[JDEV] ICQ and AIM

[jswink at softcom.net]

qbradley at csc.UVic.CA wrote:
> 
> I think this is much more complicated than is currently intended.  I
> currently use ICQ but I want to move to Jabber.  it is VITAL to me that
> people receiving messages from me see them come from ME and not some
> jabber transport.

I don't see the problem, unless you object to ICQ users seeing your
nick appear under two UINs.  The jabber ICQ transport will have a
nick associated with its UIN, which would be the same as your nick.

If you add an ICQ user to your Jabber roster:

<j type='roster'>
  <add group='main'>674644 at ICQ</add>
</j>

Server forwards to ICQ transport, which creates a new ICQ UIN
(if it hadn't got one for 'quetzalcoatl' already), with a nick
of Quetzalcoatl, and asks the ICQ server to add 674644 to this
new UIN's roster.  No muss.  Jabber client knows nothing.

> So, I start Jabber, where I am coatl at my.server.org.  In my login packet, I
> configure my Jabber client to also send my ICQ number and password.

But if you had the client installed in multiple locations,
you'd either have to remember to set it up that way for 
every Jabber client you want to use ICQ, or figure something
out to store it on the server as "extra client info".  Granted
I've suggested that the ICQ transport do this, but that keeps
the Jabber servers and clients simple.

> My
> server has been configured with an ICQ transport.  This transport logs
> into ICQ using my number and password.  If I send a message to an ICQ
> address the above transport simply forwards it on my behalf,
> transparently, so from ICQ's point of view, it came from my ICQ number,
> but there was no code in my client for this.  My client just sent a jabber
> message.  The transport forwarded for me.  Later my ICQ buddies send me a
> message to my ICQ nick.  Because the servers transport is logged in as me,
> it gets my message.  It then bundles up the message to look like a Jabber
> message, and sends it back to my client.  My client sees a jabber message.
> 
> So in short, to talk to ICQ users, you yourself need an ICQ number.
> However, you do NOT need to have an ICQ client, and the Jabber client
> doesn't need to know ANYTHING about ICQ, at all.

Couldn't agree more.


Joshua Swink
jswink at softcom.net