Be online in all your IM and chats from a single software

[bizzard]

What I am telling is about multi protocol messaging clients. There are many of them, but I found Pidgin(formerly known as gaim) much easier and helpful. It supports more than 15 protocols and is available for various platforms including Windows and Linux. Many plugins are available to enhance the functionality. With it, you can chat in IRC; keep connection with friends in Yahoo, msn, G-mail, MySpace, and many more. Moreover, its free and you can get the latest version from Home | Pidgin

[snoop1990]

Multi IM Messengers are quiet a nice technology, but quiet old as well.

The Problem is in general you have one incoming connection for each IM Protocol so there are more holes in your firewall more potential security issues. Why do not just unite all the protocols on one server and then sent just one package to the client ? Why do not you use jabber ?

Jabber is the future
You can activate your other IM accounts on your jabber account, so jabber converts the messages to the IM protocol the other client requires. You could also integrate jabber into your blog or guest book (get guestbook messages via IM, great idea do not you think ?). Jabber is open source so the development process is very fast and it won't take long to video chat to become available to jabber (and via jabber transponders to connect video conferences o other protocols).

Only one client
You need only one client, where ever you are you can use a online jabber client and get all your ICQ, AIM, MSN and so on clients in on window. There are also mobile phones that already support jabber.

Just think about it, or me it is a much better solution then any multi IM messenger. But it is your decision of course.

Regrades Snoop1990

[swaroop]

Yes a wonderful idea.. There are also tons of web messengers.. which do not require any software installation.

The best amongst them is Meebo

Meebo uses some of the protocols you have described above to give a single web interface for many logins such as MSN, AIM, Yahoo, GTalk etc

[bizzard]

Meebo is a web based multi protocol messenger. I tried it earlier but wasn't satisfied with its capabilities. The plus point with it is that we could get a code, by placing it in our site, could display whether we are online and our visitors can contact us, without revealing our identity.

You can activate your other IM accounts on your jabber account, so jabber converts the messages to the IM protocol the other client requires.

Could you make it more clear? I checked their site, but couldn't get a good idea. I know that G-Talk uses Jabber protocol, but how could I use my Yahoo and MSN ID's with Jabber?

[wired076]

I like to use trillan for msn, icq, aim and msn based im's.

I also have Skype which is great for talking to clients and friends and best of all you can talk to others for close to normal phone call quality most of the time and even though it sometimes drops out I like it the most.

Would be great if everyone had Skype as would be a great tool for free calls.

[spsse]

I liked this protocol is very good easy to use is complete
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- Translated into English of PortuguÊs via Google translate -
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[karlpox]

this is the same as trillian pro but pidgin is free and also available in linux not sure with mac. well web messenger are different from actual softwares. imo messengers that are downloadable are better than web messengers.

[joseph0829]

i think you're looking for Chikka. Chikka is a multi protocol once you've loged in to the chikka network, whenever you fill up the top bar which contains MSN, Google, Yahoo!, and etc.,, you'll also be automatically loged in to these networks in just 1 login.

[snoop1990]

Originally Posted by karlpox

this is the same as trillian pro but pidgin is free and also available in linux not sure with mac. well web messenger are different from actual softwares. imo messengers that are downloadable are better than web messengers.

every Linux software is compatible to Mac Os X as long as it is open source. (you can compile it with Mac Os X the same way like you do it with Linux, cause they both are unix-like .)

[karlpox]

Originally Posted by snoop1990

every Linux software is compatible to Mac Os X as long as it is open source. (you can compile it with Mac Os X the same way like you do it with Linux, cause they both are unix-like .)

thanks for the information snoop. learned something from you today. Never tried using mac since macbook is kinda expensive.

[snoop1990]

Originally Posted by karlpox

Never tried using mac since macbook is kinda expensive.

Maybe it is a bit more expensive than the windows computers, but there are no viruses for Mac and if you need a computer that just works, whatever you want it to use for I recommend a Mac.

[cfeedback]

Originally Posted by snoop1990

The Problem is in general you have one incoming connection for each IM Protocol so there are more holes in your firewall more potential security issues. Why do not just unite all the protocols on one server and then sent just one package to the client ? Why do not you use jabber ?

