Slashdot Mirror
AOL Trying To Unify AIM And ICQ Services
Nerftoe writes: "CBS Marketwatch is reporting that AOL has been quietly integrating its AOL Instant Messenger and ICQ products. This would create a combined user base of about 146 million." That's a lotta people.
ICQ is peer-to-peer UDP with numbers as descriptors. AIM is client-server TCP with strings as descriptors. Please explain how the hell they can merge the two? :P
ICQ already allows you to have a nick name, the login name would probably remain the number, but the client would know to display a different name, say the nick name. I'm sure the biggest challenge would be reconciling differences between the protocals, like file transfers, offiline messages, etc.
treke
I believe that AOL/AIM names must start with a letter. Unless people start making names like "l2345678" (note JonKatz-style lowercase 'L' in place of '1') to spoof people, it won't be a problem.
For more information, click here.
You could try buying one of those new-fangled answerphone thingies.
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However where will this leave Linux users? I used to use Linux and I know there are a few ICQ clients made by individual users for Linux, and they're quite good too. I don't know how these were developed but I certainly hope Linux users can do the same for the new ICQ\AIM.
Or perhaps we can just hope AOL will produce a version for Linux. Fat chance? Perhaps not. They're producing Netscape for Linux, hey?
Cheers,
Daniel.
--
Daniel Zeaiter
daniel@academytiles.com.au
http://www.academytiles.com.au
ICQ: 16889511
Actually, Barbados and Iceland are ahead of Australia. Medal Tally per Million Population
Sure, maybe it will take up more RAM, too!
I am "forced" to use both due to friends and co-workers who either. In any regard, I'm under the impression the reason why people use AIM instead of ICQ is because they like AIM functionality and the reason why they use ICQ instead of AIM is because they like IC functionality.
ICQ has better developed features for moving files and other "advanced functionality". AIM on the other hand is geared to simplicity and simple chatting. In recent versions, this has started to blur but the roots are still there and there is still a clear division.
I'm leary of any consoldiation like this if it sacrafices functionality of either AIM or ICQ. If they do, I can easily see a bunch of unhappy users who will be trying to resurrect, probably in an Open Source manner, the old client and server functionality. Then where will AOL be? Back where they were before they acquired Marbilis.
Instead, I'm betting there will be some simple gateway within AOL's network borders that allows messages to jump back and forth between the two given the proper addressing.
As opposed to the only 80-85% provided by other leading brands? What a bargain! This sounds like the bargain for me!
Warning: Gaim should not be inserted in the mouth or rectum. Please use only as directed.
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end communication
I really like the fact that in ICQ you can switch between AIM-style and ICQ-style messaging. Personally I like the ICQ-style because there is not such an annoying blinking effect as with in AIM. That is one big reason why I want to use ICQ mainly.
l
If anyone wants to petition AOL to make the blinking in AIM an option, or less annoying, please go here: http://www3.sympatico.ca/anthonyg/aimpetition.htm
.sig: Open Source, Open Mind
...But, I .... *like* ICQ!
I don't *want* to be an AOLuser! Aaugh!
Zahlman Q. Namlhaz, esq. {:> "Zahl Incorporated - the Last Word in Everything(TM)"
"I can get an email from a friend who's all the way across the world in minutes."
Wow, minutes! Yeah, that's really instant.
"and spam free, and interoperable, and free and - well - its understood and well implemented everywhere."
Please show me where the ads are in AIM and ICQ... I know there are small ads in the URL and File transfer for ICQ, but it's not like those stay up for more than 2 seconds (literally). ICQ and AIM are pretty much a standard.
"so please tell me what I'm missing by using email as my 'instant messages'."
You're too closed minded about it, so I'm not going to tell you. You'll just have to miss out, sorry. Stick to your "instant" 2 minute e-mails.
I hear tale Cliffy B. is hax0ring up his own IM protocol using openl33t...
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wrong :)
ICQ is peer-to-peer TCP and client-server UDP.
That's not the point. If they keep the same interface to the system, and merge the two databases, then no matter what back end was used, it'd still be 'AIM' and 'ICQ'.
If 146 million AIM/ICQ users typed on 146 million Packard Bells for 146 million years, would eventually one of them produce the entire works of Jon Katz?
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The truth is out th- oh, wait, here it is...
Note to self: register the name "CmdrTaco" on AIM
Buying a Dell computer is equivalent to dropping the soap in a prison shower.
I tried it and AIM let me on okay with my ICQ, but then kicked me off for already being online. Guess it detected my ICQ session, but I wonder why they go through the trouble?
--
linkfilter.net - Get that fresh links feeling in the morning.
Yeah, and we all know how reliable IRC can be. Some IRC networks, particularly the more popular ones, make AOL look stable.
For more information, click here.
I have about 8 screen names on aim myself.
You can use ODIGO . It speaks ICQ and AIM, runs on windows though. (Unix/linux has Everybuddy, what an easy thing to install on my BSD box :> )
Don't be fooled!
Use 99b instead of 98x. It allows for messages over 450 chars and it doesn't have the ability (AFAIK) to automatically upgrade like 2000x does.
