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Google Instant Messenger Coming Really (or Not?)

bach37 writes "Google is rumored to launch its own instant messenger tomorrow." Other sources are reporting that talk.google.com is running jabber. Of course we've also had stories about all this being rumors

16 of 577 comments (clear)

  1. VOIP dialing from buddy list by Elpepe55 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Apparently this will feature VOIP as direct competition to Skype.

    1. Re:VOIP dialing from buddy list by asliarun · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I think so too. Tie this with the fact that Google's buying a whole lot of dark fibre, it makes sense. They've already released the upgraded desktop search along with the sidebar. Deploying the IM through their toolbar or sidebar would be a piece of cake for Google. The question is: how do they make money from a VOIP service or even an IM application if they'll provide the service for free?

  2. YAIM by gatkinso · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yet Another Instant Messanger.

    Just what we need!

    --
    I am very small, utmostly microscopic.
  3. Re:180 degrees? by the_mighty_$ · · Score: 5, Informative
    --
    VI VI VI - the editor of the beast!
  4. Google Cliche'? by ZipprHead · · Score: 5, Interesting

    I wonder if Google will monitor what is being chatted about and throw up relevant banner ads.

    With google trying to dominate searching, news, usenet, email and now chat? At what point in time will they become cliche'?

    1. Re:Google Cliche'? by Adelbert · · Score: 5, Funny

      Google will be passe the moment you can buy Google heroin. Then, as you lie wasted in the street, the needle will serve up contextualised adverts based on your personal preferences.

  5. Re:Just "Being Google" not enough. by quark101 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Part of the allure though is that it will be by Google. Their name alone is enough to make some people switch. In the eyes of many, Google can do no wrong, especially since it has been releasing so many cool programs for free, ala Google Earth, the Sidebar, Gmail, etc.

  6. Hotmail by PhYrE2k2 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    They grabbed a lot of hotmail users at the time when they launched gmail. How is this any different? Microsoft grabbed tons of MSN Messenger users making ICQ's market share take a HUGE dive at that point (almost everyone I know switched over for example).

    Why would they have nothing to gain and why would it be difficult? They offer something better (faster connections, less intrusive ads [since it would be supported by premium VoIP services], easier than remembering a number, more video features, more voice features, linking with cell phones, VoIP, more games, etc) and people will move to it. Better yet, support other messenger services (a-la Trillian... they can do this with Jabber for example) and why would anyone use MSN? There isn't really a barrier to entry. One geek will drag over their friends, and repeat.

    -M

    --

    when you see the word 'Linux', drink!
  7. Re:180 degrees? by Mr2cents · · Score: 5, Interesting

    The error messages are different between http://ahjfgdf.google.com/ and http://talk.google.com/ , so there is something going on..

    --
    "It's too bad that stupidity isn't painful." - Anton LaVey
  8. It's real: it's a Jabber server! by YA_Python_dev · · Score: 5, Informative

    This time is not a rumor!

    Try it for yourself. Send a string like:

    <stream:stream to='talk.google.com' xmlns='jabber:client' xmlns:stream='http://etherx.jabber.org/streams'>

    to talk.google.com, port 5222. It will respond with a valid RFC 3920 (Jabber) stream!

    --
    There's a hidden treasure in Python 3.x: __prepare__()
  9. Sounds Silly, but I wouldn't mind.. by caffeinex36 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Sounds Silly, but I wouldn't mind a "Google Internet Suite" type thing, that had maybe a client that incorprated google desktop, picasa, IM and gmail as well as search all in one. maybe have some desktopish options like archiving locally some gmail, linking between photos/emails/IM's and files, would definitly be powerful.

  10. Re:180 degrees? by the_mighty_$ · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Why would anyone use an AdWare WebBrowser, when there are completely free alternatives, like Firefox, without the ads to piss you off?

    Both you and this chap seem to be thinking along the same line.

    However, I think you folks are wrong. Google *could* convince people to use their browser IF they bundled it with some other useful software/service. For example, if they came out with a free service that allowed people to voice chat from their computer to any regular phone and bundled it with the browser, tons of people would switch to Google Browser.

    --
    VI VI VI - the editor of the beast!
  11. Feature by sethadam1 · · Score: 5, Interesting

    Okay, some time ago, Gmail changed form using your "Gmail account" to using your "Google account," so it's a safe bet us gmail'ers already have our Google IM id. However, how cool would it be if you could "save your chat history" or even a specific conversation to a "GIM Chats" label in your Gmail account, which you can then access and search like any other gmail "conversation?

    The potential to integrate your IM conversations into a web based store has NOT been investigated, despite Yahoo and MSN both seemingly having the capability to do so.

    It would seem logging and storing ALL IM chats would likely be a waste of disk space as most of it is generally disposable, but I've had several chats I would like to refer back to with important URLs and phone numbers, etc.

  12. Re:180 degrees? by TheRaven64 · · Score: 5, Informative
    I can confirm that talk.google.com is talking Jabber.

    telnet talk.google.com 5222
    Trying 64.233.167.125...
    Connected to talk.l.google.com.
    Escape character is '^]'.
    <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
    <stream:stream
    to="talk.google.com"
    xmlns="j abber:client"
    xmlns:stream="http://etherx.jabber. org/streams">
    <stream:stream from="talk.google.com" id="C12F7326" xmlns:stream="http://etherx.jabber.org/streams" xmlns="jabber:client">
    The last line of this is the standard response sent by a Jabber server prior to negotiating a login.
    --
    I am TheRaven on Soylent News
  13. this can only mean one thing by rebug · · Score: 5, Funny

    Google is launching an ahjfgdf service tomorrow.

    --

    there's more than one way to do me.
  14. Re:180 degrees? by YA_Python_dev · · Score: 5, Informative
    Not anymore...

    Yeah: it still works, you just need to send at least the start of a valid Jabber stream. Instead of "?" try sending:

    <stream:stream to='talk.google.com' xmlns='jabber:client' xmlns:stream='http://etherx.jabber.org/streams'>
    --
    There's a hidden treasure in Python 3.x: __prepare__()