It's nice in theory but the implementation is still a bit lacking IMO. It just doesn't feel polished enough yet. And there's really no risk to having a few extra ports open for instant messaging if your antivirus and firewall/router are set up properly.

Personally I like Trillian as my IM client. I don't really know why it just "works" for me. I think I've become a little more set in my ways as I get older...been using Trillian now for 6 years (that's how far my chat logs go back anyway) and doubt I'll ever switch to anything else.

[snoop1990]

Originally Posted by cfeedback

Personally I like Trillian as my IM client. I don't really know why it just "works" for me. I think I've become a little more set in my ways as I get older...been using Trillian now for 6 years (that's how far my chat logs go back anyway) and doubt I'll ever switch to anything else.

For sure if you used a technique for such a long time you hardly want to switch, but I think in the nowadays world we have to switch, if you do not switch today you have to tomorrow or next year. The main advantage about jabber is it is open source. You can make any web application or anything in your network communicating with jabber. No external server is required. For example I plan a feature for my own webside, so I can communicate with the users on my side via jabber. I am going to get there comments and we can discuss everything right online, especially for support solutions that is very useful. And it is much more secure as well, because you can be your own host, can setup encryptions and so on. Therefore I believe jabber is the future of Instant Messaging.

But I also understand your point of view.

Regrades Snoop1990

[wired076]

Originally Posted by snoop1990

For sure if you used a technique for such a long time you hardly want to switch, but I think in the nowadays world we have to switch, if you do not switch today you have to tomorrow or next year. The main advantage about jabber is it is open source. You can make any web application or anything in your network communicating with jabber. No external server is required. For example I plan a feature for my own webside, so I can communicate with the users on my side via jabber. I am going to get there comments and we can discuss everything right online, especially for support solutions that is very useful. And it is much more secure as well, because you can be your own host, can setup encryptions and so on. Therefore I believe jabber is the future of Instant Messaging.

But I also understand your point of view.

Regrades Snoop1990

I don't like Jabber and don't really see the need to have to sign up to yet another im client....

There are already so many out there and I already have ICQ, AIM, Yahoo, Skype, MSN accounts and no-one uses icq and I only have 2 yahoo client's so I don't see the need of having a jabber account unless a lot of people are using it and it becomes popular.

I think the best way to promote im's is to get them added to people's profiles on forums as not only odes it get members talking but also promotes that software.

I think that Jabber might fill a niche the others have filled but will it replace the others or just be an extension, another one you need to have an account with??

I will have a look at it in some more detail at some stage and see what it is like... But it won't get used much by anyone unless it has a good support base!!

[theshepherd5]

Wow...this seems like a great program. I have really wanted to find a program that all my messengers could be in one as it drives me crazy loading them all up. Thanks for charing this and I will check this program out.

[snoop1990]

Originally Posted by theshepherd5

Wow...this seems like a great program. I have really wanted to find a program that all my messengers could be in one as it drives me crazy loading them all up. Thanks for charing this and I will check this program out.

You can either do it with jabber, by configuring your jabber account to accept MSN, ICQ, AIM and further accounts or you can do it with adium (sorry mac only) ...

Originally Posted by wired076

There are already so many out there and I already have ICQ, AIM, Yahoo, Skype, MSN accounts and no-one uses icq and I only have 2 yahoo client's so I don't see the need of having a jabber account unless a lot of people are using it and it becomes popular.

The interesting point is you can connect your ICQ, AIM, MSN Yahoo Account to a jabber server (and your jabber account on this server), then you only need a jabber client to connect to this jabber account. The very nice feature about this solution is you only have one port to open for instant messaging. And if you are forced to use a different computer you only have to configure the jabber account again, the rest is stored on the jabber server. So even new mobile phone are able to access a jabber server, therefore you are able to have all your contacts wherever they come from ICQ, MSN, AIM or whatever in on contact list, even on your mobile.

I really like jabber, but you do not have to stick with me it is your choice.

[bizzard]

I am currently using an IRC account, G-Talk, and Yahoo in Pidgin. Can someone help me in configuring it with jabber? Any links related to it?