Try odigo. It isn't feature-rich, but it does the job....I hate running both clients.
-Adam
Although I'm not completely satisfied with icq, they have been pretty good about adding features and coming out with new versions fairly frequently. What will the new product be like, though? Are they going to take icq and "dumb it down" for aol users?
I admit I've never used AIM, but I've seen others use it and it kinda reminds me of yahoo instant messanger. And I've had to manually remove it from every version of netscape I've had over the last couple years, which is a PITA.
That said, I'm kinda weary over this new product...but I suppose as long as I don't have to recreate my contact list, and I can use the same message database (so I can browse through my same message history), and it doesn't put advertisements in the main window, then it should be okay with me.
"It is well that war is so terrible, lest we grow too fond of it."
Time is fun when you're having flies.
-Kermit the Frog
Fire.app for MacOS X (and its like) is very cool...does ICQ, AIM and Yahoo! chat :)
:)
Its only v 0.14b but seems to have lots of features (no block or warn yet tho!)
I THINK is partially based on the GAIM codebase
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"I would say that 99 per cent of what my father has written about his own life is false." - L. Ron Hubbard Jr.
In the newest version of the ICQ protocol, if you are in invisible mode, the servers don't inform other parties that you are online. And if you send them someone a message whilst you are invisible, it is sent through the ICQ servers, like an offline message. This way they can't get your IP anyway.
A slashdotter who didn't build his own computer is like a Jedi who didn't build his own lightsaber.
Also lots and lots of people have multiple ICQ/AIM accounts as well...
__
AOL has denied this rumor: "America Online Inc. has denied a report that it is quietly testing a way to link its popular instant messaging systems, which would have undermined arguments the company made to regulators probing its merger with Time Warner Inc"
"My mother never saw the irony in calling me a son-of-a-bitch." - Jack Nicholson
I'm surprised the ads aren't any more invasive and came along as late as they did. I was expecting an onslaught within 90 days of ICQ getting bought out. Silly AOL.. always looking after the bottom line..
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end communication
And we already unify support for AIM and ICQ (and Yahoo!, and MSN, and IRC), with our server-based "transports." Your client speaks one protocol--the Jabber XML protocol--and the server handles the translation. This can make Jabber clients much smaller than so-called "universal" clients; we're working on Java applet clients that'll be small enough to download over dialup connections without great pain.
And Jabber can definitely be used for more than just instant messaging; we've been experimenting with a Jabber-controlled MP3 jukebox program recently. In conjunction with another Jabber-based "remote control," you can control the songs that are played on another computer across the room, or across the continent. You can even have two or more remotes controlling the same jukebox. All the specialized messages required for controlling the jukebox and getting its status are just XML extensions to standard Jabber messages. (It's just a little demo we whopped up, written in Perl; it's not too sophisticated, but it does act as a proof-of-principle.)
Check out Jabber.org, JabberCentral, and, of course, Jabber.com.
Eric
--
Be who you are...and be it in style!
Wasn't AOL the one who had the pathetic war with MS so they can't share between the two instant messangers? Seems like a case of corporate hypocrisy. Then again, what part of AOL do things far and square?
Now I've seen it all!
Appended to the end of comments I post? 120 chars?!
Wow. That must be some long corner...
Until ISP's/Cable companies/Telco's can solve the "last mile" problem by dropping a fiber loop into my back yard, everyone will not have access to the bandwidth needed to do video "chat." Even e-mail is faster than waiting for audio and video to creep down to my PC.
--guru
http://www.somethingawful.com/spam/
- Amon CMB
Men believe what they want. - Caesar
Then, about a year later, I reinstalled it. I looked up my number in their directory and miraculously remembered my password.
As a result, my ICQ number is six digits long. The ones you get these days are eight (maybe nine?) digits long. When I give people my number, they think I've forgotten a digit or two.
However, if I start seeing ads in my client, I'm dumping it. Soon I suspect it will be time to see if IMUnified has actually produced anything, or spend some time with the latest Jabber versions and see if they've improved any from when I last tried them.
Oh well, since AOL bought Mirabilis, I've known the ad contamination was inevitable... Netscape, once one of the most respected and cutting-edge companies out there, now displays a pop-up ad on their homepage, the absolute limit of Bad Web Taste. At least they don't use the bright green (as in #00ff00, ow, ow) ones that seem to show up on AOL.com every time I have the misfortune to see it.
some of my windows friends (who are into this IM thing) bug me to get into it as well. I'm sorry but I just don't see the point. I have to open up more ports on my firewall, I have to trust new apps to be secure (I use qmail - and I know I can trust THAT).
I guess there's nothing so urgent that I must have REALTIME comms on my system. then again, I don't even use the telephone all that much; I am perfectly happy with email.
we don't need new modes of communication; we need people to better use what we already have. it IS sufficient. if you want instant email:
% man procmail
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"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
ok - I see how laughable that comment of mine was. here's what I MEANT. my email CLIENT is spam-free. meaning: I don't need to look at banner ads, etc, etc. ELM or PINE, etc don't force banners down my throat.
yes, you can get spam in your inbox. that's fixable. what is NOT fixable is when you're forced to use client apps that come with policy (ads) built-in.
aol is a carrier. they should NOT be in the apps business. I never trust carriers to provide apps just like I don't trust app companies (micros~1 anyone?) to be carriers.
