AOL vs. Trillian

Trinition writes: "ZDNews is reporting that AOL is once again trying to shut out the competition. Trillian has been updated twice in the past 24 hours to work around the blocks AOL is throwing up to prevent the popular IM client from interoperating with the AOL Instant Messenger service. Will Cerulean Studios hold up better than those they follow in the footsteps of (i.e. Microsoft, AT&T and Jabber)?"

Comments

Are their servers anyway.

[m4g02]

AOL owns the login servers and databses, so its not like an evil strategy, i mean, would you build a cinema where everybody can enter for free?... i dont think so...

A matter of security?!?

[Em Emalb]

from the article...

"But AOL said it's a matter of security..."

Sure it is. How bout it's a matter of we don't want you playing in our sandbox. Or, we don't like you because your client does stuff that would hurt us finacially? Or, we are stupid, greedy, corporate slugs who don't think programs should be able to talk to one another.

Wouldn't you love to see AOL go before a Senate Hearing for unfair business practices?

I know I would.

Boycotting AOL

[baronben]

If it turns out I cannot use my Trillian to access AIM, I think I'm going to have to take drastic action. I will sign onto the AIM clint one more time, just to see who advertises on it. Then, I will write them and tell them as long as they advertise on AIM, I will not buy anything from them. Its that simple, the only reason I can think that AOL blocks other cliants is that they want more ad money. So, the only way I can fight this action is to attack that money. I must say, I love Trillian, its one of the best programs that I've ever used in terms of its usabilty and sheer neat factor. I'm very disapointed at this series of events.

Way to go AOL

[KingKire64]

Does AOL do one hell of a job opening up its instant message monopoly or What?!!

Maybe they should change there slogon to...

So Easy to Use Because if you use anyone else we will make it impossible for you to keep up!!

With PR efforts like this who wouldnt want to use AOL??

You can have AOL & their user base

[Yoda2]

AOL and most of their user base are just a hindrance to society and the advancement of technology. Here is a perfect example...

Re:Why

[Saeger]

Sorry, but I agree with the original poster: "free" means "no ads either", but of course if people were that honest, then fewer business' could abuse the catchword "FREE!" for their marketing anymore.

The simple logic is that an advertisement costs you time, annoyance, and a gentle product brainwashing (if you're not careful).

--

Re:Let's all destroy a good thing.

[patrat]

> After all, they can't just shut down the
> service if it becomes to heavily used to remain > popular right? Oh wait, they can and will.

What on earth are you talking about? How is a user loging in via Trillian or Jabber any different than a user logging in with the official client in terms of resource usage? So how would people using other (better) clients clog up the servers?

> I love this; a company produces a free product,
> does nothing to stop free competition

Apart from buying ICQ (the only real competitor apart from MSN which they couldn't buy) and putting ADs all over it so that it becomes almost unuasble you mean?

> Please note the lack of court proceedings

They'd lose, or at least they'd generate a lot of publicity which would help out the competion (who I'm sure would do something like have AIM modules downloadable from servers in other countrys of something simial to sidestep a ban)

> Albeit, I've been an AOL user since before they
> allowed access to the 'net, so I'm certainly
> biased.

And very probably clinical insane ;) Sorry :)