Wikipedia talk:Instant Messaging Wikipedians

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Contents 1 Recommend ICQ? 2 Listing e-mail addresses 3 Table format 4 Bot 5 Alphabetization 6 more advocacy 7 trillian is cool 8 Is this page really necessary? 9 Table Of Contents 10 Okay just to direct user to my talk page? 11 have this linked to the userbox? 12 Most protocols remain unkown 13 Not a good idea 14 I want regular information about my course subjects.

Is there any known client which can talk to people on different instant messenging services? I'd like to be able to chat with anyone on any service without having, say, 4 programs open. (not unlike being able to, say, call any phone number in any country). Koyaanis Qatsi 23:38 Jan 24, 2003 (UTC)

I hear that in the Windows world, Trillian does just that. In the Linux world, Gaim or Kopete should be what you want. --Eloquence

I use Gaim for Jabber and AIM, it seems fairly functional. --Brion 23:45 Jan 24, 2003 (UTC)

Thanks, I've installed trillian and it seems to work with both yahoo! and AIM. Koyaanis Qatsi

Strongly advised - do the one-click "sign up for ICQ", and have your most frequent correspondents do the same, since you can do "SecureIM" (128 bit encryption) on ICQ (only with Trillian). Remember, the more folks using secure messaging for trivial stuff, the harder it is for them to spy on everyone else.

I'd like to sign up for ICQ but I don't know how. Please advise? Koyaanis Qatsi

Trillian client itself has a one-button signup built in. If you go to the dialog that lets you enter your ICQ address (see icons along bottom of window), that same dialog lets you sign up in one click for a new address. Then any ICQ to ICQ connection gives you a popup-menu option to invoke the SecureIM for that conversation.

The GAIM FAQ has a few helpful links on signing up for the different networks. My advice is to use a throwaway email address when signing up to avoid unpleasant surprises. --Eloquence 00:07 Jan 25, 2003 (UTC)

I very much believe in the throwaway email addresses. Koyaanis Qatsi

Hotmail is set up so it doesn't work in Mozilla 1.2 for windows. bastards. Koyaanis Qatsi

I use Miranda IM. Supports AIM, ICQ, MSN, Yahoo, Jabber, and IRC, with some tweaking - if you are computer naive you may want to stay away from this one, but I find it to be a very good client, and I'm really no more than an end user myself. Be aware that it does not support certain aspects of AIM such as HTML in profiles, image connection, sending files, icons, and checking others' away messages without messaging them. Ground 15:39, 26 Dec 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Recommend ICQ?

We should recommend ICQ for the following reasons:

• ICQ does nothing to ban third-party clients like Trillian
• Trillian over ICQ has a SecureIM 128-bit capability - nothing else does
• ICQ client runs even on an 8MB Macintosh '030 - MSN requires 128MB PowerMac!!! Let's support the protocols and clients that actually work for older machines, to help participation from poorer people
• ICQ numbers are random and contain absolutely no identifying data whatsoever, so it's harder to use convergence of usernames for outsiders to tell who's who.

For universality, also we should recommend Jabber or Trillian.

[edit] Listing e-mail addresses

Is it such a good idea to post email accounts on this page? Won't it be vulnerable to email trawler bots? Erzengel 08:58 May 13, 2003 (UTC)

He who upload his unmodified email address deserves SPAM. (Said under the mistaken belief that spammers can't possibly spam everybody, and that therefore sacrificing one's comrades will allow one some shrift. I even built an altar.) -- Itai 14:36, 5 Mar 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Table format

I propose that we use a table format, rather than the current list format for the Wikipedia:Instant_Messaging_Wikipedians page. That way, if someone has only AIM, they can quickly scan through the AIM column without needing to check each person to see whether they have AIM. I started making a table, using the first person on the list as an example. It would take a lot of work to do this and it is easily messed up by people with little or no HTML knowledge. Check the bottom of Wikipedia:How_to_edit_a_page for tips on making tables or click the Edit button for this page to see how I made this particular table.

Wikipedia username	AIM	ICQ	Yahoo!	MSN
AW	AdamWill3	#382969	N/A	N/A

-MatrixFrog 21:15 14 Jun 2003 (UTC)

Hmm. Seems to me that's probably more trouble than it's worth. I suppose it depends on whether people use this list primarily to build a buddy-list (in which case a table would be easier to use), or to just find a way to get in contact with someone (in which case the username is the first priority, and the services they use are secondary). There's also the issue of possibly having too many columns--AIM, ICQ, and Yahoo seem the most popular, but there'd need to be a column such as "Other" for MSN, Jabber, e-mail, or possibly others. I've never used this list so I am not sure what would be best. :) -- Wapcaplet 21:30 14 Jun 2003 (UTC)

