Thursday, 26 April 2007
ICQ/MSN and more over google talk!
It's been my little dream since I started using gmail as my main email system. I do not need any software and any specific setup to fully access all my email accounts. Moreover, there is even a nice chat integrated right into web client - GTalk. Apparently you can download and use any jabber compatible IM software to use GTalk for chat. However there is even more. I am not 100% confident in terms used but essentially jabber clients and servers support "service discovery": you supply a third party server name, client discovers additional services available on this node and lets you use them. Service subscription is saved on the server so that no matter what jabber client you use they will be available.
Among these service nodes there are "transport" nodes, like for example jabber.org.by, that provide you with gateways to other IM systems such as ICQ and MSN.
So now we are getting closer to the main point. In order to use ICQ and MSN via GTalk web interface or standalone program, do the following:
Note: gmail web interface will display a contact chat invitation for each of your ICQ/MSN contacts. Just ignore that - the dialog will disappear by itself.
Many thanks to Rinat and svyatogor for opening my eyes!
Among these service nodes there are "transport" nodes, like for example jabber.org.by, that provide you with gateways to other IM systems such as ICQ and MSN.
So now we are getting closer to the main point. In order to use ICQ and MSN via GTalk web interface or standalone program, do the following:
- Download and install a good jabber client. I used http://gajim.org/.
- Run it, connect to GTalk server by supplying your gmail username/password and gmail.com as the jabber server.
- Discover services of jabber.org.by, in gajim it is done by selecting Action->Discover services, entering jabber.org.by and clicking Go. You may find and use any other transport server but I've been told that this one is one of the most stable ones.
- Subscribe to MSN and ICQ services supplying your login credentials when asked.
- Quit jabber client.
Note: gmail web interface will display a contact chat invitation for each of your ICQ/MSN contacts. Just ignore that - the dialog will disappear by itself.
Many thanks to Rinat and svyatogor for opening my eyes!
Labels: google, gtalk, im, jabber, messaging
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A few comments, if you don't mind. jabber.org.by is not specificly transport node, it's a normal jabber server. I just chose it because it's prety stable. Most of the jabber servers provide some choice of services.
You can you use any server, but if you care to speak Russian in ICQ you'd better choose one of the servers in Russia/Ukraine/Belarus, cause a lot of ICQ clients communicate in CP1251 instead of UTF. Obviously server in Poland or China would have a different encoding.
One thing that is not implemented by ICQ transports, but is considered rather as an extra feature. They don't add your new contacts to ICQ's server contact list. This is bad in case you decide to switch back. This is good, cause you can have multiple contact lists.
You can you use any server, but if you care to speak Russian in ICQ you'd better choose one of the servers in Russia/Ukraine/Belarus, cause a lot of ICQ clients communicate in CP1251 instead of UTF. Obviously server in Poland or China would have a different encoding.
One thing that is not implemented by ICQ transports, but is considered rather as an extra feature. They don't add your new contacts to ICQ's server contact list. This is bad in case you decide to switch back. This is good, cause you can have multiple contact lists.
Thanks cave master, of course I don't mind :)
Yes I had a thought about CP-1251 support and "russian speaking" servers when I saw that I had no problems communicating with ICQ contacts in Russian.
Of course the limitation of this gateway type of chatting is that you get only chat. Most (all?) of other ICQ/MSN specific services are not available. But since chatting is all I need that works great for me.
Yes I had a thought about CP-1251 support and "russian speaking" servers when I saw that I had no problems communicating with ICQ contacts in Russian.
Of course the limitation of this gateway type of chatting is that you get only chat. Most (all?) of other ICQ/MSN specific services are not available. But since chatting is all I need that works great for me.
Here is little bit more simple solution to have your chat history from ICQ, GTalk, AIM, MSN, Skype stored and accessible online:
http://www.im-history.com
http://www.im-history.com
Thanks for the link. Google chat has another advantage: all protocols are now accessible via single jabber account.
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