ICQ and unofficial messengers?

[netspider1]

Found solution for ending ICQ service. Miranda NG with Jabber protocol + c0nnect messenger PRO for Android app !!!!!
Its absolutely same as ICQ! I remember IRC channels was popular in early 90s, then Jabber servers came as mature IRC alternative, then ICQ came, which is similar kind...
https://wiki.miranda-ng.org/index.php?title=Download


1. choose any free Jabber server. Keep in mind Jabber/XMPP is free open standard messenger and by design can exchange messages between different Jabber servers, BUT because of security and spam most Jabber servers DO NOT allow exchange messages with other Jabber servers. So the server you choose is the only server you can exchange messages within. But don't worry if you have friend on another Jabber server you can create many Jabber accounts in Miranda NG and into c0nnect messenger PRO App.
Here you are list of Jabber servers with uptime availability
https://jabberworld.info/servers
https://list.jabber.at


2. Create simple account, only username and password. No emails, no phones and other nuts. For some Jabber servers you can do it on the their web page, some even you don't need to open web page, you create account directly from inside Miranda NG Accounts-> GTalk -> Register new user button. Here you some simple Jabber servers for example:
https://jabb.im/reg/   here require only username and password
https://jabber.hot-chilli.net/forms/create/   here you can put and email for recovery
https://creep.im/    here even you register the account directly from Miranda NG-> Register new user button
https://www.xmpp.jp/signup?lang=en
https://pidgin.im/about/pidginchat/  more security reputable Jabber service

I made simple account on https://jabb.im
So in Miranda NG -> Accounts -> GTalk -> Type: Secure XMPP Network;    User: JonDoe;    Server: jabb.im
On Android I installed c0nnect messenger PRO App


3. Security. You can't trust much on doggy Jabber servers, you don't know who own them and how compliant is with privacy data regulations. If Jabber server is hacked you may even not aware. Some doggy owners of Jabber servers can read all your messages, or anyone who hacked the admin account of the Jabber server or brute forced your account password will receive a copy of all your messages every time you send. So if you want confidentiality activate in MirandaNG the OTR encryption protocol. Go in Service -> OTR -> Default Policy and select Always. Only do not select Never because it will fail OTR handshake every time.
https://wiki.miranda-ng.org/index.php?title=Plugin:MirOTR/en

After you establish ORT with secret questions the messages will be encrypted on your device, PC or Phone, before to be sent. So the owner/hacker of the Jabber server cannot read your correspondence anymore.
c0nnect messenger PRO App support OTR encryption as well. But if you run same Jabber account on more than 1 device with OTR encryption, like PC and Phone, then OTR encryption may mess up and may fail when you switch devices. In that case try OMEMO encryption. In Miranda NG to activate OMEMO go in Network -> GTalk -> Advanced Tab -> Miscellaneous -> scroll to Security -> Use OMEMO encryption for messages if possible


4. Self-sufficiency. If you have paranoia, you can run your own Jabber server on your home PC windows. Forward the jabber port through your router to be visible from Internet to your internal IP. If your IP is dynamic, then install Dynamic DNS client like  https://www.dynu.com  For free it will update automatically your DDNS domain address pointing to your dynamic IP, something like xxxxxx.freeddns.org    Then install Openfire which is free Jabber server running on Java JRE  https://www.igniterealtime.org/downloads  and make accounts for all your friends on your private Jabber server 


5. Alternatives. I tried with Miranda TOX protocol + TRIfA App, but Tox do not support offline messaging. After is de-centralized serverless p2p network running on free nodes.  Both devices needs to be online for message to exchange. In MirandaNG Send Later option do not work for TOX protocol, whilst on TRIfA works. I think is not difficult to make it work in Miranda NG to send the message automatically when user get online. But anyway, I did not like lack of offline messaging in TOX, so I endup using Jabber


6. Thoughts. In early age of Internet every messenger was trying to attract more users allowing other messengers to exchange messages for any other. Providing free open API gateways etc. That's why I like the Miranda since 90's, one client for all messengers. But somewhere on the line, evil toxic corporate interest poisoned all messengers. All became hostile, greedy, and arrogant. User is the last they care. Nowadays user is a product, not human begin. So if I want to chat with my friends, I must run 20+ messengers at same time on my PC and Phone. Probably will cause me an epilepsy. However there is a hope, to end this craziness. In 2024 I heard EU entail new regulation that force messenger providers to exchange messages with other providers. I hope they start rolling out some public API gateways so Miranda can integrate them.

[dartraiden]

Looks like a fork of Conversations with "social" features.

[netspider1]

Yes, look like Conversations app but I compared both. C0nnect messenger PRO is significantly more upgraded than Conversations app with more settings. It support all encryption OTR, GPG and OMEMO, whilst Conversations only GPG and  OMEMO.
C0nnect messenger PRO have 3 levels of Large,  Conversations app only 2 levels and the largest level is smaller than C0nnect messenger PRO. So the chat in Conversations app looks smaller and unpleasant for reading.
C0nnect messenger PRO have option to show background color of incoming (green) and unencrypted messages (red).