h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

If you weren't aware Trillian is an Instant message package that can talk to AOL IM, ICQ, IRC, MSN IM and Yaahoo Instant message users, all under one small ap, with no adverts, and is free. An yes the name is inspired by the DNA character.

(oh I can put a relevant link in now can't I ) There site is http://www.trillian.cc/

Last Week AOL blocked access to Trillain users (now over 1,000,000 in number) citing sercurity (there's many web pages on this a google search on Trillian AOL blocks will find several, the best I found is http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1107-827672.html )

So is a huge multinational right to block a small start up that is trying to help users by letting them have a single IM package. Do they have a right to protect the investment they've made from outsiders? Or are they just being bullies?

Opinions, rants, thought out arguements anyone?

CH

From what I've heard, AOL's own Instant Messenger is full of bugs that make it's security *very* poor. So citing "security" is a bit rich.

AOL are a very big company and in my experience big companys never play fair with their customers or their competitors, so I know where my vote goes

I seem to be connecting to AOL no problem, and I have the first version of the 'new' Trillian - 0.70, I think.

Are they right? Well, they're probably within their 'rights' legally, but it's obvious that they're running scared from a far superior little program.

Reading Trillian's own forum some say 0.7 is OK, some say you need the new dll, and others are having problems. I guess the may be a few problems in trillian to (it is after all still a beta hence the <1 version numbers)

I'm on 0.722 after all ther 0.7x got lost AOL connections

CH

I still have the .exe for .70 - get in touch and I'll send it to you (IM details on my page)

I'm still using 0.635 and had to remove AIM from my start up. Yup... just retried, and starting AIM causes Trillian to crash.

Considering the number of people who are prepared to support AOL rather than Microsoft, I have to wonder where the difference lies, especially in the current case? Microsoft have attempted to make their IM compatible with AIM in the past, and AOL have behaved in exactly this way.

Although Trillian is 'free' (and they even state not to send them money if you can't afford to!), if every customer sent them just £1, that would be a decent sum to help battle AOL with.

Anyway, my opinion on this matter is on my space, as is the link you gave me CH.

Sus

I wonder if it's my firewall that's making the difference...

"The firewall has blocked Internet access to your computer (TCP Port 1039) from 64.12.162.49 (AOL)."

I would suggest that the entire world switches to Jabber. It's an open IM system from the start, the server code is Open Source so anyone with the bandwidth can start their own (which can connect to others if you want, or remain isolated and private), and there are a myriad of different clients to choose from.

And oh yes, it communicates with different IM systems on the server side, so that's what gets updated when AOL try to block them out - no client changes necessary.

The bad part is that the ICQ transports are generally pretty unreliable, and it's not quite the same as using a native client for whatever system you're talking to. Although I will say that talking to other Jabber users is quite, quite wonderful

Oh yes, it supports SSL2 encryption on all connections as well

http://www.jabber.org

Get more people to use it, and maybe it'll get recognised at last!

Trillian is very though... it even has a cool name. What more can anyone ask? I'd just as soon not use AIM and anything else AOhelL has to offer. But I'll certainly take a look at jabber...

I feel a bit hypocritical, as I never supported MS against AOL (although I was then still avoiding IM) but now find myself supporting Trillian.

AOL Vs MS as far as I'm concerend they could both fight each other to death.

Bit like the Hamiltons Vs Mohamed Fayed court case

CH

Well version 0.722 has hung on for two days - but of course it is the weekend - do AOL do weekends. We shall see what happens this week? ANy bets on how many versions Trillian release?

CH

One of the big complaints that Coporate keep whinging about is audit trails. If you send someone an email, it leaves a big fat trail that can easily be followed, so in cases of slander, insider dealing, blah blah blah it can all be tracked.

Instant messengers generally have no logging facilities so that if anything went to court, nothing could be proved. Firewalls are generally set up to stop traffic of this kind. Interestingly enough, the Microsoft MSN Messenger will attempt several routes out to the internet and tries to get around network security.

AOL block Trillian? Ethically wrong, but then when did ethics have anything to do with corporate business? (Narrowly avoids slander against a Croydon based chocolate multinational)

AOL/Time Warner should try to buy one of those "Enron Ethics Handbooks, mint condition, never been opened" that were sold on Ebay a while back.

0.722 is no longer staying connected for me. But I'm sure 0.723 will be along soon

CH

Well after a week of 0,724 working the disconnections are getting nastier with a message thus

" You have been disconnected from the AOL Instant Message Service (SM) for accessing the AOL network using unauthorized software. "

Why pick on Trillian as I understand it other aps are still working such as Odigo!

CH

" You have been disconnected from the AOL Instant Message Service (SM) for accessing the AOL network using unauthorized software. "

The latest from AOL!

CH

I'm having fun sending nasty messages in reply.

Now there's a thing, both my posts above "frooze" when I posted them - hence the repition, but neither appear on my home page, which is still listing last week as the last time I posted here - well not after this

CH

I'm sure AOL is to blame.

They are and shouldn't actually be doing this at all. As part of the terms of buying up ICQ (yes, they own that too), the FCC demanded that they make the OSCAR protocol open access. However, AOL have interpreted that as "lets put AIM and ICQ through the OSCAR servers and then set up some half baked checking that will kick off anyone who isn't using AIM or its 'rebellious' relation".

Hopefully Scott & Kev will release Trilian 0.725 soon