September 14, 2005

Meebo - Instant Messaging with Ajax

Michael Arrington

105 comments »

Company: Meebo
Launched: Today, September 14, 2005 (Public Alpha)
Location: Palo Alto, CA

Overview

Meebo, an ajax-rich web-based instant messenger application, launched today. It’s elegant and useful.

There are a number of problems with instant messaging. First, most of us have too many client applications to run at one time (skype, msn, AOL, Yahoo, Google Talk, Meetro, etc…) (solutions like Trillian attempt to solve this). Second, if you are away from your base computer, you may not be able to access the software needed to run IM. Meebo solves this by allowing you to log into AOL, ICQ, MSN and Yahoo instant messaging services from their web page.

Since Meebo uses ajax, you can drag and drop the message boxes around the screen. And the core functionality (making IM more useful and easy to use) is quite nice.

There are things that they can improve on - support for emoticons is the first to come to mind. One problem that they can’t overcome, but which users should be aware of, is that Meebo is taking (and can store) your IM usernames and password. Any Meebo employee (and hacker) with database access could obtain these credentials and use or change them. Something to be aware of.

Also, Meebo should be supporting Jabber even in this public alpha product. Jabber is an open protocol and should therefore be the easiest service to implement. By supporting Jabber, Meebo would allow you to access Google Talk (profile) as well. This was pointed out in a comment by Frederico Oliveira on an UneasySilence post on Meebo earlier today.

For additional information, see the Meebo about us page and blog.

Team

Elaine Wherry â€“ the Ajax guru
Sandy Jen - Server side programming
Seth Sternberg - jack of everything else

Additional Reading

Om Malik, SolutionWatch, derkilicious, Mark Jen

Sphere It

This entry was posted on Wednesday, September 14th, 2005 at 11:03 pm and is filed under Company & Product Profiles. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.

Trackbacks/Pings (Trackback URL)

» Blog Archive » launch day recap

September 15th, 2005 at 1:22 am

JÃ©rÃ©mi Joslin

September 15th, 2005 at 2:15 am

Nouveau by Zaw Thet - Interesting New Stuff

September 18th, 2005 at 6:15 pm

TechCrunch » Gtalkr, Flash + Gtalk

November 30th, 2005 at 5:41 pm

TechCrunch » Meebo’s Impressive Growth

December 12th, 2005 at 1:31 pm

tek-works.com » Meebo

January 8th, 2006 at 1:40 pm

TechCrunch » Bluepulse called “Meebo for your phone”

January 19th, 2006 at 4:29 pm

Netweb » Techcrunch and the Meebo chat room

January 31st, 2006 at 12:34 am

Netweb » School Traffic via Techcrunch and Meebo

February 19th, 2006 at 7:38 pm

» Meebo, MSN Messenger e outros IM num s� siteIT Man - O Estranho Mundo De Um IT Man

February 27th, 2006 at 8:07 am

TechCrunch en français » Meebo lance MeeboMe

August 2nd, 2006 at 7:29 am

TechCrunch Japanese アーカイブ » Meebo、MeeboMeスタート

August 2nd, 2006 at 10:37 am

Web Infoterkini » Blog Archive » Meebo Web Info

August 12th, 2006 at 3:59 pm

Hidden conspiracies » Blog Archive » Meebo Instant Messenger

August 29th, 2006 at 1:48 am

Meebo makes real-time interaction from server admin-to-client easy… almost. « WaxJelly

August 31st, 2006 at 6:34 am

WaxJelly » Meebo makes real-time interaction from server admin-to-client easy… almost.

September 8th, 2006 at 1:22 pm

DataDesigns.ca » Blog Archive » Meebo

September 27th, 2006 at 3:48 am

home acne cure

April 19th, 2007 at 11:50 am

car boarding

April 23rd, 2007 at 1:01 pm

Comments

RSS feed for comments on this post.

