Or one could just ignore google talk (hangouts) while driving?

Since GTalk is being replaced by Hangouts, which doesn't have status, seems like this request is no longer possible.

no, gtalk NOT an open standard. Ignorance of the standard is google perpetuated to encourage more traffic through google ad server sieves (that's bad). Gtalk is not an improvement; gtalk is google devolution.

these xmpp and jingle suggestions could be better adapted

http://waze.uservoice.com/forums/59223-client-how-can-we-improve-waze-on-your-phone-/suggestions/2997591-send-xmpp-message-when-nearing-destination-jabber

http://waze.uservoice.com/forums/59223-client-how-can-we-improve-waze-on-your-phone-/suggestions/2997613-use-jingle-to-send-short-audio-blurbs-to-others

these also provide much of the desired social capability without relying upon the rife privacy-violations farce known as "social! networking

many savvy consumers have no wish to whore their privacy for interweb bobbles (Google, Facebook, twitter, foursquare, et al)

woefully there is an inappropriate tolerance of privacy erosion

xmpp OTR may help safeguard some waze communication

http://www.cypherpunks.CA/otr

Guardian Project is several steps in the right direction: collaberation to improve technology for everyone moving away from proprietary :

http://guardianproject.info/wiki/Always_Secure_Messaging

^^ platform agnostic

beyond mere PEP below implement PubSub

Jingle added to waze is a grand idea!

open standards + security = win for all

what about loc:on command for Google Talk status ? can be used with waze too ?

Other

http://xmpp.org/xmpp-protocols/protocol-namespaces/

Using activity could specify destination

AND allow XMPP PEP mood to control waze mood (pulling from mobile's resource, or highest priory client, etc)

[Features Google couldn't be bothered to implement in gtalk]

Consider integrating XMPP into waze chitchat; with a waze friends features allow chitchat to break out to XMPP or even XMPP MUC (MultiUser Chat)

http://xmpp.org/protocols/pep/
http://www.xmpp.org/extensions/xep-0163.html

Perhaps

Chitchat.waze.com

@dev
Http://prosody.im

Consider also

SIP SIMPLE

Although it can be wielded as an xmpp transport

I would love a bigger textarea and an edit button on uservoice.

With either

SIP

or

JINGLE

send short voice messages to other wazer [friends]

http://datatracker.ietf.org/wg/simple/charter/

TBH

Would implementing intents in Waze allow integration with actual-XMPP clients?

(gtalk is bastardized xmpp)

Allowing for location triggers

http://waze.uservoice.com/forums/59223-client-how-can-we-improve-waze-on-your-phone-/suggestions/1178103-geotagged-event-triggers

And Tasker awesomeness

http://waze.uservoice.com/forums/59223-client-how-can-we-improve-waze-on-your-phone-/suggestions/2485315-tasker-intergration

Intents

http://waze.uservoice.com/forums/59223-client-how-can-we-improve-waze-on-your-phone-/suggestions/807975-intents

Pasting location updates to XMPP XEP for buddies/roadtrips/caravans

http://waze.uservoice.com/forums/59223-client-how-can-we-improve-waze-on-your-phone-/suggestions/997261-track-buddy

Gtalk only is far too narrow minded and googlecentric. Many people are not permitted to use Google properties (security)

Berry/windows/etc/
iOS users also benefit from XMPP: It's the cross platform sms killer ;)

Please interact with *real* XMPP clients

Yaxim

Xabber

Beem

I would like an API / Plugin to get data from other sources (speed-traps / traffic messages)

Waze needs an API for integrating third party apps in general. Others have suggested gtalk and geocaching specifically, but even the Foursquare and Facebook features could be made plugins.

With a plugin API we could have gas price finders, access to location Wikis, and other features.

It should be easy implement on adroid devices at least.