I don't like the table idea--too complicated, too easy to get wrong with too many columns at a later point; and people would have to remember the order of the columns or put AIM IDs in MSN columns, etc. More trouble than it's worth, IMO. Koyaanis Qatsi 21:33 14 Jun 2003 (UTC)

I think people should add with a link, where possible, to the clients:

• Yahoo! Messenger: daniel_crompton
• ICQ: 13414403

Webhat 22:25, Jan 20, 2004 (UTC)

There is also the problem of people who use some esoteric client rather than ICQ, AOL, Yahoo! and Whatsitsname. -- Itai 14:30, 5 Mar 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Bot

idea: I wonder how difficult it would be to create a bot, per protocol, which would forward messages to a random person on the list who was online. Then people could send initial queries there and the person could get back to them using their real screen name. Marnanel 17:44, 26 Feb 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Alphabetization

Am I wrong to think that ae should follow "a" in the alphabetization scheme? -- कुक्कुरोवाच|Talk‽ 20:47, 8 Jun 2004 (UTC)

[edit] more advocacy

I've just started using Jabber and it is very good. It allows you to connect to other instant messaging networks. I think everyone should use it. Jamey 08:43, 10 Apr 2004

[edit] trillian is cool

Hi,

guys do u know anything about SecureIM in trillian? Does it really secure or its just another marketing politics?

rgds,

Yeah it uses 128bit blowfish variation (or at least it used to)... its ok , however Im a jabber user --Davelane 10:41, 24 Nov 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Is this page really necessary?

Surely if people want to be contactable via IM, can't they put these details on their user page? --Rebroad 17:28, 24 Nov 2004 (UTC)

This page is necessary, because you don't have to go in every single user pages just to know what his/her contact s/n.

--hottie 15:03, 8 April 2006 (UTC)

Wrong. Please see my comment below, this page isn't necessary because there's a category already.--Urthogie 15:21, 8 April 2006 (UTC)

I agree, there is already a category for this, and there is probably less information here than in the category hylian_loach 23:06, 19 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Table Of Contents

Is it possible to add a table of contents to this talk page? If so, how? --Rebroad 17:29, 24 Nov 2004 (UTC)

Yes, by adding the 4th heading, which you just did! However, that leaves the ToC in the "wrong" place, because it comes just before the first heading, so I've both added a __TOC__ and put headings where there weren't any. See Help:Section for more info on this. - IMSoP 18:54, 24 Nov 2004 (UTC)

[edit] Okay just to direct user to my talk page?

Instead of posting my IM details explicitly, can I post into the list with a Wikified link to my user page to email? –– Constafrequent ^{(talk page)} 08:36, 26 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Bump. Accidentally marked previous edit as minor. –– Constafrequent ^{(talk page)} 08:38, 26 Dec 2004 (UTC)

Well nobody posted here, so I've gone and added my name to the list advising people to contact me for details. –– Constafrequent ^{(talk page)} 05:37, 24 Jan 2005 (UTC)

[edit] have this linked to the userbox?

is there a way to get this linked to the {{user aim}} userbox? Thanks, --Urthogie 13:20, 23 January 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Most protocols remain unkown

Unfortunately for people who want to use an open-source or such messenger, it doens't always work out. Generally, a person already has several friends and users that they talk to, and the people that they want to communicate with use proprietary messaging services such as MSN or Yahoo.

Although you could have 2 lists of people using different clients, or, as many people do, such as myself, combined into one client, you still have the cumbersome fact that one messenger isn't global. You could theoretically "go find people" to talk to, but I couldn't find people who use a particular messaging client to save my life.

-Ruler of Contrary Statements 05:20, 3 June 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Not a good idea

I really don't think this page is a good idea.

All too often, i see people who post their email addresses on help pages (e.g. the help desk or the reference desks) have their messages edited over by someone else to remove the address....because people are concerned about spam bots and so on picking up addresses.

Is having a page with hundreds of e-mail addresses really wise?

Some people realize to write their address in a way that can't be understood by a robot. But there're still TONs of addresses here written normally.

Shouldn't there at least be a (obvious) warning at the top of the page warning people about writing addresses in non-conventional ways? --`/aksha 08:24, 10 November 2006 (UTC)

• Agree, all people may write their mail addresses in a way that cant B understood by a bot. Standardization needed: eg: example@example.com ==> example_@example.com or moc.elpmaxe@elpmaxe

85.98.167.2 01:26, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

[edit] I want regular information about my course subjects.

Sir/Madam, I am a Ist year mechanical student studying in one of the colleges afllicted to anna university. so, I reqest you to keep sending me study material regarding my subject.

thank you, your's faithfuly, R.vignesh, Ist year Mechanical.

rvignesh_maddy@yahoo.co.in mechanical.raj@gmail.com —The preceding unsigned comment was added by R.vignesh (talk • contribs) 13:30, 29 January 2007 (UTC).