Raphael

September 15th, 2005 at 1:07 am

Meebo sound great! I Love this initiative but has you mentioned the Login & Password is a big issue to this kind of application (WEB 2.0). Whatâ€™s the future for that?
Zbigniew Lukasiak

September 15th, 2005 at 4:39 am

There is an Open Source jabber web client: http://jwchat.sourceforge.net/
Vinu

September 15th, 2005 at 8:38 am

is this a start which a need of a mobile personal os/desktop??

just log-on to the a/c or the service through any web browser and you have your desktop experience where-ever your independent of your operating system??
Dru

September 15th, 2005 at 10:56 am

Ok, the comment about Jabber support.
Uh. They are focused on the top 4 IM networks that everybody is on. I think
that is smarter for the alpha than
supporting Jabber. Clearly the ding about that is way overdone since almost nobody is on that network (Gtalk) right now. It sounds like you are complaining because they used tables in their HTML rather than finding a serious criticism.

C’mon.
Michael Arrington

September 15th, 2005 at 11:07 am

Dru - Thanks for commenting. I think my criticism is based on the fact that jabber is so easy to implement, I’m just surprised they didn’t add it. Since it’s only been out for a day, I’m not really attacking them. I like the service a lot and I applaud what they are doing. I’m sure they’ll add it soon enough.

And I tend to use skype the most, even for IMing. I wonder if they can add functionality for skype text IM at some point?
Marek Futrega

September 15th, 2005 at 6:44 pm

Hell, I’ll complain again.

A multi-network IM client could have been written as a Java applet 5 years ago. As far as I know, there is no such thing because, simply put, there is no need for it.

Why would an Ajax-based multi-network client with highly limited functionality be of any use is just beyond me.
kk131

September 15th, 2005 at 8:31 pm

http://jaim.at hosts web based jabber interface. Through that you can access msn, yahoo, aim, icq, etc.
C

November 2nd, 2005 at 7:15 am

hiya peeps …
steve semi

November 6th, 2005 at 6:34 pm

When using meebo it works fine except for a couple problems i have found. I go to a School that filters the sites we are allowed to go on and when gettin on this site its great. My only questions are when i am on and i have imed someone the meebo takes a long time to get their response back to me… long time sometimes being 5 minuets or so. Also while being on it sometimes just kicks me off sayin i am not logged in then turnin back on saying i am logged in? When this happens i loose my conversations and i am not able to recall the last message sent to me. Sometimes it will kick me off and i will have to go to the start up page and start all over again by signing in and retypin my information in? Can you look into fixing that problem?
flako

November 9th, 2005 at 7:30 am

its a really helpfull web
Megan Nuckols

November 9th, 2005 at 1:00 pm

hey meebo i think got blocked on my computer is there some way i can un block it.
yours truly
Megan Nuckols
D.C.

November 10th, 2005 at 11:47 am

I just found out about it, got to use it at work for two days…LOVED IT! Sadly its been partially blocked, and categorized as inappropriate. So now i either get the blocked access screeen or error on page. Good Go, though…keep up the great work.
bunni15

November 14th, 2005 at 6:42 am

god i love meebo y did it get blocked
leo

November 14th, 2005 at 8:25 am

Worked for a day, and now its blocked. Wish there was other ways to use messenger at work.
San

November 14th, 2005 at 10:03 pm

Wonderful…..
Kat

November 15th, 2005 at 7:57 am

I used it once, and my school blocked it. Is it so horrible to chat on msn when I’m finished all my work already? Geez. Does anyone know a way to get to it? I have tried SO many ways and I finally found one that wasn’t blocked and they found it. I guess they were snooping through my history files. I feel my privacy was violated, but whatever. I can’t do anything about it but find another way to get through the system. This was the best one I could find.
Email me at Katxpert@hotmail.com if you know any good anonymizer sites and so on.
**Kat**
Raja

November 15th, 2005 at 8:56 pm

Hi All,

In my work place meebo is blocked. It tried to access using varuous options like www3.meebo.com
www4.meebo.com and so on
everything is blocked related to meebo

can u give me any other websites thru which i can access the yahoo, msn and aol ims.

thanks in advance
raja
tania

November 16th, 2005 at 4:24 am

my school has closed the site and i wondered if theres another way to get the site up plez could you help me
monica

