4 ms·

Microsoft had several different non-interoperable message apps, including two named "Messenger." Those golden days didn't look so shiny when we were there. Luc

Microsoft had several different non-interoperable message apps, including two named "Messenger." Those golden days didn't look so shiny when we were there. Luckily, there was Pidgin/Adium, so we could have one app to talk all the protocols.

mBVth4DiupvBPY4 4y ago
I'm not sure what you're referring to with two non-interoperable message apps named Messenger? There was MSN Messenger/.NET Messenger/Windows Messenger/Windows Live Messenger, but those were interoperable (they were the same thing, just updates). They also managed to wrangle compatibility with Yahoo Messenger (although by then no one I knew still used Yahoo), and apparently Facebook Messenger, and then did a crappy merger/migration to Skype. I'd go back to those days in a heartbeat, and I was there.
- coredog64 4y ago
  NT had a built in messenger service that operated on named pipes. It was one of those services you disabled as soon as you could.
  - merb 4y ago
    net send *
  - pdntspa 4y ago
    I got into so much trouble as a kid for abusing that...
  - virgulino 4y ago
    To be fair, it was a local network toy, more akin to "talk" or "finger" in Unix.
prpl 4y ago
Trillian before that
- maturz 4y ago
  Pidgin (called Gaim) released December 31, 1998 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pidgin_(software) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pidgin_(software) Trillian (propritary) released July 1, 2000 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trillian_(software) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trillian_(software)
- seesaw 4y ago
  and ICQ long before that …
  - maturz 4y ago
    ICQ is not the same thing, that one used a single protocol. Pidgin/Adium/Trillian was able to talk with ICQ users and others without installing several applications.