CHAPTER 5 NEW INTERNET APPLICATIONS 5.1 INSTANT MESSAGING (IM) 5.1.1 OVERVIEW OF INSTANT MESSAGING (IM) Instant messaging (IM) is an extension of e-mail that allows two or more people to contact each other via direct, live communication. To use instant messaging, you specify a list of friends and register with an instant messaging server. Whenever you connect to the Internet, [1] special software informs your messaging server that you are online. In response, the server will notify you if any of your contacts are online. At the same time, it notifies your friends that you are online. You can then send messages directly back and forth to one another. Most instant messaging programs also include video conferencing features, file sharing, and remote assistance. Many businesses routinely use these instant messaging features. Instant messaging is a popular variation of chat in which you are informed when someone on your buddy list—a list containing the names of friends and associates that you specify—are on line; when they are on line, you can send them a message that immediately appears on their [2] screen (See Figure 5-1). You can then have a real—time typed conversation. Figure 5-1 Instant Messaging 《计算机英语（第五版）》 CHAPTER 5 As of 2010, social networking providers often offer IM abilities. Facebook Chat is a form [3] of instant messaging, and Twitter can be thought of as a Web 2.0 instant messaging system . Similar server-side chat features are part of most dating websites, such as OKCupid or Plenty [4] of Fish . The spread of smartphones and similar devices in the late 2000s also caused increased competition with conventional instant messaging, by making text messaging services still more ubiquitous. Many instant messaging services offer video calling features, voice over IP and web [5] conferencing services . Web conferencing services can integrate both video calling and instant messaging abilities. Some instant messaging companies are also offering desktop [6] sharing, IP radio, and IPTV to the voice and video features . Each modern IM service generally provides its own client, either a separately installed piece of software, or a browser-based client. These usually only work with the supplier company’s service, although some allow limited function with other services. Third party client software applications exist, that will connect with most of the major IM services. Adium, [7] Empathy, Miranda IM, Pidgin, Qnext and Trillian are a few of the common ones . Standard complementary instant messaging applications offer functions like file transfer, contact list(s), the ability to hold several simultaneous conversations, etc. These may be all the functions that a small business needs, but larger organizations will require more sophisticated [8] applications that can work together . The solution to finding applications capable of this is to use enterprise versions of instant messaging applications. These include titles like XMPP, Lotus Sametime, Microsoft Office Communicator, etc., which are often integrated with other [9] enterprise applications such as workflow systems . These enterprise applications, or enterprise application integration (EAI), are built to certain constraints, namely storing data in a common format. NOTES [1] that 引导的是宾语从句。 [2] 本句是用分号隔开的两个句子，前一个句子中，in which 引导的是定语从句，此 从句中 when 引导的又是时间状语从句；两个破折号中间的句子是同位语。 [3] Facebook Chat，脸谱聊天。有关 Facebook，请见 5.1.3 节。 Twitter，推特。有关 Twitter，请见 5.1.4 节。 [4] OKCupid，免费的在线约会（online dating），是一个朋友和社交网站，其特点是 成员之间可以猜谜和讨论问题。Plenty of Fish，“很多鱼”网站。 [5] voice over IP，即 IP 电话，有关 IP 电话的内容，请见 3.1.3 节 NOTES[6]。 [6] IP radio，即 Radio over IP。IP TV，即交互式网络电视，是一种利用宽带网，集 互联网、多媒体、通信等技术于一体，向家庭用户提供包括数字电视在内的多种交互式 服务的崭新技术。它能够很好地适应当今网络技术的飞速发展。 [7] Adium，是用于 OS X 操作系统的自由和开源即时消息客户端软件，支持 124 CHAPTER 5 NEW INTERNET APPLICATIONS Windows Live Messenger、Yahoo! Messenge、Google Talk、ICQ、XMPP 等多个 IM 网。 Empathy，是 IM 和 Vo IP 客户端软件，支持文本、语音、视频、文件传输和各种 IM 协 议上的应用程序之间的通信。 Miranda IM，为微软 Windows 设计的开源多协议即时消 息应用软件。 Pidgin，（以前的名字是 Gaim），是一个开源多平台即时消息客户软件。 Qnext，是一个安全远程文件访问的应用软件，可使用计算机和移动设备，所访问的文件 可放在多个存储设备或云服务设备上。Trillian，是为微软 Windows、苹果 Mac OS X、 Linux、Android、iOS 等系统设计的专利多协议即时消息应用软件。 [8] 并列句，两个句子中都有 that 引导的定语从句。 [9] which 引导的是非限定性定语从句。XMPP（Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol），可扩展的消息和展示协议，是一种基于 XML 的面向消息的中间件的通信协 议。Lotus Sametime，以前是 IBM Lotus Sametime，现为 IBM Sametime，是为企业提供 实时统一通信和合作的客户-服务器应用和中间件的平台。其功能有消息展示、企业即时 消息、Web 会议、团体合作以及通话和集成等。 Microsoft Office Communicator，现在是 Skype for Business，是与 Microsoft Lync Server 一起使用的即时消息客户端软件。 Workflow system，即 WfMS（Workflow Management System），是用来建立、执行和监视 科学工作流的基础软件结构。 KEYWORDS IM (Instant Messaging) 即时消息 live communication 实时通信 online 在线，联机 video conferencing 视频会议 file sharing 文件共享 remote assistance 远程辅助 chat 聊天，闲谈 buddy list 好友目录 social network 社交网 smartphone 智能电话 browser-based client 基于浏览器的客户（端） file transfer 文件传输 enterprise version 企业版 workflow system 文件流系统 EAI(Enterprise Application Integration) 企业应用软件集成 EXERCISES True/False 1. ________ IM is an extension of E-mail. 2. ________ To use instant messaging, you should register with an IM server. 