All this Google Talk

So, it seems some people have been surmising that Google, in its non-evil mission to take over the world, is going to take over the IM space. I'm not convinced. All I know is I'm stuck downloading (because I'm compulsive like that) yet another IM client I'll use twice!

Don't get me wrong, I love teh google, but unless they're gonna buy AOL, i don't think it's gonna happen this time. As Microsoft learned to its dismay, people stay where their buddy lists are. Even embedding the thing into the operating system and forcing the goddamn thing to popup every blessed time you peed didn't get people to switch from AIM to MSN—even though the AIM client had fallen woefully behind feature-set-wise.

Let's be realistic, unless AOL trips and unplugs the servers, all your IM base belong to them—despite their near-blinding ineptness. The only thing that could possibly help the others is if AOL agrees to interoperability, which, unless AOL is retarded, won't happen (so there's still a chance).

The one to possibly beware of in IM Land (I think) is MySpace, which would be awful since Ruppert Murdoch is out to rule the world and feed our brains to George Bush. That site just has some weird Jonestown mojo thing going on, but even they would have a hard time knocking AOL off its throne. It's not enough for you to switch, you have to get your 127 350 buddies to switch too. AIM is as ubiquitous in IM as Google is in search.

Face it, AIM is the English language of IM. Using another IM client is like speaking Spanish. Sure, it'll get you extra meat on your burrito, but most of your friends aren't going to understand you.