gekko
08-05-2007, 05:16 PM
It occurred to me a few months back that I am a Google fanboy. Only thing better than Google is Apple. Honestly, Gmail is amazing, the search is top-notch, and if I didn't use iPhoto on a Mac, I would use Picasa to manage my pictures. Picasa web albums is also amazing. The best thing about Google is Google Talk.
Now I know some of you guys ventured out a few times to try ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo! at some point, and the world found their way back to AIM. That's understandable, because those have nothing to offer, and AIM has the userbase. But it's time to switch, to switch to GTalk and give AIM the boot.
Reason #1: It's open source
GTalk uses Jabber, an open-source chat server. With Jabber, you enter a chat server (ie. talk.google.com, or even gametavern.net) and your username, and you're set. Many servers have Jabber support, I could install it on my sites and run my own private server. But the real beauty of Jabber is that it's an open-source technology, so it gets tons of support from various IM programs. I personally use iChat, you may use Trillian or another Jabber-compatible program already. Pretty much every decent IM program out there supports Jabber, so you have a wide selection in clients.
Reason #2: You can access it from anywhere
Don't want to use a Jabber based client? Fine. Feel free to download the Google Talk Client (http://dl.google.com/googletalk/googletalk-setup.exe) which is ad-free and only 1.5MB in size. No news tickers, no ads, no bloat.
Don't want to run a client? Feel free to Launch the GTalk Gadget (http://www.google.com/talk/). A simple browser window that allows for full-featured support of Google Talk. Did I mention full-featured? It has everything. Too inconvenient? Add the following HTML to any webpage to include a launch GTalk button, perfect for your homepage:
<script src='http://talkgadget.google.com/talkgadget/button'></script>
If you use Google's personalized homepage, click here (http://fusion.google.com/add?moduleurl=http%3A//www.google.com/ig/modules/googletalk.xml) to add GTalk to your homepage.
Use FireFox and want to have a GTalk client always open in your browser window? Right-Click Here (http://talkgadget.google.com/talkgadget/popout), Select "Bookmark this Link," then "Create In: Bookmarks Toolbar." Next open the Bookmarks menu from the Firefox menu bar, right click on the Google Talk bookmark entry, and select "Properties." In the menu that opens, check the box that says: "Load this bookmark in the sidebar."
http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4191/4298/1600/646710/Google%20Talk%20in%20Sidebar.jpg
Amazing? But I'm not done. Open up your Gmail account and on the left side of the window, you're Gmail contact list is there. Double click on a name and you're chatting, right inside Gmail. Great for quick questions when you don't want to log-in and see if someone is online.
Reason #2: Chat logs
Chat logs are great, but who actually utilizes them? It creates a million files on your computer, all in unique formats, and unless you just closed the window, it's nearly impossible to find what you are looking for. Not with GTalk. GTalk logs all of your chats directly into your Gmail account. Just click "Chats" on the menu to the left. Every conversation you've ever had is logged.
Best of all, they're completely searchable, using Google! So you may actually find what you're looking for. So next time you fly across country and forget to write down the phone number, hop online and search the logs. At a public computer and the log isn't on your computer? Not a problem, because they're all on Gmail, no matter which client you use, or if you go through the web. Every connection to GTalk is logged.
Ok, so say you're bitching about your boss to another employee who you pretend to be friends with, but don't really trust him. You can choose to take your chat off the record, and from that point forward it will not be logged to either you or your "friends'" chat log. It will be like it never happened.
Reason #3: It stores names
Can't remember who E#042 l33t 9230jf3 is? Well you can change their display name, and it's... get this... stored server-side! While some programs (iChat) allow you to change their display names, it's stored locally on your computer. Years of seeing Bald Fool pop up on your list makes those who time you login and get a message from CamFu very awkward. Who the hell is this? With Google Talk, you change the name, and it's on the server and will show up no matter where you login.
Reason #4: Voicemail
Have a loved one who is too far away to call? Leave them a voicemail with GTalk. Record them a message and it will show up as an MP3 file in their Gmail account, which they can download and put on their iPod if they wish.
Reason #5: Embedded Photo Galleries and YouTube
Never thought you would see a web IM program with so many features? Try the GTalk gadget. When you are sent a link to a Flickr or Picasa Web Album, it automatically allows you to browse the gallery from in your chat window.
http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4191/4298/1600/329117/Flickr%20in%20Google%20Talk.jpg
Add a YouTube or Google Video URL, and it automatically loads the picture preview of the video and name, and you can watch it directly in your chat window. Want to see more? Watch this. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPTP3rXKHvc)
And of course, GTalk supports voice chat, buddy pictures, and file sending. Switch now, if you use Gmail, you already have an account. So use it, invite your friends, boycott AIM.
