Rant: AIM and AOL are evil

Will someone just shoot AOL and put us all out of our misery?

Luckily the AOL dial-up internet service is slowly dying, but they still hold us in their grasps with AIM, also known as AOL Instant Messenger.

I'd say more than half of the people I know use instant messenger, and for a good portion of them, it is one of the primary ways we keep in contact. There are a lot of friends from high school, old classes, or former jobs that I simply wouldn't know anymore were it not for the ease of communication provided by IM.

AIM isn't the only option. Yahoo and MSN/Microsoft both have their own IM systems, both of which I have tried and use from time to time.

The problem is, the majority of people I know use AIM. If I choose to use a different instant messenger, I won't be able to talk to them anymore unless they switch too.

So I'm stuck with the problem of AOL/AIM being evil, but the only viable option.

I've dealt with it by using a different IM client called Trillian. An IM client is the program actually on your computer that you use to connect to the IM service. Most people use the AIM client to connect to the AIM service, but it isn't the only option. Trillian lets you connect to AIM, Yahoo, MSN, and more without advertisements. It also includes plenty of themes to choose from so you can customize the look.

The latest irritating news from AIM I read about today on tuaw.com - a recent change in AIM's privacy policy:

"Although you or the owner of the Content retain ownership of all right, title and interest in Content that you post to any AIM Product, AOL owns all right, title and interest in any compilation, collective work or other derivative work created by AOL using or incorporating this Content. In addition, by posting Content on an AIM Product, you grant AOL, its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, assigns, agents and licensees the irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide right to reproduce, display, perform, distribute, adapt and promote this Content in any medium.

You waive any right to privacy. You waive any right to inspect or approve uses of the Content or to be compensated for any such uses."

What the hell? I realize that they are most likely being overly broad and don't necessarily plan to do anything shady, but... they could. And I don't like it.

Seriously people, we need a cool company to make an IM service I can live with. Or everyone needs to switch over to a better one. So get on that.