plans for jabber server ?

jackpipe · 12 Nov 2005, 10:52 PM

I know this may not be a priority after the recent outage issues....

Any plans to add a Jabber service to fastmail? Jabber addresses are based on email addresses, so from an aesthetic point of view, it would be quite nice to be able to quote a 'username@fastmail.fm' or something as an IM address.

jackpipe · 9 Dec 2006, 04:23 PM

I guess not ?

Si1 · 9 Dec 2006, 08:42 PM

A web-based Jabber client integrated into Fastmail's web interface (like Gmail's) would be very cool.

I don't think it's on FM's 'to do' list though; client or server.

robmueller · 11 Dec 2006, 11:52 AM

There's been talk of doing an internal one for ourselves as developers. It's an interesting question whether to extend this to a general one for all users to use. As always, the difference between doing something internally and for all users comes down to scaling it, dealing with abuse, making sure it's reliable, etc.

Personally I'd love to add IM as a feature. While we have concentrated on email, I think a more general "internet communications" view is a good long term goal to look at.

Rob

jackpipe · 12 Dec 2006, 02:28 PM

As I've said in the 'feature requests' forum, this is something I personally would be prepared to pay extra for.
To avoid abuse, I'd maybe set up a server just for paid-members to start with, and initially just a jabber/XMPP server, rather spending a lot of effort on a web interface, etc. Or maybe just do it as a 'beta'.

hadaso · 12 Dec 2006, 03:58 PM

Excuse my ignorant question:

Say FastMail implements such a feature. What can I do with it? Who would I be able to contact with it? Only other FastMail users (or only enhanced?) People that use the same protocol on other services? (I remember that when Google started their Google Talk service based on Jabber people complained that they haven't enabled it to communicate with other Jabber based networks or whatever).

Now say I can use it with many people, not just FastMail customers. Would I have to have just one group of "buddies" or whatever they're called (each IM network seems to have its own terminology) that I have to choose to either expose my online status to all or to none? (E.g. I don't use Skype to communicate with my colleagues/students since then whenever I want my family to see my online status so will everyone else, and although I could just use another account with another fgroup of people, I don't see how I can be "online" on two accounts on the same PC at the same time).

What I know about IM is that its all torn up to different quite incompatible networks, and that the standard tools to handle them are usually dumbed down to the need of the average teenager. This is in contrast to email that uses a generally accepted sets of standards and has lots of very capable and sofisticated tools for handling contacts. I would like to learn otherwise.

kirill · 12 Dec 2006, 04:02 PM

Just don't use it.

robmueller · 13 Dec 2006, 07:02 PM

To be honest, I'm not quite sure how federation works with jabber servers.

Just reading the RFC, seems pretty straight forward. Section 14.4

http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3920.txt

The whole protocol has lots of edges with error handling and XML gumpf. Glad there's servers already out there, though not sure what sort of authentication plugins they have.

Rob

12 Nov 2005, 10:52 PM	#1
jackpipe Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 11	plans for jabber server ? I know this may not be a priority after the recent outage issues.... Any plans to add a Jabber service to fastmail? Jabber addresses are based on email addresses, so from an aesthetic point of view, it would be quite nice to be able to quote a 'username@fastmail.fm' or something as an IM address.

9 Dec 2006, 04:23 PM	#2
jackpipe Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 11	I guess not ?

9 Dec 2006, 08:42 PM	#3
Si1 Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: UK Posts: 590	A web-based Jabber client integrated into Fastmail's web interface (like Gmail's) would be very cool. I don't think it's on FM's 'to do' list though; client or server.

11 Dec 2006, 11:52 AM	#4
robmueller Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 6,102 Representative of: Fastmail.FM	There's been talk of doing an internal one for ourselves as developers. It's an interesting question whether to extend this to a general one for all users to use. As always, the difference between doing something internally and for all users comes down to scaling it, dealing with abuse, making sure it's reliable, etc. Personally I'd love to add IM as a feature. While we have concentrated on email, I think a more general "internet communications" view is a good long term goal to look at. Rob

12 Dec 2006, 02:28 PM	#5
jackpipe Junior Member Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 11	As I've said in the 'feature requests' forum, this is something I personally would be prepared to pay extra for. To avoid abuse, I'd maybe set up a server just for paid-members to start with, and initially just a jabber/XMPP server, rather spending a lot of effort on a web interface, etc. Or maybe just do it as a 'beta'.

12 Dec 2006, 03:58 PM	#6
hadaso The "e" in e-mail Join Date: Oct 2002 Location: Holon, Israel. Posts: 4,863	Excuse my ignorant question: Say FastMail implements such a feature. What can I do with it? Who would I be able to contact with it? Only other FastMail users (or only enhanced?) People that use the same protocol on other services? (I remember that when Google started their Google Talk service based on Jabber people complained that they haven't enabled it to communicate with other Jabber based networks or whatever). Now say I can use it with many people, not just FastMail customers. Would I have to have just one group of "buddies" or whatever they're called (each IM network seems to have its own terminology) that I have to choose to either expose my online status to all or to none? (E.g. I don't use Skype to communicate with my colleagues/students since then whenever I want my family to see my online status so will everyone else, and although I could just use another account with another fgroup of people, I don't see how I can be "online" on two accounts on the same PC at the same time). What I know about IM is that its all torn up to different quite incompatible networks, and that the standard tools to handle them are usually dumbed down to the need of the average teenager. This is in contrast to email that uses a generally accepted sets of standards and has lots of very capable and sofisticated tools for handling contacts. I would like to learn otherwise.

12 Dec 2006, 04:02 PM	#7
kirill Cornerstone of the Community Join Date: Jun 2001 Posts: 879	Just don't use it.

13 Dec 2006, 07:02 PM	#8
robmueller Intergalactic Postmaster Join Date: Oct 2001 Location: Melbourne, Australia Posts: 6,102 Representative of: Fastmail.FM	To be honest, I'm not quite sure how federation works with jabber servers. Just reading the RFC, seems pretty straight forward. Section 14.4 http://www.ietf.org/rfc/rfc3920.txt The whole protocol has lots of edges with error handling and XML gumpf. Glad there's servers already out there, though not sure what sort of authentication plugins they have. Rob