http://zdnet.com.com/2100-1104-5168991.html

Benign or not, the software and the controversy it has sparked highlight growing sensitivity among consumers over unexpected surprises accompanying free software downloads over the Net--and the potential backlash facing companies that seek to quietly gather data on their customers.

I see AOL busy upsetting consumers as ussual. It's just another reason why I use the minimalist http://www.miranda-im.org

Anyone using an alternative solution? Is anyone bothered about so called spyware?

I guess this thread deserves a mention about Trillian, but MSN messenger can handle all my contacts so thats what I use...

Yahoo is the best I've seen.

I use MSN. Trillian is just too wierd for me. :p

Don't those multiple-IM things get shut down every week because the companies make a new update making them obsolete?

Originally posted by cgannon64
Don't those multiple-IM things get shut down every week because the companies make a new update making them obsolete?

Trillian never got shut-down for me, and is VERY useful if you use Yahoo, MSN, etc.

I still have it, but I don't use it any more because all I really use is IRC.

I don't trust messaging programs made by large corporations.

That's why I use Microsoft's MSN! :D

That's why I didn't upgrade :D

Actually it's more reason to be glad.

I didn't upgrade because adware problems are preventing me from downloading any file or document(html included) larger than about 65k, so at least for now my problems aren't getting worse.

I use trillian, for convenience. Yahoo, AIM, ICQ, & MSN all in one package, so I don't have to have four different IM programs open.

They seem to do pretty good with updating the connections. Since I've started using it (again) a couple of weeks ago, it hasn't been disconnected yet.

Originally posted by cgannon64
Don't those multiple-IM things get shut down every week because the companies make a new update making them obsolete? Miranda has never been shut down.

Miranda supports
Jabber (Jabber Agents support: ICQ, AOL, MSN, YIM)
ICQ
AOL
MSN
YIM
IRC (weak plugin)
and maybe others (lots of plugins).

I used to use Trillian but abandoned it when they went Pro and broke with what I consider honourable intent. Ultimately they are taking advantage of privately owned networks and now they expect to be paid for these actions! pftftf!

Odigo is another multi-im solution, more like Jabber though (with network agents). There are lots of Jabber clients (some are very user friendly, other are more techy). Jabber has more members than ICQ. Jabber is the future ;)

Originally posted by Strider
I still have it, but I don't use it any more because all I really use is IRC. Trillian started as an IRC client :hmm:

Moved to Comp Talk.

I use mIRC. That's enough for me.

Originally posted by stormbind
Miranda has never been shut down.
I used to use Trillian but abandoned it when they went Pro and broke with what I consider honourable intent. Ultimately they are taking advantage of privately owned networks and now they expect to be paid for these actions! pftftf!
No they don't. They ask that you pay a small fee to get additional features and services that none of those free networks offer. They need to pay their bills somehow. Besides, there is still the free version.

Multiple-IM clients HAVE been shut down before. Yahoo changed its authentication stuff so it was impossible for Trillian to connect to its server - it was crashing it. I think that all multiple-IM clients had trouble with that. Trillian did come out with patch F, which fixed it.