[Wocky] Initial Evaluation of Jabber IM

[Paul B. Hill]

--------------------------------------------
1.  Which client did you use?

	Gaim for Windows
	Exodus for Windows
	Imov for PocketPC 2003

2.  How did you acquire the client software?
	Download from vendor site (imov, and Gaim on XP)
	Download from MIT site (Gaim on Vista beta)

3. Please rate the following for the client that you used:  (can use  
a 1 - 5 scale)
	MIT download and installation	

Download was OK. There was a z-buffer problem while running the installer on
Vista. A configuration screen that required user input was displayed behind
all other windows making it look like the installer had hung.

	Creation of "buddy" list

Surprised by the consistently poor UI in each of the clients. There were no
onscreen hints to indicate that the user should enter a qualified username
(<user>@mit.edu) in the dialog box. By default clients did not indicate that
the user being added was offline and therefore didn't appear in the buddy
list by default. Most clients didn't indicate that the buddy being added had
to authorize this step before messages could be sent. 

	Initiation of IM conversation

Easy after buddy approval step had occurred. 

	IM conversation/chat history

Chat history is useful. It would be more useful if there was a way to see
history that occurred before the server was last restarted.

The imov PocketPC client does not provide the ability to join chat rooms
from what I can see. It appears to be limited to messaging between
individual users. 

	Creation of multi-user Chat

I prefer the Exodus UI to the Gaim UI for this task. 


	Speed


	Reliability

Appears to work OK with users on the same server. It is difficult for a user
to determine the source of problems when interacting with resources on
different servers. In many cases it works, in some cases it doesn't, but the
clients don't provide enough information for the end user to understand why.

	Login

So far I have only used SSL. I would prefer GSSAPI.

4. Please list other features or functionality that you would like to  
have in an IM service

I'd like to understand how to use bots running at other sites. I'd like to
be able to create bots at MIT.

5.  Please comment on any problems you may have had with the IM pilot  
service

6.  Please add any suggestions/comments
	


--------------------------------------------
Joanne Hallisey
Sr. Project Manager
Information Services and Technology
W92-153
617-253-1894
hallisey at mit.edu



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