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Community Newsletter: Q&A: 3/3/06 What's the best instant messenger?
- 3/2/06 6:50 PM
Same here
by wresnick - 3/3/06 12:10 PM In reply to: The less identity you throw out there, the better by kschangThere is a radio talk show host in Los Angeles who shares my name. In the earlier days of the Internet, around 1994, I understood why people would occasionally assume that it was unlikely for somebody else with that name to have a website. But I still get an occasional comment asking me about something I said on my radio show.
My website says nothing about a radio show, except for a disclaimer saying that I don't have one. But it doesn't stop people from leaving comments about my show in my guestbook.
That depends
by wresnick - 3/3/06 12:07 PM In reply to: What is the problem with using your real name? by saulbejaranoIf you are a minor, it makes sense to take steps to hide your identity to the maximum extent possible, if you may be communicating with strangers.
But it was more convenient for me to use a handle that was not readily identifiable as mine when communicating in public forums for other reasons. On a former job, there were specific rules for outside communications. It was not practical for me to run every comment by somebody to get it approved for publication if it were meant for an Internet forum. Due to the nature of my work, if I stated an off the cuff opinion about anything, it could have been misconstrued as the opinion of my company, and could have come back to bite them. They did not want some lawyer standing up in court asking, "Isn't it true that Mr. xxxxxx of your company said the opposite of that on July 15th?"
It's not that people from my company would have been expected to be giving off the cuff opinions that were wrong, but it was also not reasonable to expect that we would research everything we posted to make sure that our statistics were exactly in line with our research and so forth.
one word
by 0wnz - 3/3/06 2:10 PM In reply to: That depends by wresnickData mining. Theres a huge load of information on the interent, and all of it can be mathematically conected using statistics and trends. That said, the less personal information there is on the internet about you, the better. Even though I highly doubt anybody is pouring over this information specifically trying to hurt you, its just safer to keep anonymous.
GAIM BABY!
by stealthguitar - 3/3/06 5:40 AM In reply to: 3/3/06 What's the best instant messenger? by Marc Bennett
I've used instant messaging for many years, MSN, AIM, yahoo. I have friends in each one that just stick to that and that's great...but since having 4 IM clients running all the time is a dog to my computer, I ran Trillian 2.0 for some time. When it was time to upgrade to V3 that was just as bad, if not WORSE than running all the individual chat clients at once! Trillian was hardcore on my computer but I tollerated it because it had all the plugins and looked great. Then I found GAIM. Quick to load, had a bunch of great plugins, and the options seem endless because of it's ''open source'' approach. Do a google search for GAIM and once you've goet that all figured out, search for GAIM plugins. Enjoy it! Only downside, when doing a video/audio chat I have to either 1. call on the phone or 2. open up yahoo (or other) which has this. But since I use instant messaging more to insant message most of the time....this works for me 
I believe GAIM does have an "unofficial" version that supports some of these features also but won't be in the main version until all bugs are worked out 
Instant Messaging - Personal or Business Use ???
by MENINBLK - 3/3/06 8:08 AM In reply to: GAIM BABY! by stealthguitarHi,
I have been an avid used of IM for years.
It's great when you want to contact a friend or relative that is often on their PC.
The one thing I've always considered is that
IM is NOT a replacement for the telephone.
Yes, we have our smilies, and emoticons,
but nothing replaces the sound of one's voice.
Recently, my employer started a policy that I don't agree with,
but they leave me little choice in the decision.
They have moved to using IM as a way of decreasing their telephone expenses,
and the require ALL PERSONNEL to log into their IM when they are at work,
regardless of your location, main office, home office, or mobile office.
I didn't agree with the policy, and I still don't.
I am very wary of the things I run on my PC and how I use them.
I also keep my PC as secure as Fort Knox.
So I've come across a dillema and a solution...
I run the IM of their choice on the PC that they supply to me.
This way, if it infects a PC , it's theirs.
If it grabs some sensitive information, it was grabbed from their PC not mine.
I leave every possible loophole covered by the fact that it runs only on THEIR corporate equipment.
So now I have a new question.
Since it is connected to my HOME NETWORK, what are the risks of something spreading to my Fort Knox workstations ?
What do I need to be running to make sure my NETWORK isn't a carrier of unmentionables ???
Instant Messaging - Personal/Business vs Network Security
by schlice - 3/4/06 10:57 PM In reply to: Instant Messaging - Personal or Business Use ??? by MENINBLKYou've posed two totally different questions: employers using open IM clients to run business communications over, and how to keep your home network secure.
