Instant Messaging and Chat

Instant messaging and Chat have become trend and utility for all of us. Yahoo, MSN, Google Talk, ICQ, AIM, Rediff, Meebo and such other names are not of our daily diary.

For students, friends, business men, professionals or educational instructor – Chat & Instant Messaging have been ultimate way of easy and cost effective mean.

Most of the popular instant-messaging programs provide a variety of features:

1. Instant messages - Send notes back and forth with a friend who is online
2. Chat - Create your own custom chat room with friends or co-workers
3. Web links - Share links to your favorite Web sites
4. Images - Look at an image stored on your friend's computer
5. Sounds - Play sounds for your friends
6. Files - Share files by sending them directly to your friends
7. Talk - Use the Internet instead of a phone to actually talk with friends
8. Streaming content - Real-time or near-real-time stock quotes and news

First, let’s see how Instant Messaging works!!

What is Instant messaging?
Instant messaging (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 an instant messaging client that connects to an instant messaging service.

Appeared in 1970

Instant messaging applications began to appear in the 1970s on multi-user operating systems such as UNIX, initially to facilitate communication with other users logged in to the same machine, then on the local network, and subsequently across the Internet.

Real Time Conversations

Instant messaging differs from e-mail in that conversations happen in real-time. A multiprotocol instant messaging application allows one client to connect to multiple IM networks.

AOL – Pioneer of Online Community

AOL is considered the pioneer of the online community. AOL provides its users with the ability to talk in real-time with each other while they are online through the use of chat rooms and instant messages. A chat room is software that allows a group of people to type in messages that are seen by everyone in the "room," while instant messages are basically a chat room for just two people.

The Leader by Usage & Rank

Today – Instant messaging and Chat have many drivers. Other than AOL, Yahoo, MSN and Google Talk are common names on leaps.

Let’s see the comparison by usage.

AIM has nearly 53+ million active users in compare to MSN (27+ million), Yahoo (25+ million) and Google Talk (7+ million).

An article on Brain Bubbles identifies Rank of Instant Messengers and Chat Rooms based on their Google Page Rank and Alexa Traffic Rank. As per analysis – one can definitely put Yahoo, Google Talk and MSN ahead then AIM, ICQ and Meebo etc.

Tricks and Tips

Taming The Best identified good tips on Instant Messaging.

1. Introduce yourself
2. Screen name/icon/avatar suitability
3. Does the other person have time to chat?
4. Know what you want to discuss
5. Messages should be short and to the point.
6. Don't "SHOUT"
7. Give people time to respond
8. Remain polite and non-judgemental
9. Pay attention
10. Jargon, slang and abbreviations
11. Humor - be cautious
12. Use emoticons
13. Don't use custom fonts, text sizes and colors
14. Probing questions
15. Be careful with confidential information
16. Using canned text
17. Think before hitting the enter key
18. Unexpected events
19. Use availability status features wisely
20. Monitoring live chat conversations

Final Words

So go through analysis and adopt your best chat and instant messaging service and start chatting!!