IM ingame via website

I'm sure this has been asked for before but I'm too lazy to check

I really need to IM someone ingame from here.

I log into website
I see my friend is in world
I try Yahoo to get em
No good

If only I could IM them and say what i need to or prompt them to get into messenger.

Because I am logged into website with my SL account I dont see any security issue.

hmm please provide this feature in the next 10mins..thanks

this would be neat. cuz I use the website resident online thingy to decide if I wanna go on, and of course it's currently seemingly impossible to initiate a conversation with someone inworld (even if I've previously had a message from them, it doesnt seem to allow you to message them more than a few hours later. Maybe when they leave the current sim? I ono. But it doesn't let me, anyway).

It'd be cool if the residents online list were hyperlinks to an IM interface along the lines of the forum PM interface.

I suspect the reason it hasnt been done is not because it hasnt been thought of (I actually suggested it before ), but cuz then you would have less incentive to go inworld, maybe? (I know that I would use it to ask the people I wanna stalk... er, see... if they were free from outta world so that I didnt have to log on to find they're all otherwise engaged.)

ooh. I rambled a bit there, huh?

okies. forget that. read this instead:

I endorse this product and/or service.

there.

Good Kitty umm Kritty..Ummm yah !

Actually, the Lindens were going to do this in 1.2. They had a big discussion about making an external IM client, but a bunch of the forum regulars jumped on them about it and basically said that the Lindens were horrible for even thinking it. So they didn't.

It's a very good idea, and they should've done it. Particularly since pretty much everyone who complained argued that it could be used to spy on people, that it would make fewer people want to be in SL, and that it would detract from SL as a whole -- all completely illogical and demonstratably false statements.

The only really valid point was that there are a finite number of Lindens and a finite amount of time they can spend working on things like this. Were we able to convince them to finish it, (and the solution is right here and it's easy, Lindens!), much of this could be done via XML-RPC. Still, it wouldn't be the same as a real connection to the IM system.

Think bigger. How about an API that can be used in a variety of web based and software appictaions. I could intergrate this into my IM client. An AIM plugin. Java web site. The possibilites are endless with the API.

Make it optional, so you can opt out of it if you dont want to be bothered by people that arent in world. I am busy enough without IM from people not even in world telling me they are at work, etc.

*mew*


Catherine,

I'm guessing that previous discussion was before my time? I did search a bit, but couldnt see it. I dun get how it could be used for spying? I'm intrigued to see the arguments for this


Loki,

I'm at work! Where are you? What sim are you in? I wanna stalk you while I'm offline (so... don't forget to IM me your location when u tp somewhere else, 'kaay?)

Right, that was what I hoped this would lead to. It makes more sense for them to produce a rudimentary client and then document the API than to spend a lot of time developing a really good one. This is an example where open source methodology could really work well for Linden Lab.

maybe it would be cool to have not a real IM system, but rather a login in IM mode only. With that u spawn your avatar at your home, half transparent or with a IM MODE on it (like if it was away).

On that mode u do not see graphics but only IM and optionally chat.

u could use a slow computer (maybe if u are at work), save bandwith, save server processes, and talk anyway with your friends.

- it wouldn't become like an IM system as yahoo or icq
- would be really simple for lindens to implement and mantain this
- ppl would be on world anyway (I think this should be the phylosophy of sl)
- lindens could save bandwidth and reduce lag for interacting in-game.
- ppl would have more options to be on sl even if they are not at their computer and do not have a fast connection or a fast computer.

IMing from the SL websight would be usfulle because say that you are doing the land for the landless thing and your out of town for a week or so and when you check your email and find out your house and stuff was returnd to you but being able to IM some one thats loged into SL and tell them that your out of town and not to return anything it would save alot of people the hasel of trying to get it back.

This is something I will attempting to play with my self, once I’m in SL properly, but anything I do create will be .NET software based which means windows only, and any web interface will be using ASP.NET.

The construction around the idea was as follows, you give your friends a watch, which has a script that logs onto a com object on your land, this com object connects to your PC IM software, now the watch if worn, will let you know that this person is willing to chat, if not you cant talk to them.

