AOL opens AIM and ICQ instant messaging protocols

ICQ soooooo nostalgic, who still uses ICQ?

I wonder why the makers of ICQ never predicted Facebook, they had the opportunity to improve the Interface, increase the features in a nice manner, and becoming facebook!

I dont know why they stuck themselve into the narrow one column interface thingie! They just cluttered their interface sooooo much

They so desperately needed to think outside the box, literaly

As the comment to the post says, "Open" is meaningless.

http://dev.aol.com/aim/license

Among other things, like requiring you implement certain features, it says:

"AOL will issue you one or more alphanumeric software keys that are uniquely associated with your Screen Name and your Application(s) (the "Open AIM Keys") to enable you to access the Tools you will use to build your Developer Application(s). During the registration process for access to and/or download of the Tools associated with a given Application or Applications (as set forth below), you will be prompted to identify to AOL certain information describing your development and intended use of the relevant Applications, including the URL of your Site."

Sounds like they're about 6 years too late; everyone has already reverse engineered both of those protocols.

People still use AIM? The client turned into a gigantic epileptic-fit inducing billboard.

IRC or Jabber. You're done.

This means everyone can use AIM and ICQ via the Jabber gateways: http://www.process-one.net/en/blogs/article/openaim_aol_is_o...

I think Meebo and projects like Gaim/Penguin make this announcement a little less significant

I'd really like to see someone mesh together IM and SMS in a seamless way. Probably won't happen while mobile phone carriers are charging per-SMS, though.

It probably bring a lot of opportunity to build new interesting services.