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Would you use Google IM?

Started by Tyler, 2004-10-18T11:09:21-05:00 (Monday)

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Tyler

It's http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=04/10/18/1142247">rumored now that Google may be entering the extremely overcrowded IM (instant messenging) arena.  

Would you use it?  IM has the interesting property that it's only a good IM protocol if many people use it, and many people will not use it unless it popular.  So it's kind of a catch 22.  

I personally think Google's gone a little crazy since its IPO, and now is trying to take over every possible market.

If Google does roll out an IM client, I see someone reverse engineering it into Trillian, Gaim, Miranda, etc, within a couple days.

Anyone else have any thoughts on this?
Retired CAOS Officer/Overachiever
SIUE Alumni Class of 2005

Tyler

I'm working on increasing my rank to Replying to my own posts by replying to my own posts.
Retired CAOS Officer/Overachiever
SIUE Alumni Class of 2005

Bryan

everyone uses AIM, so that's sufficient for moi
Bryan Grubaugh
Quickly aging alumni with too much time on his hands
Business Systems Analyst, Scripps Networks.

Brian Glass

True a lot of people around here do use AIM, a lot of people elsewhere use MSN, it's just a matter of what do you want to use.

I use Xfire (designed for gamers) but that is because I play a lot of games, my choice.  I do not like how AIM or MSN work, so I do not use them.  Whenever Google's IM comes out, I'll take a look at it, and decide if I'll change or not.  That, however, is a big problem with developing an IM right now is that there are so many of them already available, and people are already happy with the one's that they use...

I don't think the Google IM will go over very well because people will have nothing to gain from it except to convert their friends and build a new buddy list.  Unless they add features that no one has thought of before (which I can not think of any).

William Grim

I can think of a good idea...

Someone should start a shopping system through IM.  Maybe to where you can even actually speak to someone and have them take your order (for, perhaps, food in your local area).

I'd totally make use of a system like that.
William Grim
IT Associate, Morgan Stanley

Bryan

so what your saying is we should start an IM service that you can speak to someone and they would go out and get you food and deliver it to your house
Bryan Grubaugh
Quickly aging alumni with too much time on his hands
Business Systems Analyst, Scripps Networks.

Brian Glass

You're right, that would be a good idea, but I do not see it being implemented for an IM by Google.  Why would your buddies care what you're shopping for online and besides Google is not involved in retail, at least I think they're not.  Now if say Shop N Save or even Pizza Hut were to do it, I do not think that it would be an IM where you could talk to your buddies, just a way to place orders online in real-time and have them delivered to you.

Even now we've opened up the possibility of a universal IM where users could talk to other users using different IMs, such as phones and phone companies.  If everyone developed an IM for their business, people could IM the business using their favorite IM and talk to their buddies at the same time (far more efficient than phones).  If Google's IM did that, I would definitly use it.

Tyler

You bring up a good point of Universal IM.  I think there should be a standard protocol for IM, and a variety of clients.  I use Trillian, so it's not a big deal for me, but most people don't realize that they can have a program that supports multiple protocols.  They think that they're screwed or have to run 3 separate programs to use yahoo, msn, and aim.

And if it was universal, companies could implement realtime ordering and customer support.  I would like to just IM pizza hut my order.  That would be great.  It would also save them time and money, by not needing someone to answer the phones all the time, and then put you on hold for 10 minutes no matter when you call.
Retired CAOS Officer/Overachiever
SIUE Alumni Class of 2005


Quinn Buerkett

ha good way to get your rank up i guess.....but anyways, google im? why use google im with the tons of others already there? they better come out with something sleek and intriguing to overpower that of msn or say aim.

John

I imagine the first program to get compatability will be Gaim (now Pidgin) simply because the lead (or he was for the longest time) of Gaim was Sean Egan who went to work for Google. I imagine that, if this is true, he has quite a bit to do with it. He, also, happened to personally insult me after I was trying to get assistance with the book he wrote and I, unfortunately, bought. For this reason, I highly doubt I will use it.
Thanks,
John

EvilAndrew

Wow! This thread is really old.  How did it get to the top?  

Just so everyone knows:
Google released a IM program a few years ago called Google Talk. It has a regular Windows Client and a AJAX client in G-mail.  You use your G-mail/Google account to access it and it figures out who your friends are from your e-mail history.  The protocol used by Google Talk is an open one and is supported by most open-source clients so you can get a client for Linux or the Macintosh if you donââ,¬â,,¢t like the AJAX client.
......

feyerabend

I think that google playing around with im is just a waste of their time.  Since there is some different type of im, will the people switch this late in the game?

   Google has the arm in so many different areas such as search engines, voip , web 2.0, online data storage,webmail,online apps I think they are over stretching their bounds.

But like any early adopters I will give the google im a shot.


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Is a Insane Man Sane In A Insane World

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Bryan

I posted in this thread 5 1/2 years ago!  That was longer than I was in college.
Bryan Grubaugh
Quickly aging alumni with too much time on his hands
Business Systems Analyst, Scripps Networks.