I hate to disagree with my learned colleague, (e:paul), who is gracious enough to allow me to write about computer-related stuff under this user name with him.

But I think I have to.

Paul writes that "For now I am perfectly content using a free client such as gaim where no one is making money off my chatting." [inlink]computer,10[/inlink] Now, don't get me wrong, I love gaim and I have been using off and on since I've been using Linux for about 5 years now.

The way gaim works is to piggyback on the infastructure of propriary instant messaging protocols provided by for profit isps and content providers such as AOL (now owned by Time-Warner) and MSN and Gadu Gadu.

You can't use gaim to im someone on AOL or MSN or Gadu Gadu or etc. without signing up with AOL or MSN or Gadu Gadu and getting a user name from them.

(By the way, AOL is supposed to have an AIM client for Linux in beta now
)

You can't download gaim and just start talking to your friends on AOL and MSN and Gaddu Gaddu. You have to register first with every protocol that you want to use. So even with gaim you would have to register with AOL, MSN, and Gaddu Gaddu before you could instant message.

AOL and MSN and Gadu Gadu are no different from Google, you have to register with them to use their protocols even if you don't use their propriatary im clients. And Google at least mentions that their protocol works with gaim. Do MSN or AOL do that?

These im servers exist only because there are people who pay to use MSN and AOL . It's not like there is a free internet that gaim is tapping into. Someone provides the server space and the internet backend. And that someone is making money doing so through advertising revenue and/or user fees.

Privacy???

Do I have an an expectation of privacy from using any im protocol? Hell, no!

I don't think that Google is as evil as my learned colleague thinks it is. Of course, both leetee and I have google mail accounts. So I might be biased.

The real threat to computer privacy

I think a much greater threat to the privacy of computer users is Microsofts EULA "You acknowledge and agree that Microsoft may automatically check the version of the OS Product and/or its components that you are utilizing and may provide upgrades or fixes to the OS Product that will be automatically downloaded to your computer,"

and this clause is even better

"You agree that in order to protect the integrity of content and software protected by digital rights management ('Secure Content'), Microsoft may provide security related updates to the OS Components that will be automatically downloaded onto your computer. These security related updates may disable your ability to copy and/or play Secure Content and use other software on your computer. If we provide such a security update, we will use reasonable efforts to post notices on a web site explaining the update."

Microsoft can decide that does not like the software you use and disable it - especially if you are using open source software to watch dvds from a region other than your own.

In other words, Microsoft reserves the right to determine what software you can and can't use on your own computer.

--uncutsaniflush