Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Linux Instant Messengers

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the something-to-think-about dept.

mrAshley writes "This article talks specifically about the antiquated state of the even the best Linux instant messenging software, and generally about the need for software developers to be mindful of younger people, as their social attitudes towards software are going to be much more influential in than any moral or financial consideration. Simply put - People are communal. Don't make a person who wants to use Linux have to leave behind a method or style of communication."

4 of 601 comments (clear)

  1. YOU ARE MISSING ALOT !!! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Perhaps if you read the article, you would be more enlightened. Gaim, like ALL the other Linux/OSS Instant Messaging applications lacks voice and video capability. Voice and video have been heavily used by those that use Yahoo, MSN AOL and most recently, Google Talk for Windows. Except for Google, the others have had these capabilities for years! In spite of this no Linux or OSS application yet exists that supports this functionality and, what's worse, is that the developers are not interested in adding these features. They say, like you, that Gaim is good enough. But, that's just what the article is about, people getting stuck in their ways, causing Linux and OSS to get left behind.

    Have you looked at Windows since Windows 98? Have you looked at Windows Vista? There are a lot of kick ass applications available for Windows that Linux doesn't have! Just look at Google. Desktop Search, Picassa, Talk, Earth, Secure, and more!

  2. Let me summarize the article for ya by Mr.Surly · · Score: 1, Flamebait

    "The kiddies really like shiny crap, so we should make shiny crap that they'll like."

    No, really.

  3. Re:A Lame Gaim Claim by jonthegm · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    Where's the voice chat? The large avatars? A way to "skin" the program easy enough for my mother to figure out? Video chat? Not to mention that the file transfers are mildly wonky (not as bad as they used to be). Yeah... gAIM is "just as good" as Messenger! :eyeroll: I'd say it's about par with where AIM was about 10 years ago.

  4. Re:gaim works for me, but loses ground from here by killjoe · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    WAAAAAH Mommy make them stop. They gave me something free and now they don't want to babysit me while I fumble around trying to make it work.

    Hey why don't you call MS and try to get help with MSN messenger, that ought to be a hoot!.

    --
    evil is as evil does