BJ: The Babel of Instant Messaging clients is slowly collapsing, under the weight of an all-encompassing desire to acquire details about… everyone.

Microsoft feed syndication guru for Windows Live, Niall Kennedy, enthuses that Yahoo! buddies and Windows Live Messenger users can finally exchange messages troublefree, like AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) and Apple iChat. He adds that a Google Talk - AIM hookup is on its way. That’s all well and good. Chatty people on-the-go need to connect.

But Kennedy tips the Search Industry’s Hand:

Instant messaging networks are the first step towards defining a broad social network across multiple networks and service providers. The more information a search company can collect about the preferences of you and your friends, the better targeted search results and advertisements they are able to serve back to the user (at a higher advertising fee of course). You can expect more interactions and data exchange between large networks as these companies try to learn more about you, your friends, and your favorite online activities.

Get that? Search engines are trying to learn everything they can about you and your friends. While you’re gabbing, they’re recording.

What, when and how is up to them.

It’s only a matter of time till ambulance chasers start mining all that gold, and innocent comments are twisted into evil intent. Think: divorce, bankruptcies, disemployment.

Unfortunately, a lot of honest, hard working dreamers are building a juggernaut for schemers with much less benevolent intent.

We’re better off when they fight.

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