What is Jabber/XMPP?

XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol), also called Jabber, is an open, XML-based protocol used for instant messaging chats. Users need a Jabber ID (JID) (which looks and works very similar to an email address, i.e. yourname@macjabber.com) to send and receive messages. Unlike services such as ICQ, who use their own protocol and a central server, Jabber uses  many different servers.

What are the advantages of Jabber?

With Jabber, you do not need services like MSN Messenger or ICQ to chat with your friends. Your data is not stored on corporate servers and you do not cede your rights to third parties, as it is common in the terms of use of ICQ. AIM or MSN.

Many websites and social networks have their own chat services. With Jabber, you can bundle all your contacts (i.e. Googlemail and Facebook) in a single list.

What do I need to start?

To use Jabber, you need a client that enables you to connect to an XMPP server. A list of popular clients can be found here. For Mac users, we recommend „Adium“.

With a client, you can register your new macjabber.com account and start right away. With Apple‘s own „iChat“, you can not register a new account. It can be used with existing Jabber IDs, though.

How do I encrypt Jabber chats?

We recommend to encrypt your Jabber chats. This prevents any abuse of your data by third parties. The connection between your computer and the macjabber.com server can be encrypted with SSL/TLS. You can easily activate SSL/TLS under „Preferences“ in „Adium“ or „iChat“.

To encrypt the messages you send and receive, there are two possibilities. „Adium“ uses „Off-The-Record“ (OTR, http://www.cypherpunks.ca/otr/), while other clients, such as Psi, use OpenPGP (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pretty_Good_Privacy).

Which software is running on macjabber.com?

macjabber.com is running on ejabberd.

I forgot my password – what can I do?

Please send a short email to info@dotplex.de. To prove your identity, please name two Jabber IDs from your contact list.

How long will my account be there?

Your account will be there for as long as you want to keep it. Please note: from time to time, we delete those accounts that have not been used for more than a year.

How do I set up a group chat?

Most Jabber-Clients support group chats. Just type in conference.macjabber.com as the server and chose a name for the chat room.

My client reports an invalid certificate – what can I do?

Make sure that you name „macjabber.de“ as your connecting server. The server has a certificate in the name of “macjabber.de” – not “macjabber.com (see manuals). Your messages are therefore send through a server with a valid certificate.

Can I reach my ICQ and AIM contacts with my Jabber client?

Chat services like those mentioned above use their own protocols and servers. This contradicts the idea behind Jabber, which is based on open protocols and many local servers.

Some multiprotocol clients (i.e. „Adium“, „Pidgin“) can integrate ICQ, MSN or AIM contacts. Another way to communicate with different protocols are transports (click here for further details). However, macjabber.com does not support transports, and we generally advise against their use.

Can I reach my Facebook contacts with Jabber?

Yes. The chat in Facebook supports Jabber. Instructions how to use the Facebook chat with clients like „Adium“ or „Pidgin“ can be found here.

Can I reach my GoogleTalk and GoogleMail contacts with Jabber?

Yes. Just like Facebook, the chat in Google supports Jabber. For more details, click here.

How do I know if my preferred user name „@macjabber.com“ is available?

To find out whether your preferred user name is available you have to register an account with a Jabber client. If the name is not available there will be a notice (see image below). You‘ll have to try again with a different name.