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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. "
Very neat, glad to see google is committed to cross-platform support.
I will be happy when gtalk works with my jabber account in iChat.
they've GAIMed another employee!
Just another example of where an OSS junkie finds gainful employment in the dot-com industry.
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.
It's interesting that MSN and Yahoo IM clients are working together to get in on the pie that AOL currently has half of through text chat. Meanwhile, it looks like Google wants to make sure everyone can talk to everyone in hopes that this will attract more people than regular IM, methinks. Afterall, why bother with IM, when Google will have a veritable VoIP service for free ( I know it's not the same, but it could be quite similar ) that plays with others? The only pitfall to this tactic is that you can IM someone a dirty little sercret at work, but VoIP'ing it can get you into serious trouble ^_^
Perfecting Discordia
www.stevenvansickle.com
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.
I think he was like, the last person who didn't work for Google. I'm pretty sure I work for Google now too. Anybody here not work for Google?
Shouldn't this be titled "Google Got GAIM?" I'm all for the GAIM marriage thing--it will only help Google Kopete against Microsoft-- but the next thing you know, Google will be saying "Send in the GIMP." What kind of Subversion of moral authority would that be?
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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...Google aims to maim AIM as it gains GAIM's main brain?
Microsoft is in talks to combine with AOL. Similarly, Google is in talks with AOL, possibly to buy some kind of stake in AOL just to keep Microsoft from getting it. Nothing is yet finalized. Microsoft may combine with AOL, but it's not certain yet. Microsoft IM has combined with Yahoo Messenger; maybe that's what you're thinking of.
Just because Google has bought the main Gaim developer does not mean work on Gaim will terminate. For one thing, there is no reason why the Gaim developer cannot continue work on Gaim while working for Google. Since Google has shown willingness to some degree to finance open source projects, it is quite likely this is exactly what they want him to do. Most likely what we will see is that Gaim will have support for GTalk added to it. For another thing, Gaim is open source, so even if the main developer quit all work on Gaim, Gaim will continue to be available and continue to proceed in development.
Irritable, left-wing and possibly humorous bumper stickers and t-shirts
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.
So basically we're going back to the days of IRC, albeit in a different front-end format.
It does sound good, in some ways, but I worry about rogue servers and rogue clients. IM has been virtually free of direct spam attacks (I have only received one in my entire life), and I fear that without having some corporation's control in their propietary medium, we'll see more spam and less usefulness.
Look what happened with the "open standard" of Usenet. It is SO informative and so readily useful, isn't it? I'm not a fan of most Yahoo Groups but the ones I read are generally spam free (moderators) instead of being spam magnets.
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). What new features are going to replace the current text-to-text feature that is probably used by 100% of IM's users. Is VoIP really an extension to IM or is it a different product? Aren't there enough programmers added on features to the propietary AIM program that is doesn't seem to warrant the need for a more open standard? Does the propietary standard offer manufacturers more reason to police their networks of abusers, and is it wrong for these companies to assume to make a profit in order to pay for the massive infrastructure needed to provide IM services?
I do understand the need to open the standard for client-server interaction. More clients means more features, more stability, and more control over your applications on your computer. It also means more clients for lesser-used operating systems, better integration into non-PC stations (media centers, phones, etc), and possibly more people using the IM system.
If you RTFA, they want Sean to improove Gaim, not Google Talk.
Mind Booster Noori
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.
I hear Google is hiring.
Anyone got some innovative web apps to develop?
Contact information:
http://www.google.com/intl/en/jobs/index.html
Google Benefits
We have never forgotten since our start-up days that great things happen more frequently within the right culture and environment. So we offer Googlers a generous host of benefits as part of our efforts to keep Google a motivating, healthy, and productive place.
Among the various benefits many Googlers enjoy:
* Health care for you and your family, plus on-site physician and dental care at our headquarters in Mountain View, California
* Vacation days and holidays, and flexible work hours
* Maternity and parental leave, plus new moms and dads are able to expense up to $500 for take-out meals during the first four weeks that they are home with their new baby
* Employee referral bonus program
* Employee assistance services for personal issues, childcare referrals, answers to financial and legal questions
* Learning opportunities and tuition reimbursement
* Adoption assistance
* Google Child Care Center, just five minutes from Google headquarters in Mountain View
* Back-up child care helps California parents when their regularly scheduled child care falls through
* Free shuttle service to several San Francisco, East Bay, and South Bay locations
* Fuel Efficiency Vehicle Incentive Program
* Employee discounts
* Onsite dry cleaning, plus a coin-free laundry room in the Mountain View office
Look for us to continue exploring novel ideas in benefits, compensation, and culture. Our goal is to build a company characterized not only by success and innovation, but also by the highest levels of integrity and fairness in our dealings with one another.
Why can't all companies be like Google??? The world would be a better place.
He who knows best knows how little he knows. - Thomas Jefferson
Perhaps they should tell him that:
Working at Google
I (Sean) have been hired by Google, moved to Seattle, and have been working on the Google Talk team for about a month and a half. The goal of Google Talk is to make real-time communication as open as possible, and in that regard, I've been working to offer all of Google Talk's features into other clients. Currently, I'm working on making it as easy as possible for other clients to use Google Talk's voice features. You can expect Gaim and other clients to be interoperable with Google Talk's voice features in the near future.
I mean, just when everybody start thinking they've finally became just another big evil corporation, they go out there and do something good. And then everybody's confused again.
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
By George, I think she's got it!
...... was a chair hitting a wall in Redmond Washington.
This is my opinion. To make sure you don't steal it, it's covered by the DMCA.
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
This is a little offtopic, but it is probably the most relevant article that I can post it in.
Google is looking for Mac developers. Signs of more cross platform software coming from the Googleplex?
no pain, no gaim.
on an irrelevant side note ive got into this strange habbit of saying, "well our packet is their loss".