Aqua-Soft ForumsSomeone has developed an OSCAR plugin for Miranda, meaning that, among other things, you can finally read away messages (without using some kind of bizarre Jabber go-between technique.)
http://www.snaphat.com/oscar.php
But first, a quick anecdote. So, I was using AIM today, and I got a message from the AOL System Message thing.
AOL System Msg (2:24:07 PM): AIM added a new AIM Bots group to your Buddy List.AOL System Msg (2:24:07 PM): Send IMs to moviefone and shoppingbuddy for great holiday flicks and gift ideas. (To remove 'em, just right-click and delete! Learn More)
EXCUSE me?!?!?! Not only did AOL send me a ridiculous ad about something that no one would find useful, they had the nerve to actually modify my contact list without asking me. And were so patronizing as to suggest that I should be grateful for such a service.
What a complete, utter disgrace. I absolutely cannot wait until AOL goes bankrupt and the dry, black mass that used to be Steve Case's heart finally shrivels into oblivion and he is at last reunited with his his eternal lover, Satan.
Anyway, the point of my story was that I went back to investigating whether or not Miranda would be a viable option. For the longest time, OSCAR/the ability to check away messages was an absolute requirement, so Miranda was never an option, just, "oh, that's a nice program, too bad it's a TOC (simple AIM protocol) client." And with the wonderful technique presented by Pe8er for mimicking iChat bubbles (here), it was even more of a disappointment that Miranda had that one, ultimate flaw.
But with the alpha plugin linked above, OSCAR and away messages are finally a reality. I've now completely ditched AIM, gotten rid of DeadAIM, and my instant messaging experience could not be better. The only thing missing is file transfers, but it seems like the developer responsible for the OSCAR plugin is doing some good work and is making excellent progress. So, I would imagine that file transfers/the rest of the features not yet implemented will be around in no time.
So, my sincere thanks to Snaphat, and to the developers of Miranda for making such a great customizable IM client, and to Pe8er and the makers of ieview/tabsrmm for making it that much better. And it is my sincere hope that work like this marks another progression toward the downfall of AOL, an organization that is good for absolutely nothing and that nobody will ever miss.
thanks again