The web based version could be in similar fashion, but would probably require some SQL database for the live chat, which is no real big problem.

All the stuff out side of SL can be created with very little work, but it all depends on SL’s XML-RPC, which by the sounds of a lot of posts, is not very flexible at this moment in time.

Anyway, I will be trying this, because I have some friends out side of SL that don’t like SL, which would be nice to keep in touch with, they go on IRC, so I may create an add on for mIRC at some point maybe a SL bot to sit in IRC channel to act as a speaker, and mic, ah got too many ideas I want to try.

Time will tell…

Regards,
Mike

PS..
More thoughts, what about pager, from the com object to the watch, which sends a teleport request to a bill board on your land, that displays the chat text on say 20 panel strips, which the scrip can enumerate through to make text scroll ?

I’m still not sure on the limitations on SL, but interesting to find out.

The privacy issue is important. I'm my own boss so I couldn't care less, but many people will be seriously concerned by the prospect that others could determine if they are in SL or not through an external instant messaging system. It's not just about bosses, but about people's ex's, or annoying family, or abusers of a much worse kind. Even the burglar who's waiting for you to go to bed.

If anything like this ever gets developed, it's imperative that SL subscribers have the ability to make themselves completely invisible to it if they wish, eg. through a Prefs option. Not even a "last logged in date" should show. Your very existence should disappear off the face of the map.

1L isn't a very pretty place for some. Keep them in mind.

I still would really like to see this happen. It would be extremely useful! And for those worried about people with the IM client being able to see if they're logged in or not, how would that be any different than the "friends online" thing on the website? Make it so you need someone's calling card for them to show on the IM client bluddy list and give a checkbox for people who want to be invisible to outside IM even for people who have their card. There are many times I'd like to be able to get a quick message to someone without having to launch the SL client and sign in.

Actually, you can IM someone in game if you have their key. Just send an email to <key>@im.secondlife.com

I just tested this with one of my other accounts. I sent an email to one of my avatars' keys @im.secondlife.com and he received it fine.

All they'd really need to do is make it so an email with the av name gets converted to the proper key. At least then we could initiate an IM by email instead of only responding. I'd still rather see real IM functionality though rather than relying on email.

Sounds like a good idea using calling cards, there are some commands to look in inventory, so that should be possible, so a person would only have to give them a calling card to appear on the list, but would still need some option to turn it off or on,

I agree email is not something I’m happy with ether, I would rather see some more direct way.

The XML-RPC was simpler than I thought it would be, after reading up a lot on it, turn’s out some guy from Microsoft original came up with the design, and MSoft thought it was too simple, so they of course made it more complex and called it SOAP.

I have already started putting together, raw software for the IM PC, which is a simple small web server converted for this purpose with MSN style GUI, that will be locked to SL’s IP, so that it cant be connected or abused from anything else.

The XML web, I have found a nice painless way to program this, which doesn’t use any 3rd party DLL’s or code, just broke it down to what it actually is, TCP/IP sockets with HTTP header and XML body, with the proper encoding.

It’s a hobby for me, just like SL something to play with, so ill give what I create to anyone who finds it useful, no silly L$ for it, I am sure others will come up with something that will be rented or charged for, or if SL creates there own one day, so people will have a choice at least.

Kind Regards,
Mike

Tell you what would be very nice

If the SL Software had a simple TCP/IP socket for local communication connections, this way, it would open lots of doors, meaning a peace of 3rd party software, could run along side, and pipe extra data into the SL client software, this could be used as external storage too, writing scripts to connect out on Local host to communicate with software, and vice versa, software could then have C style scripting capability, to extend the function and features of SL.

Most software these days, use Localhost to communicate with other applications on your system, why not SL

Hello,

Since I have 2 or 3 different accounts in MSN, ICQ, Yahoo and AIM, I use an universal IM agent - just one to handle 8 or 9 accounts I think, where I've got all contacts on the same interface (instead of launching 8 or 9 different applications )

One of the choices I have is to connect to Jabber - for the ones that don't know it, it's an open source messaging system using plain XML. It had its adepts a few years ago since it was easy to create gateways between different systems using Jabber. Nowadays the "multiple account" apps usually connect to the various systems directly, so Jabber lost its appeal. Also, with the GAIM library/platform, it's much easier to adapt "universal" messengers to a variety of systems.

