I started using Meebo sometime maybe 6 months after it launched. Loved it and told everyone I know to use it too. Sometimes there were bugs, but the team actually responded and fixed them! What an awesome company. But over time things began to change.
When Meebo relegated messenger to a secondary page, the writing was on the wall. When the google buyout was announced, the fat lady was singing. Now it’s official and Meebo messenger is allegedly going down for good on July 12, 2012.
I don’t know all the intricacies, but it seems like there must be a way to make this a money-maker for google, or at the least, a goodwill generator. There are so many people who have loved and depended on meebo, I understand libraries especially depend on it.
I know someone who works at google, I’m going to ask if they can appeal this decision. I remember when Sandy and Elaine used to write the blog posts about the exciting growth and happenings of the fledgling business. Now they are sipping pina coladas on a beach for the rest of their lives, which must be nice, and i don’t blame them, but for the rest of us who plan to continue working on multiple computers and devices, isn’t there a way to keep meebo messenger alive?
Update: I’m now using imo.im for web-based instant messaging, and although it’s not 100% as good as meebo, it’s pretty close to what I need.