Phoenix.pm: Perl Position Open

Scott Walters root at nebuchadnezzar.slowass.net
Tue Mar 7 13:16:45 CST 2000


Pablo, everyone...

> Scott:
> I do believe AOL runs on Unix, specifically Linux. Some months ago I was 
> using it to chat. However, since the recents changes and such I cannot 
> verify this information.

I run NetBSD. I think an open-source, open-standard solution is more in
order here, in the spirit of Perl =) Otherwise, we will be excluding
people who run MkLinux, HP/UX, Apollo DomainOS, etc, etc, etc. Having to
run a certain processor and a certain operating system to use a bit of
software is silly, when it was written in portable C (and the source is
simply being kept secret).

> 
> I have ICQ is that the same as IRC?

Nope! 

Pablo: IRC is the oldist chat protocol on the Internet. You connect to a
server, like ICQ. However, the servers themselves are networked together,
in a heirachy. This allows 100's or 1000's of people to be in on the same
channel. If a message is broadcast on that channel, it is only sent to
each server once. These network-use optimizations allow it to be much
larger, and host much larger discussions then ICQ, AIM, etc. No one
"owns" IRC. However, different organizations work together to the keep the
internet-server network up and running, and to keep reasonable policies
inplace, and agree on solutions to bug fixes (usualy there is
agreement). I'm not a huge IRC fan, but IRC is sometimes handy for just
such things. ICQ, AIM, etc are sort of commercial half-arsed reinventions
of wheel. ICQ clients are available for VMS, Unix, Windows (3.1 through
2000), Amiga, Mac, and dang near any other OS you can name. Many different
clients for Windows (most available as source) as available, though I
think "bitchx" is the current favorite. Most clients are programable, and
can be set up as a "bot" to automate simple tasks - maintaining file
archives on the channel, regulating permission, moderating large
discussions, answering frequently asked questions, inforcing language
policies, etc, etc, etc. In a nutshell, IRC is better because it is
decentralized, open and technologically superior to AIM and ICQ, even if
it is isn't prettier on your windows screen =)

-scott

> >
> >Does AOL IM run on Unix? If not, IRC is a cross-platform, time tested,
> >backup. Sorry I havn't been around lately =(
> >
> > > Greetings:
> > > I was wondering if anyone would be interested in having an "online" Perl
> > > meeting, for all of us that have found it difficult to attend the 
> > in-person
> > > meetings lately, in fact, for all Phoenix Perl members out there, whether
> > > they be in Tucson or Tempe :)
> > >
> > > We'd need to agree on a platform. I would recommend AOL IM
> > > (http://www.aol.com), since it's quite easy to do group chats using such
> > > software. I've done a number of them already for a magazine group I 
> > work with.
> > >
> > > Please let me know if there is interest for this idea and what your
> > > suggestions might be...
> > >
> > > -Pablo
> > >
> 
> 




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