Silicon Investor: Better Instant Messaging Through Linux

“Written for the Linux operating system, Gaim may be the best
instant messaging program around. Originally written in a college
dorm room to emulate AOL’s Instant Messenger, it now works not only
with the IM protocols championed by Microsoft and Yahoo! but also
with older, lesser-known versions like ICQ, Jabber and Zephyr. At
one point, AOL sent its lawyers after the IM client, but the
programmers who wrote it say Gaim’s future looks bright.

“Like many pieces of software available on Linux, Gaim is free
and maintained not by a for-profit company but a band of
programmers working in their spare time. Unlike other such open
source efforts, though, Gaim works better than any of the
for-profit versions. AOL, Microsoft, and Yahoo! should all look to
it for tips. The interface resembles AOL’s Instant Messenger, but
it is far smoother and more fun than any of the major IM
programs.

“For instance, Gaim allows multiple conversations to be tabbed
into a singe window instead of spread across the screen in
different windows that can wind up covering the entire screen. It
is easier to switch fonts and text colors, and a wider selection of
both come pre-installed. Gaim automatically adds a timestamp to
IMs, a feature that must be switched on in AOL Instant Messenger.
It also makes it very easy to create a file that logs every message
the user receives and sends…”

Complete
Story