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"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
What's really funny is not that AOL has 146 million people spread across it's 2 services, but that it has triple the number users of the rest of the market combined!
You'd be interested to know that CMGI and others are in Washington, DC lobbying against the AOL merger until they open their services. (which they claim to keep closed to protect member security and privacy. uuhhh... then why's the government so easily able to monitor it, huh?)
kick some CAD
Well workes with the fbi... umm their head of security was a formerhead of the buroh
Well, you could use Odigo for ICQ listings, but its a pretty shitty client too.
I personally use AIM for instant messaging since it seems to be the lightest client for Windows, and most of my friends use it. Occasionally I do logon to ICQ to stay in touch with some people who refuse to use AIM.
On AOL trying to unify the two services, I'd say a more accurate assesment would be that AOL is trying to "ICQ-ize" AIM. AIM started off being solely an instant messenger, but AOL has slowly added features to make it comparable to ICQ, which set the bar for features. They've added file transfer, voice chat, direct connects, a file server, a news and stock ticker, and buddy icons. (Not that all these feature are useful but they're there.) The new beta adds supports for games, along with storing your buddy list on a central server.
Granted AIM has become commercialized with banner ads, and AIM Phone, and probably some other things I haven't noticed, but for instant messaging, it has a large user base and it does what it's supposed to do.
Define "Big boys"...
I get tired of comments such as "Like the big boys"...
There aren't any real "Big Boys" of the Internet unless you count Slashdot known for the Slashdot effect... (And you just discounted them by recomending they folow "The big boys")
What other big boys might you be refering to?
Fortune 500 companys? Thies companys have glorifyed home pages running on Windows NT boxes.. Nither sereous about the net nore using Solarus...
For what they are doing however a Commodore 64 running web server software would work so not even a sereous test..
Maybe you mean the real e-commerce winners of Internet.. the porn industry... BSD...
From what I understand they usually try Windows find it lacking.. try Linux find it's not quite there yet.. the go with BSD... and find BSD is everything they need.
Ok not Linux but still open source and not Solarus.
Maybe you mean back bones.. the Internet itself... well.. they DO use Solarus...
But let's do some traceroutes before we blame Linux for Slashdots problems.. Thats right people the packets die at the back bone... on Solarus boxes.. It never reaches Slashdot...
In the end one must realise however that unless you have an unlimited budget (like the big boys) you can't afford the same equipment "The Big Boys" use...
Let's face if.. if your choices were between a Xeon and a Sun Sparc 1... You'd be a fool to pick the Sparc...
On the other hand if your choices are between a Quad Xeon and a Quad UltraSparc 3... you'd be a fool to pick the Xeon...
And that folks.. is hardware... Linux runs on Sparcs and Xeons...
Just becouse it runs nicely on a i386 dosn't mean it sucks egges on hardware that is about 200 times more powerful...
I don't actually exist.
A large corporation sees that mass conformity and unified services are the way to go! :). Maybe the American government should secretly "unify" with a communist society.. 1.25 billion users, er, people, now that's a big economygovernment!
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arcane for life
This is a copy of an email I just sent to Carl Corry, the reporter to wrote the Marketwatch article. If others email him about Jabber, maybe it'll get some coverage. -- Mr. Corry, I read with interest your story on the latest developments in the instant messaging saga, titled "AOL reportedly uniting its IM services," located on the web at . However, I wonder if you are aware of Jabber? Jabber is an open source, distributed, non-proprietary instant messaging standard that inter operates with MSN Messenger, Yahoo Messenger, AIM and ICQ. Both the server and client software is free, and there is no licensing required. I think this software is, unfortunately, a hidden treasure of the Internet, that is being continually overlooked by the media -- especially since the two major IM competitors are owners/partners of two of the major television networks. I don't work for any group associated with Jabber. The only thing I've done is sent e-mails to a developer requesting new features in the client software. But I'm a big supporter of the idea because it once again puts control of communications back in the hands of users -- and makes counting how many millions of users are signed up to a particular service an irrelevant issue. Thank you for your time. I hope you have some time to look into it. For more information, a good starting point is http://www.jabber.org/
Software Wars
Its 146 Usernames. 50% of them are mostlikely people who use both services, have multiple screen names, or don't use either of them at all anymore.
> I don't want to be interrupted at any hour just so someone can throw some small talk at me.
... "No. *Click*")
;-)
I go "on-line" whenever I play UO. If you loose connection in the game, you need to be able to tell your friend(s) that you're link dead, so they can cast invisibility on you.
> Besides, when I'm busy programming or almost any other form of hacking like setting up my LAN,
If you don't want to get interrupted, just go on "invisible" mode. I have my 4 closest friends who can see me while I'm in invis.
If you have people q'ing u ever 5 seconds, then don't respond to them. All the people on my icq list know to q me only if its important.
> I know, get a cordless.
