title: Is there any way to connect to the Facebook chat service without using the XMPP protocol?
body: <p>I am trying to create an application that will basically be a Linux command line messenger app just for Facebook chat. When you connect to facebook chat using the XMPProtocol, you can send instant messages to all of your friends but you can only see the messages from the friends that appear online. If an offline friend sends you a message, you do not see it. I have tested this with various chat programs (like pidgin) that are using XMPP to connect to facebook chat. </p>
  
  <p>There is an iPhone app called "Messenger" that allows you to send <strong>and receive</strong> instant messages even when your friends appear to be offline. How is this possible? Do you have to use some other protocol? I tried making a research about this, and while there were many references about XMPP basically having this limit, there was no reference about how you solve this problem. I'd appreciate any clue regarding the direction I should look (may that be just the name of a protocol, an open source project that has this feature etc).</p>