Re:Slack Is Buying HipChat from Atlassian
by SamWhited on Thursday July 26, 2018 @08:34PM
(#17622567)
This is why we need specific services (like Slack or HipChat) that are XMPP but maintain their own ecosystem, clients, specific feature sets, etc.
Then if you want to use third party clients (eg. for better accessibility, or because your platform isn't supported officially, etc.) you can, but if not you can use their clients. HipChat was almost this way (I used Mcabber with it extensively), but had just enough bits of the protocol that ignored the XMPP spec or were only accessible through a second non-XMPP channel that it was a bit annoying.
[ Parent
| on HN ]
It's a real shame that the industry has forsaken the protocol in favor of walled gardens.
Re:Slack Is Buying HipChat from Atlassian
by jacobsenscott on Friday July 27, 2018 @12:12PM
(#17627014)
The reason is open protocols soon become the single biggest blocker to innovation. Open protocols stagnate and ossify. So some competitor with a proprietary system will come along and eat your lunch. That's why there have only been 2 changes in email clients ever - the move from terminal to desktop GUI and desktop GUI to web 2.0 client. That's why XMPP and IRC clients will never compete with slack (queue the 'what does slack have that IRC doesn't have thread').
I don't think it's as much that the protocol stagnates as much as it is that companies have a strong incentive to get users into their walled garden. If you use an open protocol, you can't lock people in.
We'll be trying to fix that by offering the XMPP "Team Chat" client that is much needed... https://nayego.net/ you can subscribe if you want to see the preview.