I wasn't too big on having a cordless, but after a year, I'd say it's pretty cool. Get a cordless with a built in answering machine. Leave the handset by the phone. Screen all your calls, and only pick up if friends call. (Dam telemarketers, I just hang up on them now. "Are you interested in
> But then I would always leave it on a table or shelf
Just get into a habit of always leaving it on the table. Works for me
Cheers
You are right about the bandwidth issue. When I mentioned technology getting better, I was speaking of the software end of it. Look at how the compression/quality has improved recently. Hmmm, there was talk of video phones in the 70's wasn't there?
umm |A|+|B|=|A|+|B|-|A intersect B|
ok then your [sic] infringing on my copyright! Could you as [sic] me next time before STEALING my comments for your own?
If AIM and ICQ merge, college students won't be able to argue about which is superior any more! We'll just have to stick to the never-ending "soda vs. pop" debate!!
Actually, ICQ 2000 uses the OSCAR protocol, just like AIM. It's uses some custom packets to support the features ICQ has that AIM doesn't, but other than that, it's the same.
Well over half the people I know who use an instant messanger service of ANY type actually use BOTH AIM and ICQ, so if the two really combine, I doubt the user base would actually be as high as was stated.
moo
The contact list in ICQ is stored at the client-end (so no roaming access, you have to re-build your contact list if you migrate). Most other IM service providers (MSN, Y!, AOL) use a server-based contact list.
There are indeed loads of other such technical differences which make me feel that getting ICQ and AIM to interoperate will be quite a task. The good thing to do is to build a common IM protocol (and that's just what IETF is at). That will break the IM monopoly and there will loads of IM service providers all over the world (like Email).
Interesting sites -
ICQ Protocol
IM Unified
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#define __mjplusplus
it's still extremely irritating that IM progs try to shove every feature in the world down your throat (who needs to find IM ppl via a web page, have web storage from the IM client, IM email, etc?) and have them all default=active, especially when it doesn't have the common courtesy to SAVE your existing settings when upgrading (thus forcing you to go back through every single preference menu and reset them).
IM's suffer the worst from feature creep and needless bloating. Doesn't anybody believe in making a program do one thing only, and that well?
blah.
eudas
Blessed is he who expects the worst, for he shall not be disappointed.
I don't think it's a PayPal deal, but AIMPhone may be on-target. The "AIM Pay" icon is a service icon - the kind that shows up next to your buddy, indicating what service they're using (AOL, AIM, ICQ, etc). So it would seem that "AIM Pay" is meant to be a distinct kind of service, not just a client feature. It seems reasonable that people who sign up for AIMPhone might be considered "AIM Pay" users, but I dunno. I still wouldn't put it past AOL to start charging a monthly fee to keep your AIM name active.
For what it's worth, the "AIM Pay" cicn resources have been present since the 3.0 generation of Mac AIM clients. But if they don't plan on charging for AIM, you'd think they'd have removed the icons.
BTW, if you think PayPal rocks, check out ProPay. They let you bill anyone, not just other (paypal|propay) users. Their fee is 3.5% + 35 cents/transaction. Not bad.
Shaun
Thanks to the War on Drugs, it's easier to buy meth than it is to buy cold medicine!
and spam free, and interoperable, and free and - well - its understood and well implemented everywhere.
so please tell me what I'm missing by using email as my 'instant messages'.
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"It is now safe to switch off your computer."
Oh AIM is great for interruption avoiding! The place I work at is now using AIM for communications.
So instead of ignoring a phone call, I can now ignore AIM, but see that someone wants to talk to me. Better than those 90 second voicemails, and no annoying rings. (turn off the AIM sounds)
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"Rock over London... Rock on Chicago..." -Wesley Willis
noooo!
its bad enough icq and aol are basically the same thing. but the 31337ness of icq will be deteriorated by the introduction of teenie bopping 12 year olds who chat about the color of blue lipstick they are wearing to english class tomorrow.
*cries*
"its the end of the world as we know it, and i feel fine"
I know, I know, get a cordless."
I think it would be rather akward sitting on the crapper with a cordless phone, actually.
Bren.
In the article I saw they counted downloads... i can say that myself, I've downloaded ICQ at least 10 times. Either for reintalls or my other PCs (notebook, work..etc). I also know people that rebuild their computer every week and ALWAYS just get a new ICQ number instead of using their old one.
I'd be interested to know the actual number.
Yeah, I know people who go through AIM names like kleenex. It seems like every week they have a new screen name. At last count, they were up to at least 30 or 40 over the past 2 years. Me, on the other hand, has had the same one for 4 years :).
Most of my friends have two though, one that everyone knows and one that only a select few people know that they can get on as to hide from people they don't wanna talk to.
Things you think are in the Constitution, but are not.
I've consciously avoided getting a cell and carefully forget my pager at home every opportunity for the very reasons you state, but there is another facet to this (one that appeals to my vanity):
The ultimate sign of status in the future will be those who do NOT have cell phones, pagers, or similar such devices. In a networked world, those who deny access to themselves--or place barriers to easy access--will be the elite.
Just ask the government...
"The more corrupt the state, the more numerous the laws."--Tacitus, The Histories
In AIM for Mac, I entered my ICQ# into the Sign In box, rather than my AIM login...voila! It logs in perfectly, and shows my number with a little ICQ logo next to it instead of that little globe. I can also add other people's ICQ#'s to my buddy list, and send them messages.
