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Review : Gaim the Open Source AOL Instant Messenger Client
I have wrote about how much I love Mozilla and how much I love Open Office. Now I just want to mention how much I love the Gaim Instant Messenger client.
Gaim is an open source instant messenger client that is compatible with AOL instant messenger and is used to be compatible with MSN Windows messenger before Microsoft changed protocols and edged out all competition. This is originally a Linux program but there is a Windows port that uses the same GTK GUI libraries as GIMP. So if you have installed the Windows version of Gimp you should have no problem installing and running Gaim.
A truly wonderful thing about Gaim is that there is no ads and no unwanted pop-ups. Gaim has just about all the features of the official AOL client and since is uses an open and compatible protocol to communicate with the AIM network so the people that you are talking to have no idea that you are not using official crappy AOL software. Since it is open source there is no way there can be any spyware! This is a good thing as Martha Stewart would say.
It is also extremely crash resistant and it has never caused any other crashes with other software. The official AOL instant messenger would crash my DVD player software when people on my buddy list would long on and off.
Gaim is one of the open source projects that ends up a much better choice than the commercial for-profit software.
Jake at September 8, 2003 
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Comments
GAIM is a great piece of software and I used it exclusively on my systems for messaging when I was still under Linux. Although to be truthful, I'm back under WindowsXP and Trillian at the moment (got tired of fighting linux almost everytime I wanted to do something). If I hadn't paid for TrillPro a year ago, I would probably run gaim on here instead.
Posted by: Rick at September 8, 2003 1:02 AM
TRILLIAN!
Posted by: Tim at September 8, 2003 4:19 AM
yup, trillian all the way ... even works ok with msn. but then, i use winblows.
Posted by: tj at September 8, 2003 4:57 AM
I'm using Miranda IM right now and it seems to work very well. Can Gaim send/recieve files yet? The last time I tried it out that feature was still unavaliable and since I need that I wasn't able to continue to use it, but I liked what I saw. I never was able to get my plugin I tried to write to work right. =(
Posted by: roXet at September 8, 2003 6:27 AM
i'll hafta remember that for when i stop using aol
Posted by: lil at September 8, 2003 6:37 AM
So, I'm guessing it also works with iChat for Mac OS?
Posted by: Phillustrations at September 8, 2003 8:18 AM
Yup any IM software that is compatible with the AIM network
Posted by: Jake at September 8, 2003 8:33 AM
Yes it can send and revieve files just fine if you have your firewall allow it.
Posted by: Jake at September 8, 2003 8:34 AM
DeadAIM!
Posted by: David at September 8, 2003 8:45 AM
I used to use Dead Aim but it would still have conflicts with other software and when I ran one I started getting popups from Dead Aim wanting money. Dead Aim is DOA IMHO.
Posted by: Jake at September 8, 2003 8:47 AM
Just to play Microsoft Defender for a moment, the reason MS chose to rewrite their protocols was for security reasons. Among other things, the password used to connect to MSN was being sent as clear text rather than over a secure SSL connection (which is awful if it's a Passport account linked to any financial records). Anyway, they chose to rework their protocols for this reason. In their defense, they actually contacted the Trillian guys ahead of time to let them know of the impending changes, and the Trillian devs are in the midst of upgrading Trillian to be compatible with the latest version of MSN. Kudos to MS for having the right idea to keep their protocols open.
Posted by: Jeff at September 8, 2003 12:13 PM
Cool well here is hoping future versions of Gaim will work with MSN.
Posted by: Jake at September 8, 2003 12:24 PM
help me!
Posted by: ardavan at July 2, 2004 12:56 AM
I think the most advantageous thing about this is that it's open source, Trillian amd DeadAim are not open source. Just like foobar vs. winamp.
I've been looking for an open source client for AIM; however, I don't think there will ever be public one. Too bad this isn't for Windows, I could really, really use it.
I'm trying to create an open source client for AIM, but I don't know the AIM's protocool. Can anyone shine some light on me?
Posted by: Xytos at February 22, 2006 11:05 PM
There is a Windows port of GAIM
http://gaim.sourceforge.net/win32/index.php
Posted by: Jacob Metcalf ![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.8bitjoystick.com/nav-commenters.gif)
at February 22, 2006 11:33 PM
