What is your favorite messaging software?

Hi Arie,
Curious...Why the interest in this poll topic or "Favorite Messenger software? I can't help but notice that not many members are participating in the poll. Perhaps an explanation would bolster interest.

I'll just throw this comment in since I have already committed myself to adding a thread to this post....

I voted "other ". Reason: I don't particularly like any messenger service. I find them all, on the whole, "a nuisance ". Other family members use these things and they drive me crazy when they forget to close "em out. I killed msm messenger a while back. Why? Usual reason, it had a habit of popping in and out when it choose, using to much ram resources in the process. I can understand other peoples interest and use of these. There was a day when I have chatted or exchanged files with family members in other states, the excitement, newness or necessity soon worn off and email or phone, once again, returned to the communication of choice (mine of course). Son still uses ICQ, daughter still uses "yahoo messenger ". I have no need or desire for any.

 

I also choose 'other' as I don't use any. However, I have been thinking about installing one as another way to contact me on my side business.

Gonna watch this thread though, and hope I see some comments on different IMs. Might help me make a choice if I do decide to install one.

Jay

 

I use MSN Messenger strictly for Video conferencing with my Son out on the West Coast..... Like to see the Grandkids once in a while too. So that is really the only reason I have it installed. Never had any I.M service installed until he sent me the Intel Camera. At first the video quality was lousy but it led me to upgrade my machine and now we get great video. Wife enjoys it too, since it beats using the Phone!!

 

I use Trillain as over the years, I have collected friends from all over the World via the internet, and they all use different IM's. I therefore have 3 "screen names" on each of the more common (common to me anyway!) messenger services; MSN, Yahoo!, and AIM.

Trillian allows me to monitor all three services from one program, and also monitors e-mail for those accounts, although I only keep the Hotmail account (my first ever e-mail account some 8-10 years ago!) active these days.

HTH.

Andy.

 

I only use AIM and Yahoo!, and probably prefer Yahoo!.

 

I like the idea of multiple services in one simple package without a bunch of overhead, ads, games, poop ups etc. So I run GAIM on my Desktop. I'm sure Trillion would have worked fine. My Pocket PC (Sprint PPC6600) is another matter however. On that I run iMov which is a Jabber client. I might point out that finding any program that would do multiple systems at all on a Pocket PC, took quite a bit of research. For my family in the UK, Skype seems to work well.

 

I detest with a vehemence, instant messaging. The truth of the matter is, I dislike "instant" in almost every category. I want more time to frame my thoughts and when I'm writing a message, email gives me the time to think more carefully about what I'm saying as opposed to speaking off the cuff, so to speak. I suppose it's a case of "different strokes for ...."

 

Yup. Me too James. Bad cess on all IM apps if someone wants me to use them.

OTOH, I don't much like a cell phone that has to be on all the time either. I turn mine on when I need to make a call or on the rare occasion when I need to be available. Otherwise it spends it's days powered down.

I think in my case, I'm just too dang old and have no desire to be available to anyone with my cell phone number unless I have a reason for wanting a call.

I do gotta wonder about the folks who answered "other" for their choice though. As I read the comments, 'None' would have fit better. Certainly was my pick.

 

This is why I also use Gaim. The one thing that gives me trouble is you can't easily manage a large number of accounts. I used to co-own a now defunct game server, and there was an admin I became friends with. She and I started sharing things like ICQ and AIM accounts, and eventually that got me into collecting ICQ numbers. Since that time I've collected quite a few from users no longer interested in using ICQ.

 

Hi Newt.

I knew someone would mention the cell phone.

Are you sitting down? My wife carries our cell and for the past three years she has made ALL the calls. I'm not sure I would know how to make a call if I had to... o vey!

Seriously, I have to wonder at most (not all... I realize there are times [business, emergency]) people who walk around in supermarkets, parks and so forth with their cells glued to their heads practically screaming their conversation for all to hear (and ALL don't WANT to hear, trust me!). I see kids in junior high walking to school at 8 a.m. yaking on the confounded thing. It's ridiculous. That cell has gone off during the epiclesis in the eucharist... the most sacred moment of our worship, and I've had to wonder about the person who simply has to have that thing on all the time (since it happens with some frequency).

I don't like instant food. I don't like our instant society. BUT I do realize that there are some times that these things could be necessary. I just don't want to make a way of life out of them. And that includes instant messaging. I don't need to instant message. What on earth did we do BEFORE the advent of all of this instant this and instant that? We survived. We made out okay.

