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Khaos
King Kretin
Khaos
694 Posts

Open Source Evangelism: Instant messaging

Open Source Evangelism: Instant messaging
PurplezArctic
Crashing out at supermarts.
PurplezArctic
301 Posts
I've been using Pidgin for several months now, and I'm very satisfied with it. I love it for it's ease of use.

Enjoyed the article.
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jared
Howdy Damnit
jared
1,738 Posts

» Subscriber

Yeah I would never use a different client on XP/*nix. Been using it since the early Gaim betas.

Adium is a good Mac alternative as well
Thrax
Cad
Thrax
23,405 Posts
I greatly prefer Trillian.
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Snarkasm
The Photographer.
Snarkasm
3,229 Posts
I thoroughly enjoy Pidgin. One stop shopping for all my protocols, free, and with a great plugin system. Good times.
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Khaos
King Kretin
Khaos
694 Posts
Thanks to all for taking the time to read the article.

To anyone interested, the mission statement of the Open Source Evangelism series as well as an open-ended invitation to collaborate can be found here.

If you enjoy using Pidgin, please assist the Open Initiative movement by evangelizing in your own right; to your friends, to your colleagues, to random passerby on the street.

Open = Win.
__________________ Revisionist Far-sighted historian.
mas0n
technosexual
mas0n
1,485 Posts

» Subscriber

I have always used Trillian but moved to Pidgin when I switched to Ubuntu. Really liking it so far, but only using it for AIM/ICQ. Will give it a shot for IRC this evening, still using XChat for that.

Nice piece, Khaos.
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CB
Doktor Schnabel von Rom
CB
5,964 Posts
I've never tried it. I found Trillian a long time ago, and never looked back. This looks like it does basically all the same things (and costs the same) Can you compare it directly to Trillian? Other than being open source, what makes it fundamentally different?
Khaos
King Kretin
Khaos
694 Posts
I've never tried it. I found Trillian a long time ago, and never looked back. This looks like it does basically all the same things (and costs the same) Can you compare it directly to Trillian? Other than being open source, what makes it fundamentally different?
Pidgin, I believe, has a better community behind it and thus better plug-in support due to its open source nature. Fundamentally, the clients are very similar and someone happy with one would likely be happy with the other.

Edit: In an effort to be more specific, I have examined all the available features of Trillian vs. Pidgin with plug-ins and have determined that the only thing Trillian supports over Pidgin is audio chat on a couple of protocols. Trillian's protocol support is also lacking compared to Pidgin, although it does cover all the major protocols.

Subjectively, I much prefer Pidgin's minimalist design and low memory profile compared to Trillian's default UI or performance when using custom skins. Also, Pidgin can be skinned using WindowBlinds or plug-ins, etc. for those who must have bling in their IM.

One option that hasn't been mentioned by anyone, including myself, is Miranda. Miranda is another open source instant messaging client with multi-protocol support, like Pidgin. I find Miranda's interface to be obnoxious, and lately GAIM/Pidgin has garnered more community support.


It boils down to what you would rather support: commercial development, or open development?

My stance on the issue is clear -- I choose the open source option when two software titles are equally suitable -- but I have written a couple of blog entries to try to help others who may be less passionate about this issue to make up their minds on where they stand.

I have always used Trillian but moved to Pidgin when I switched to Ubuntu. Really liking it so far, but only using it for AIM/ICQ. Will give it a shot for IRC this evening, still using XChat for that.

Nice piece, Khaos.
First, thank you.

Second, if using Pidgin for IRC (Why not? I do. It works!) there are a number of excellent plug-ins available that greatly enhance the IRC experience. Highly suggest checking out the plug-in pack I linked at the bottom of the article for starters.
QCH
Guru
QCH
13,090 Posts

» Subscriber

Another bonus for Pidgin... I've seen way more updates to Pidgin and better stability that with Trillian. I too used Trillian, the Pro version if fact.
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Khaos
King Kretin
Khaos
694 Posts
Another bonus for Pidgin... I've seen way more updates to Pidgin and better stability that with Trillian. I too used Trillian, the Pro version if fact.
Nod. I also used Trillian Pro, but that was years ago before I found GAIM. For those who are unaware, Pidgin used to be called GAIM before AOL sued them over copyright.
cambrose
The Crack is BAK!!!
cambrose
425 Posts
Quick question about pidgin. I personally prefer it over trillian, but with my logitech g15 keyboard I am stuck using trillian pro so I can utilize the lcd screen. Has g15 support via plugin been added to pidgin and I haven't read about it?
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Khaos
King Kretin
Khaos
694 Posts
Quick question about pidgin. I personally prefer it over trillian, but with my logitech g15 keyboard I am stuck using trillian pro so I can utilize the lcd screen. Has g15 support via plugin been added to pidgin and I haven't read about it?
Off the top of my head, I am not sure of this. I will research it when I get home from work.

