Tool of the year: BitlBee

Kore pointed me to a tool called BitlBee. Imagine that I am currently connected to 4 IRC networks and I am using Gaim for Jabber and ICQ. While Gaim is quite satisfying, it disturbs, that you have 2 communication clients online. Beside that, it disturbs me, that I have 1 tab per conversation open in gaim. On my server already runs a bouncer to allow me to keep me connected t my networks while I'm offline with my client.

Ok, now I'll have BitlBee running. BitlBee is a tiny daemon, that converts your instant messanger connections to IRC connections. Actually you are the connecting to a (local) IRC server, which is capable of handling your instant messanger connections. You then have a single IRC channel on that server, that shows all of your available instant messenger buddies as channel members. If you highlight 1 of those, he will receive the message. If you don't highlight anybody, you can send commands to the server.

That allows me to have all of my messaging buddies in 1 interface and to use the commands I'm already used to for any instant conversion. Fabulous!