Most employers who REQUIRE users to use IM will host their own IM server on the company's LAN (usually a Jabber server) and run an in-house client, not visible from the Big I, such as a ''SameTime'' setup, or something of that ilk. Contains all the same features of AIM, but it's internal to your company's network. It's rare to find a company that authorizes, not to mention mandates, employees use a network outside of their own. It's just asking for all sorts of legal trouble.
Now, as for your second question. I can understand the dangers you are concerned about. Corporations mandate so much software be placed on their gear that you have no idea what it's doing to your network or the other machines on it. You want to make sure that you're covering all the bases when you set up your home systems. To that end, there are several things you can do to help keep your network safe:
1. Run virus scanners on everything. It almost goes without saying these days, but if it's connected to the Internet, run a virus scanner and update it daily. Heck, run two. Now, as was mentioned in the winning answer, IM clients are generally safe to run, but their software is quite bloated, the unified clients being the notable exceptions (I'm a Trillian junkie). Be wary, though, of strangers IM'ing you and asking you to ''check out their webcam by clicking this link'' or ''you've just won the lottery, click here to claim your prize.'' Chances are, you didn't win the lottery.
2. On your Fort Knox machines, run personal firewall software, even if you're behind a hardware firewall. Your work PC may be trying to communicate with your home PC's without your consent. A good software firewall (try ZoneAlarm) will alert you any time anything tries to communicate with that PC.
That's probably all you'll need to do from a base level. From here on out, we're getting into some really paranoid setups, so be warned, this is not for the faint-hearted.
3. Set up two subnets, and don't bridge them. From your hardware firewall, you could set up two networks, a 192.168.1.X network, and a 192.168.2.X network, where your work laptop would be on one subnet, and your Fort Knox machines would be on another. Your hardware firewall at 192.168.1.1 would still be the gateway for both networks, but there would be no routes from the .1 network to the .2 network, and vice versa (Now, network junkies will balk because there will be one host route from 192.168.2.X to 192.168.1.1, but I'm trying not to get lost in the weeds here). Therefore, you could logically isolate the work laptop from the other machines.
3. If you still are uneasy about subnetting, you can set up a DMZ. This solution requires TWO hardware firewalls connected in series between your ISP's connection and your Fort Knox systems. The space between the 1st and 2nd firewalls is known as the DMZ. You will connect your work laptop there. This setup will allow your work laptop to communicate freely with the Internet, but any attempts to communicate with anything beyond the second firewall will stop there. Your Fort Knox machines will be isolated from anything connected in the DMZ, but will still be able to communicate freely with the Big I. Note, though, that there may be issues with NAT and such between the two firewalls, so such a setup may be challenging.
HTH
Cheers
CJ
GAIM
by DuhStorm - 3/3/06 8:47 AM In reply to: GAIM BABY! by stealthguitarWow! Color me converted from my Trillian religion! Thanks
Lori
My best IM
by bbqsmoke - 3/3/06 5:41 AM In reply to: 3/3/06 What's the best instant messenger? by Marc Bennett
I have friends on all three major IM's so I download Trillian and now see all of them with 1 program. Works for me.
Lee
IM's
by pipercub1941 - 3/3/06 6:17 AM In reply to: 3/3/06 What's the best instant messenger? by Marc Bennett
Hi just to put my 2 cents in, i use Paltalk as my prefered Im. It has chat rooms, private messaging, the best audio and also live video for a paid subscription which can be used in a private audio chat or to see other members. Have a great time and enjoy your retirement as i am doing since 1994.
whats the best instant messenger?
by erinblankenship - 3/3/06 6:47 AM In reply to: 3/3/06 What's the best instant messenger? by Marc Bennett
Am I missing something or did you not answer the question? the question was ,whats the best instant messenger and what is your response. just give the name nothing more please
Waste of time in general
by carlos20031 - 3/3/06 6:49 AM In reply to: 3/3/06 What's the best instant messenger? by Marc Bennett
Another marketing ploy inundating the air waves,
Just because something is available doesn't mean you have to use it. Judging by the content of "conversations" seen on IM's it has become the domain of babblers with too much time in their hands. It's adictive and serves very little purpose. Unless someone is deaf-mute I'd say: use the phone! And for those who argue that IM can used worldwide for free - make new friends,etc - as opposed to phone charges: What is the benefit of having met someone you IM with in Timbuctu if you'd probably never meet? Socially, it's a step backward, a world plagued with fake names, sometimes fake people and worst, making the user believe that cyber interaction is the same as real life, face to face conversations.
