ICQ with Linux (was: Chatting with Debian GNU/Linux)

[Rodolfo Medina <rodolfo.medina@gmail.com>]

I've been following the various suggestions come from this list 
about the possibilities Linux offers to chat:
my family want to use `messenger' and ICQ, and before resigning myself
to use MS Windows I wanted to check all the possibilities.

My impression is that `gaim' manages to use the MSN protocol quite fine,
whereas for ICQ, nor `licq' neither `centericq' neither `gabber' (through
jabber network) can satisfactorily replace the richness of 
original ICQ for MS Windows. They only allow the mere IM function 
but don't really allow (as far as I saw) 
wide users search or multiple chat.

So I'll have to use MS Windows, although I wouldn't like.
If anybody has a different experience, i.e. finds that licq,
or any other application can perform those functions just or almost
just as the original does - and this means that I didn't manage to use 
them properly - please let me know, I'll be glad to have been wrong.

Thanks, cheers,
Rodolfo