Still, Jabber servers are easy to setup. I don't see much difficulty in setting up an SL IM <-> Jabber gateway using XML/RPC. I already use inworld IMing from a XML/RPC handler to remotely manage vendors and send the results to my AV (IM crosses regions and works offline, despite being much slower than llWhisper or llSay, but still faster than emailing). The only thing I would need to add is a small database for "friends".

So this would work like this...
- carry an object which my friends would "touch"
- their key goes by email to the Jabber server (with probably the avatar name too)
- the Jabber server sets up a "nickname" for that user, and establishes a XML/RPC connection to handle messaging
- offworld, you just use a Jabber client to communicate to your server. In my case, I wouldn't notice absolutely no difference between communicating with someone in SL or MSN or Yahoo... same interface for everyone!

I can only see a problem with the return path, ie. avatars can't IM objects directly... one way would be relying on email, of course. And remember that you still can't initiate a XML/RPC connection from inworld...

Just my thoughts on this...

Just a thought you might like to try, if avatars cant message objects directly, why not give an avatar a Cell phone object that listens to public chat, and only sends out the text that matches the key or name of the person using the phone ?

Sure, that will work fine, my only question is, how do you get the IM's BACK offworld?

The only way I can imagine is having the Jabber server polling the object, say, every 10 seconds or so (shouldn't do more than that to preserve resources in SL...), since you have to initiate XML/RML always from the Internet side.

That will work fine AND look awfully cool on the avatars carrying mobile phones You could even do a few animations to go with it

Yup would be cool, and also give an indication that people are chatting, I was also thinking of something flashy, like an orb of rotating light.

It is a shame it don’t work outbound yet, I don’t really like the idea of constantly poling every set interval, would use a lot of bandwidth, I do have over 10gb a month bandwidth on my web server, but wouldn’t use it for poling, SL really do have to keep the communication when there’s actually something to process, such a waste of resources.

Actually if the SL had those local sockets, this could be done two way without using the SL xml-rpc, go figures.

I guess the only other way to go, would be for SL to create an API Software Development Kit, for software and web use.

I’ve been looking at that Jabber you talked about, its changed a lot since I last used it.

Regards,
Mike

According to the XML-RPC discussion on the Bad Geometry Wiki, there are security reasons for not initiating XML-RPC calls from inworld. Remember that malicious users would be able to wreak havoc from LL's servers, and they would be blamed! So it's natural that they are being very careful about this.

Still, Mark Linden seems to be seriously working on a secure way to do that, and the above discussion shows that there are some pretty clever implementations which will reduce the risk to zero...

Up until then, we're stuck with what we've got. Personally, I would prefer just ONE intercommunication way with SL - and not different APIs. We already got email for non-intrusive, non-real-time communication, between RL, SL avatars and objects. And XML-RPC for real-time communications, at least when it's started from offworld. A third API just to deal with IM would be too much, since you COULD do it with XML-RPC (that's how Jabber works!), no need for more interfaces...

Woop.. I started a thread botu this too and didn't see this here already. I do believe this is a great idea.

Dang, I thought I was Origonal. Oh well.

Ok I see we have the list of friends online on here... cant we use that as a bases for the IM app? Only be able to IM people on your friends list...

If we wanted to take this a step further have could have a search engine that tells you if the quarry person is status is Online/Offline/Unavailable and able to request friendship like in game... and the ability to block in and out of game

I really don't remember there being any negative comments on this idea other than it being a lower priority than fixing certain bugs etc. I also remember the initial question regarding it emphasising the use of cell phones and pagers and the implication that this might be an extra-charge item. Some people, probably including me, suggested that they would rather have an ordinary AIM,MSN,ICQ,YIM,Jabber... interface more than having our cell phones beep all the time from SL users. I don't remember anybody saying they were against the concept totally though. Nor can I imagine why anyone would be.