Finally, unless you correspond with people you know, whatever you read and no matter what they say, it'll forever be subject to question.
Not to mention those who IM with their phones, that's the ultimate travesty. Comparing this to CB it's not fair. While CB was limited and sometimes missused, it had an immediacy, especially on the road in case of emergencies, that IM can't provide. By the way, CB was replaced by cell phones. Cell phones carry voice. Why type? And, can someone lend me chicken toes to do it?
I Agree
by Josh3 - 3/3/06 7:46 AM In reply to: Waste of time in general by carlos20031To tell the truth I think that IM and chat in general is a blight on civilization.
and this isn't?
by wresnick - 3/3/06 12:33 PM In reply to: Waste of time in general by carlos20031I could just as easily argue that the telephone is a waste of time, since people use it for mundane chat. When it first came out, it was derided for causing marriages to break up and allowing people to contact their lovers. It wasn't much different from what people were saying about the Internet just a few years ago.
The reality is that you are confusing tools with their users. IM can be a productivity tool.
Back in the 1970s and 1980s, mainframe users could send messages. All messages were instant, and they provided a good way to contact a coworker who was online, and was better than the phone in several respects. You might not have known what office the person was in, and the person might have even been dialed into the system, in which case, his phone was tied up. People in my office had laptops (DOS based with a single floppy and no hard drive) long before we had cell phones. But a small terminal emulator and dialup software allowed us to communicate, and run needed software on the mainframe.
In addition to messages, we could also send notes. Those were the equivalent of what we now call email messages. But a note went to the person's inbasket, and he or she might not have seen it right away. However, at least the person knew instantly that a note was there. We didn't have kludges such as POP3, so if a person was on-line, as soon as a note was sent, the person saw a message. Messages were the type of things that we now see pop up with an OK button, but they also could have been sent by a user or by the computer operator. (i.e. the person running the mainframe) So "you've got mail" was a message. (Actually our equivalent of that was a cryptic message referring to a spool file number and who it was from.)
Back then, it was used 100% for business, or at least any chit chat was no more likely than it would have been in any office. But chit chat was better suited to in-person situations where there was no audit trail.
When AIM came out, I jumped on it. It was bundled with Netscape in the beginning, and most people probably had no idea what it could be used for. But I told others in my office, and we all installed it. It became far easier than using the mainframe messaging, since it was in a stand-alone window with a pane for the conversation and one for writing messages. And since we were all regular users of messaging, there was nothing to learn and nobody to convince.
I still use it, but not for idle chit chat. I use it if I need to ask my wife a quick question at work, and don't want to interrupt her with a phone call. With IM, she can get back to it in a few minutes as time permits. It's a lot easier than leaving voice mail, for which she has to go through voice menus, and cannot have a real record of things. If I IM her a URL, or a phone number that can be pasted into an address book, it's far more practical than hoping that the transcription went well over the phone. And since my former co-workers are still in my buddy list, I could get in touch with them if I needed to without having to track down their phone numbers, or figure out where they went if they changed jobs.
One thing I can't stand is if somebody calls me on the phone, and during the conversation, asks me something which I could easily IM but can't because the other person's client isn't on. If somebody called me right now and asked about this thread, an IM would be the easiest way to get the person here.
The best IM
by Dena Yuriga - 3/3/06 1:03 PM In reply to: Waste of time in general by carlos20031I agree with you "Waste of time in general"; chatting with strangers that you may never even meet or want to meet is a waste of time. The way to meet people is by doing things that you enjoy doing & going to places you enjoy going to. You are sure that at least you have something in common. In other words get a life. Where I disagree, is using messenger instead of the telephone. I have sons in Europe, Arizona, & Florida. I am retired, widowed, senior citizen on a fixed income. Only one of my sons can afford phone calls, so it is the one way that I can always reach them. Every day if I wish. I use Yahoo because all of my children and distant friends and relatives use it. They get my offline messages too. Having a hobby of photography, I take all the family photos at our regular holiday reunions and yahoo makes it easy to send them to every one.
Amen!
by aimeeh2oski - 3/5/06 6:28 PM In reply to: Waste of time in general by carlos20031I was beginning to wonder if I was the only one who felt this way. I'm 36 and I work on the web for a living, so I'm not an "old-timer" or against adopting new technologies. But when I'm online, I'm on for a reason: lots to research, no time to waste chit-chatting. IM would be a HUGE pain in the butt. I have no use for it. I can see it being useful if you're working from home and you need to converse with a co-worker about work-related issues during work hours. Outside of that, call or email!
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