Ask HN: What AIM alternative do you/will you use?
What do you currently use or plan to use instead of AIM?
Running your own Matrix server isn't so hard. Federated identities allow you to message other users across other Matrix servers. Riot IM is probably the most widespread GUI for Matrix. Works well on both my Android and from Google Chrome. Encrypted voice calls included. Bridges exist to connect it to external services, like IRC. Purism also is working on using Matrix as the basis for secure communication in their upcoming Librem 5 phone.
Wire has no bridges and is more self-contained. It works primarily as a mobile app & has the ability to use your phone's contacts to discover other people who have also set it up. Like Matrix, encrypted voice calls are a feature. Wire is currently centralized, but decentralization is on their road map. The software is noteworthy because it is written in both Rust and Haskell.
Tox I just discovered today - it is used by at least one developer of MenuetOS. It's a P2P chat app that affords privacy, confidentiality, and anonymity.
Cool thread. I hope some interesting answers come up here.
[0] https://matrix.org/ [1] https://riot.im/ [2] https://wire.com/en/ [3] https://tox.chat/
I don't think anything will really change much with AIM going away.
Messages don't need to be "instant", except in the most extreme case. I'm not going to install software on my computer that allows anybody in the world to interrupt me any time they feel like it. Why would you do that to yourself?
It's the same reason I have notifications turned off completely on my phone. If you send me a message, I'll read it on my time and get back to you when it's convenient.
The only exceptions are house-on-fire, kids-in-the-hospital emergencies, for which the people who would need to get ahold of me know how to do so. And Drinkin' Nights where it's handy to be able to arrange meeting points via text. That's the short span when you'll find SMS notifications on on my phone. But if you text me at that time for anything else, you'll get a response the next day.