TedPage: Google uses Jabber

Today Google released their new IM service, and it uses Jabber! I'm excited about a protocol that I really like getting a major corporate backer. Now, instead of trying to explain to people why they should be using Jabber, I can say "use Google IM." Which they understand much better.

That being said, it seems that Google has limited it so that you can't add contacts that aren't using GMail addresses also. This takes away one feature of Jabber that I really like, the ability to communicate with individual servers all over the Internet. I'm not sure if they're doing this as the service is still in beta, or they are serious about locking out other Jabber servers. It would be unfortunate if that was their long term objective.

They do mention on their website that they "want to work with other willing service providers to enable their users to communicate directly with Google Talk users." One could guess that these include Yahoo! and AIM. I think getting all of these parties to agree to let their IM clients talk is roughly equivalent to negotiating nuclear disarmament. If it happens, someone deserves the Internet equivalent of the Nobel Peace Prize.

One funny (but reasonable) response to Google's IM was Miguel de Icaza announcing that he's using the service. In his entry he mentioned:

Please only request to be added if we have IMed, talked in person or emailed each other in the past.

Heh, I guess he is much more popular than I am, I have no need to worry about that.