November 16th, 2005 at 10:32 am

ola!!!
rafael

November 19th, 2005 at 5:53 am

quero emtra no msn nÃ£o consigo
kelsey

November 22nd, 2005 at 4:43 am

meebo is blocked on my schoolcomputers and the other ones say the page is unreachable are you guys experiencing techinical difficulties or is it my school?
kelsey

November 22nd, 2005 at 4:47 am

on happier note your site rocks. its a great way to talk to people in school and it doesnt mess up the computers with downloads, which was their whole problem to begin with so i can’t understand why they would block it.
benjamin

November 22nd, 2005 at 12:15 pm

just find a similar service by imunitive http://www.imunitive.com did web based IM like meebo, what the main different is they also support file transfer, group chat and the group chat can allow me to have my msn, yahoo and aim together. i use it on my workplace there can not use public IM, and sometime i need to link up with different partner and vendor into conference (unfortunately most of the time there are using different IM network), now with imunitive i can use one single client to handle my different account as well as conference with buddies from different network.
OgeXam

November 23rd, 2005 at 5:57 am

If the site is block try the translation sites like http://babelfish.altavista.com/
Select Russian to English.

You do not get the images but you will get the text. It is blocked at my work but on altavista I was able to see the site. Did not try to use it though. So I am not sure what will happen if you try to log in.

I use the translator for some blocked sites. Though the wall here is getting smarter and starting to check ips
emma

November 23rd, 2005 at 6:32 am

my skool has blocked msn yahoo and meebo from skool computers cu u tell me if there is another site which i could go on plez ! or wot sites are ther which i can acsess thx emz
amanda

November 23rd, 2005 at 8:20 am

i love meebo ..but there has to be a new wat to get on it b/cz its blocked off from schools
hari

November 28th, 2005 at 3:05 am

meebo is excelant
kaka

November 29th, 2005 at 1:08 pm

my school is blocking meebo! is there another way to get round and go onto meebo? please!!! help! we realli need it back!
david-m

November 30th, 2005 at 1:10 am

thanks benjaman, i registered imunitive account, better than meebo, i like file transfer and group conference features, especially the conference which allow me to have Yahoo and MSN buddies talk together …

my school still can use imunitive, this morning i talked to their team via “live support” they said when my school blocked their url, they can have solution to help me out …

see their userguide @ http://www.imunitive.com/gimuserguide.html

david
paulo

November 30th, 2005 at 6:35 am

como eu posso entrar no sitem quando ele estiver bloqueado
Ross

December 1st, 2005 at 1:32 am

our school has blocked it please help us!!!!
poorna

December 2nd, 2005 at 1:43 am

ooooooooops
meebo is blocked at my workplace
pls help me
amanda

December 5th, 2005 at 8:46 am

my school blocked meebo….can someone PLEASE tell me a way to get around it… thanks
amanda
amanda

December 5th, 2005 at 8:47 am

if u do know a way around it PLEASE e-mail me and let me know xoxomand3rzxoxo@yahoo.com
megan

December 7th, 2005 at 7:17 am

my school blocked this site how would i be able to get around it?
hippoweb

December 8th, 2005 at 12:18 am

my immunitive.com still works though meebo is blocked
gary

December 8th, 2005 at 3:17 am

brilliant
ruthy

December 8th, 2005 at 6:30 am

hey like most other people it, meebo has been blocked on our school pc
damn it was so fun to be on msn and now i cant! puuuurlease will you try and find an alternative, ill be eternally grateful!
cheers xx
Amy banks

December 8th, 2005 at 6:54 am

i think it is stupid that u can not talk on msn in school this is cordeaux school in louth lins i wish u could the number is 01507606555 if u could say 2 them that it is not bad web site thanks alot your sincerly Miss Amy Banks
amie

December 9th, 2005 at 2:40 am

my skwl has filtered/banned this website! how fkt up is tht!? lol! i hate this skwl, it is a prison, nd i cnt w8 til we break up 4 xmas cus then i wil b away from this shithole! lol! merry xmas evry1! lyl amz xxx
Joby M Jacob

December 9th, 2005 at 6:12 am

Dear Amy ,

Please try the following links

http://www.imunitive.com/gim/index.html

http://e-messenger.net/

Its working reply me

itcjoby@yahoo.com
Amit

December 11th, 2005 at 11:05 pm

I am not able to use meebo.
I want to access yahoo and hotmail mails.Can you gibe an alternative site through i can check my mails.

