[Freeciv-Dev] Re: Chat Functionality with Jabber

[Tony Stuckey <stuckey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

On Thu, May 02, 2002 at 02:55:01PM -0400, Adam Theo wrote:
> But I'll have a nice list of features which Jabber can improve upon or 
> add, I'm sure. Probably one of the biggest things Jabber can improve 
> upon, in my guesstimation, is security over the wire. Jabber has a very 
> good authentication now, and is probably leaps and bounds more secure 
> than the home-grown protocol you have now (not to insult or anything, 
> just theorizing).

        Not to be too much of a wet blanket, but I serious question how
much engineering a text-only game-only message protocol really needs.
Games like Spaceward Ho! and many others don't even allow real text entry
-- You get emoticons, map features, and some other components which are all
you can include in messages.  "You take Stalingrad." or "I'm annoyed that
you sunk my Battleship!" are plenty expressive.

        In particular, I really don't think that messages should ever:
1) leave the game context and/or server.
2) be accepted from outside the same.
3) include very much markup capability at all.
        Authentication of people connecting to the game context is a wider
issue that has been previously discussed on the list.  Preventing fake
messages is appropriate.
-- 
Anthony J. Stuckey                              stuckey@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

'Finally, the Navy stated that [...] "However, use of the area as a live
fire range has the beneficial effect of reducing the negative impacts of
human intrusion."' - Center For Biological Diversity v Pirie and Rumsfeld