Comment I say ESR is wrong, for once (Score 1) 277
I am fairly certain that AOL did not change their IM protocol because they wanted to "limit consumer options" and make it so only AIM users could use the IM protocol. Rather, AOL had a somewhat-legitimite reason for doing what it did.
IM clients must access a database which tells users who is logged on, who is ide, etc. Currently, this database is only located on AOL's own servers. Servers cost money, not only to buy, but also to maintain and upgrade. With 20 (?) million users, this server has to be tuned tightly. I think we can all reasonably assume that this maintaining this server takes more than just an AOL janitor kicking it until it works.
Agreed, AOL should not mutilate standards for its own gain, but I can understand why they would be pissed about other IM clients using their servers. M$ and other IM client-making companies should create their own servers and work with AOL to develop some sort of back-end protocol for inter-server cooperation. Either that, or they could all pay AOL a fee for the added load. I'm sure there are other, better ways of solving this, also...
Umph.
-MRcow
IM clients must access a database which tells users who is logged on, who is ide, etc. Currently, this database is only located on AOL's own servers. Servers cost money, not only to buy, but also to maintain and upgrade. With 20 (?) million users, this server has to be tuned tightly. I think we can all reasonably assume that this maintaining this server takes more than just an AOL janitor kicking it until it works.
Agreed, AOL should not mutilate standards for its own gain, but I can understand why they would be pissed about other IM clients using their servers. M$ and other IM client-making companies should create their own servers and work with AOL to develop some sort of back-end protocol for inter-server cooperation. Either that, or they could all pay AOL a fee for the added load. I'm sure there are other, better ways of solving this, also...
Umph.
-MRcow
