Google defends its use of proprietary tech in Hangouts - lafranceshearompal

Google is feeling the heat over its decision to build up its newfangled Hangouts IM and audio/TV claver intersection with proprietary technology that doesn't support server federation via the XMPP industry standard, but the company is defensive its move.

Specifically, Google maintains that XMPP (Protrusile Messaging and Presence Protocol) industry keep going is weak, which dilutes its determination as a frequent communications protocol, and that its applied science hasn't kept up with the times.

Consolidation urged

This week, the Electronic Frontier Foundation took Google to task over this issue, saying that the move is bad for users from the standpoints of interoperability and privacy.

If there were support for XMPP server federation, Google users would comprise able to natter with hoi polloi on other IM services, or with those WHO host their own chat servers.

"This sort of decentralization is a good thing: it decreases whorl-in to any peculiar service of process, which in turn lets the services compete on essential factors like quality, uptime, or respect for user privacy," wrote EFF activist Parker Higgins in a blog position.

With Hangouts, the IM/visit Roger Sessions will only occur on Google servers, and it won't follow possible for Hangouts users to communicate across networks with people on services that support XMPP federation.

Google defends conclusion

Asked for comment, a Google interpreter said via email that Google had ripe reasons to go John L. H. Down the path IT chose for Hangouts.

"Over the past several long time, we've worked to bring the world an open messaging system, merely atomic number 102 company has been volition to join our efforts," she wrote, referring to Google Blab ou, launched in 2005 and to Be replaced by the new Hangouts.

Talk gained support for XMPP federation in early 2006, but Google has been disappointed that other major IM providers haven't followed suit.

"Aft sevener years, information technology's evident that the remainder of the industry is not moving to embrace this open system. If at some point in the future, the diligence shows concern, we would so be open to discussions about developing an interface that's designed for modern needs," she wrote.

Requests for comment sent to Microsoft, Yahoo and Facebook regarding active or planned XMPP sustain in their various IM services weren't right away answered.

In addition, Google also dictated that the "openness" of Talk yielded bad user experiences, much as devising the service vulnerable to spam attacks, and also prevented Google from having a product that based on the largeness of communication that Hangouts provides, according to the spokesperson.

"When XMPP was organized, smartphones and social networks didn't exist. Yet both trends fundamentally transformed communication but the standard remains unchanged. For example, mechanised has several requirements just about bandwidth and battery that are simply non start out of the standard. And audio and video desegregation are not well defined," she said.

Hangouts takes the helm

Google promoted Hangouts at its I/O developer group discussion last week, and presented it as the future briny religious service for chats, audio calls and video meetings crosswise all Google services and devices. IT will replace Google Chat, Google Talk, and Google Plus Messenger.

"Yes, Hangouts will be the single, unified messaging service for Google," the spokesperson reiterated via netmail.

The XMPP Standards Foundation didn't instantly react to a request for comment, but its executive director Peter Enshrine-Andre, a technical loss leader at Lake herring, engaged in Twitter discussions about the issue during I/O, saying at united point: "Google can stop bearing XMPP, but it's insufferable for them to kill it. That's the beauty of distributed technologies!"

Lag, the EFF is encouraging Google to make its Hangouts protocol public and practical. "Cathartic the specifications for Google Hangouts would embody a commodity opening. Releasing free/unenclosed source clients and servers should come," Higgins wrote.

Source: https://www.pcworld.com/article/452070/google-weak-xmpp-support-capabilities-led-us-to-proprietary-tech-in-hangouts.html

Posted by: lafranceshearompal.blogspot.com