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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Someone mentioned SMS, which has good sides, but also bad, like:<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:20.4pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">       
</span></span></span><![endif]><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">How to use it on a Windows PC? I know Skype can send SMS, not sure about receiving.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraph" style="margin-left:20.4pt;text-indent:-18.0pt;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1">
<![if !supportLists]><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">-<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman"">       
</span></span></span><![endif]><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">It is not problem free. For example currently I can't send SMS to a certain contact due to some bug in the iPhome Messages app. Also, some providers charge per
 message.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><br>
(2) Try Delta Chat (<a href="https://delta.chat/">https://delta.chat/</a>). This is a chat app that uses standard email as its transport medium. I must admit that I have not yet tested it but the idea seems sound and of course won't just disappear (yet!). There's
 a Delta Chat plugin for Pidgin, I see.<br>
<br>
<br>
</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Incidentally, the same contact has currently major problems receiving email messages, as the mail server is refusing some incoming messages (due to spam detector "recognizing"
 them as spam).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">Skype is what I would recommend for a more or less reliable service (there is a Pidgin plugin, using Skypes web interface, haven't used it myself), although I have login/logout
 problems in last few week on one of my devices (others work fine).<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US">I guess there is not perfect solution.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">David Balažic<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">Lead Engineer<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D">www.comtrade.com<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#1F497D;mso-fareast-language:EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color:windowtext">From:</span></b><span lang="EN-US" style="color:windowtext"> Support [mailto:support-bounces@pidgin.im]
<b>On Behalf Of </b>Mark Rousell<br>
<b>Sent:</b> 6. November 2019 10:32<br>
<b>To:</b> support@pidgin.im<br>
<b>Subject:</b> Re: Demise of Google Hangouts?<o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On 05/11/2019 22:49, Phil Smith III wrote:<br>
<br>
<span style="font-size:12.0pt"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<blockquote style="margin-top:5.0pt;margin-bottom:5.0pt">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F4E79">It’s been reported that Google is killing end-user Hangouts in 2020:</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F4E79"><a href="https://www.cnet.com/news/google-hangouts-gets-hung-out-to-dry-in-2020-report-says/">https://www.cnet.com/news/google-hangouts-gets-hung-out-to-dry-in-2020-report-says/</a></span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F4E79"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;color:#1F4E79">Some of us are irritated because we just moved off of AIM. I don’t care which service it is, I just need it to work—my wife is housebound and uses it a lot to communicate with me from her PC
 when I’m out and about. (Yes, text-to-email works, but then she has to keep checking for responses in email; Pidgin flashes/beeps). What else are people using that both Pidgin on Windows and Android phones support?</span><o:p></o:p></p>
</blockquote>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:12.0pt;font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"><br>
It's frustrating, isn't it.<br>
<br>
There are two solutions I'd recommend:<br>
<br>
(1) Run your own XMPP server. This is not as bad as it sounds. If you have a static IP DSL/broadband line you can run it on that perfectly well or you can get a cheap cloud/VPS. I'd recommend Openfire as the server software:
<a href="https://www.igniterealtime.org/projects/openfire/">https://www.igniterealtime.org/projects/openfire/</a><br>
<br>
(2) Try Delta Chat (<a href="https://delta.chat/">https://delta.chat/</a>). This is a chat app that uses standard email as its transport medium. I must admit that I have not yet tested it but the idea seems sound and of course won't just disappear (yet!). There's
 a Delta Chat plugin for Pidgin, I see.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<pre>-- <o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre>Mark Rousell<o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre> <o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre> <o:p></o:p></pre>
<pre> <o:p></o:p></pre>
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