IM Fever, Reach Out and Write Someone

Lori Lancaster | September 29, 2005
[hidden by request]

Dave Stoppenhagen | September 29, 2005
I wouldn't , but then again I talk to myself anyhow.

Amy Austin | September 29, 2005
Well, the only voice options I've ever used was DragonSpeak (v.6), and there was an apparent clash between the software and my soundcard (remember when I bitched about not being able to listen to any of the funnies posted here?), because shortly into my using it, things started to jack up. Now, I can't even start up that HP Pavilion that I was using a year ago, and a friend of mine suspects motherboard failure. All I know is that I have things I'd like to get out of there before dumping it on someone who wants it!

But yes, talking to it did feel rather cheesy... especially when it was just to the computer, not someone on the other end! I "talk to myself", too, Dave... but it tends to be more of an indistinguishable mutter -- is your receiving self hard of hearing??? (Your co-workers must really think you're cuckoo then, eh? ;-D)

Scott Horowitz | September 29, 2005
I use gaim, can use anything and connect to jabber, I personally think everyone should switch to google talk

Denise Sawicki | September 29, 2005
I gotta confess I rather hate all those instant messaging things. There's some people I want to keep in touch with who *only* want to keep in touch that way, but whenever I'm online at home I am just wishing to quickly look up something or change something on the Cedars webpage and then get offline again. If somebody messages me, I never know the etiquette, it seems like you stay in a conversation with the person for ever and ever, however neither person usually says anything. Darrell feels the same way, anybody else?

Dave Stoppenhagen | September 29, 2005
Not really hard of hearing, more selective hearing to get that receiving self to respond some times is a real pain. My co-workers all thought I was nice for the longest time then they met military attitude Dave and it was a whole new ballgame.

The only time I'm online is when I'm at work, when I get home I want nothing to do with my PC. That and I only have dial up cause that high speed stuff isn't offered in my area, and after being a T1/LAN all day it is unbearable

Amy Austin | September 29, 2005
Heheh... I hear you there, Dave.

Denise: It isn't too much different from a phone call, IMO, except that it just takes longer. Meaning, I'm not sure much more might be accomplished in the way of "meaningful communication", but it would go much faster (and not seem like a nuisance, since I tend to not want to be bugged online, either... but I often submit and am glad that I did). If you don't want to engage, then why don't you just hide when you're online? I know it's kind of a pain, but that's what I do when I really just don't feel like "chatting" or trying to politely dodge my way out of one!

(BTW, sorry I didn't mention your name earlier -- I know you discuss sometimes, too... but I guess it's been a while that I remember -- how are you liking your new house?!)

Denise Sawicki | September 30, 2005
Dave, I know what you mean about not wanting anything to do with your PC when you get home. Amy - no problem, I go through lengthy phases of not talking.

Well I used to have my AIM set up to log me on automatically when I'm online at home, which was the default setting. (I have never goofed off in that particular way whilst at work, I am proud to say). It seemed I'd get some kind of talk request every time I logged on (and Darrell was suffering from lengthy conversations from people who were sometimes looking for me when he wanted to be recording music, despite the fact I work really predictable hours. He's not the most computer savvy dude on the block so he wouldn't remember to "hide") so I switched it to not log on automatically and now I never hear from anybody even if I log on specifically in hopes of talking to someone. Sniff. Yeah I suppose I should bring this up with the people in question but questions that reek of begging someone to keep in contact with me make me feel like such a retard.

David Mitzman | September 30, 2005
I prefer gaim, and you're welcome, Horowitz, for me telling you to use it.
And I disagree that everyone should use google talk. Everyone should use Jabber that's connected to the Jabber Network. Reason being is that I can have an account on one system, you could have an account on a totally different one, and we can talk to eachother (like a system crossover). That's the whole point of Jabber. It's also free as in beer and free, and you can setup your own Jabber servers.

John E Gunter | September 30, 2005
I use Trillian, the software allows you to connect to any of the major players as long as you have an account with them. So, I can talk with anyone who has AIM, MSN Messenger, ICQ, IRC and Yahoo. The other cool thing about Trillian is that you get notified when you have an e-mail on one of those accounts.

Then you click on the icon in question and you can go to that site to read the e-mail.

John

David Mitzman | September 30, 2005
I personally think Gaim is a better software, and as I said before, free (and free as in beer). Since it's free, one can modify the source code as they please and do whatever they want (provided they know C/C++. Also, it's not a typical windows program with all the stupid windows theme crap. It originated in Linux and uses the GTK librarys for its GUI elements (meaning nice, clean, usable interface).
Has no ad's in it either.

Scott Horowitz | September 30, 2005
The problme with trillian is that it is loaded with adware/spyware, that's why gaim is better, it's got nothing

John E Gunter | September 30, 2005
I've not had any problems with adware/spyware in Trillian.

John

Scott Horowitz | September 30, 2005
I also think it's a little too flashy, I like gaim's simple design

Jackie Mason | September 30, 2005
[hidden by request]

Erik Bates | October 2, 2005
[hidden by request]

Scott Hardie | October 16, 2005
Trillian has adware and spyware? News to me. I gave up on Trillian a long time ago when it seemed riddled with glitches; after reinstalling it this year it seemed to work fine for me, and now it's my friends who have all the glitches and are refusing to use it. Oh well, I'm rarely in a chatty mood when I have free time, so it's a once-a-month kind of thing for me anyway. I have VoIP bundled with my cable modem, so I can already do the call-anywhere-in-the-country-for-free thing, but again I'm so rarely in the mood to chitchat that it seems pointless to have.

John: I like that Trillian is cross-platform, but you still have to have an account with each of the other chat programs to use it with them, don't you?

Anybody know of a better IRC program than mIRC? One that allows sounds to be played?