In the mean time, you can try posting your question in the Pidgin community forums. If the G15 plug-in does not exist, or there is no way to hack it together, then perhaps some enterprising programmer with a Logitech G15 will see your suggestion and jump on it. =]

Edit: It appears that Pidgin still does not have support for the Logitech G15 keyboard. There is an open issue at the Pidgin website that someone created requesting such a feature, but I have been unable to find a plug-in that enables this support.
sharkydart
I put on my robe 'n wizard hat
sharkydart
252 Posts
I used trillian and gaim, but i'm glad i found pidgin. Finally, a chat program with a cute mascot.
Annes
Leching since ought-five
Annes
1,129 Posts
Finally, a chat program with a cute mascot.
I dunno...check out those beady eyes. I just can't trust 'em.

But I Pidgin anyway.
pigflipper
Shot Master
pigflipper
771 Posts
I greatly prefer Trillian.
^THIS

I love trillian, been using it for years. The fact that Pidgin has audio support vs no audio over trillian (standard) doesn't bother me, I don't use audio over IM protocols anyways.

Plus, the name Trillian is inspired by a character from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Winfrey
kaishakunin
Winfrey
1,859 Posts
^THIS
Plus, the name Trillian is inspired by a character from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
That worked on me with babel fish for awhile too.
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Komete
DIY Haxx0r
Komete
962 Posts
OK, you guys are going to hate me, but I use MSN messenger and like the fact that I can check my emails through it. That said, I hate MSN messenger. I feel like they ruined it about 7 versions ago. Are their any plugins for Pidgin that'll check my hotmail account?
airbornflght
McLovin
airbornflght
5,567 Posts
If you don't like msn messenger check out A-Patch (google it) it will improve life greatly. I use live messenger 8.5 and after a-patch I greatly prefer it to trillian or pidgin. I used both for about a month each at different times and they were always missing something that I used be it good web cam integration or other things. So what I do now is run live messenger on my computer and aim on my cellphone. Works well since I only use aim to chat.
Komete
DIY Haxx0r
Komete
962 Posts
Will do Airbornflight. Looks like something right up my alley. I'm reading about it now.
Khaos
King Kretin
Khaos
694 Posts
OK, you guys are going to hate me, but I use MSN messenger and like the fact that I can check my emails through it.
Pidgin does this without plug-ins if you add a Yahoo/Hotmail account. It does not yet work for Google Mail. Pidgin will display a small notice at the top of the buddy list window displaying the total number of new mails and the account. Clicking on this area closes it and opens your browser to go to the mail service.

I love trillian, been using it for years. The fact that Pidgin has audio support vs no audio over trillian (standard) doesn't bother me, I don't use audio over IM protocols anyways.
I just want to correct the record here: Pidgin has NO audio support, Trillian HAS SOME audio support. Like you, I don't care either way. As for Trillian vs. Pidgin, it's somewhat subjective, but if you haven't tried Pidgin lately it is at least worth a look. I think myself and most people who are former Trillian users prefer its interface and plug-in architecture. Plus, it is open source and open source is a great thing to support because it means free, functional software that does what you need it to and nothing you don't; like ads, fluff, trial periods, etc.

Plus, the name Trillian is inspired by a character from Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Yes, its one saving grace. the guide.
steadyflux
Icrontic Convert
steadyflux
19 Posts
I am surprised no one has mentioned Digsby (http://www.digsby.com/) its a neat app (although not open source) and is free and has a cute mascot. Check it out.
Your Amish Daddy
Banned
Your Amish Daddy
1,835 Posts
Digsby looks like a rip of Pidgin with an RSS-like module that handles pop3 and the like dropped in to check email and "social networks." God I hate that term.
steadyflux
Icrontic Convert
steadyflux
19 Posts
I have used lots of IM clients but ultimately, I use pidgin at work (mostly for the sametime integration which is pretty craptastic) and digsby at home. I think its a little unfair/reactionary to call it a "pidgin rip-off" .... it supports more protocols (ie GMail, twitter, facebook) and obviously it's impressing some people.

