After AOL, Yahoo! is also experimenting with XMPP

After AOL experiments to give access to AIM and ICQ with the XMPP protocol, This time, it has been found that Yahoo! is also experimenting with XMPP to provide chat for its new video sharing service called live.

Proof is given with the following sequence:

Memphis-2:~ mremond$ telnet chat.live.yahoo.com 5222
Trying 68.180.220.125...
Connected to chat.live.yahoo10.akadns.net.
Escape character is '^]'.
<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?>
<stream:stream xmlns:stream='http://etherx.jabber.org/streams' version='1.0'
 xmlns='jabber:client' to='chat.live.yahoo.com' >

<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><stream:stream
 xmlns:stream="http://etherx.jabber.org/streams" xmlns="jabber:client"
 from="chat.live.yahoo.com"
 id="5d46000b" xml:lang="en" version="1.0"><stream:features>
<mechanisms xmlns="urn:ietf:params:xml:ns:xmpp-sasl"><mechanism>PLAIN</mechanism>
<mechanism>JIVE-SHAREDSECRET</mechanism></mechanisms><compression
 xmlns="http://jabber.org/features/compress"><method>zlib</method></compression>
<auth xmlns="http://jabber.org/features/iq-auth"/></stream:features>

This is a bit technical, but what what this command shows, is that Yahoo! server is replying on the standard XMPP port. When sending the stream opening XML, it replies with a server stream, meaning that there is this is really an XMPP server.

Note that we have no reason to believe yet that those experimentations will ever come to Yahoo! Instant Messaging service. However, as they gather XMPP knowledge, they are more and more likely to progressively add XMPP support to their main instant messaging service.

Update 1: I have checked and server-to-server connections are not open: It means you cannot join a Yahoo! Live chat room with your usual XMPP account and client.

Comments

its more than a experiment. They are already using it at live.yahoo.com.
If you enter a channel with your existing Yahoo Id and sniff the network traffic you you all the xmpp MUC messages.

Alex

Posted by Alexander Gnauck on 10 Feb 2008 at 10:20

I actually called it experiment because:

- The chat is not strategic for Yahoo! live video service: if the chat is down the main purpose of the web site can still be fullfilled (sharing videos).

- The big XMPP use for Yahoo! would be to use it for Yahoo! Instant Messenger.

I thus said they are experimenting because what they learn with this use of XMPP can possibly to decide on more ambitious use later on.

Posted by Mickaël Rémond on 10 Feb 2008 at 14:38

Alex,

I forgot to mention that from Yahoo! live page itself, they call it an experimental release.

Look at the left top of the page: “Y! Live is an experimental release.”

Posted by Mickaël Rémond on 11 Feb 2008 at 10:04

Mickael,

I agree with you. But its great that they make this experiment.  Who knows whats coming next if they have success with it and are convinced from xmpp.

Alex

Posted by Alexander Gnauck on 11 Feb 2008 at 10:08

Well, Google Talk was also closed for s2s connections in the beggining

Posted by Dot on 11 Feb 2008 at 13:52

Hello Dot,

That’s true, but they might be afraid to open chat room access through s2s. There is a risk that it will make it easier for people to send spam.

Posted by Mickaël Rémond on 11 Feb 2008 at 17:19

Well, it’s a risk. However I haven’t heard about public e-mail server, which doesn’t allow to receive mail from other mail servers - and that’s where the SPAM usually come from . The only solution is to wait and see I think.

Posted by Dot on 12 Feb 2008 at 11:35

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