Instant Messaging
Introduction
Instant Messaging is basically communicating with another person over the internet, just like you do when you call somebody over the phone (except that you are typing to them). The messages are delivered real-time in an interactive window.
The advantage of IM over phone communication is that IM constantly monitors who is online, while at the same time not being as intrusive as a ringing phone, which seems to scream "answer me". IMs can be dealt with when the computer user is ready.
In order to instant Message you need a client such as MSN mesenger, AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, or ICQ.
| Of Note | The clients mentioned above are only the the most comonly used clients around the world, not the only ones. |
Basics
Probably one of the most noticible advantages in IM clients is you can see when your friends are on or not. Aside from that you get many other features such as
- Emotion icons
- Emotion sounds (some offer them some dont)
- File Transfers
- Audio Chat
- Video Chat
- Mail Notifications
- Mobile Messaging
Internet Slang
While you surf the web you may find some people communicate over the internet in a different way, rather than typing out the whole word they might abbreviate it. EX:Picure might be typed as pic, or What's up might be typed as Sup. Here is a list of most commonly used acronyms used.
- AFK Away From Keyboard
- B/C Because
- B4 Before
- BRB Be Right Back
- DL Download
- G2G Gotta go/Got to Go
- GB Go Back/Good Bye (Depends on the Situation)
- GL Good Luck
- GR8 Great
- IC I see
- IDK I Dont Know
- IK I Know
- IM Instant Messaging
- IMO In My Opinion
- JK Joking
- L8R Later
- LOL Laught Out Loud
- LMAO Laught My A** Out
- NM Not Much
- NVM Never Mind
- NP No Problem
- OMG Oh My God
- PLZ Please
- PPL People
- ROFL Rolling On The Floor Laughing
- SUP What's Up
- TBH To Be Honest
- THX Thanks
- TY Thank You
- W/E Whatever
- W8 Wait
- XOXO Hugs And Kisses
- y Why?
These are the most commonly used Acronyms out there however you can search online for a complete list. As you will later on learn GOOGLE is your BEST friend online, use him well [1]
Chat Aconyms Used In E-mail, IM, and Text Messaging [2]
Internet Acronyms Dicinary [3]
Trillian
Trillian does not provide accounts or a network in which to communicate, however it provides support for virtually all Instant messenger services out there. Example: Say you have a AOL e-mail account, however you dont need to use AOL's e-mail program itself, but you can use Outlook or Thunderbird to receive e-mail through them. The biggest advantage about Trillian is that you can be logged on multiple messenger accounts using just one client. This allows you to have multiple clients of each messenger without the hassle of wasting your memory. This allows for less system resource to be used and would probably lift a weight off your computer and make it a bit faster.
GAIM
