Google, taking a break from trying to build some more internets, has announced that it will combine its instant messaging service with Gmail, its web based email service. No word yet whether there would be one joint service for all internets or a separate service for each of the internets (can you tell I am irritated by the prospect of Google’s new internets?).
Anyhow, the idea seems to be that you’ll be able to chat directly from your Gmail account, without having to log into a separate chat program. Google figures that saving those 5 seconds will cause a cyber-stampede of users to drop their AIM and Yahoo IM accounts and thunder on over to Google. Somebody needs to tell Google that most companies not owned by Google block chat and web based email programs so their employees will actually do some work.
The good (by good I mean only mildly ludicrous) news is that the chat application will be able to communicate with other chat programs, including Earthlink’s chat program. It will be handy to be able to chat with the nine people who use it. Still no interconnectivity with AOL, Yahoo or MSN for all the reasons I talked about back in August.
I’m starting to think that Google took all that money it should have used to buy Flickr, Delicious and Technorati and bought some lost episodes of Monty Python’s Flying Circus.
Newsome.Org 