When I setup my laptop, I wanted an icq client for linux.

I did the first thing anyone should do, and I went to google, and searched for "icq linux". I got a few useful links, and "licq" stuck out as being a good start.

After an "apt-get install licq" I was up and running. This was all good and well, and I had my huge contact list displayed.

I'm not egotistical.. I'll admit, out of that "huge" contact list, there's only about 2 people I constantly talk to, and most of the people on there I haven't spoken to for at least 5 years.

Anyway, that was fine. After using it for a while, I got a bit sick of it, and GAIM was suggested to me. Ah, GAIM, I'd forgotten about it.

On another note, I stayed using windows on a machine, just so I could keep using the official ICQ client, to maintain my history. I only stopped using the official client when I found that Miranda had an import function.

I haven't given up on maintaining my history, at some point I'll find (or write) a way to convert my history file from ICQ/Miranda into GAIM log format.

I replaced licq with GAIM, and was pretty impressed. Licq did everything I needed, like being able to chat, but GAIM has extra functionality, like file transfers, and better handling of slow connections (at least when the person you're talking to is using Miranda).

After going to visit a mate, who's on MSN, I finally decided to give up on my stubborness, to a small extent. I wasn't going to get rid of ICQ, I've been on there since about 1998, but now, using GAIM, I can add MSN contacts to my list.

This has expanded the list of people I talk to constantly to about 5, a couple of them good mates.

Since the file transfer function works quite well, my mate was able to send me a bunch of photos from when I went on a holiday with him a few months ago.

(My old blog had details about the trip, and I might make an exception on the technical bit and repost it at some point).

As a result, I've changed my profile photo, if you've previously visited my other blog, you might have noticed this.

In this photo, I'm at Dreamworld, wearing the Bundy Rum shirt I bought at the Bundy Rum factory after the tour the day before.

Anyway, to get this a bit more technical.. I pulled the photos across GAIM file transfer from my mate, and I used GIMP to crop/rescale the image small enough to use it as a profile photo, and then I uploaded it to my hosting space with scp :-)