I want it urgently.

Thanks,
Amit.
Mike

December 12th, 2005 at 12:37 pm

Meebo is great. I feel like eatting pie. Mmm…pie…
G.V.Anil Babu

December 13th, 2005 at 6:34 am

I have opened meebo.com from www1.meebo.com to www19.meebo.com but all the sites are blocked in my company so are they any more sites still so that i can open and chat
SAMMY SHIELDS

December 15th, 2005 at 5:48 am

HEY MY SK8L HAS BANNED ALL MSN WEBSITES DO U KEN NE WEBSITES WERE I CAN ACCESS MSN MESSENGER WITHOUT HAVEING TO DOWNLOAD XXX MERRY XMAS:)
hannah

December 16th, 2005 at 5:28 am

unblock it please
Amanda

December 21st, 2005 at 8:07 am

Our school blocked the website…do you know of any way to unblock it?
Laura

January 3rd, 2006 at 8:22 am

whatever keep doing what your doing
Kristin Simlai

January 5th, 2006 at 2:18 pm

so, is Meebo blocked all together at this time? I would like to use it
Amit

January 6th, 2006 at 12:31 am

Meebo is going to have a competitor pretty soon.. :)) http://www.getafreelancer.com/projects/37531.html
what is he thinking?
Ravi

January 6th, 2006 at 2:25 am

hey
jabber and ajaax both working fine,but design of site and colors are not goo,i mean they should be bright enough…..
Ravi

January 6th, 2006 at 2:29 am

jabber and ajax,both working fine but..
problem is basicaly with the colors used in site,they should be more visible and bright
rest is great
ahmed

January 8th, 2006 at 1:34 pm

hai is ahmed and i realy thanks to meebo team which thay provide such nice chat keep it up i realy aprichiate with such great people u.
lauren

January 16th, 2006 at 4:58 am

meebo has gt blocked at skl n i cudnt blieve we actually had messenger at skl 4 a wile until sum1 decided 2 say sumin!?! is dere ne ova sites u no dat u can use messenger?? wb xx
steph

January 16th, 2006 at 6:18 am

why does meebo have 2 be blocked at school
xx xx xx
Jade

January 17th, 2006 at 2:48 am

i was on i love im and it got bloked afta 4 days it was ashame then i found a new way meebo but afta a day it got bloked sadly plz unblok it we need a way to get on it if ne1 noes anuve way email me on playgirlbunni@hotmail.co.uk
saqueena

January 17th, 2006 at 10:42 pm

i need help still…my computer doesnt go all the way into meebo…..wats the problem?
jasond315

January 18th, 2006 at 10:28 am

TO GET AROUND SERVERS THAT BLOCK MEEBO>>>
when putting in the address, be sure to put the s after http, will connect securely, which most places dont block the secure login so type https://meebo.com works at all places Ive tried. good luck rock on meebo!
Daniel Strickland

January 20th, 2006 at 6:22 am

Does anyone know how they plan on making money? From what I can tell, the real power of this service could be from partning with other websites that could benefit from IM-connectedness (EBay and Facebook come to mind). They would be a IM service provider, rather than simply an IM destination.

Are they currently partnering with anyone?
Emma

January 20th, 2006 at 6:44 am

i tried that https://meebo.com and it still wont let me get into it… our skool has blocked the website, know any other way to get in… its getting on my nerves.
levanthem

January 22nd, 2006 at 9:06 pm

i’d like to chat in your website
Daniel

January 23rd, 2006 at 1:46 am

Our School uses a blocking system called BESS… (Damd evil dog) I have found 2 links that seem to work but it only take about 3 days for it to get blocked again. I use