125 《计算机英语（第五版）》 CHAPTER 5 3. ________ When you connect to the Internet, a special program informs you that you are online. 4. ________ In the process of using IM, an instant messaging server will notify you if any of your contacts are online. 5. ________ Using IM, you can send messages directly back and forth to one another. 6. ________ Only a few of instant messaging can use remote assistance. 7. ________ Instant messaging is a special variation of chat. 8. ________ In Instant messaging you are informed when someone on your buddy list. 9. ________ A list containing the names of friends and associates is the buddy list. 10. ________ Using IM, you can send your friends a message that will appear on their screen for several minutes. 11. ________ Twitter can be thought as a Web 2.0 IM system. 12. ________ Web conferences integrated video calling with IM abilities. 13.________ IPTV is an interactive network television. 14. ________ Today most IM services provide their own browser-based client only. 15. ________ Original standard of IM offers file transfer, contact lists and several simultaneous conversations. 16. ________ XMPP is an abbreviation for Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol. 5.1.2 QQ 1. Overview of the QQ Tencent QQ, generally referred to as QQ, is the most popular free instant messaging computer program in Mainland China. As of September 30, 2010, the active QQ user accounts for QQ IM amounted to 636.6 million, possibly making it the world’s largest online [1] community. The number of simultaneous online QQ accounts exceeded 100 million. In th February 2011, QQ.com ranked 10 overall in Alexa’s internet rankings just behind Twitter [2] ranked 9th. The program is maintained by Tencent Holdings Limited (HKEX: 0700), owned [3] in part by Naspers. Since its entrance into Chinese households QQ quickly emerged as a [4] modern cultural phenomenon, now being portrayed in popular culture. Aside from the chat program, QQ has also developed many sub-features including games, virtual pets, ringtone downloads, music, shopping, blogs, microblogging, and group and voice chat etc. The current version of QQ is QQ2010 beta2. Tencent periodically releases special versions of QQ to coincide with events such as the Olympics or Chinese New Year. The official client runs on Microsoft Windows and a beta public version was launched for [5] Mac OS X version 10.4.9 or newer. The Web versions, WebQQ (full version) and WebQQ [6] Mini (Lite version), which makes use of Ajax, are currently available. 126 CHAPTER 5 NEW INTERNET APPLICATIONS As of January 2015, there are 829 million active QQ accounts, with a peak of 176.4 million simultaneous online QQ users. 2. QQ International (1) Windows In 2009 QQ began to expand its services internationally with its QQ International client for Windows distributed through a dedicated English-language portal. QQ International offers non-Mandarin speakers the opportunity to use all the features of its Chinese counterpart to get in touch with other QQ users via chat and videocalls, it provides [7] a non-Mandarin interface to access Qzone, Tencent’s social network . The client supports English, French, Spanish, German, Korean, Japanese and Classical Chinese. A wealth of third-party applications is bundled with QQ International and it is mainly aimed at making cross-cultural communications in and out of China more convenient. One of the main features of QQ International is the optional and automatic machine translation of all chats. (2) Android An Android version of QQ International was released in September 2013. The client’s interface is in English, French, Spanish, German, Korean, Japanese and Classic Chinese. In addition to text messaging, users can send each other images, video, and audio media messages. Moreover, users can share multimedia content with all contacts through the client’s Qzone interface. The live translation feature is available for all incoming messages and supports up to 18 languages. (3) iOS / iPhone QQ International for iPhone and iOS devices was released at the end of 2013, fully equivalent to its Android counterpart. 3. Web QQ Tencent launched its web-based QQ formally on 15 September 2009, the latest version of which being 3.0. Rather than solely a web-based IM, WebQQ 3.0 functions more like its own operating system, with a desktop in which web applications can be added. 4. Open source and cross-platform clients Using reverse engineering, open source communities have come to understand the QQ protocol better and have attempted to implement client core libraries compatible with more [8] user-friendly clients . Most of these clients are cross-platform, so they are usable on operating systems which the official client does not support. However, these implementations had only a subset of the functions of the official client and therefore were more limited in features.