I am using version 4.0.1068
Kyle
Or the GNU AIM client. It's at Marko.net and it's very, very good. I have a surplus of friends on A-hole and it's a good deal easier to contact them through the IM client than through the telephone.. or email.. or postally.. or any other way. And as far as the complaint that you 'get IM's at inopportune times': TURN OFF THE CLIENT!
I used to be someone else. Now I'm someone better.
Real life is underrated.
#1 AOL is fighting to keep their AIM protocol proprietary by rejecting 'unapproved' clients. I betcha they'll try to pull the same crap with ICQ's protocol. See 1 2
#2 They might trash the UINs in favor of the AIM userIDs; FACETIOUSI don't wan't to lose my eleet 5-digit ICQ#./FACETIOUS
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I doubt they're planning to charge for AIM.
A more likely explanation is that the "AIM Pay" icon is just the icon that the software uses to represent paying AOL subscribers who are logged on via the AIM software.
Kyle
Ah. That makes it clearer. Safe to assume my previous suggestion is wrong. (I don't use AIM on any regular basis on any OS let alone Mac)
OT:
3.5% isn't that great if it's going to be used for relatively 'major' transactions ($100+), might as well get a money order... unless it supports overseas payments or something.
It's pretty clear, to me at least, that this is exactly the kind of project open source is meant for. Obviously different people want different things from their instant messaging software, and the flexibility that a great number of open source messaging clients communicating using a shared standard would offer is pretty staggering.
AOL needs to make an intelligent decision (for once) and realize that the popularity (err...or at least LACK of negativity) they would receive by creating and releasing an all-purpose communication standard that incorporates the best of both technologies would far outweigh the few million bucks they could make off of sending banner adds to their proprietary client programs. I mean, who ever actually clicks on the stupid little things, anyways?
Sign onto aim using your icq # and password, add icq #s to your buddy list. (You can talk to them, but not to AIM people though.) *pika* this is NOT news.
ICQ client sucks. AIM client is starting to get horrendously cluttered. The unified hybrid had better be uber-sweet. Otherwise, I'm gonna just go with Jabber. To be honest, I'm teaching myself java just so I can help work on it ^^
--
Peace,
Lord Omlette
ICQ# 77863057
[o]_O
"// this is the most hacked, evil, bastardized thing I've ever seen. kjb"
This is a small step to standardize the instant messaging protocols. I'm wondering when other cough*microsoft*cough companies will sit down with AOL and think about how to work together. It's a shame though that the only two softwares that are going to merge together are owned by AOL. It would be interresting to see if Microsoft would be interrested to team up with AOL and make some standard ( After all, monopolies should agree well together, don't you think). Beside, maybe that's because I don't know much about instant massaging, but there aren't really other software the provides instant messaging (except the ICQ clones and AIM clones on Windows and Linux, tough I doubt that someone wrote a Linux version of "MSN Messenger" ), I don't think there are other instant messaging softwares. So I guess it's pretty much up to these two if we want a standard.
I just hope the combined client doesn't have 9800 useless features(all with hotkeys) like on ICQ 2000. It's ridiculous. I don't care about birthdays on my buddy list
If nicks are used, of course they will be the AOL ones, because ICQ nicks aren't unique even among ICQ users. Only the UIN needs to be unique in ICQ.
I know they are big in the US but in the UK, you use AOL if there is something wrong with you/you can't use a PEESEE. I used to use ICQ but it got really anoying and took up too much screen+memory. Now that ICQ has been bought up by AOL is there not a huge market for a free/non-corporate alternative?. My dad uses AOL and everytime I tell him to cancel, he rings them up and they give him more free usage. I wish this were the same for Sat TV! I think I will moderate this myself (score -1:shut up you blithering idiot!)
-You'd better believe it baby!-
It uses XML to talk to a Jabber server, and in turn provides access to ICQ, AIM, Jabber client, and a host of others all from on central interface, and its open source!
I use it at the cyber-cafe I do work for to cut down on the number of different IM clients I need to install for people to use. The windows client is great, as are the *NIX/BSD clients.
Don't wait for AOL to combine the two, just do it yourself with the power of XML.
Driven by 100% sarcasm - fueled by the need to be heard.
With the way this industry is growing, text messaging should soon be on its way out. Video and voice are right around the corner. Although, I can see that some form of anonymity is kinda nice when communicating with other people. I personally don't use any of that software. When I'm online, I'm busy.
There was some serious moderator abuse taking place in this thread...wish I had some points to fix it..
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"Every artist is a cannibal, every poet is a thief."
And why has this taken so many years to happen?
what use is information about aim & iqc ?
Its nice to know what's going on with then so one day when licq and gaim won't connect, I'll know why....
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I have like 6 ICQ accounts that I don't remember the password for... basically every time i re-install windows (every 6months or so to keep the registry size down) i get a new one... AOL i have like 4 AIM names... so its it 146 million individual users? or actually about 50million each with 3 screen names (average) Still a lot of people, but not nearly so stunning.
mov ah, 0
mov al, 13h
int 10h
mov ax, 13h
int 10h
what use is information about aim & iqc ?
