More Microsoft nonsense--MSN Messenger

[Lorenzo Prince]

Hi.  I am currently using CenterICQ as my instant messenger.  It currently supports MSN messenger, which is good at the 
moment cause I have a lot of friends who use it, some because they are visually impaired and it works very well with 
JAWS and others "because it somes with Windows so why not use it?"  The problem is that after October 15th we will no 
longer be able to connect to MSN Messenger throu any 3rd-party apps as Microsoft is looking to get paid in yet another 
area or something.  They claim it's about security but we all know where they really stand on that issue.  In fact it 
can probably be proven that many of the 3rd-party apps that they will be blocking are more secure than their own client, 
but that's beside the point.

the real reason for this post is that I need one of two things:
I need either another messenger client that I can use that will be able to bypass Microsoft's monopolistic attack 
against 3rd-party clients, that is unless the developer of Centericq has found a way to do this, or else I need to know 
if a good alternative for both Linux and windows messaging.  I know AIM is good, but at least 1 of my friends says he 
hates it, something about it not working as well with JAWS or something.  I would need a good text-mode dlient for 
whatever I connect to, preferably CenterICQ will be able to connect to it, as I already have it configured.  The windows 
version will also need to work well with JAWS, preferably better than MSN/Windows Messenger, and if possible it needs to 
look better to sighted users than MSN/Windows Messenger so my sighted friends will like it too.

Can someone please help me with this so I can have enough time to alert people of my change of messengers if I need to 
do so?  

Thanks,

Lorenzo Prince
I HATE MACROHARD, KNOWN TO SOME AS MICROSOFT!