This patch adds VKontakte connection settings profile for XMPP Protocol Plug-In. http://vkontakte-miranda-plugin.googlecode.com/ - VKontakte Protocol Plug-In for Miranda IM; http://vk.com/ - Official website; http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/VKontakte - VKontakte on Wikipedia.

Sorry we cannot add specialized connection settings for every jabber service in the world.

VKontakte is not just one from millions of public XMPP servers that exist in the world, it is a popular social network service that has XMPP server to receive and send messages using external clients (like Facebook). VKontakte is ranked 35 in Alexa's global Top 500 sites and is the 3rd most visited website in Russia. I understand that the 35-th place (VKontakte) is not the 2nd place (Facebook), and that Miranda IM is developed not only for Russia, but I do not see other popular (worldwide or national) social networks services that have a XMPP server, between 2nd place and 35th place in this list. In addition, VKontakte is not Russian social network service, and Miranda IM is very popular in Russia. VKontakte is constantly working on popularizing and internationalizing their platform. For example, VKontakte bought "vk.com" two-letter domain name (the most expensive domain names in the world) to promote VKontakte in the rest of the world. The site is available in several languages. In most cases, users can not use a VKontakte Protocol Plug-In for Miranda IM and just use this VKontakte connection settings profile for XMPP Protocol Plug-In for receive and send messages. It should also be noted that XMPP Protocol Plug-In already has a connection settings profiles for LiveJournal and s.ms. LiveJournal is ranked only 74 in Alexa's global Top 500 sites and is ranked 9th website in Russia. s.ms is even less popular. Unfortunately, I have no statistics of this service. For example, I and other users did not know about s.ms service at all until you added s.ms connection settings profile for XMPP Protocol Plug-In. Despite this, you add LiveJournal and s.ms connection settings profiles, though VKontakte is much more popular. In addition, XMPP Protocol Plug-In has just built (in file jabber_opt.cpp) connection settings profiles. It would be better if the XMPP Protocol Plug-In supports external connection settings profiles as files.

*built-in (in file jabber_opt.cpp) connection settings profiles

The bigger question why do we need connection settings for VKontakte. Usually we add those when default Jabber settings just will not work as GTalk. But in this case default settings will work just fine. You just added the name to the list. So from my prospective no point of adding it to the list.

Usually we add those when default Jabber settings just will not work as GTalk. As far as I recollect, Facebook connection settings profile has been added for convenience only: "No need for a plugin now, since Facebook has officially announced Facebook Chat available via XMPP!". Initially, Facebook connection settings profile has default settings. Port and TLS/SSL have been fixed later by patches. This news item was advertised on Miranda IM official site as a convenience/feature/accomplishments of Miranda IM (and not because Facebook has specific connection settings).

The bigger question why do we need connection settings for VKontakte. Because VKontakte is rather popular and because it is convenient: most people use this list (connection settings profiles) only for convenience. And some people still do not know that Facebook and VKontakte available via XMPP. It should also be noted that in any program (encoders, instant messengers, etc.) profiles are used for convenience of users. For example, QIP IM developers use Facebook and VKontakte connection settings profiles as convenience/accomplishments for advertising their product (http://qip.ru/download_qip_2010). And it's really convenient!

I know about the convenience. But VKontakte convenient for Russian user. What about any other country? We do get requests for similar or just popular services from other countries. It will be endless list of stuff, that will become quickly as useless as current known server list. You offer QIP example but QIP is designed primarily with Russian user in mind (it's pretty much unknown outside), Miranda is not, we have lots of users all over the world ... The only reason this list does not grow now, is because I routinely deny these requests.

We need to change connection settings page to something more convenient, that does not require all these settings. Although I am not sure what it should be... Some Jabber client on connection page have just JID and password and I like this arrangement a lot, but I am not sure that will convenient for services like Facebook or VKontakte (there is no widely known JID), Jabber support is more like patch.