Thursday, May 24, 2007

Status Messages!

Hi All,

So, as said in the post prior, we finally have Status Messages in AIM 6, but it's still in its early stage and hidden because of this. But hey, why not check the code in and let some of you have a taste right? ;)

To enable status messages, go to:

C:\program files\aim6\services\imApp\ver6_2_14_2\resources\en-US

and open up strings.xml with your favorite text editor.

Search for the following string: (shouldn't be too far down)

imApp.showStatusMessages

Now change the '0' to '1'. Exit AIM and restart.

You'll see a bunch of text under every buddy's screen name...and you'll find a way to set your status message in the "Away Menu Dropdown" next to "Set Away".

Unfortunately, because this feature is supposed to be hidden, I had to keep some of the styling the same so it doesn't look too "pretty" in the buddy list (doesn't look pretty at all to be quite honest with myself ;) ). Also, because no one really knows of its existence, you probably will not find too many people with actual "status messages" set.

But hey, like I said, it's just a taste.

I hope to see a few "Available - I love AIM!"s out there :D

Enjoy and Many Thanks for the support.

Happy AIMing and enjoy/remember Memorial Day.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

That sounds cool. Am I right to assume that means that you can also put a special message when you are available, instead of just when away? Or hide that your actually online? Unfortunately I'm only on Version AIM 1.5.285 (for Linux) and I wish you guys would upgrade the Linux version so we could see some new features. The Red Hat version still works, but the Debian Version no longer will install since it is so old its no longer compatible with current Debian files. :( I'm new to Linux (only because my school choose that root instead of Vista) Since I use Ubuntu (Debian based) It was VERY hard to get AIM to work, and AIM 1.5 lacks many great feature that my Windows friends get to enjoy :( Anyways, keep up the good work. Still I have to say, even version 1.5 is not half bad. :)

Romy Macasieb said...

Thanks Jose!

Yup, you can broadcast a special message while you're available now. Basic concept but much needed don't ya think! As for the hiding aspect, I may have misinterpreted your question but we've always had a feature called "invisible" which does exactly what you're looking for.

To answer your other question about the lack of OS compatibility, I'd like to just say that it's known and actions are taking place. AOL LLC has gone through a major transformation and thankfully it's FINALLY in the right direction. Of course, there is probably a prioritized list of what OS's we'll be focused on first, but hopefully we can get something out there that will give you the fun tools to potentially build an AIM based client yourself. ;)

Out of curiosity, what grade are you in and what school do you attend? It may give me a hint as to why your school chose Linux vs. Vista. If you'd like to keep both responses anonymous, I'll leave you with saying that you're better off with Linux anyways. I'm a windows man, I'll be honest, but most of my Computer Science career in college was solely based off of Unix. Trust me, you're using the right OS at the right time.

Again, thanks! I really appreciate your input.

Keep em' coming and AIM Away!

Anonymous said...

Cool, I actually didn't realize that invisible was already an option on AIM. My university is in the Caribbean so I'd assume for financial reasons they've made adjustments and chosen Linux since most of the computer labs are used by Computer Engineering majors. The labs are shared though with other majors, so they currently dual boot with XP and Fedora Core (to be a bit more cutting edge). I would guess they're reluctant to upgrade because of hardware issues and total cost, due to a more difficult economy. However, an e-mail was sent out regarding server compatability issues so for some reason, students were recommended NOT to purchase a new computer with Vista. I chose Ubuntu because of stability/ease and the same GNOME desktop as used at school. As well to access school services the default "preferred" browser is now Firefox. I am satisfied with the switch and have found most programs to run very efficiently. The current AIM 1.5.285 runs VERY smoothly with no crashes.Still I am most satisfied with security which truly is superior with a Linux system as far as I can see. As well, Ive heard that Netscape is also owned by AOL which now appears to be the only Trident based browser for Linux. Cheers to AOL for seeing the importance of other OSes :) Oh btw, Im currently Sophomore at University.

Romy Macasieb said...

Okay Jose, it all makes sense now. ;)

Aside from "server compatibility" issues, I'm sure your school is more concerned that their network security infrastructure isn't Vista compatible yet. If a lot of students started running Vista in your campus, I'm sure their monitoring system would be almost useless. Also, folks buying new computers are also looking towards getting 64-bit OS' to go with their 64-bit CPUs increasing compatibility problems even further. End game, your schools reluctance is understood and actually a big plus for all you students (with the exception of them being able to monitor you more easily of course). ;)

Yup, Netscape...that's us! Firefox...that's us, too! Most folks don't even know that AOL is a large contributor in getting Netscape and Firefox where they are now. It's typically not in AOL's nature to create something the Geeks like...but oh it is. We're making moves...slowly but surely. It'll be an interesting ride...

Oh, and Mapquest...that's us, too! ;)

Happy AIM'ing Jose! Thanks again and keep 'em coming!

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