instant messaging

[Charles Hallenbeck]

For those following the crisis in the area of instant messaging, I would
recommend a solution you may not have considered - an account on "jabber".

Jabber is an open source project based on an XML protocol and using
distributed architecture. What that means is that there are numerous
Jabber servers which talk to each other, so registering on one gets you
registered on the entire system. Once you are registered you can exchange
messages with other Jabber users, but better than that,  The Jabber
servers maintain gateways or "transports" with other services such as ICQ,
MSN, Yahoo, and AOL instant messaging services, plus IRC and group
conferences, public and private.

Best of all, there are numerous clients programs available, most of them
GPL, for everything from Windows to Linux, including Mac OS. A few of them
are text console clients for Linux, and the one I am using is a MICQ
look-alike. It is called "imcom" and is written by Casey Crabb, who was
helpful to me in getting my account created.

It works, guys, and is highly accessible. Imaginbe one accessible console
package for Linux that lets you communicate with all instant messaging
systems everywhere! Whenever Mirabilis changes the rules,  the Jabber team
simply fixes the ICQ transport and jabber users are once again up to speed
with ICQ.

Check out http://www.jabber.org for details, and also
http://www.jabbercentral.org for downloads of client programs.

Be careful not to confuse jabber.org with jabber.com - they are related,
but the latter is a commercial offshoot of the former, and it is the
former you want.


Chuck


Visit me at http://www.mhonline.net/~chuckh
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