# Decision of Google not to support GTalk: A rant



## Vyom (Feb 26, 2015)

So I got this mail today:

*i.minus.com/i0uS8LA7drDmp.jpg

Now, I have got such emails from Google before and I didn't particularly got bothered by it, until today my GTalk blocked me completely from logging. 

Google tells me to try this new shiny Hangout app for which I need Chrome. I don't want to use Chrome. Neither I want to keep GMail open in browser and navigate to it each time I want to chat. :/

Then Google tells me to try 3rd party apps if I don't want to use Chrome/Hangout. Why should I use a 3rd party app?

Why Google is doing it? Why is it abandoning such a simple desktop app which was good for what it did. Small footprint chat client, which also notified me about a new email. Does Google wants to push me to Chrome. Why is Google so aggressive in promoting their sh!t half baked Hangout. Review on Hangout is filled with such rants.



> *Mats Knip*
> 
> gtalk is being phased out and I'm looking for a replacement, but this sure is not it. it does not provide notification of new emails, nor does turning desktop notifications on in gmail help at all. the interface is ugly. why can I not choose a clean interface? do I really need to see the picture of my chat partner on every single line of text? why can the app not be minimized? no matter what I do the toolbar called "Hangouts" keep appearing in the windows toolbar and can not be removed. pure garbage compared to nearly 10 year old google talk. not recommended. also it does not show my online contacts. in talk I can see 20 friends on line - in hangouts only 5, 4 of which I have not talked to in years. garbage I say.
> 
> ...



No, thanks Google, I don't want shiny "blazing" fast Chrome. Neither I want to "hang out". I am even starting to hate green colour now.

Please bring back my sweet GTalk. It was perfect. Please!!


----------



## Flash (Feb 26, 2015)

If you're trying to showcase a new thing and make it to people try, you've to kill the old one even if it is bad. That's what Google is doing. 
They're updating the Hangouts often and wants the people to use it. If people are still using the good old Gtalk, then their worst enemy is their best product. 

R.I.P. Gtalk :/ I even remember the time when i first intalled Gtalk on my desktop and pinged my friends for the first time.


----------



## Vyom (Feb 27, 2015)

This is what happened with Microsoft. XP their best OS became their own worst enemy. Thankfully they let it die gracefully and stretched the support numerous times before completely abandoning the updates.

But Google just pressed the kill switch. Not cool.


----------



## Flash (Feb 27, 2015)

Google is turning out to be a big bully of tech world. This is another instance.

In our face: Softcard ending support for Windows Phone as Google acquires tech | Windows Central


----------



## thetechfreak (Feb 27, 2015)

Vyom said:
			
		

> Why should I use a 3rd party app?


 Apps like Pidgin should be used by everyone IMO. They support multiple networks and even IRC channels so there won't be need to run multiple clients separately for various networks. These apps will be continued to be updated as new security flaws are detected. I guess Google just don't want to keep on updating a app that mostly a minority use now IMO.


			
				 Vyom said:
			
		

> I am even starting to hate green colour now


 Another reason to use Pidgin because Purple is the new Green


----------



## srkmish (Feb 27, 2015)

Pigdin has google talk support. Nice. I had not done my research. I too was pissed off with google for disabling gtalk.


----------



## spxx (Feb 27, 2015)

what thetechfreak said, Pigdin is the way to go, really who wants to use proprietary software anyways .

 here is a very good list of safe and secure clients 

*www.eff.org/secure-messaging-scorecard


----------



## sling-shot (Feb 27, 2015)

Google is pruning its repertoire. It has been steadily killing off many of its experiments and less used products to focus on those that will help it.


----------



## $hadow (Feb 27, 2015)

i never used gtalk but i am using hangout a lot these days. They are making the integration better and in sometime it would surely result in a great companion. though they could have fixed some issues before killing Gtalk.


----------



## Reloaded (Feb 27, 2015)

The last time i use google talks was in 2011, and now when there are shuting down everyone wants to use it.


----------



## Vyom (Feb 27, 2015)

Reloaded said:


> The last time i use google talks was in 2011, and now when there are shuting down everyone wants to use it.



Classic mistake. When you say "you" were not using something since many years, you don't end it with "everyone". Just because you were not using doesn't make "nobody" was using it.

