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Pidgin 2.0 Released
An anonymous reader writes "After nearly two years of development, Pidgin 2.0 has finally been released! Originally called Gaim, Pidgin is a powerful and robust open source instant messaging client that supports many protocols. Pidgin 2.0 features a completely redesigned interface with attractive new icons and and a new status management system that was designed for optimal usability. Pidgin 2.0 also adds support for universal buddy icon management and smooth-scroll functionality for conversation windows. A comprehensive review at Ars Technica explores the new features in Pidgin 2.0 and demonstrates how to use the new D-Bus bindings with Python to make Pidgin's status system send updates to Twitter."
I was going to say 'commercialization', but I don't think that's quite right. I think this is going to be a more common occurrence, with open source project looking beyond simple functionality to usability, appearance, etc, as it does help grab more users, especially in the non-Linux crowd. As long as improving the usability doesn't actually damage the raw functionality, I'm all for it.
So ... will it support VoIP?
Not this version. If you read the conclusion section of the ArsTechnica article, you will see that this is on the roadmap, but when is another matter.
Jumpstart the tartan drive.
The Psychic mode feature opens an IM window as soon as you get notification that the remote user is typing. So, you get an empty window with a typing notification before you actually receive an IM. Apparently, it works with the AIM, ICQ, Jabber, Sametime and Yahoo protocols.
Two months ago they were held back by an agreement with AOL that they wouldn't make any major releases as part of a trademark suit. A couple of weeks ago they announced that the project's name was changing, that AOL was getting off their back, and that they would resume non-beta updates. Lo and behold, they've released one.
Try not to take me more seriously than I take myself.
"use the new D-Bus bindings with Python to make Pidgin's status system send updates to Twitter"
Or you could cross-connect the Bullshittean Field Emitter to the Warp Core Ejector using quasi-bosonic tachyon particles.
Any anyhow, shouldn't the Python, having been attracted by the Twitter, eat the Pidgin?
Vincent J. Murphy
Spandex Justice
MSN too. The empty message window says something along the lines "You feel a disturbance in the force."
It sounds like a jungle midget headhunter. Try looking it up in a dictionary and considering why it might be an appropriate name. It's actually a fairly witty choice, just apparently outside the working vocabulary of most slashdotters.
If you've been reading up on the whole Gaim/Pidgin thing, you'll notice their lawyers told them to not make any drastic changes until they resolved the dispute. Since that's over with, I'd expect to see a whole bunch of new shiny things in the next few months.
"I think an etch-a-sketch with an ethernet port would beat IE7 in web standards compliance."
There is a difference between "bitching" and "feedback".
If you want news from today, you have to come back tomorrow.