Also, I like to hate on social networking like everyone else, but seriously....access to facebook/linked in/myspace shouldn't *deduct* points just because you arent into it.
Your Amish Daddy
Banned
Your Amish Daddy
1,835 Posts
And you shouldn't assume anything and base your ideas that INSTANT MESSENGER protocols means SMTP push updates and RSS feeds.
Khaos
King Kretin
Khaos
694 Posts
I am surprised no one has mentioned Digsby (http://www.digsby.com/) its a neat app (although not open source) and is free and has a cute mascot. Check it out.
The simple answer here is that Digsby is disqualified due to its licensing scheme. My interest in software is more than mere consumerism. My aim is to support open source development because I believe it yields superior products in the long run, not to mention it gets more people interested in software development -- which I believe is an important technological direction moving forward.

@All: Let's keep the discussion civil. Steadyflux was well within her right to make a recommendation, and Digsby certainly isn't a bad client.
Your Amish Daddy
Banned
Your Amish Daddy
1,835 Posts
I never said it was a bad client. I just said it looks like pidgin with an RSS and SMTP system dropped in on it. I wasn't knocking it in any way, contrary to some...Well, I'll stop there.
Tansunn
Icrontic Technician
Tansunn
52 Posts
As much as I like Pidgin, I've been experiencing near-daily crashes for months. (I'd report it, but "I was chatting and it died" doesn't seem like it would be descriptive enough to help anything.) I just updated to 2.5.4 today so I can't speak for its stability, but we'll see what happens.
Snarkasm
The Photographer.
Snarkasm
3,229 Posts
Really? What OS?
Thrax
Cad
Thrax
23,405 Posts
Are there any errors reported for it in the Windows Event Log?
Khaos
King Kretin
Khaos
694 Posts
I just want to point out that I totally inferred that 'steadyflux' was a 'her' and not a 'his'. This bears interest, because it seems that I subconsciously affix Snark's avatar on top of any poster who is unidentified.

But then, who can blame me?

As much as I like Pidgin, I've been experiencing near-daily crashes for months.
That's interesting Tansunn, and I'm sorry that you've been experiencing trouble with it. If you continue to have problems, my advice is to create an issue in the Pidgin issue tracker. If someone contacts you for additional information, then perhaps you can help to fix a bug. While there may not be anything obvious to report right now, someone might have a debug release for you to run which would produce detailed logs of the crash so that they can diagnose and fix the problem for a future release. Such is software development. It certainly never hurts to report, even if all you've got is a vague description. =]

In the meantime, if Pidgin continues to malfunction then I'd say Digsby and Trillian both offer reasonable alternatives for multi-protocol, free clients.
steadyflux
Icrontic Convert
steadyflux
19 Posts
I just want to point out that I totally inferred that 'steadyflux' was a 'her' and not a 'his'.
It's cool. I'm a her. I didn't even notice.

Also to address the open vs non-open source I thought that since people had been mentioning their use of Trillian...it wasn't a big deal to recommend a non-FLOSS alternate that was still free.

One more thing and then I will drop it for good. Honestly, I love Pidgin and have been using gaim since the way back days. Also, the plugins are fun ... coin flipping, dice rolling, history in new chat windows .... I especially am a fan of the one that detects incoming messages to you before they are officially sent (Psychic Mode).

"You sense a disturbance in the force..."
Khaos
King Kretin
Khaos
694 Posts
It's cool. I'm a her. I didn't even notice.
Well, that's convenient. So, sweet tits, you got plans for...?

I kid, but anyway.

Also to address the open vs non-open source I thought that since people had been mentioning their use of Trillian...it wasn't a big deal to recommend a non-FLOSS alternate that was still free.
That is a discussion I'm trying to encourage, you have it precisely correct. In fact, it is not always about recommending FOSS, but it is always about evangelizing FOSS and trying to bring people to that sometimes bright, sometimes dangerous light.

One more thing and then I will drop it for good. Honestly, I love Pidgin and have been using gaim since the way back days. Also, the plugins are fun ... coin flipping, dice rolling, history in new chat windows ....
Javol!

"You sense a disturbance in the force..."
Psychic mode is crazy. I had to turn it off. It ruins the thought-out nature of instant messaging, and the notion that someone else could be peeking my text broadcast during mid sentence formation makes my skin crawl. I type, but do not send, some really horrible, awful things. /me grins. You just have to love the Internet; it brings out the best and worst in people.
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