Its nice to know what's going on with them so one day when licq and gaim won't connect, I'll know why....
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Go ahead and login to AIM with your ICQ UIN as your screen name and your password as your ICQ's password. You can use the aim client to send and recieve messages to other ICQ users, but not AIM users. You can however enter AIM chatrooms with other aim users and chat as normal. Last time I checked the buddylist dosent work at all if you logon with your UIN. This has worked for the better part of a year, so I have been expecting this merger for quite some time.
Well a gtk application exists which does ICQ and AIM in the same window. There's also some IRC->ICQ and IRC->Im gateways. I personally prefer a GnomeICU on top, a gaim on the button and ircii-epic by the side.
Dude,
check out JabberCentral, and, of course, Jabber.com Inc. ICQ and AOL combined.
IMHO, among the big players, Yahoo Messenger seems to come the closest to your ideal.
until that happens, and they release a Linux version without ads
Listen people, there is AIM for linux. It has no ads. I am running it right now, and would give my SN as proof, but obviously that would be immediately abused. I have never understood all of this mess about everybuddy, etc, when the program is there, straight from the company itself. It doesnt work w/ICQ, but is very stable and has no ads, stock tickers, and all that other garbage.
Anyway, now you know...
peas,
-Kabloona
At least, so say the icons built into the latest Macintosh AIM client. There's a service icon for "AIM Pay" and "AIM Pay (Unused)."
Shaun
Thanks to the War on Drugs, it's easier to buy meth than it is to buy cold medicine!
Not this time, AC! I post all my goatse.cx links at +2 so they're easy for you to find! :)
Hey, what's your ICQ number?
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pb Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate.
pb Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate.
This is what Away Messages are for! Anyone who's been to college recently surely has a stable of witty auto-responders telling people they're in class or eating or away or what have you.
If you don't want to be disturbed, set yourself away with a "please leave me alone" message. You can also set AIM to only accept IMs from people you specify. I screen my IM's all the time.
--Josh
<plug>For the anal-retentive, check out my comprehensive AIM Logger!</plug>
I have two AOL accounts, which equates to 14 screen names, plus another 30 or so AIM names. Probably 50 AOL/AIM names in all. Not that I use them all every day, but I know I'm not the only one with a big stockpile. Only certain people know certain names - so I can control my privacy level by using a particular name, without having to alter my "block these users" prefs every hour.
Shaun
Thanks to the War on Drugs, it's easier to buy meth than it is to buy cold medicine!
Comment removed based on user account deletion
I don't think it's been all that quiet. Sure, they haven't exactly advertised it, but you notice when you're connected to one server on port 5190 instead of every other friend you are talking to. I'm referring to ICQ2000, that is.
Personally, I would love to see a system that has the nice features of ICQ, while having the reliability of AIM. I have never had to send a message twice on AIM. On ICQ? Two, three, four times... It's ridiculous.
If they can integrate ICQ with AIM, I don't think there's a regulatory commission in the world that would believe they can't allow outside access, as long as competitors are present at the hearings.
WARNING: there is a trojan on your
Does no one understand the point of being able to have a conversation with these things?
My girlfriend lives in another state. To prevent expensive phone bills, we use ICQ (though we could just as easily use AIM). It's that simple. It's a fabulous way to stay in touch.
It's a sad day when I log on and see Flamebait modded up to +3.
Jonathan David Pearce
Jonathan Pearce jonathan@pearce.name
3EAAFB2A http://www.jonathan.pearce.name/
HaR hAr mIstar sMArty man. yuO think you ar so vary k-Rad foR yuSinG thaT link.
i'LL hAck yuo with the pOwAR of The Lniux mistaR fuNy man. IQC si for luusaRs liek ThRASH.
-Jeff K
FluX
After 16 years, MTV has finally completed its deevolution into the shiny things network
"It is seldom that liberty of any kind is lost all at once." -David Hume
AIM Pay could also be some sort of PayPal thing for AIM users. They're adding all sorts of other stuff to AIM, it would make as much sense as anything else.
Why are cell phones such a problem? If you don't like to be interrupted, turn off the ringer, let people leave voicemail. Don't like ICQ beping at you incessantly? Turn off the audio alerts and other incoming message alert features. Works great. Mine just sits there all day and I check it when I feel like it for new messages. Just like voicemail. You've probably missed the 'messaging' part of 'instant messaging'. As in communicating. There are other things you can do with ICQ and AIM besides chat with complete strangers at all hours of the day just because a window beeped at you.
"Hot lesbian witches! It's fucking genius!"
That number will come down some with the users who use both ICQ and AIM...
I don't actually exist.
Imagine a Beowulf cluster of those things!
Don't sweat the petty things. But do pet the sweaty things.
Nope. How dumb?
..the ads that are slowly creeping into icq2000? Just recently I've noticed file transfer windows are showing ads, and they didn't before.
...but until that happens, and they release a Linux version without ads, there's always Everybuddy.
In any case, I'll always be in favor of a universal, free client; I haven't tried Jabber lately.
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pb Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate.
pb Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate.
