Introduction to Instant Messaging

From Sociallibraries

1 Introduction to Instant Messaging

Introduction to Instant Messaging

What is IM?

Instant messaging or IM is a form of real-time communication between two or more people based on typed text. The text is conveyed via computers connected over a network such as the Internet.

Instant messaging requires the use of a client program that hooks up an instant messaging service and differs from e-mail in that conversations are then able to happen in realtime. Most services offer a presence information feature, indicating whether people on one's list of contacts are currently online and available to chat. This may be called a contact list. In early instant messaging programs, each letter appeared as it was typed, and when letters were deleted to correct typos this was also seen in real time. This made it more like a telephone conversation than exchanging letters. In modern instant messaging programs, the other party in the conversation generally only sees each line of text right after a new line is started. Most instant messaging applications also include the ability to set a status message, roughly analogous to the message on a telephone answering machine.

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Getting Started With AOL Instant Messenger

Visit the AIM registration page to create an account with AIM. If you have any trouble registering a screen name, visit the AIM FAQ or the AIM Help page.

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Choosing a Client

Once you have your account user name and password from AIM, you will need to choose the client you want to use to instant message people. A client is a piece of software or a Web application. Meebo, GAIM and Trillian are probably the most popular clients with librarians these days, though if you use Mac, Fire and iChat are great solutions too. GAIM, Trillian, iChat and Fire need to be installed on your computer, so if you IM at work and home, you will need to install it in both places. Meebo is a Web-based client, so all you have to do is go to the Website and login to use Meebo. And you can use it on any computer. The only major downside to Meebo is that, if their Website is down, you have no client. On the bright side, you can usually use it at libraries where IM is blocked.

Meebo - Web-based chat client. May get under your IT folks' filters if instant messaging is blocked. Check out their help page for more information. It is becoming a very popular option for libraries using IM for reference work.
GAIM - open source instant messaging tool. Also commonly used in libraries.
Trillian - free instant messaging client. Also commonly used in libraries.
iChat (for Mac)
Fire (for Mac)

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Instant Messaging People

To instant message someone else on AIM, all you need to know is their username. For example, if you wanted to IM me, you would look in your options, choose "Send IM to" (or whatever the option in your client is called) and type in librarianmer, which is my username. A chat window will then open. You will be able to type your message into the bottom of the window and hit enter. Once you've hit enter, you will see what you typed appear in the upper part of the chat window. If I type something back to you, it will show up just below what you typed. And so on.

Please note that you can't IM with people who have a different service. For example, if you use AIM and your friend has MSN, you can't IM with them unless you get an MSN username or they get an AIM username. However, it doesn't matter what client they use.

Here are some things to be aware of when instant messaging --

Buddy List - a list of people whom you want to instant message with. The benefit of having a buddy list is that you just need to click on their username to start chatting with them, meaning that you don't actually have to remember your friends' usernames all the time. The other nice thing about having people on a buddy list is that you can see if they are online or not. To add someone to your buddy list, you just need to know their username.

Away Message - when you want to have your instant messaging client to be active, but you don't want people to IM you, you create an away message. This may be because you went online just to chat with one person and don't have time to get into a conversation with others. All clients should have an option to set a new away message. You can choose a generic one or you can create your own. If you have an away message on and someone IM's you, they will see your away message and know that you are unavailable.

Chat Room - Using an IM client, you can create a chat room that other people can go into to talk. This is for groups of more than two usually. Whomever starts the chatroom gives it a name, and everyone else who joins in will join the chat using that name. During your weekly chat sessions, the facilitator will create the room and you will join that chat room (they will let you know in advance what the name is).

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