216.129.113.6
216.129.112.121

Try them…
bbz on tour

January 23rd, 2006 at 9:02 am

hya ppl
S

January 23rd, 2006 at 4:29 pm

You gotta be kidding me!
You guys really think you have an idea? Are you faking all these emails? If you get any funding, take it and run. Is this 1999 all over agin?
Stephen

January 24th, 2006 at 4:36 am

Is it any wonder the education system is blocking Meebo from being accessed. These kids need an education because they cannot spell or construct a sentence.
Daniel

January 24th, 2006 at 7:50 am

Very true stephen, but I feel that i am able to construct an understandable sentence. But for certain individuals this is the case. A life without stupidity is only a dream.
fag mgee

January 24th, 2006 at 10:38 am

suckss
Trisha

January 26th, 2006 at 5:53 am

Hey pplz!!!!!!!!
kiersten

January 26th, 2006 at 7:21 am

My school has blocked meebo, and all those other messenger sites. Do you have any other places where I could chat for free?
Karly crainie

January 27th, 2006 at 4:47 am

Are school as blocked meebo and every chat room site do you know any other sites with msn messenger and its for free fank you ! x x x x add me Every 1 xkarly-2006x@hotmail.co.uk im 14/f/uk manchester uk xxxxxxxx
chelsie

January 27th, 2006 at 4:50 am

hi anybody no how to get the block on the chatrooms or any other chatrooms plz xxchelsiexxshawxx@hotmail.co.uk
freida brown

January 27th, 2006 at 4:51 am

if u ask me i think its a load of shitttttttttttttttttttt!!!
emma berry

January 27th, 2006 at 4:52 am

If u ask me wot i think of this site well first ! its a load of bolox second if you scroll up the page its loads of storys abowt people chatin shit !
emma berry

January 27th, 2006 at 4:54 am

Sorry for what iv just said up there ^^^i was just a bit stressed and i took it out on the fukin computer im soz im fuked in the head i needed to take mi anger out on some 1 !!!!!!!!! lv ya
chelsie

January 27th, 2006 at 4:54 am

hi anybody wanna speak to me add me at xxchelsiexxshawxx@hotmail.co.uk lots of love chelsie shaw frm harrop fold school
frm chelsie
aman

January 29th, 2006 at 12:16 pm

hello frnds i want to make this type of im in my final yr proj can any body help me ..plz help me
no1cutie222

January 29th, 2006 at 1:26 pm

hi everyone meebo iz great isn’t it ma friend showed me it fanks to sofia from georgia xx
rahul sarkar

January 30th, 2006 at 1:41 am

can anyone tell mehow to open yahoo mail and indiatimes mail,both these sites are blocked in my office,
Gemma

January 30th, 2006 at 3:33 am

hey! does anyone know how to unblock websites that have been blocked?? meebo, an all that have bn! or any other websites u got, that i mite not av tried?? thanx. X
Gemma

January 30th, 2006 at 3:36 am

me again! lol. jus wanna say, if ya wanna chat 2 me, add me on

xxkinkylilangelxx@hotmail.com

or email me! Love ya! X
chelsie

January 30th, 2006 at 9:16 am

hi how do you unblock the website for harrop fold school because they have bloked the chatrooms and dont now how to get on them from chelsie shaw xxchelsiexxshawxx@hotmail.co.uk
chelsie

January 30th, 2006 at 9:19 am

hi anyone wanna speak speak to me over this love u louds chelsie at xxchelsiexxshawxx@hotmail.co.uk xxxxxxxxxxx
chelsie

January 30th, 2006 at 9:21 am

any lads wanna speak to me type 3333 on this and i will speak bk to u
chelsie

January 30th, 2006 at 9:24 am

hay speak plzzz and dnt be givin cheak on this
Ash

January 30th, 2006 at 3:35 pm

U can access ur yahoo text mails using this site.
It works across firewalls, even when yahoo mails are blocked.
Sad part is only text mails can be accessed, and composed. Cant view images or any other attachments!!

Ash
Michael Arrington

January 30th, 2006 at 4:31 pm

I’ve been leaving many of these comments up because I find them really interesting - common meebo users expressing their frustration at not being able to log into the site. However, I’m turning comments for this post off now.