Replacement IM service for AIM?

[megosdog]

https://9to5mac.com/2017/02/28/aol-cutting-aim-access/

Apparently AOL is shutting down, or at the very least limiting their AIM chat service at the end of the month because evidently nobody over at AOL cares about it anymore. With Yahoo having gone full retard lately, and ICQ (also an AOL service), Facebook and MSN being no go zones for us, we're kinda left without an IM chat service. I only need it between myself and a friend of mine, so it's just the two of us chatting together in project collaborations. Even so we use something else for chatting with. Can you guys recommend a good IM service for instant messaging that we might be able to migrate to and still use Pidgin?

EDIT: I just noticed that apparently the Pidgin guys are working on a fix for AIM. Even so, their subscriber numbers have plummeted so much that it can't be too much longer before they go away. So we're still in the same boat needing a new sandbox to play in. Just not as bad anymore by the looks of it.

EDIT2: Hmm, per the pidgin guys on IRC, this isn't an EOL'ing of Oscar, but rather an auth method change. Apparently the old API wasn't being developed anymore and had falling so far behind that they decided to start from scratch with a whole new method. So once we get the new pidgin update that problem should be solved. Even so I'd like to at least look at another IM option in case AOL packs it in at any point.

[Snowhog]

For the KDE-based users among us, there's Telepathy and Kopete.

[oshunluvr]

Try this one: Jitsi

I haven't, but it claims to be cross platform and protocol

[GreyGeek]

I found Wire to be very interesting!
It's now on my laptop!
https://wire.com/en/

[megosdog]

Yeah, it's not the client that's the issue here but rather the IM service. Namely AIM itself. However, from what I can see I won't have to abandon it anymore as AIM isn't going away as first suggested. All they're doing is swapping 3rd party connection protocols like Twitter did a few years back.

[dequire]

I've been using Discord for a few things since they came out with a Linux client, and I'm liking it. To be honest I had no idea AIM was still being used. It was the first, however.

[GreyGeek]

I've been using Discord for a few things since they came out with a Linux client, and I'm liking it. To be honest I had no idea AIM was still being used. It was the first, however.

You on Discord TOO?

[Snowhog]

Discord for Linux (64-bit only)

[dequire]

You on Discord TOO?

That I am! We should make a Kubuntu Forum Channel!

[dequire]

According to this article, reported via Slashdot.org, AOL chat will still be around, but to use it you will need to use their official app,: "The service will, however, continue to be available via AOL's own chat app that is supported on macOS, Windows, iOS, and Android.". You used to be able to use the service via the web browser pointed to your AOL mail account over at AOL.com. If this is still true than using the web browser would also potentially be an option. One will have to wait until after 3/28/2017 to see if this is still the case going forward.

[megosdog]

Discord? Hmm, might have to look into trying that if we get locked out of AIM here soon. And yes, hardly anyone uses it anymore. However, me and a friend of mine still use it a lot while doing our development work. TBH I'd love to leave the service. Might have to look into this Discord and see if it'll fit our needs.

[GreyGeek]

That I am! We should make a Kubuntu Forum Channel!

Last night, about 2AM I decided I was tired of using Gab.ai, Discord and NFOA. I didn't like the "Twitter"-like environment of the first two.. So, I deleted my accounts on those. Years ago I canceled my Facebook account and last fall I canceled my Google & YouTube accounts.

The ONLY online account I have remaining is this one.

[dequire]

The ONLY online account I have remaining is this one.

That's hard-core Jerry! Also; respectable. There are valid reasons not to use any non-opensource web technologies and I have nothing but respect and understanding from those who pull away from using them. I like Discord and use it, however I have no use for Facebook, for example, so that I do not use any longer and likely will delete my account soon enough altogether.

[GreyGeek]

That's hard-core Jerry! Also; respectable. There are valid reasons not to use any non-opensource web technologies and I have nothing but respect and understanding from those who pull away from using them. I like Discord and use it, however I have no use for Facebook, for example, so that I do not use any longer and likely will delete my account soon enough altogether.

Facebook is extremely aggressive. After you delete your account, IF you click ANY Facebook button on ANY website around the globe during the next six months, Facebook will automatically reactivate your account! My biggest objection to Facebook, Twitter and Google is that they have replaced what used to be public commons. In times past a public commons was a place where anyone could step up on a soapbox and speak to any crowd standing around. No one assumed the right of a "gatekeeper" deciding who could speak and who could not, or limiting what they could say if the did speak. Not so today. All those websites filter posts which are antagonistic to the Left. The abuse is pandemic. The CEO's of those sites worked on the Hillary campaign and those sites became mouthpieces for her election bid.

My hope is that Congress would pass a law saying that online public forums in the US cannot filter ANY speech, even if they are NGO's, using corporate TOS as an excuse to do so. But I suspect that Hell would freeze over before Congress did that.

[megosdog]

http://sourcedigit.com/22093-how-to-...tu-pidgin-ppa/

It seems that canonical just released the backport (well, one of their devs actually did) for Pidgin 2.12, which means I now still have full AIM access! WOOT!