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It's Time To Take Back Instant Messaging
Enigma5O writes "The TechZone says the world of instant messaging is a disjointed mess, and it's time for a citizen's revolt. From the article: "The obstacles in this case are three big companies: AOL, Yahoo! and Microsoft. Each wants to keep their networks closed, thereby forcing consumers to use their brand of software and effectively using their size to eliminate competition. Five years ago, Yahoo! and Microsoft were calling for then-leader AOL/ICQ to open their network to allow others to compete. They even successfully petitioned the FCC to restrict AOL's future developments before approving the AOL/Time Warner merger. When it was convenient for their business goals, Microsoft and Yahoo! waved the interoperability flag, but now that both companies have built substantial IM communities with their own closed networks, they have lost their passion for open networks.""
Which is why I like to use Trillian. It's pretty convenient, and you don't have to have 3 separate programs. It works well with AIM, MSN, Yahoo, and a host of other protocols/clients/whathaveyou.
The free version is good, but if you're willing to fork up $25, then the Pro version is worth it as well.
Vivin Suresh Paliath
http://vivin.net
I like
jabber
Wow, this article is right on the money, what with Microsoft and Yahoo announcing that they're going to link their IM networks.
Geez, all this whining about proprietary half-assed IM networks. Show people how to use irc! They can use it with GAIM or any other various GUI client. (Or text if they prefer.) It's been around for decades, anyone can run a server, there are a multitude of clients on every platform, and it's entirely open. You can transfer files, and even have stupid graphical smileys and sounds if you want (or filter them if you don't).
Seriously, if people want an "open IM network", fire up an irc server, give everyone GAIM or Google Messanger, and be done with the AOL angst.
Don't think of it as a flame---it's more like an argument that does 3d6 fire damage
MSN and Yahoo are cooperating
I agree that this article is kind of a mute point. Why whine about it when there's already workarounds like Trillian (which has absolutely no ads or pop-ups). Just switch to Trillian and laugh at all the people that whine about ads on other IM's like AIM.
But you have to log in and then set invisible, you can't log in invisible.
While there is slight differences in what each jabber server software supports, jabber servers do talk to each other quite nicely.
It works like email. If I am romeo@montague.org, I can send a message to juliet@capulet.org. The message will go to montague.org, which will open a connection to capulet.org, and then capulet.org will send a message to juliet.
Other than gmail, I can't think of a jabber implimentation that doesn't support S2S communication. After all, S2S communication is part of the jabber spec.
You may call it fragmentation. Fine. I think its a sane system.
wrong i recently attended a microsoft conference and it seems to me they are now joining the IM communities with their latest products live communications server 20005 and live communicator