QQ semi-problem and other questions

[Kevin Stange]

q10 wrote:
> Hello:
> 
> Thank you Pidgin dev team for fixing some QQ connection problems; my
> account can connect to QQ w/o message saying how I got a wrong
> password.  BUT this only works for one of my QQ accounts, and I think it
> only worked when I set Pidgin up as Pidgin-Portable.  When I tried with
> standard installation, it didn't seem to work.  Also, I have a second QQ
> account that cannot log in, even w/ Pidgin portable mode on.  Please fix
> this selective-log-in problem in Pidgin

It is unlikely that the fact you were using portable Pidgin was the
specific reason for the difference, but I am not familiar with the QQ
protocol plugin so I cannot speak to any issues with it.

> On the other hand, please add a buddy search+add capability for
> protocols that have this feature.  Ex. you can search for a buddy IM
> based on their email address (from AIM) or you can search from
> city/name/occupation (from QQ)

Not all protocols support this.  It has been implemented for XMPP and
AIM.  If QQ does support it, people familiar with the protocol are
needed to properly implement this.  Please keep in mind that most of our
development team does not use QQ so any way you can provide help
expanding the plugin would be greatly appreciated.

> One more thing - when you add Yahoo buddies into your buddy list, do you
> put down the username+"@yahoo.com <http://yahoo.com>" or just username? 
> What about accounts that use yahoo.cn <http://yahoo.cn> or some other
> internationalization of Yahoo?

Use the screen name part, no @ or domain name.

> Is there a way to minimize chat windows into the system tray in Windows
> also (kinda like in Trillian)?

There may be a plugin in the Purple Plugin Pack that allows you to hide
conversations, but I don't know that it will do exactly what you want.
I'm not familiar with any such plugins specifically that do, but you
could always write one.

> Will there be support for the Skype protocol?  I mean I know you guys
> don't like to support proprietory networks, but open-source needs to
> connect with proprietory to outcompete it.  Besides, even GTalk is
> announcing support for Skype, and MyspaceIM already has support for it. 
> Maybe reverse-engineer MyspaceIM? ;-) At the very least, please include
> a Skype .dll that utilizes Skype (like Trillian SkyLlian and MirandaIM
> SkypeOut) with the full installation of Pidgin.

We cannot distribute or link to anything related to Skype's proprietary
software as it violates are license to do so.

Your examples of Google Talk and MySpace IM are both references to
closed-source applications, not released under the GPL, so their
policies with respect to distributing and/or linking to closed source
libraries can be much different.

If you can produce a Skype plugin that does not violate our license
directly or in spirit, you are welcome to develop that plugin out of
tree and we'll mention its existence on our web site.

By "in spirit" I mean that we have expressed the concern that attempting
to use indirect methods of linking to the Skype library to access their
protocol may not be a technical violation of our license, but aims to
circumvent the spirit of the GPL in terms of open development of
"connected" software and would not receive our blessing.

Finally, we are not in a position of competition with closed source
products.  So your argument about outcompeting closed technology is
moot.  We believe in collaboration and open IM standards.  We hope
you'll find Pidgin and libpurple useful, but we're not trying to corner
the market here.

Kevin

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