Google, AOL, and iChat......hmmm

[settledown]

With Google buying 5% of AOL, how will this effect our usage of iChat?
Since, AOL will now "allow users of Google's recently introduced instant messaging system Google Talk to communicate with users of AOL's market-leading AIM instant messaging service", how will Apple implement this into either the current or next v. of iChat?

Will those of us who use the Jabber part of iChat to interface with GoogleTalk be able to just simply log into the Google network through the AIM buddy list (the most commonly used part of iChat)?

Are we coming to a place in time where AIM, Google, MSN, Yahoo, etc. will combine on a universal instant message protocol?

 

[Chundles]

Are we coming to a place in time where AIM, Google, MSN, Yahoo, etc. will combine on a universal instant message protocol?

Oh god I hope so. I don't know anyone who uses AIM but Messenger for Mac sucks balls. I would love to see a standard IM protocol with the different providers competing with features - I await the day I can use Messenger with a web cam on my Mac without doing any frigging around in Jabber and all that crap.