Fun Pidgin

I was just about to log in and request the exact same thing. I know this is bigger than a breadbox development wise, but it sure would make funpidgin the "killer" IM/communication client.

Voice and Video would make funpidgin finally fill in some of the major gaps we see between closed source programs (AIM) and open source apps.

I never understood why this wasn't a priority for the pidgin developers. Maybe they think a video chat is frivolous, but anyone who's been away from family for an extended period knows that it isn't.

this is the only reason that keeps me hesistating when starting pidgin

very very important feature.

some poeple cant even beleive it, an IM without webcam support !!!

I hope it will be implemented soon ....

Pidgin with voice and video would become _the_ definitive IM client on all platforms. I could easily see people replacing WLM with it, if voice and video support were forthcoming.

Pidgin with voice and video would be the best IM client available. Competing with big multi protocol IM's like Trillian it's hard to get people to use open source software. If this feature was included you would have the absolute top notch multi-protocol instant messaging software.

How usable was gaim-vv or pidgin-vv?

I never used it because despite using gaim/pidgin for years and being technically-minded, I've never bothered to install a plugin. The process seems too obtuse, and I didn't want to bother with it. I shudder what to think people who don't even know what a compiler is think. Voice/video needs to work on all supporting protocols without any extra fuss like, yesterday.

The only problem is that isn't easy, and who's going to do it? Then again, if the vv plugins that exist work fine (I haven't tried them?) this should be a high priority for "Funpidgin".

The main developer of pidgin works for google.
Googles main IM client does not support a webcam and never has.
Google suggests Pidgin as their choice for Gtalk on Linux.
They have a debile philosophy that webcam would make a IM client too complicated.

So I think he just got told from his new employer not to implement webcam support.

Before he got a job at google gaim with webcam support was discussed more and it seemd only a question of months when it would find its way into the main client. After he got the job the idea apparently simply died.

I for one am all for the feature but I beg you one thing. If you add large features like this one to the client, make them all disableable at compile-time. I love configurability and I love compiling all the applications so they contain only what I need. If you add this feature, make sure I can do a ./configure --disable-video to keep the client small and efficient if I want to. Add compile options for any other large features as well, this is what would make funpidgin kick-ass for me : ).

the only thing really stopping pidgin..funpidgin :)..to rule the IM space has to be voice support (maybe video too, but that can come later)..but voice support ( i realise will need lot of work) is a necessity....

I would really like that feature. I know you can't implement it for all protocols (supporting it) at the same time, but maybe you could start one by one.

I have to log off pidgin MSN account and start aMSN to make videoconference with some pals and girlfriend. But I really likes pidgin, no aMSN. Is it that difficult to translate that code? They both are free software unde GPL licence. You'd have MSN protocol solved.

Audio/Video would make it the best IM client ever!!

If there is a protocol to start from I suggest MSN.

The webcam support is what is keeping me (and some of my friends) from using pidgin/funpidgin. Right now I'm using aMSN purely because of the webcam support, which in turn stops me from using jabber effectively...

Add this feature and I know many people who would switch. You would have the best IM client out there, no exceptions. The audio conversation support would be very welcome too but for the people I know it's not the number one deciding feature.

Imagine Funpidgin had audio and video support for protocols like Yahoo, MSN and others. Great, right? NOT REALLY. In fact this would be very bad for the users, developers and the project itself.

Why?

Because imediately the closed networks(Yahoo, MSN, etc.) would start protocol changes to keep Funpidgin out. The developers would then write patches, and again the networks would change the protocols, and so on forever. And during this vicious circle the Funpidgin users(that being you and me), would be frequently disconnected from various networks for considerable amounts of time. Meanwhile the developers would have to give up their personal lives to keep making patches round the clock. The Trillian project has had a similar history, crashed and burned and has now been in alpha for 3 years!!!

THE SOLUTION?

Let's multiply our votes for audio and video ONLY over the open networks(Google Talk, WengoPhone or some other you can think of) since they'll never block Funpidgin.

Compared to the Pidgin developers, the Funpidgin team is a goldmine for us users, since they actually want to listen to what we have to say! So let's give them as many votes as possible for something acheavable and also stable in time.

Ok, I'll second that. BUT, the truth is people still need a / v support over some closed networks.

So to find some middle ground here, in adition to the open networks, I suggest each of us should vote for our favourite protocol.

The protocol that gets the most votes will be the only closed network for which Funpidgin will have audio and video.

So here's my vote: Yahoo!

we all just _need_ webcam support! please!

Only one proprietary protocol? :? That sounds silly. What a stupid idea.

In any case, pidgin-vv with it's own internal voice and video (for use over XMPP/Jabber or with Google Talk) will be ready ~soon~. If it makes it into real pidgin right away and gets released, everybody wins. If whatever-vv gets forgotten again, we'll look at the forking-libpurple situation again. But if you want closed protocol support, the current pidgin IM-warriors are better at playing that cat and mouse game with big IM networks :P

Hello,

I'd like to try and implement this ... is there anybody else interested in giving a helping hand ? is the community interested in this ???

Sorin.

Sorry I didn't mean the community ... it's clear from this thread that lots of users want to see this happen ... what I meant was are the main developers interested in this ? I've seen that there's already a GSoC project to get Farsight support for Pidgin ... and that means audio for gtalk at least and maybe more afterwords ...

PLEASE

I have used gaim, then pidgin for years - i used to fire up yahoo for voice, but dont like using it as it is IE based, and it wont run on both my win boxes and lin boxes. there is no way on earth i will ever run the security hole called messenger.
The way i came across carrier says a lot - i am looking for an alternative to pidgin that will give me both v/v and the ability to use OTR.

I am not about to bring this up with the purple devs, as they were unbelievably rude when iu brought up support for older OSs (to allow MANY people with hardware that is just too slow for modern OSs to connect, an egalitarian move, one that supports democracy and communication for the 3rd world etc) my opinion wasnt valid as i am a hardware technician and engineering student, not a programmer, never mind i see more of the end users than they ever will.

Voice/Video support would indeed make pidgin/carrier THE definitive app for IM across all platforms, and would bring the concept of the wonder of open source to the masses in a BIG way.

Purple needs to be forked, it needs to undergo a fundamental paradigm change like that of carrier, to return to the purpose of open source software - freedom, the software working for the users, not the other way round like the big companies foist on us.

If we cant have that then the very point of FOSS is lost, and we may as well just start using closed source.

If someone with the skills sees this - PLEASE PLEASE consider forking purple too, to work for the user, rather than just as somethign for the dev's egos

and huge kudo for the truly open forum too btw

Without the ability to make video calls like on the other major clients (WLM, Y!M, etc), Carrier has nothing of value to offer over Pidgin, so I'll just keep using that.

Having used IMs from the beginning of ICQ all those years ago, I kept moving with the times, not being held back by it. Eventually I came across Gaim/Pidgin and when I discovered Gaim-vv, it was like a dream come true. The IM client with everything. Since then, I've had to resort to closing Pidgin's MSN protocol and opening WLM (yes that's how low I've had to sink) to make a video call.

Video/Voice is the future and Carrier is just too antiquated to consider moving to until this is implemented.

It will be great to have at least voice support!!

I have to wonder if implementing vv is pidgin is easier than porting kopete with vv to gtk.