IDEA #67 - Desktop/Mobile IM Client for Facebook

By Steve Poland • September 5, 2007

Facebook Development API allows desktop apps to be created and has a code library for them. I’m surprised no one has created an Instant Messenging application (like AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, etc) that uses Facebook users — obviously your friends list, but also live chat rooms too.

There is supposedly a Facebook web app for IM, but all the user comments on it make it sound as though it doesn’t work.

You could also likely write a mobile app (iPhone, new wifi iPod, etc) that is a Facebook IM client.

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Comments

6 Responses to “IDEA #67 - Desktop/Mobile IM Client for Facebook”

Scott T. on September 9th, 2007 5:42 pm (perm link)

Sounds like a great candidate for an AIR app…
James D Kirk on September 9th, 2007 6:12 pm (perm link)

@Scott T: What’s an “AIR app”? TIA
Scott T. on September 9th, 2007 6:21 pm (perm link)

Adobe’s Integrated Runtime: http://labs.adobe.com/technologies/air/ aka Apollo. Uses html/javascript/css/Flash but runs on the desktop instead of the browser. Windows/Mac cross-platform.
Steve Poland on September 10th, 2007 7:42 am (perm link)

Or Microsoft’s Silverlight.
Arik on September 10th, 2007 6:01 pm (perm link)

Actually there’re already few Facebook/IM applications:
1. SocialBox by Atrexis - a Facebook Application that lets you login to your IM account (Jabber/Gmail, ICQ, MSN, etc..) and also chat with Facebook friends that have installed this pplication.
2. SoapBox Communicator - a social IM messenger. There’s also a version for integration with Facebook (http://www.soapbox.net/facebook.aspx).
3. Fuze by Mike Huntington - an AIR based IM applications. On the first posts about the beta version Mike stated that this meant to be the Facebook IM application, but in later posts he writes that Facebook support will be added in the PRO version.
(http://www.mikehuntington.com/techblog/index.php/2007/08/25/fuze-beta-011-is-here-messenger-built-using-air/)
Steve Poland on September 26th, 2007 10:39 am (perm link)

http://mashable.com/2007/09/25/facebook-im-2/