Date: 05/20/06 (Opera Browser)    Keywords: yahoo, google

This is off-topic, but I figured that people here would know a thing or two about IM's as well...

How come whenever I'm looking for a replacement for a 3rd party IM client (like Trillian or Gaim) I always fret about what I'm going to be getting myself into? Thus far, I've been perfectly happy with 3rd party clients. But they can be somewhat spotty with their file-transfer, voice & video service.

But every time I look at ICQ, Yahoo, MSN or AIM; I always feel like I'm about to sell my soul or something. I know that I'm going to get a bunch of ads with ICQ & AIM. I think I've gotten a little spoiled with the 3rd party ad-freeness. With Yahoo I'm not looking forward to all the extra stuff I'm never going to use. And with MSN, I fear the whole 'Big Brother' thing.

They all kind of share the ads, 'big brother' & too many useless extras feel. It's the main reason I've always gone with a 3rd party. Plus I have friends on all then networks, and I can't pick just one to go with. It's kind of messed up in a way, splitting up the world like that by creating so many different IM standards that do not talk with eachother.

I've tried out a few other great programs:
Hello is an IM and a image sharing program. All encrypted so it's really safe.
Skype is a P2P Voice & Text program. Also encrypted, very safe.
Google Talk is kind of like Skype, but stripped down.

The problem with these programs is that no one really uses them, for one reason or another. I would have figured that Skype would have really taken off, but all the other IM programs are seeing how they've fallen way behind, so now they are starting to offer things that Skype has. Google Talk is very streamlined, but you have to have a Gmail account to use it, which I guess is the problem for most people getting into it. And Hello, while functioning very well as an IM program, is mostly about sharing pictures.

So, I am at a loss. All the 1st party popular IM programs feel like they are draining my soul. All the non-pop 1st party IM programs are not used enough. All of the 3rd party IM programs have too many bugs or weirdnesses in them.

Anyone have any ideas or suggestions? I'm willing to try about anything. Maybe I'm just being overly odd about this, perhaps one of the popular first party IM programs are okay. Can someone give me the low-down?

Thanks. (x-posted in my journal)

Source: http://community.livejournal.com/opera_browser/54598.html