

AOL opens AIM and ICQ instant messaging protocols - mickael
http://www.process-one.net/en/blogs/article/openaim_aol_is_opening_its_instant_messaging_protocol/

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systems
ICQ soooooo nostalgic, who still uses ICQ?

I wonder why the makers of ICQ never predicted Facebook, they had the
opportunity to improve the Interface, increase the features in a nice manner,
and becoming facebook!

I dont know why they stuck themselve into the narrow one column interface
thingie! They just cluttered their interface sooooo much

They so desperately needed to think outside the box, literaly

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gustaf
You'd be surprised how many people use ICQ still. Israel, Germany, Russia and
Ukraine are big ICQ countries.

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cdr
As the comment to the post says, "Open" is meaningless.

<http://dev.aol.com/aim/license>

Among other things, like requiring you implement certain features, it says:

"AOL will issue you one or more alphanumeric software keys that are uniquely
associated with your Screen Name and your Application(s) (the "Open AIM Keys")
to enable you to access the Tools you will use to build your Developer
Application(s). During the registration process for access to and/or download
of the Tools associated with a given Application or Applications (as set forth
below), you will be prompted to identify to AOL certain information describing
your development and intended use of the relevant Applications, including the
URL of your Site."

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kingnothing
Sounds like they're about 6 years too late; everyone has already reverse
engineered both of those protocols.

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acrylicist
People still use AIM? The client turned into a gigantic epileptic-fit inducing
billboard.

IRC or Jabber. You're done.

~~~
gustaf
You are clearly a hacker =)

Yes, AIM is the 2nd largest Network in the US after Yahoo. Internationally MSN
Messenger and QQ are dominating in terms of pure user numbers.

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tuukkah
This means everyone can use AIM and ICQ via the Jabber gateways:
[http://www.process-
one.net/en/blogs/article/openaim_aol_is_o...](http://www.process-
one.net/en/blogs/article/openaim_aol_is_opening_its_instant_messaging_protocol/)

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redorb
I think Meebo and projects like Gaim/Penguin make this announcement a little
less significant

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nkohari
I'd really like to see someone mesh together IM and SMS in a seamless way.
Probably won't happen while mobile phone carriers are charging per-SMS,
though.

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mickael
It probably bring a lot of opportunity to build new interesting services.

