looking for a new IM client? try digsby and never go back! (and switch to alpha mode, if you dare)

alright, i admit i might be a little slow.  i wasn’t catching the hidden message behind the trend initially.  lately, people i communicate with pretty frequently had either mentioned switching to digsby or asking my opinion of it.  i guess it has to do with a few well-placed statements about trying out new features in digsby like global status updates and here most recently, the tighter facebook integration.

 

switch to digsby

the trend i didn’t realize was that people are in search of a new messenger client – and usually one that handles all of their social requirements.  i’ve been a long time fan of messengers that are capable of interacting with a variety of services.  gAIM was where i started (which has since evolved to pidgin).  (for my macbook pro, i use adium).  about a year ago, i switched over to digsby.  i haven’t gone back since.  it connects me to all my email services, facebook, linkedin, twitter, etc.

anyway, i’m posting this because friends i’ve recommended to use digsby give me responses like “wow, this is cool” or “$#%#^%?  why haven’t you told me about this before?”.  so here it is, i’m telling you about it.

 

getting digsby

before you run off to go install digsby, consider using the alpha version.  i’m only recommending this because the facebook integration in this version rocks.  the stream let’s you make updates in line – such as commenting, liking, posting, etc.  i’d show you a screen shot, but i don’t really think it’s a good idea to project the updates of my friends.  :)

anyway, if you’re looking for the digsby install files, you can get them here:

regular - http://www.digsby.com/download.php?os=win
alpha – http://update.digsby.com/install/digsby_setup_alpha.exe

 

running digsby alpha

one other thing, you can set digsby to update to alpha code.  if you’re already running digsby, here’s how to do it.  this used to be posted on their site, but i can’t seem to find it anymore:

• go to the folder c:\program files\digsby
• create a new file called "tag.yaml"
• populate the contents of the file with this:

---
tag: alpha

 

(yes, include the –-- in the file).

• save the file
• log off digsby
• log on to digsby, upgrade will start
• log on again