...
- XMPP server
- "click to chat" component for web apps in MIT
- zephyr-like enhancements
- presence components?
More to come.
Purpose:
There are several commercially available IM/chat systems available that would require nearly zero maintenence, because the servers are maintined by AOL, Microsoft, or the like. However, there's several reasons to implement a separate MIT service.
1)It would allow the chat service to use the MIT namespace, whose use is otherwise ubiquitous in the commmunity. No battling with AOL for IM handles is required.
2)Users can more easily separate their work and personal identities.
3)It is almost impossible to extend the functionality of most commercial services, while with open source clients and servers there is the much greater ability to build new functionality and services on top of the initial chat service.
3a) For example, an open source XMPP client may reasonably be altered to use MIT's Kerberos authentication schemes. Hacking up an AIM client to do the same thing would not be manageable
4) Ideologically, there's merit to the idea of aiming for IM to be an open federation, like e-mail is today, rather than a closed service offered by a commercial provider.