I’m trying to keep my postings down to three to four, but I guess when I see things I’ll just post the damn things. I saw this on CNN.com and I thought that everyone reading this would be interested in know what is in store ahead for us AIM users.

Taken from cnn.com:

AOL readies next-generation IM tools

Thursday, April 28, 2005 Posted: 3:28 PM EDT (1928 GMT)

NEW YORK (AP) — America Online Inc. is preparing to ditch its decade-old instant messaging platform, building a replacement from scratch that’s designed to integrate text, audio, video and future forms of communication.

AOL has released an early, limited-feature preview of its next-generation IM software, called Triton, and hopes to complete it by year’s end. AOL plans only one more update to the existing AIM software, now at version 5.9.

The key difference will be the use of tabs to manage a growing list of contacts.

Currently, chats with different contacts occur in separate windows, quickly cluttering the computer desktop. Add to that ways to communicate beyond text, including audio, video and file transfers.

Triton (pronounced TRY-ton) keeps all that within a single window. You’ll flip through vertical tabs to change contacts and horizontal ones to switch the mode of communication.

AOL engineers took a modular approach in building Triton. That means new features, such as support for Internet-based phones, can be easily added as a block rather than retrofitted into the software as is now the case.

Chamath Palihapitiya, general manager of AIM, said the original software was designed in 1996 with text in mind.

“Would you ever have thought in 1996 that this computer is going to be used for … sending stuff to mobile phones and initiating calls over the Internet?” he asked.

Triton will also incorporate “IM Catcher,” IM’s version of a spam folder. The tool collects all messages from those not on your buddy list.

AOL and CNN.com are owned by parent company Time Warner.

Sounds extremely exciting and I hope that it lives up to expectation. I don’t know if its too late for me or not. I mean I’m moving away from the dorms and to my own apartment in about a month or so. I’m not really sure if I’ll even get Triton or not. I probably will. Who am I kidding. I’ll be on line forever. In fact, for all of those who read this far into this post, consider putting Socramforever as my AIM screen name, because once I’m out of here this summer, I’ll probably be moving all of my stuff over to that screen name. That is if I can figure out what my password is. LOL….which reminds me.

I remember there was a time when LOL did not mean anything. Before instant messanger. And then suddenly everyone was ‘laughing out loud’. But does anyone remember the brief period of time when LMAO came out. Yes? No? ‘Laughing my Ass Off’ is what it meant. Along with LMFAOAOTF…which meant ‘laughing my fucking ass off all over the floor’. Or whatever the actual thing was. It feels good to not be stuck with that anymore. I think the only thing that I actually catch myself using LOL and that’s only on occasion. I have been trying very hard not to talk with that stupid computer slang as much as I once did.

Anyway, Triton is coming…I wonder if Poseidon will come around too…

–Socram

Random dog with AOL CD, thought it would be funny.