Preferred alternatives, anyone?

I got that, but it was from the 28th?

It won't let me sign in, so....

Apparently it's a phase out of non-American services.

click 'find out more' and see if there's a newer version of AIM?

They're discontinuing all international versions and connections.

...huh

Idk what are the alternatives?

28 Alternatives to AOL Instant Messenger | Top Best ...

But I have no idea what the pros and cons of any of them are

well, Skype's out, because I fucking hate Skype

Saaaaaaaaaame

Skype slows my computer down

Plus my grandma has me on skype so that's a no XD

I just hate it as a service, tbh

I'm not a fan

So... I'd rather not.

... ugh, wow

Any suggestions, Nika?

Because I'm finding things either go through your AIM connection and are basically just a consolidation app, or they're awful.

Not really :/

I use the pidgin app, which is nice, but it's a multi-IM-service client rather than a messaging network on its own.

Yeah, everything that isn't awful looks to be that.

It supports...
AIM
Bonjour
Gadu-Gadu
Google Talk
Groupwise
ICQ
IRC
SILC
SIMPLE
Sametime XMPP Zephyr

I don't know what half of those are, may be worth looking into? /will google around a bit

I keep laughing at ICQ

I know right XD

anyway yeah, it might be easiest to pick a multi-service app (pidgin or miranda or trillian or something) and a separate service, to avoid weird stuff and keep the interface sensible?

If anyone wants to try that option, I can make accounts on random stuff from the above list to test it out

but I hate change

/throws self on floor

Just thnk how much more productive I'd be without an instant messenger XD

noooooooooooo

although yeah I hate change too :/

Okay, I already went and did some research so I might as well share the results. Trillian/pidgin/miranda/whatever + XMPP seems like a thing to try just because XMPP is a basic open protocol that's unlikely to go away, and you can pick your own server rather than relying on a single company, so no google spying.

Here's a page about how to register an xmpp account: Registering an XMPP ("Jabber") account - Adium Document...

BUT it requires going through a list of servers and making weird choices etc, so I looked through the list and here's a UK-based server with high security ratings: Fysh.in

I went there, made an account, added it to pidgin, it seems to work.

(or here's an EU-based one XMPP.ninja and a US-based one XMPP Registration | LW.Org )

Trillian has its own messenger thing now. You don't need to use another service through it to use it. It works well.

what is its own messenger thing, and can I sign up for it if I'm not using trillian?

/also trying to avoid change

I have no idea

Maybe

Maybe we can talk to you through whatever you usually use, since it's a consolidation messenger.

right, yes, you can, I'm an idiot.

Sounds fine to me!

(wait, you may still need an XMPP account to talk to XMPP people? Like I needed to make an AIM account to talk to you even though pidgin supports AIM and I had other accounts on pidgin? Well, try it and we'll figure it out. For all we know Trillian's own thing is xmpp anyway.)

I have no idea what xmpp is

Well, see if you like Trillian and we can figure it out. Xmpp is a messaging protocol, so you make an account but you have to use one of the many random IM consolidating programs like Trillian for the actual talking.

I don't know if it's so much liking Trillian as hating it less than any alternative

/consummate stick-in-the-mud

It's functional. Talking is occurring.

Yep

yay!

so, can you add people via their gtalk/aim/whatever account, or can you only talk to other Trillian people unless you add your own gtalk/aim/whatever account to it?

I have no idea. Give me your gtalk/aim/whatever username and I'll see if I can contact you through it

try patena@gmail.com for gtalk , or testinglizards@lightwitc... for xmpp

Yeah, looks like I need to have my own account on those clients for them to connect to you.

yeah, I figured. So, if you want to try xmpp, go to UK-based, apparently good but website is super minimal or US-based, more info/stuff, make an account (takes like 5 seconds) and see if that lets you talk to me.

Or if you want to try some other protocol, let me know which and I'll make an account. It looks like I can't do the native Trillian thing, that's trillian-only and they only have an early-access linux app that costs money or something.

hahahaha linux lol

like you AIM-users can talk. XD

Well, it's listing you on xmpp now, but it says you're offline

try talking to me anyway? Or tell me your username and I'll see if adding you as a buddy fixes that.

And we're on

Wheeee!

/worked out this xmpp shit

\o/

Oh yeah, further info about this xmpp weirdness:

1) the lightwitch server seems to have some weird security issue with password reset emails and they're not answering their mail, I wouldn't trust them and I should probably switch to another account

2) the fysh server seems legit, they answered my emails and sound like sensible people. However, they do not do password resets (for security reasons), and they don't do password changes because most clients (e.g. pidgin) let you change the password through the client.

Sadly Trillian doesn't have that option, so if you want to change your password you'll have to temporarily install pidgin or something, or else switch to another server, although honestly I doubt most of them will do password stuff.

Okay, I'm getting rid of my lightwitch account due to weirdness and switching to nika@fysh.in - add me on that tomorrow! Sorry for all the messiness with this. XD;;

Okay my new thing is Starshell@Fysh.in but I have to go to bed, so I can't fart with it today

Starshell! =D /added