[gorickey]

For those "Adium" users out there...Adam Iser recently posted some up-coming changes that will be in version 2.0 that I found rather interesting. Here is a copy of the message he wrote on his web-page forums:

-------------------------------------
Adam Iser 8/13/02

I'm alive

Between the release of 1.6, the announcement of iChat, and rampant "feature harvesting" amoung the available IM clients, the finger pointing and lazyness between the large corperations in regards to an open IM standard, the dirty tricks used to block third parties, the agression and fighting that would always break out when anyone discussed an IM client, the mysterious future and continual neglect of the TOC protocol._ Request after request for things I couldn't control, features I couldn't add because of limitations with AIM._ I needed a break!

At that time, Adium was in need of a rewrite (the top 5 or so requests required some major reconstruction, and with all the experience I've gained I saw so much room for improvement), so I decided I'd take a few months out, do a bunch of rewriting, and come back with something great.

Since that time I've toyed with a lot of ideas, some of them were utter failures, others are very cool, and there are many I've dreamed up but haven't taken a shot at yet.

Okay... I'm rambling like crazy... here's some info

Adium 2.0 is plugin based:
The foundation of Adium has been completely rewritten and is now plugin based.
- Create all sorts of new features without touching the main Adium code at all.
- The AIM related code can be replaced with an updated protocol, or new service altogether.

Adium 2.0 supports multiple simultaneous connections:
- Sign on with more than 1 AIM name at once.
- Have more than AIM's limit of 200 buddies (by splitting the list over 2 or more names).
- If someone writes protocol code for another service, Adium instantly becomes a multi-service client!


The current build of 2.0 has a functional buddy list, but it's simply a mirror of the 1.6 list right now._ I'm still searching for a replacement or improvement for status circles.

I haven't started on the IM/chat interface yet._ I want to use iChat before I make any decisions as to where Adium's interface is going._ I do have a lot of minor changes planned that look really good on paper, however._ I'm probably not going to do anything drastic with the interface._ I tried some fun ideas, but they were frustrating and clashed badly with other applications and the Mac OS 'feel'.

The buddy list editor in 2.0 is almost complete, and (to my knowledge) unique._ It make manage multiple accounts very easy, without adding unnecessary complication.

Adium 2.0 is still a long way from being complete, sorry._ But I'm still alive and I'm still working on it
I don't like to talk about features or ideas I haven't finished (or almost finished) since often they just won't work, and it's no fun to promise a feature only to realize it was a bad idea, which is why you haven't heard much from me.

-----------------------------------------

There you have it. What do you think? I think the plug-in factor is going to lead to some incredible things in Adium, great idea...keep up the coding Adam, you are doing great it sounds like.

[superfula]

Oh man. I cant wait to try it out. If that multi protocol plugin implementation actually works, Adium will easily be the best multi-platform client. Very cool

[Guy Incognito]

Originally posted by superfula:
Oh man. I cant wait to try it out. If that multi protocol plugin implementation actually works, Adium will easily be the best multi-platform client. Very cool

Realize that things become further and further from a perfect world when integration of different things (such as services) is involved. I guarantee you Adium 2.0 will run into the same problems Proteus and Fire are running into.

By creating a plugin-based app, Adam Iser is actually going down the right path. He has to realize though that Adium 2.0's plugin-based/multi-service architecture is going to be a much more difficult task to construct and maintain than Adium 1.x's architecture.

Justin Wood worked his balls off to bring Proteus to where it is today and people are still not satisfied with it.

[gorickey]

Adam doesn't care about any other service though BESIDES AIM, he clearly stated if "others" were wanting to create the plug-ins, then that is fine and it would not involve re-mastering the Adium code for each service. Therefore, if people are not satisfied, they can't complain to Adam...but for the author/creator of the individual plug-ins.

[[APi]TheMan]

Originally posted by gorickey:
Adam doesn't care about any other service though BESIDES AIM, he clearly stated if "others" were wanting to create the plug-ins, then that is fine and it would not involve re-mastering the Adium code for each service. Therefore, if people are not satisfied, they can't complain to Adam...but for the author/creator of the individual plug-ins.

It pleases me that Adam will not be developing the plugins for the other protocols, I really dislike multi-protocol applications.

But I love Adium

[Guy Incognito]

Originally posted by gorickey:
Adam doesn't care about any other service though BESIDES AIM, he clearly stated if "others" were wanting to create the plug-ins, then that is fine and it would not involve re-mastering the Adium code for each service. Therefore, if people are not satisfied, they can't complain to Adam...but for the author/creator of the individual plug-ins.

