[Pidgin] #7358: get online status of skype contacts in pigin

[Pidgin]

#7358: get online status of skype contacts in pigin
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 Reporter:  daniela_waranie  |     Owner:  lschiere
     Type:  enhancement      |    Status:  new     
Component:  unclassified     |   Version:  2.5.2   
 Keywords:                   |  
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 First of all:
 I know the skype protocol is not open and can not be implemented in pidgin
 at the moment. I know as long as the skype protocol is closed source code
 we are not able to replace skype by pidgin. But maybe we can prevent us
 from runing skype parallel to pidgin the whole time.

 You can see the online status of a skype contact via web:

 {{{
 http://mystatus.skype.com/mediumicon/theSkypeContactNameHere
 }}}

 I know this works only if the contact activates an option in skype to
 publish his status online.

 I would like to see in pidgin if a skype contact is online.
 You should be able to add a fake 'skype account' in pidgin with a fake
 'skype protocol'. You should be able to add a buddy
 'theSkypeContactNameHere' for this fake skype account and add it to a
 group. Pidgin should get the online status for skype contacts via the
 above URL. Returned information of the above URL is a image/png. To detect
 what status was returned pidgin can compair the image with a set of
 expected images or just by checking the file size. Online is 579 Bytes,
 Offline is 491 Bytes and so on.

 Now i´m able to set a pounce to this contact, but without 'send a message'
 and the '...typing' pounces. Very powerful i think.

 When the skype contact is online pidgin can be the skype launcher to start
 the chat (instant messaging session) by executing:

 {{{
 'skype:theSkypeContactNameHere?chat'
 }}}


 This prevent me having skype active all the time. I know as long as my
 skype is not online other skype user can not see that i´m online. That is
 ok for me. Maybe someone knows how to set my skype online status without
 using the skype client... (could be a further improvement).

 I know it is not a full solution but one step to get more of skype
 integrated in pidgin. Pidgin could be the first multi messanger with skype
 (partly) integrated.

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Ticket URL: <http://developer.pidgin.im/ticket/7358>
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