Pidgin: All Of Your Instant Messaging Networks In One

[Andrey R]

As a computer repair business, it is important to support as many methods of communications with your clients as possible. They can call you, email you, but can they instant message you? There are dozens of instant messaging networks online that have from millions of users to hundreds of millions of users. Some of the larger instant messaging networks are: AIM, Google Talk, MSN/Live, Skype, & Yahoo.

Should you run 3, 10, or more instant messaging clients just to provide your clients with another way to reach you or meet their communication preference? Is it worth the hassle? Running many instant messaging clients isn't practical and it burdens your systems resources. BUT... There is a free solution to this dilemma: Pidgin!



What is Pidgin?

Pidgin is a chat program which lets you log in to accounts on multiple chat networks simultaneously. This means that you can be chatting with friends on MSN, talking to a friend on Google Talk, and sitting in a Yahoo chat room all at the same time.

Pidgin is compatible with the following chat networks out of the box: AIM, ICQ, Google Talk, Jabber/XMPP, MSN Messenger, Yahoo!, Bonjour, Gadu-Gadu, IRC, Novell GroupWise Messenger, QQ, Lotus Sametime, SILC, SIMPLE, MXit, MySpaceIM, and Zephyr. It can support many more with plugins.

Pidgin supports many features of these chat networks, such as file transfers, away messages, buddy icons, custom smilies, and typing notifications. Numerous plugins also extend Pidgin's functionality above and beyond the standard features

Pidgin.im

Pidgin is the solution to not having 10 instant messaging clients open and for giving your customers more ways to contact you. If this is your goal, you will love Pidgin! Of course, Pidgin can also be used for consolidating your personal instant messaging clients.



Download URL:

http://www.pidgin.im/download/



Note:

- Adding your different instant messaging accounts to Pidgin isn't hard, but might be confusing at first. Some instant messaging clients want just the username for the username, while others might use the full email address as the username. It's nothing to worry about, but you might have to play around with it.

- Facebook has provided instructions on how to add facebook chat to Pidgit here: http://www.facebook.com/sitetour/chat.php

- Skype setup help: http://eion.robbmob.com

- For spell-checker help: http://developer.pidgin.im/wiki/Installing%20Pidgin


If you get stuck, feel free to comment on this article and I'll do my best to help you out.

[Bryan G]

I've found the Digsby works better. It takes up very little memory and covers all the IM protocols including facebook unlike the pidgin. I've been using Digsby for years.

It's free and always being improved check it out here @digsby.com

[Andrey R]

Facebook switched to XMPP (Jabber) and works on Pidgin. Pidgin has been working great for me.

Too bad Skype doesn't work (without it also running) on neither...

[pcoverhaul]

I've been using Pidgin for about a year and love it. The facebook plugin has been really handy but I haven't tried the skype plugin yet.

[Andrey R]

The Skype plugin can be annoying if the Skype chat window is up and Pidgin is running (both of them get the IM and beep unless you close skype to tray).
Your Pidgin might be outdated. To use Facebook chat you don't need any extra plugins, only the XMPP settings from: http://www.facebook.com/sitetour/chat.php (then click on Pidgin).

[Bryan G]

I've never tried Pidgin but from what I've been reading it's a pain. With Digsby you don't need to add anything or do anything, it just works with all the IM's including facebook.

As far as the earlier post about using as many IM's as possible for your business, I also run a computer repair business and not only does digsby allow me to chat with customers on whatever client they happen to use, digsby also offers a handy include for your web page so someone on your page can chat with you from there. I have gotten several jobs from people that were on my site and used the digsby include to chat. You can see it here: http://fallspc.com/contact.php

I don't know if it works with skype but I also don't consider skype as an IM, its a video messenger, not instant.