Uh huh...you're expecting too much. People *will* complain to Adam even if he didn't write 'GoonyGooGooIM_Plugin 1.3.4'...just like people complain to Justin if 'video conference' isn't working in 'Hey_look_at_me_I'm_a_third_party_Yahoo_service_th at_hasn't_been_written_by_Justin_Wood 2.3' service plugin.

Most people are too ignorant to realize that some parts of the app haven't been written by the actual author of the app. They don't understand that some things are out of the author's control. The same will happen with Adium 2.0 whether you like it or not.

[gorickey]

Let them complain...who really cares? No sweat off of Adam's back....he provides what "he" believes is a great program, if people want to try and make it better via their own plug-ins, then so be it...but he shouldn't be responsible if they go bad. People are going to complain no matter what is the point; however, it's not going to affect Adam's focus and viewpoint of where Adium will go in the future.

[iBabo]

how about a brush metal theme interface

[gorickey]

Originally posted by iBabo:
how about a brush metal theme interface

That can/will be done very shortly with relative ease....Unsanity is about to release a new haxie called "Mettalizer" that will add/take away brush metal from any Cocoa based app....very cool indeed!

[Adam Betts]

Here's one teaser of the new graphics in Adium 2.0

[gorickey]

Originally posted by Adam Betts:
Here's one teaser of the new graphics in Adium 2.0

So Adam, you working closely with Adam to develop a new interace? Give us more/bigger teasers....

Thanks.

[Nebagakid]

Is there a Rendezvous buddy list? That is the only reason I would use iChat

[gorickey]

Originally posted by Nebagakid:
Is there a Rendezvous buddy list? That is the only reason I would use iChat

Not exactly; however, with multiple login accounts...you could in theory create a "work" ID and a "personal" ID and just use both for when you are at the office or home. Make sense?

[Adam Betts]

Originally posted by gorickey:
So Adam, you working closely with Adam to develop a new interace? Give us more/bigger teasers....

Yep, I'm going to work with Adam Iser on Adium 2.0. I cannot give you more teasers at this time because Adium 2.0 isn't completed and everything may change at anytime so he prefer to wait till Adium 2.0 is feature-completed so he can send me a copy and I can go ahead and make some graphics.

But you're going to see those flapping duck icons that I designed for Adium in 2.0

[gorickey]

Originally posted by Adam Betts:


Yep, I'm going to work with Adam Iser on Adium 2.0. I cannot give you more teasers at this time because Adium 2.0 isn't completed and everything may change at anytime so he prefer to wait till Adium 2.0 is feature-completed so he can send me a copy and I can go ahead and make some graphics.

But you're going to see those flapping duck icons that I designed for Adium in 2.0

It's already my default icon, great work....I look forward to Adium 2.0 even more now!

Thanks.

[RGB]

To me, that teaser looked identical to the current single window mode of 1.6. The only feature that I constantly wish for is the ability to upload my buddy list back to the AIM server so that my buddy list at work could be in sync with my list at home.

[moki]

Originally posted by RGB:
To me, that teaser looked identical to the current single window mode of 1.6. The only feature that I constantly wish for is the ability to upload my buddy list back to the AIM server so that my buddy list at work could be in sync with my list at home.

This is the main reason I (sadly) don't use Adium anymore. I have 3 machines I work with daily -- trying to keep buddy lists in synch on all 3 is just way too much hassle.

[Nebagakid]

Hey, for anyone who cares, i made a fish icon for Adium:

Nebagakid's public downloads:


Also, download gurgel doll: http://www.versiontracker.com/morein...&db=macosx

[Adam Betts]

Originally posted by RGB:
To me, that teaser looked identical to the current single window mode of 1.6.

I only said it's a teaser of graphics, not features in Adium 2.0

[waffffffle]

I hoping that some good hacker figured out the Fez framework, which is the private framework that iChat uses. Then a plugin can be written for Adium that uses Fez, which would allow Adium to use both Oscar and Rendezvous.

One can only hope.

[gorickey]

Originally posted by waffffffle:
I hoping that some good hacker figured out the Fez framework, which is the private framework that iChat uses. Then a plugin can be written for Adium that uses Fez, which would allow Adium to use both Oscar and Rendezvous.

One can only hope.

Hmmm, interesting theory...but that seems very do-able...

[Nebagakid]

Originally posted by waffffffle:
I hoping that some good hacker figured out the Fez framework, which is the private framework that iChat uses. Then a plugin can be written for Adium that uses Fez, which would allow Adium to use both Oscar and Rendezvous.

One can only hope.

that would be awesome, possum, eh? eh?

WELL, anyWHO!::: I would love to be able to use Rendezvous with Adiun, the interface and the power would be incredible!

PS: Now that apple has included it, i have learned to spell Rendezvous