[kwlug-disc] Cross platform, cross-protocol messaging client

Fri Dec 5 16:04:50 EST 2014

I'd love to be able to avoid Skype altogether, but alas, no can do.

Well, next time I'm golfing with Bill Gates I'll mention this problem to
him....

On Fri Dec 05 2014 at 3:59:43 PM Darcy Casselman <dscassel at gmail.com> wrote:

> Unfortunately, if a platform insists on using a closed, proprietary,
> difficult-to-reverse-engineer protocol, you're stuck either using their
> closed, proprietary app or avoiding it altogether (which is my preference).
>
>
> Darcy.
>
> On Fri, Dec 5, 2014 at 11:49 AM, CrankyOldBugger <
> crankyoldbugger at gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Yes, that would work, but we're still unable to address the issue of "I
>> want one ring to rule them all", err.. "one client client that can handle
>> all protocols, without add-ins, or other chats running in the background,
>> or death by plugins, etc.)
>>
>> Basically I want one program running, cross platform of course, that
>> listens to my MSN, Google, ICQ, SMS lines, flips to video with a Skype call
>> comes in, etc.  On paper, it sounds simple. but in real life, it's much
>> more complicated.
>>
>> I'm guessing, based on the responses here, that such a beast does not
>> exist, and (thanks to proprietary systems) probably won't exist for a long
>> time.
>>
>> It's a shame, since there are so many good chat clients out there, but
>> each one insists that you get all of your friends to download and join as
>> well, thus further adding to the problem...
>>
>>
>> On Fri Dec 05 2014 at 11:42:19 AM Khalid Baheyeldin <kb at 2bits.com> wrote:
>>
>>> Android phone or tablet. Works with Skype, GotoMeeting, Viber, Hangouts,
>>> ...
>>>
>>> You can install/uninstall the app when needed/after use.
>>>
>>> On Fri, Dec 5, 2014 at 11:37 AM, William Park <opengeometry at yahoo.ca>
>>> wrote:
>>> > Well, if company wants to do Skype interview, you don't have much
>>> > choice.
>>> > --
>>> > William
>>> >
>>> > On Fri, Dec 05, 2014 at 11:11:57AM -0500, Andrew Mercer wrote:
>>> >> Why use Skype except to video chat with relatives that live far away
>>> at
>>> >> Christmas time? It then only becomes a once a year requirement to run
>>> that
>>> >> piece of junk!
>>> >>
>>> >> ---
>>> >> Andrew Mercer
>>> >> www.andrewmercer.net
>>> >>
>>> >> On 2014-12-05 04:28, B.S. wrote:
>>> >> >If Skype is in the mix, no way around needing multiple applications.
>>> >> >
>>> >> >Confusion isn't just different iterations of gtalk -> hangouts, it's
>>> >> >different availability by platform. e.g. voice / chat inconsistently
>>> >> >implemented across platforms (e.g. gmail), gtalk only no hangouts on
>>> >> >bb (iirc), I forget which or both for iPhone, ...
>>> >> >
>>> >> >Cranky, you may be as well off looking at voip with jabber/chat
>>> >> >facilities as pidgin or anything else - if you have to change, may as
>>> >> >well change to the most functionality possible for fewer apps to
>>> >> >master. Skype is unavoidable. With time you can move people over (if
>>> >> >you have VoIP {something} VoIP clients can call you free - they don't
>>> >> >need their own VoIP service or anything), but you'll never get 100%
>>> >> >success. Linphone and Ekiga come to mind.
>>> >> >
>>> >> >Reading between the lines, you have a high Skype WAF, and I doubt
>>> >> >you'll ever move her off. As a result, she'll probably add more
>>> people
>>> >> >to it for chat before you'll get her to migrate to something else.
>>> >> >(For her it ain't broken, doesn't need fixing .. ?)
>>> >> >
>>> >> >Good luck! We feel your pain.
>>> >> >
>>> >> >
>>> >> >On 12/04/2014 08:37 PM, Nick Guenther wrote:
>>> >> >>I've had mixed results with this. It seems that at least if the
>>> other
>>> >> >>end is using the old style gtalk web client, I can still add people.
>>> >> >>The confusion probably comes because gmail end-user types probably
>>> >> >>don't notice if they're on Hangouts, old web gtalk, or Windows
>>> >> >>GTalk.
>>> >> >>
>>> >> >>On December 4, 2014 2:12:02 PM EST, Jason Locklin
>>> >> >><locklin.jason at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> >> >>>Skype is a complete black box. Libpurple, and the various clients
>>> >> >>>that use it (like Pidgin, Adium, Bitlbee, etc) can pretend to have
>>> >> >>>Skype text chat functionality by running Skype in the background
>>> >> >>>and accessing the friend list and chats via an API.
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>>Google has also been transitioning away from XMPP/Jabber with
>>> >> >>>their Hangouts. The Jabber interface for the 1-on-1 chat in Gmail
>>> >> >>>is still available, but who knows for how long, and, from what I
>>> >> >>>understand, adding new people now to your friend list may not be
>>> >> >>>possible.
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>>
>>> >> >>>On 14-12-04 12:18 PM, Khalid Baheyeldin wrote:
>>> >> >>>>You can interface with Google Talk through many clients, but you
>>> >> >>>>will not have Hangout video/audio capabilities.
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>>Skype is a proprietary protocol and to my knowledge was never
>>> >> >>>>fully supported for voice on any of the open clients.
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>>Since the other parties you are connecting to are already on
>>> >> >>>>these services, alternative protocols are seldom an option.
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>>
>>> >> >>>>On Thu, Dec 4, 2014 at 12:06 PM, CrankyOldBugger
>>> >> >>>><crankyoldbugger at gmail.com> wrote:
>>> >> >>>>>Does anyone out there know of a good cross-platform (Linux,
>>> >> >>>>>Windows
>>> >> >>>and
>>> >> >>>>>Android) messaging client that can import and handle Skype,
>>> >> >>>>>Google Talk/Hangouts, and IRC friends lists?  As it sits, I
>>> >> >>>>>have at least
>>> >> >>>three
>>> >> >>>>>different messaging clients running at any one time, I'd like
>>> >> >>>>>to
>>> >> >>>roll them
>>> >> >>>>>all into one app if possible...
>>> >> >>>>>
>>> >> >>>>>I've used Pidgin before but I found the Skype addons a bit
>>> >> >>>>>flaky..
>>> >> >
>>> >> >
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>>> >>
>>> >>
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>>>
>>>
>>> --
>>> Khalid M. Baheyeldin
>>> 2bits.com, Inc.
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