--
I, personally, like AOL's AIM client, and I don't really care much for ICQ. However, a minority of my friends like to use ICQ, and refuse to use AIM at all. So, in order to talk to all my friends, I have to run both AIM and ICQ. I feel that integrating AOL and ICQ will make it easier for most IM users to communicate.
Either that, or just use TiK, which has logging built in. :)
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ICQ has a wonderfull privacy feature. I make myself invisible to all but two people, who rarely come online, but when online, I want to be able to chat with. The rest all think that I'm disconnected. Very nice. :)
IRC has taught me so much more in one week about a computer, than AOL can teach me in a lifetime. If some one wants to be restricted to there thinking than let them use aol. If you want to deal with real life, then goto www.mirc.com, and go talk to someone and get there real opionon. Not some spiced up news topic.....
Stay far from the timid, and live the pharse the skys the limit.
Will there actually be 146 million users if all users under 13 are excluded as per ICQ's rules?
I have about 30 people on my yahoo contact list. Almost everyone I know switched to it after trying it. It's small, notifies you of updates, has voice chat and dialpad like functionality built in, has yahoo supported clients for almost all systems, has an applet client should you want to use it on someoneElse's computer without installing it, and is really really small.
That will *never* happen. The day AOL decides to charge for their IMs, MSN Messenger takes over a big chunk of it's maket share. IMs will remain freeware forever.
Damn, isn't this supposed to be "below my threshold"? I must have fucked up my settings..
Yeah, but its for windows... so what good does that do me (and a bunch of other people around here)?
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I don't know who taught you politics, but you're talking crazy.
Left Wing Right
Commies Liberals Conservative
The people most likely to support huge big business mergers are the conservatives. Conservatives by definition have a more business oriented aim. Take an elementery polit-sci course before claiming to be an expert in the field.
damn that formating.. imagine a nicely drawn policical spectrum instead of just
Left Wing Right
Commies Liberals Conservative
Who marked that as overrated? I'm still snickering...
Unfortunately, I'm signed up for AIM and ICQ so I can talk to my friends outside of the Realm, so it'd be awfully cramped in there.
Can we check which client they're using before we stash them in the cave?
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pb Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate.
pb Reply or e-mail; don't vaguely moderate.
how many tiems have you seen NT go down compared to Linux? my ratio is about 10:1. I know many people who have started there web hosting on NT and decided it is to unstable/slow and switched to linux.. gee ur a phool.
stuff
I'm playing around with the source to BeAIM (AIM for BeOS, for those of you who didn't know) and FAIM is used throughout. FAIM (again for those who don't know) is interpretation libraries based on packets sent to the OSCAR server for AIM. Well FAIM in terms of the author hasn't been updated since roughly June 1999, and even in that specification, there is info on how to link up AOL and ICQ, apparently the OSCAR servers have had the ability for some time.
For the last time, PIN Number and ATM Machine are redundancies!
As it is, the phone loves to ring at the most pessimal moments, like right after I get home from work and sit on the crapper.
You go to the crapper just AFTER you get home from work?
You mean you haven't discovered that few pleasures in the world to equal that of a long crap on company time?
'There is a Light that never goes out.'
Okay well everyone is talking about ICQ2000 or 98 or whatever...and different versions of AIM... but how do the Linux/Unix clones work now? Can gaim or tik let you login to AIM using your ICQ info?
And what does this unification mean for our beloved clones? Are we going to be stuck with that AIM client that AOL is working on now?
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Just register your UIN on AIM :)
VK3TST
-- "People aren't stupid. Usually." -- jd
AMEN! I plan to get a mobile phone eventually, but it will also be off almost all the time. When I go out, I just don't want people to bug me - that's most of the reason for going out! It will be nice for emergencies and the like, but all the time chatting is annoying - not to mention rude. Don't you just HATE it when someone gets a call when you are out to dinner, and they don't bother to excuse themselves from the table?
As for IM, setting yourself as N/A or some equivalent works well for me. I never turn my machine off, so when I go to work or class, I just set ICQ N/A and lock my workstation. If I am doing something important, I usually do the same. Many of my friends leave their IM clients on permanent N/A, and just periodically check the messages for important ones.
BTW these days good cordless phones include belt-clips and hands-free kits. I wear mine around the house all the time, so I never have to stop and run to find the phone.
AIM and ICQ names/numbers are quite disposable -- if you want to get someone out of your hair, just create a new account and tell all your friends to message you on it instead. I personally have one ICQ number and as many as 4 AIM names (I've only ever used 2, but the other 2 never expired). I have known people who used upwards of 20 names in their lifetimes, plus more that I didn't know about.
Please, don't believe the hype surrounding the enormous user bases. Many people have an AIM and ICQ account specifically _because_ the two services aren't seamlessly integrated just yet.
For more information, click here.
I switched to ICQ cause my nick was taken on AOL, and i just KNOW that AOL nicks will take the biased...
öööööööööööööööööööööööööööööööööööö
How Jaded Are You?
Yahoo has nobody on it(that i know personally anyways), MSN: not ever in linux. We're stuck. Most of the people hung on to using ICQ because everybody was on it, but we refused to use AOHELL messanger because of the whole ad thing. If this goes through I'm giving up instant messaging forever.
