4 ms·

Pre-MS skype was so far peak IM.

• MereInterest 6y ago
  Don't forget about when IM networks actually used open standards instead of closed proprietary protocols. Managing all of my accounts through pidgin was a breeze, and didn't leave me swapping between half a dozen different programs trying to remember which networks somebody would typically use.
  • pmlnr 6y ago
    That was never a thing: Pidgin & the rest had to write their own implementation for many of those protocols, starting with AIM. There was a tiny period, somewhere in 2006, when many services were XMPP, maybe even federated, but due to the lack of good clients - compared to skype -, it never manifested as good as it should have. There are now many nice XMPP clients, but the big players now all moved into proprietary territory.
    • MereInterest 6y ago
      Good point, I am misremembering.
    • ebrenes 6y ago
      I also remember a period in time when I could use Trillian to connect to ICQ, MSM, AIM and have it all in one convenient chat client without having to fire up all the individual ones. Granted it sometimes broke when the protocols updated, but for a moment it was pretty cool.