out if your interested!

Try taking a look at Jabber, it allows users to use all the messaging clients that transports get built for. So far there is a wide array of planned transports. The work is under the GPL and coming along very nicely. You all should take a look at it. Jabber

--Temas (I need to find my /. password)

The amount of horsepower it'd take to power messenging servers probably differs with the kind of service you provide. Something like AIM is little more than IRC. I don't remember if the client polls for "buddies" or if one of the oscar servers notifies the client.

ICQ, on the other hand, stores everyone's information on their servers, including messages. The amount of power for their servers may be less because messages generally transfer directly from user to user ala DCC chat on irc.

As for a propriety clients with ads, haven't you seen AIM since 1998 or whenever? They've always had ads. To take the ads out, edit NETWAIT.ODL and comment out the lines that say load_ocm advert. Voila!

Recently there was an Ask Slashdot regarding the Jabber project. I haven't used Jabber, but supposedly it works with AOL Instant Messanger and ICQ. Seeing that AOL is attempting to prevent 3rd parties from using their service, how will this affect Jabber?

Hey all... Jabber is still moving along and just about ready to break into the big-leage.

I've been insanely busy with normal life this past month, but at the same time preparing to take Jabber to the next level. Look for a few announcements and a big boom in development over the next month or two.

On a side note, I have successfully already used any Jabber client to communicate to ICQ and AIM users transparently, the code will be cleaned up and available soon.

Watch jabber.org or join the developer's list and stay tuned!

Hey all... Jabber is still moving along and just about ready to break into the big-leage.

I've been insanely busy with normal life this past month, but at the same time preparing to take Jabber to the next level. Look for a few announcements and a big boom in development over the next month or two.

On a side note, I have successfully already used any Jabber client to communicate to ICQ and AIM users transparently, the code will be cleaned up and available soon.

Watch jabber.org or join the developer's list and stay tuned!

Check out www.jabber.org. It's supposed to allow a way to communicate with people via a number of protocols (AIM, ICQ, etc) without you having to keep an AIM client open, an ICQ client open, an IRC client open.. etc..

now might be a nice time to plug jabber, a currently in-development project to develop an ICQ/AIM-like protocol with a distributed server architecture and plugin-able compatibility with existing protocols like AIM/toc, ICQ, Yahoo Pager (?), the new IETF/Microsoft protocol being worked on, etc.

it's a pretty neat project, they've got a lot of ideas and not so much code (a sort-of functioning server, a windows client, a tcl client, and a gtk/gnome client are all in beta right now). especially interesting are the transport mechanisms to other protocols -- which will allow a user to use multiple services at the same time? check it out!

now might be a nice time to plug jabber, a currently in-development project to develop an ICQ/AIM-like protocol with a distributed server architecture and plugin-able compatibility with existing protocols like AIM/toc, ICQ, Yahoo Pager (?), the new IETF/Microsoft protocol being worked on, etc.

it's a pretty neat project, they've got a lot of ideas and not so much code (a sort-of functioning server, a windows client, a tcl client, and a gtk/gnome client are all in beta right now). especially interesting are the transport mechanisms to other protocols -- which will allow a user to use multiple services at the same time? check it out!