You can now use iChat to interface with the Facebook chats, for those who have to rely on this crap to get and stay in touch with people. This is because Facebook now supports the Jabber protocol. It was about time. Will they finally grow up in other areas and disable the “gifts” things there and other useless things?

Anyway, the instructions on how to configure iChat (and other clients, but we don’t care) are here. The good thing on this link is they will give you your “Screen Name” if you’re already logged in, saving you some time.

Here they are if you’re too lazy and you know your screen name.



Go to the iChat menu and select Preferences… you can also press ⌘, (command and coma at the same time) as in almost every Mac application.

Click on the Accounts tab.





Then click the + at the bottom.





Select Jabber from the Account Type pull-down menu.





Then enter the following info:

Account Name: @chat.facebook.com
Password:

Click the arrow next to Server Options and enter the following info:
Server: chat.facebook.com
Port: 5222
(the box labeled "Use SSL"”should be unchecked)

It should look like this:





Finally, click Done. And close the Preferences window.

If it’s not done automatically, or the next time you relaunch iChat, open this Facebook buddy list window in the Window menu of iChat and select the @chat.facebook.com in the list.

Afterwards, you already know how to use iChat, it’s the same.

But you will only be able to use text chat. No audio, no video and no file transfer (that includes images embedded in the chat). Not as useful and polyvalent as the real iChat, using an AIM or @mac.com or @me.com account, in other words. But I’m sure many people will be happy to be able to chat on Facebook without having to keep a browser window open.

Besides, it allows to use any Jabber compatible chat client, on any platform, even mobile.




And yes, I confess: I made this blog entry, speaking about a new feature of Facebook for the sole purpose of testing if it generates more hits on this blog. Not that I’m looking for big figures anyway, since it’s not a day job (not even moonlighting, only a pleasure) ; no, only because I’m curious. ;o)

Tags: facebook, iChat, Jabber, chat