Is there a 'Rosetta Stone' of IM?

April 19, 2007 2:21 PM

I have some contacts on AIM, others on Google Talk, others on MSN messenger. Ideally I'd like to set up an account on all of these, and then if someone sends me a message on one it would be forwarded to the other one I happened to be logged in on; i.e., they send me a message on Google talk and it's automagically forwarded to my MSN messenger account. C'mon MeFites, let's get the construction paper & string & build this thing!
posted by mattholomew to computers & internet (19 comments total)

How about Trillian? or GAIM?

Then you can be logged on all of them at the same time.
posted by ArgentCorvid at 2:26 PM on April 19, 2007

I just use GAIM (now renamed Pidgin).
posted by hindmost at 2:27 PM on April 19, 2007

Pidgin IM

formerly GAIM...
posted by MonkNoiz at 2:28 PM on April 19, 2007

I'm uncertain of any platform that supports Google Talk beside a browser-based page, but Trillian might be something right up your alley.

on preview: ArgentCorvid beat me to it.
posted by numinous at 2:28 PM on April 19, 2007

Thanks for the reccos so far. I should clarify, I'm specifically looking for a solution for the situation where I can only be logged in to one specific service; i.e., the upcoming MSN Messenger support on Xbox 360.
posted by mattholomew at 2:30 PM on April 19, 2007

The free version of Trillian will get you everything but Google Talk. The paid version is a mere $25 and supports any Jabber-based protocol like Google Talk.
posted by phearlez at 2:31 PM on April 19, 2007

If you're on OSX you could rig something up with Automator — incoming message triggers outgoing message (but you'd need a second account for the outgoing messages; I don't think you can send a message to yourself?). I'm not sure if there's an equivalent on PC. If you're looking for a two-way solution (in which you can also respond) you're in need of some higher-level hackery, though.
posted by wemayfreeze at 2:43 PM on April 19, 2007

to my knowledge, there is no way to get competing chat services to forward their ims on to each other. the actual direction of aims from one use to another, for example, is done on a server at aol, so forwarding something would either have to happen at a server level which they're unlikely to provide, or you would have to have a client that somehow, when you receive an aim at a computer logged onto aim with that client, sends the text of that aim to your chosen msn account through another dummy msn account. you would need a client that does this for every service you subscribe to. I am not aware of any such client.

your best bet, if you need to know whether you're getting messages while you're away from your computer on xbox live, is to have each service forward messages via sms to your cell phone.
posted by shmegegge at 2:44 PM on April 19, 2007

I could be wrong, but I don't think there's a specific solution for what you seek-- to be logged only into one service but receive messages from all-- due in part to the IM client war. Everyone wants to be the #1 solution, so most try to have a proprietary protocol and client so you have to use them to the exclusion of others.
posted by sharkfu at 2:44 PM on April 19, 2007

I suppose what I'm getting at is this: if you're looking to receive all your ims on xbox live and be able to reply to them through the msn service on xbox live and have them go back to the appropriate OTHER service accounts, then I don't believe it's possible. sorry, cause that sounds like a pretty badass idea.
posted by shmegegge at 2:47 PM on April 19, 2007

I think meebo.com might do this.
posted by pwally at 2:54 PM on April 19, 2007

shmegegge, you hit it right on the head -- that's exactly what I want to do.
posted by mattholomew at 2:56 PM on April 19, 2007

Its a great idea. If enough other people are into it, I'm willing to look at writing one.
posted by devilsbrigade at 3:09 PM on April 19, 2007

"Jabber developers have created software for gateways to AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), ICQ, MSN Instant Messenger, and Yahoo! Messenger."
posted by sfenders at 3:24 PM on April 19, 2007

Yes, Jabber will do this, but it's the devil's handiwork. Please don't go that way if you value your friends sanity.
posted by blue_beetle at 3:38 PM on April 19, 2007

Rumour has it that Google are working on this very problem. Maybe, right at this minute.
posted by seanyboy at 3:55 PM on April 19, 2007

I know there was a workaround where you can set up Google Talk as Jabber account. I'm sure you can find it if you Google it.
posted by reenum at 4:27 PM on April 19, 2007

Reenum: I don't know if it qualifies as a workaround ... you just use "[e-mail]" as the user. Which is actually exactly what Jabber was meant to do in the first place; Google just calls their implementation "GoogleTalk" and added voice.
posted by spaceman_spiff at 8:08 PM on April 19, 2007

The closest thing to IM interoperability - without really having interoperability, that I know of, is using meebo, signing up all your accounts and then making a meebo account for yourself.
posted by Lynsey at 11:42 AM on April 20, 2007