I really Gaim! It's chock full of wholesome goodness and meets 95% of your chat needs.
It has taken AOL long enough but it appears that AOL has finally wised up and decided to merge the AIM and ICQ clients. I guess that AOL is trying to get everyone to accept there client as the standard protocol... Make everyone else conform... AOL has been ying to port their AIM client to cell phones, and their is some new top secret device that they have been working on supposingly. I heard a leak about this so cannot verify that it's true. The cellphone one is though. Some sort of hardware based client. It'll be interesting to see what happens.
[Something witty and intelligent should have appeared here.]
{Traicovn}
Merging AIM and ICQ? Gee, does this sound familiar?
If you've read Pat Robertson's book "New World Order", a lot of the recent trends in the technology and business world will be disturbing to you. It's no secret that many liberals in this country are striving towards a new world order where cultural, national, and religious identities are melted away into the pot of multiculturalism and "tolerance." This is a worldview that teaches that every nation, every religion, and indeed every person is on equal footing and that we all ought to get together and have us a great big sing-along.
Well, apparently the liberals have put together a training camp for us. Not wanting to expose us to their New World Order all at once, they're trying to ease us into it. How? By pulling crap like this AIM and ICQ "unification." For years liberals have been desensitizing our children to sex, violence, and profanity on TV. Now that they've gotten first graders to the point where they're spitting out F-words like drunken sailors in a fistfight with truckers, they've decided to start indoctrinating us in the "one messaging client for all" worldview. Poor, beslubbering, dodder-brained leftists. Enough is enough.
Reality check: Not all instant messaging clients are equal, just as not all religions, countries, and cultures are equal. By attempting to force us to comply with their "one true client of tolerance", they think they can train us to accept their world of "United Nations" and globalist economics. The sad fact of the matter is that moral Americans can see through this sham. They can spot it from a mile away. And it will not work.
So ignore it. What people forget is that this stuff is there for *your* convenience, not the caller's. I ignore my phone all the time. My family knows to leave their message because I screen calls and will pick up if it's them. And even then sometimes I don't pick up. :-)
Anyone who later complains "I was IM-ing you!" and gets pissed that you couldn't chat at that exact particular moment isn't worth knowing anyway. In my opinion, at least.
ChicagoFan
It's chock full of wholesome goodness and meets 95% of your chat needs.
Yeah, really. I hate it when people start to talk to me. It feels all icky and social. I'd prefer just to crawl into my little corner of the world, surrounded by blinking lights and little boxes that behave exactly as I tell them to.
For more information, click here.
it lets you know :)
.oO0Oo.
what use is information about aim & iqc ?
There are places where the networks are not touching,and there are places where they are-Boeing's Lori Gunter
I'll believe that AOL will open up AIM to others once I can select the 'use oscar protocol' option in Gaim and not get kicked off 5 minutes later for not using an authorized client. I wouldn't care if they actually kept the toc server up all the time (like the oscar server is). It's quite suspicious to me, now that they've got a linux client (which btw, I've never gotten to work) why wouldn't they want me using it? I'm nearing the point at which I break and start pushing jabber on all the people I care to talk to.
The best way to accelerate a windows box is at 9.8 meters per second square.
ok, two things: a) Australia has the highest computers/internet connections per head (last time i checked). b) MANY people have multiple ICQ/AIM accounts for many reasons including loss of paswords etc.. i for example have 9 ICQ accounts..
stuff
And AOL users won where there were conflicts; I lost my netscape.net username as a result.
Cool.
Kevin Fox
Kevin Fox
Uh Oh!
:)
Why didn't this get posted earlier?
Actually, only ebay's frontend servers run NT. The backend is some unix-variant. Damned if I can find the article where I read that though. Will be searching....
<high-level position here>
<name of stupid small company here>
- XML based (lots of ideas here
:)
- Anyone can run a server
- Support for SSL connections
- Ad free
I don't think an AOL/ICQ combo will have any longterm effect as the market will have a clear leader. The only way for AOL to compete will be for them to adopt the standard too (which isn't foreseeable).Isn't this what Jabber does allready, mixing AIM and ICQ, and taking it all one dimention futher?
Why don't you just convince all your friends to use Jabber and put an end to it.
I mean, if they're using AOL, do you really want to talk to them?
"What do I care, if life ain't fair,
If you look at me real sore.
I've paid my dues and you should too,
-- I care not for your foolish signatures.
Eric
--
Be who you are...and be it in style!
I've 'stopped' using ICQ twice. Think I remembered my password? No... so I have two accounts that I will never touch again.
AOL needs some garbage collection.
I can't spell or type, but that doesn't mean I'm unusually stupid.
Would ICQ's use of numbers to identify it's users conflict with AIM's use of screen names?
I'm sure AOL has some way around it. Maybe they will do something like Everybuddy to join the two services together? Or are they going to totally unify the service to it is transparent no matter what client you are using?
(PS, those dollar ammounts are from memory, so nazi's piss off)
Free Techno/Jazz/DNB/MI Music by guys obsessed with monkeys!