Thank you.
Now I know some of you guys ventured out a few times to try ICQ, MSN, and Yahoo! at some point, and the world found their way back to AIM. That's understandable, because those have nothing to offer, and AIM has the userbase. But it's time to switch, to switch to GTalk and give AIM the boot.
Reason #1: It's open source
GTalk uses Jabber, an open-source chat server. With Jabber, you enter a chat server (ie. talk.google.com, or even gametavern.net) and your username, and you're set. Many servers have Jabber support, I could install it on my sites and run my own private server. But the real beauty of Jabber is that it's an open-source technology, so it gets tons of support from various IM programs. I personally use iChat, you may use Trillian or another Jabber-compatible program already. Pretty much every decent IM program out there supports Jabber, so you have a wide selection in clients.
Reason #2: You can access it from anywhere
Don't want to use a Jabber based client? Fine. Feel free to download the Google Talk Client (http://dl.google.com/googletalk/googletalk-setup.exe) which is ad-free and only 1.5MB in size. No news tickers, no ads, no bloat.
Don't want to run a client? Feel free to Launch the GTalk Gadget (http://www.google.com/talk/). A simple browser window that allows for full-featured support of Google Talk. Did I mention full-featured? It has everything. Too inconvenient? Add the following HTML to any webpage to include a launch GTalk button, perfect for your homepage:
<script src='http://talkgadget.google.com/talkgadget/button'></script>
If you use Google's personalized homepage, click here (http://fusion.google.com/add?moduleurl=http%3A//www.google.com/ig/modules/googletalk.xml) to add GTalk to your homepage.
Use FireFox and want to have a GTalk client always open in your browser window? Right-Click Here (http://talkgadget.google.com/talkgadget/popout), Select "Bookmark this Link," then "Create In: Bookmarks Toolbar." Next open the Bookmarks menu from the Firefox menu bar, right click on the Google Talk bookmark entry, and select "Properties." In the menu that opens, check the box that says: "Load this bookmark in the sidebar."
http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4191/4298/1600/646710/Google%20Talk%20in%20Sidebar.jpg
Amazing? But I'm not done. Open up your Gmail account and on the left side of the window, you're Gmail contact list is there. Double click on a name and you're chatting, right inside Gmail. Great for quick questions when you don't want to log-in and see if someone is online.
Reason #2: Chat logs
Chat logs are great, but who actually utilizes them? It creates a million files on your computer, all in unique formats, and unless you just closed the window, it's nearly impossible to find what you are looking for. Not with GTalk. GTalk logs all of your chats directly into your Gmail account. Just click "Chats" on the menu to the left. Every conversation you've ever had is logged.
Best of all, they're completely searchable, using Google! So you may actually find what you're looking for. So next time you fly across country and forget to write down the phone number, hop online and search the logs. At a public computer and the log isn't on your computer? Not a problem, because they're all on Gmail, no matter which client you use, or if you go through the web. Every connection to GTalk is logged.
Ok, so say you're bitching about your boss to another employee who you pretend to be friends with, but don't really trust him. You can choose to take your chat off the record, and from that point forward it will not be logged to either you or your "friends'" chat log. It will be like it never happened.
Reason #3: It stores names
Can't remember who E#042 l33t 9230jf3 is? Well you can change their display name, and it's... get this... stored server-side! While some programs (iChat) allow you to change their display names, it's stored locally on your computer. Years of seeing Bald Fool pop up on your list makes those who time you login and get a message from CamFu very awkward. Who the hell is this? With Google Talk, you change the name, and it's on the server and will show up no matter where you login.
Reason #4: Voicemail
Have a loved one who is too far away to call? Leave them a voicemail with GTalk. Record them a message and it will show up as an MP3 file in their Gmail account, which they can download and put on their iPod if they wish.
Reason #5: Embedded Photo Galleries and YouTube
Never thought you would see a web IM program with so many features? Try the GTalk gadget. When you are sent a link to a Flickr or Picasa Web Album, it automatically allows you to browse the gallery from in your chat window.
http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4191/4298/1600/329117/Flickr%20in%20Google%20Talk.jpg
Add a YouTube or Google Video URL, and it automatically loads the picture preview of the video and name, and you can watch it directly in your chat window. Want to see more? Watch this. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPTP3rXKHvc)
And of course, GTalk supports voice chat, buddy pictures, and file sending. Switch now, if you use Gmail, you already have an account. So use it, invite your friends, boycott AIM.
Thank you.