title: So long Gaim, Welcome Pidgin
link: http://jj.isgeek.net/2007/04/so-long-gaim-welcome-pidgin/
author: Jj
description: 
post_id: 301
date: 2007/04/08 02:22:16
created_gmt: 2007/04/08 07:22:16
comment_status: open
slug: so-long-gaim-welcome-pidgin

I am shocked, Gaim is no more. :shock:

Due to conflicts with the name Gtk+Aol Instant Messanging(Gaim for short) and AOL Instant messaging, the team finally decided to change the name because now the project is far beyond plain AOL IM. Now the project is called PIDGIN.

After Wikipedia, [Pidgin](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pidgin) stands for the name of a new language created for the comunicacion of two speakers of different languages, which... makes sense :roll: for a multiprotocol IM client in a way 

Now the official website is <http://pidgin.im/>. The old Gaim client, is now **Pidgin**, the old libgaim is now **libpurple** and the not-so-popular-yet gaim-text is not **Finch**. So Gaim, is no more to be pronounced :P

How does it affect users? it will only be a name confusion for.... probably about 6 months, package repository aliases (thats not a user conflict actually). 

So Pidgin is the new Gaim, and its parts have new names, which is good. Lets embrace pidgin and keep supporting the project :D

Yes, the [Logo will eventually change](http://developer.pidgin.im/ticket/7)