yes. i was very surpised to find it doesn't work.

andre its true the file transfer depends on the protocol (and on the ability of the client the other person uses), but thats really a non-issue. its an option in the interface that appears only if it's technically possible... and of course, it will have to handle failed attempts. like every other program has to be able to copy with technical problems.

having file transfer in IM would be useful by itself, but it would open yet another door:

I proposed today in brainstorm that one should be able to forward SMS as e-mail or IM. Thats all nice and easy, but what about, say, forwarding a (future) MMS as IM? With a picture attached? Or forwarding a short email, again with an attached imaged, as IM? These are real-world scenarios that I solve with copy&paste today on my S60 phone (for the text part), and each time I have to do it, I wish the phone had a "forward as..." function.

Maemo could have it. But it would need to include file transfer over IM protocols to make it really work.