Why do you use the Chat program that you do?

[KevinMU1]

I'm really curious what creates loyalty to a chat program. Granted my motivations are because I'm making one, but hey, know thy competition, and thy consumers, right? 😉

 

[RossMAN]

All my friends use Chat Service X

 

[Jzero]

lt's like Beta and VHS. One was technologically superior, but everyone started using the other instead.
I much preferred ICQ, but everyone I knew was drawn in by AIM. Eventually it got to the point where I had 10 contacts on ICQ and 50 on AIM, and 8 of my ICQ contacts were on AIM.
I got tired of using both just to talk to those 2 people.

 

[Insomnium]

Ditto w/ what RossMAN said. Most none nerdy types stay away from icq and stick to AIM, which is why i stick with that too.

 

[tweakmm]

All of my friends use AIM
like hell I'm going to install AIM
I installed trillain, problem solved 🙂

 

[LanEvoVI]

I use AIM+ b/c I like AIM but the extras AIM+ offers are nice...

 

[brtspears2]

Originally posted by: RossMAN
All my friends use Chat Service X

Yup, exactly. You could switch to Y chat service, but then getting your friends to switch from X to Y, big problem. Minus well fall in with the crowd and join/stay with X.

 

[Chadder007]

Actually I use Chat Service Y. X is suck.

 

[arod]

Use trillan and let people use whatever the hell they want to 🙂

 

[stev0]

trillian, because i can be on aim, msn, and irc all in one spiffy prog.

 

[eakers]

all my friends use chat service x.

 

[GhettoFob]

Originally posted by: eakers
all my friends use chat service x.

 

[clicknext]

I use Trillian because I literally absolutely need AIM, ICQ, MSN, Y! and I don't want to get individual clients for each of them.

 

[bigrash]

Originally posted by: GhettoFob

Originally posted by: eakers
all my friends use chat service x.

same here. To be honest, I don't care much for the features. I mean, it's nice to have the features, but they're not necessary for me.

 

[BurnItDwn]

BitchX

 

[Koing]

RossMan is correct.

I use msn, aim and icq. I have all 3 of the programs on the right hand side of my monitor. 19" @ 1280x1024 so its not such a problem.

 

[KevinMU1]

It does indeed seem like AIM has runaway with the market, although it seems that they are starting to go the way of ICQ with so many features, and also the advertising.

I use Trillian too, although that still had problems, like back in Jan/Feb when AIM tried blocking access. So even Trillian still relies on those annoying corporate networks. 😉

It definitely seems that the overwhelming reason for using a certain service is because that's where your buddies are, which is definitely what I thought would be the most overwhelming answer.

Question is, if loyalty/need isn't a reason for everybody, then what's to keep everyone from switching over? 😉

PS thanks to the 2 folks who were honest enough to respond "lazy; habit"--glad to see people can still be honest. 🙂

Anyone else?