Google released a brand new instant messaging client last Wednesday. Rumors of Google offering instant messaging have circulated since as far back as 2002, or longer. The more services Google released, the more the site began resembling a web portal; this drew speculation of G offering instant messaging next. By now the idea is hardly remarkable to most of us, but Google usually surprises us.
Hearing that Google finally crossed into instant messaging (IM) caused some confusion and unease. Google’s own mission statement (which we’ve all heard a hundred times) says the company will “organize the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.” A brand new IM client seems like a step backwards from organizing information. So what is the reason for this?
Many people have commented in frustration that we don’t need any more instant messaging programs. With so many separate IM networks, users are fragmented between clients already. The only two solutions to talking to all friends on all networks are (1) download every client and run the programs simultaneously or (2) use a program like Trillian that circumvents running clients by signing into multiple networks (which also may break terms of service).
Gee thanks, Google. I really needed a way to contact my friends.
Google entering chat may mean users will end up fragmented across yet another network, necessitating people run another program to find all their friends. Between adding one more chat service in an internet that has plenty and not obviously having anything to do with their mission statement, some reviewers and users have been very hard on the new chat network. Some have also whined about the simplicity of it, but would you expect anything else from Google?
I have to say that I agreed with a lot of the criticism to start with. But after really checking out Google Talk and exploring it, most of the criticism seems worthless. Before reviewing or getting into the details of the program, I’ll address some of the biggest concerns. Read on, and see why Google Talk is not the junk that some have said it is.
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