I really loved the small foot print little app that use to remain in my taskbar informing me about new mails and to be able to chat with anyone with little efforts. It's gone now. And I am already missing it.


----------



## Flash (Feb 27, 2015)

*i.imgur.com/LWgUvDE.png


----------



## krishnandu.sarkar (Feb 28, 2015)

I got the same email yesterday. Yeah google notified me before, that the support would end, but didn't bothered it. I don't like hangout too. It just doesn't shows who all are online. Even previously on android phone, it was there, but with the release of hangout, it's hard to find who all are online. It just shows me contacts based on my communication history.


----------



## $hadow (Feb 28, 2015)

Google is on the verge of either making or breaking the communication through it's apps. The new messenger app on Lollipop is also not that great but still better than that hangout integration.


----------



## thetechfreak (Feb 28, 2015)

Vyom said:
			
		

> I really loved the small foot print little app that use to remain in my taskbar informing me about new mails and to be able to chat with anyone with little efforts. It's gone now. And I am already missing it.


 Why not just use pidgin? Yeah it can't show email(well as it doesn't have access to it) but it can do everythin GTalk did, perhaps better. I guess there's no use highlighting any more pros and cons as you're saying the same thing over and over


----------



## Vyom (Mar 1, 2015)

thetechfreak said:


> Why not just use pidgin? Yeah it can't show email(well as it doesn't have access to it) but it can do everythin GTalk did, perhaps better. I guess there's no use highlighting any more pros and cons as you're saying the same thing over and over



Not sure what you mean by me "saying the same thing over and over", but I am really pissed off by the discontinuation of GTalk. (And the title of this thread does indicate "rant").

But, I guess if that what it takes for me to try 3rd party tools then I think I have no other choice. Is Pidgin reliable to give my Google credentials? I never share Google credentials with any other service, since I believe my google account to be the utmost importance. I know Pidgin is open source, so that means it's more reliable?

(Also I didn't really like the UI of Pidgin the last time I tried, years ago).


----------



## $hadow (Mar 1, 2015)

+1 to above question as pidgin is a open source how safe is it?


----------



## aaruni (Mar 2, 2015)

Got this sometime last month. Instantly uninstalled GTalk, cursed at Google for a few minutes, and moved on.

*edufor.fosspowered.com/img/image.php?di=V31B

- - - Updated - - -



Vyom said:


> But, I guess if that what it takes for me to try 3rd party tools then I think I have no other choice. Is Pidgin reliable to give my Google credentials? I never share Google credentials with any other service, since I believe my google account to be the utmost importance. I know Pidgin is open source, so that means it's more reliable?



Pidgin is not a service, as much as it is just an app. It stores your credentials on your local computer, and gives them to the google servers during authentication. The only downside here is, you will lose your incoming email notification.

- - - Updated - - -



krishnandu.sarkar said:


> I don't like hangout too. It just doesn't shows who all are online. Even previously on android phone, it was there, but with the release of hangout, it's hard to find who all are online. It just shows me contacts based on my communication history.



How long do you think before they force the webapp users to migrate from google talk to Hangouts ?


----------



## thetechfreak (Mar 3, 2015)

Vyom said:
			
		

> But, I guess if that what it takes for me to try 3rd party tools then I think I have no other choice. Is Pidgin reliable to give my Google credentials? I never share Google credentials with any other service, since I believe my google account to be the utmost importance. I know Pidgin is open source, so that means it's more reliable?


 err Pidgin don't store your creds like the way you think.

Pidgin works through the XMPP.  Just give this a read: XMPP - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Here is the list of Google recommended clients" *developers.google.com/talk/popular_clients


----------



## $hadow (Mar 3, 2015)

^^Thanks for the links bro. Now I will try this with a feeling of safety.


----------



## Vyom (Mar 3, 2015)

I can't. Pidgin denies to work on my Server edition of Windows (Win Server 2008 R2). Whenever I start the application it just goes in hang state. No matter how many times I try to kill it from the task manager it doesn't get close. This is the first time I am not able to end an application even from third party application like Sysinternal's Process Explorer. There maybe some compatibility issue of Pidgin with server editions.

Anyway, I am trying to move on to Ubuntu as my primary PC, where Pidgin or Empathy will work for me.

But until I do, I will still curse the decision of Google to discontinue GTalk on Windows. Google, please take the 3rd finger from me.


----------

