Google Talk was like the “cool” version of AIM to me when I was using it between 2010 and 2013. I could access Talk from my browser or from a desktop client (Pi

Google Talk was like the “cool” version of AIM to me when I was using it between 2010 and 2013. I could access Talk from my browser or from a desktop client (Pidgin, and I believe there used to be an official Talk desktop client). For some like me, I didn’t mind to have my messages/conversations stored like an email (I am aware of some people’s privacy cocnerns). Even today I can go back to my Gmail and look up my conversations with friends and family. I own the conversation history, and I can export them at any given time! I can search them and sort them directly in Gmail. Now I use WhatsApp, Messenger, text messeage, and Wechat (for different groups of people), I don’t know any mechanism to export my conversations. For WhatsApp and Messenger, I know search is only available on their desktop client... and IRRC only text search (can’t do date/time search alone) is supported and is on per contact basis. No global search... Communication used to be, hmm, simple communication: no snap, no video, no crazy emojis and stickers :) Google, what happened? :< Orz Edit: The only thing still usable is the free phone call from and to U.S. I use it all the time since carrier signal is so unreliable and uneven (and subject to surrounding environment) so I just hop on Wifi to make calls, esp at work. PLEASE DON’T KILL IT .