Oh, I've tried instant messaging. Again... are you sitting down? I actually met my wife through instant messaging. She contacted me via email and told me she wanted to chat on a more "live time" format. Thus I had to learn ICQ. And we chatted for six months every evening (before we ever met). So, I know about instant messaging and have used it. BUT now that we're happily married, ICQ is dead in the water and off my machine.

And I'm no spring chicken, I might add. Next year I'll be 60!

 

It was called " Tell a Neighbor." And yes we certainly did make out OK.

And if you did not want something all over town within a day or two DO NOT tell the neighbor in the first place.

I have app 13 years more of life experience than Newt or James so I can write honestly.

As to Instant Messaging. I myself use ICQ if I use any at all. But we do allow Nieces and Nephews ( from next door ) to use one of our PCs. It started out with AIM only. All of the sudden I find AOL itself AND Yahoo installed. ( not for long after though ).

The kids went crying to their Aunt Nancy. But, she just asked a simple question. " Did you ask before installing them. "

Answer NO.

Answer to that Answer. " Then you tried getting around our rules and got caught. So you have to suffer any consequences. "

Please note that I wrote OUR RULES. Because my Wife and I had talked things over and agreed on guide lines before we even let them on the machine.

But since then Yahoo and AOL have been re-installed and times set for their use. All seems to be going quite well for the moment.

BillyBob

 

I use Easy Message, can manage MSN, AOL, ICQ, and Yahoo simultaneously .... and does it very well. It is a tiny program (240KB) and memory use is very low. Load one small program, I can see all my friends on their unique IM's and they can see me ... simply.
Download and try it out.

 

Well James I honestly tend to agree with all you said. We need an authority figure to set down the basic rules of etiquette on cell phone use. But UNFORTUNATLY Emily Post died in 1960, long before cell phones had been invented and you were but a young sprat that would have loved to have chatted to your buddies on a flip phone like on Star Trek
Kids will be kids, and they may as well learn to use the technology they have for whatever they will dream up. I'll stop on that because obviously cell phone use spurns a thread of it's own.

I rarely use IM anymore because, yes it wears off..... and far more rapidly after you just get married I might add

For those of you who are single and have met NICE friends of the opposite online this way, was it just my imagination or did the ladys get prettier almost exponentially the further away they were geographically located?

I suppose for the ladies you could read prettier as "most likely to be a good provider "..... I am going to tread on some toes here, I can see it coming.

One other thing you might or might not have noticed about my post. I live in S.E. Michigan and my family live in the United Kingdom. Since IM I have chatted online to family I haven't seen nor spoken to in 20 years, and in some cases using a web cam and if your going to have the internet anyway it's free. Nothing beats free!

 

Personally I find it kind of handy. The word "Instant" describes it adequately and one doesn't have to discuss deep, life changing subjects on IM but for it's intended use, I think it is a good sub for a phone call. Yes, either a snail mail or a phone call used to be the methods of communication but I say use what's out there when it fits the situation. I like it and I'm an old fogey!

 

I like no frills and multi functional. So I use GAIM as a primary. Plain , text chat. Cross platform functionality, well behaved, and non intrusive.

Yes, when I need to do video chat with someone I go to MSN Messenger primarily.

I really wish the others had not only cross platform functionality, but a simple on off on the tool bar to disable all the fancy stuff.

 

And let's NOT forget the wondrous DEBIT CARDS or CREDIT CARDS for INSTANT $$. I agree, some things are necessary, but like anything, excess and carelessness can be the ruin with anything.

Here's a funny note: I remember my parents and grandparents complaining about "how times have changed ". Now I've put myself in the same category. Funny how things come full circle.

Signed: Karen "Livin' Life in the Small Town "

PS. I use Yahoo -- it seemed easier for me to use. I am in Ohio and my son lives in Vegas and works for the airlines. It makes it easier to stay in touch.

 

I use Yahoo myself.

I have a friend about 50 miles from here and we like to talk with mics instead of hitting the keyboard....All for free.

Although I don't understand what all the fuss is about Yahoo's "Call A Computer" upgrade.

I like voice chat better.

 

I prefer a cross platform when I have to use one since I encounter many people who have one account or another.
I use gaim , since I prefer the clean text only with no flashy bs .
http://gaim.sourceforge.net/

As someone else mentioned, MSN messenger for video .
I used to use it for voice too, but now most who I had reason to voice chat with have VOIP and just carry their VOIP router with them when traveling. Just call their local business number and it rings wherever they are connected.


I heard rumors of MSN buying / merging with AOL at least in the IM market. Might be a good thing.