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Google Hires Gaim's Main Developer
astrab writes "According to Dirson's blog, Google's just hired Sean Egan (the main developer of Gaim open IM client), just the same day Yahoo! and Microsoft plan to link their respective proprietary IM networks." From the post: "While Yahoo! and Microsoft link their proprietary networks for Instant Messaging, Google bets on Open Protocols to make information universally accessible ... Currently, Google uses XMPP/Jabber specs, but they claim to be supporting open server-to-server federation, and work "to hear from other people in the communications industry about how best to build a federation model that is open, scalable". In fact, there are this month several tests with firms like EarthLink, Sipphone or PeopleCall. "
This would be great if it somehow sped up development of webcam support in Gaim in Linux. Or even webcam support in some new Goolge IM client for Linux. Asking people to use netmeeting is sortof a pain especially if they are behind firewalls.
TFA says, "Sean is the main developer of Gaim, the most popular IM client." I somehow doubt that. MSN Messenger is preinstalled on just about every news Windows box. Plus, the standard AIM client has been around for a very long time.
Google need to play the good guys, and open up their Talk servers so that other Jabber servers can connect with them. Until they do this, I'm going to be a little suspicious of them. (I do use my Google Jabber account, but I still keep my other ones too, as I'm not sure of their motives.) Still, good on Google for using an open protocol - I've been trying to explain to people why Jabber is good ("imagine if there were only 4-5 email servers in the world, and you could only email users of your email server") for a long time - and it's been a thankless task.
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Before everyone assumes everything with Gaim will be instantly different, remember that a couple Firefox developers got hired by Google, and nothing much changed with that project. I mean, Microsoft hired the founder of Gentoo, and look how much has changed there (practically nil).
In short, if anything this is good because ensures that Gaim will not die. Google hired a dev, they didn't somehow buy the whole project.
Yes, there is a place for open source, but I don't think this is it. I'm willing to hear reasons why Google's desire to have a open server-to-server federation will be good for a product that already offers me everything I need (at the moment).
Scenario: I run a small business and I want to be able to run an internal server that lets my employees chat and video chat with one another and transfer files in a secure, encrypted fashion. Due to security concerns and government regulations I can't use someone else's server. Further I would like to enable my employees to chat with people in other companies and with anyone else they feel like either through a mostly secure, encrypted messaging system or an unencrypted messaging system. I'd like users to be able to choose the client that suits them and that runs on any given platform. Finally, I don't want to poke a half a dozen holes in my firewall and I don't want every user to have to run five different accounts to talk to all the different people they know.
The proper answer to this problem is for the industry to move to an open standard. It works just fine for e-mail, and there is no reason it won't work for chat.
It seems to me that Google, contrary to other IT companies, actually sees its business as providing access to information, whereas companies like MS and AOL seek vendor lock-in for their file formats and protocols.
Some of you may have already realized this, but for me, I had this realization while reading this article summary. Google is like the first real IT company -- this is what the computer revolution was meant to be.
Computers are useless. They can only give you answers.
-- Pablo Picasso
Or am I supposed to donate all of myself, and my families welfare for your ideals? Look at the founder of Gentoo, Daniel Robbins ... The guy stepped down when he was 40k in DEBT living his ideals.
Could it also be that the way to chang the system is to work inside it? I have influence over products, IT, and software decisions from this position I wouldn't have mooching off my folks and writing OSS software in the basement.
Religion is a gateway psychosis. -- Dave Foley
"another loss to the open source community, this gaim developer now will be too busy in meetings, 20% free time and other google things. the gaim developement will stall."
Are you seriously crying over the fact that the guy will now have more than enough drachmas to buy himself food now? If anything, his hiring by Google ensures that he'll be working on Gaim even more now.
Has Firefox stalled with Google hiring some coders? Sheesh, its not like Microsoft hired Linus all of a sudden.
"Right now, somewhere in this world, Scott Baio is plowing a woman he doesn't love," - Peter Griffin, *Family Guy*
Try reading that again, except substituting this at the end:
Why can't all *countries* be like Google??? The world would be a better place.