It just occurred to me that none of the classic #InstantMessaging systems are still running. #ICQ, #AOLInstantMessenger, #YahooMessenger, and #MSNMessenger are all gone. I have lost contact with all my old friends there. I doubt I'll ever hear from them again.

The #OpenSource, #federated competitor to these protocols, #XMPP, remains in operation and has outlived them all. So did #IRC, the protocol that arguably inspired them.

Proprietary software and protocols come and go, but #FOSS endures.