Instant Messaging: An Overview Lorena OEnglish Holland and Terrell Libraries WSU Libraries Learning

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Instant Messaging An OverviewLorena
OEnglishHolland and Terrell LibrariesWSU
Libraries Learning Break22 February, 2007
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What is Instant Messaging (IM)?

• Free, Internet-based way of communicating with
  one or more people
• Quicker than email more convenient than phone a
  good way to stay in contact with people _at_ other
  units, other WSU campus libraries, or other
  institutions.
• Identity-driven, via Buddies
• Very popular (2004 Pew Internet American Life
  Project Study)
• How IM works (from HowStuffWorks.com)

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Core IM Functionalities

• Text chat one-on-one or in a group
• Cursor moves to allow review of past messages
• Can personalize font size, colors
• Can paste in previously-written text
• Generally can type/paste hotlinked URLs
• Can choose to log your chats (watch out!)
• Ghost messages (this is a good thing)
• Invisability and buddy add/delete options
• Generally not overly complex learning curve

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Types of IM Clientsand why this is important

• Brand-name services
• Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, AIM
• Require download of software
• May provide extra functionalities (i.e. FTP)
• AIM Express, Google Talk
• AIM Express is web-based
• Google Talk (GTalk) can be downloaded or used
  within Googles GMail webmail service.

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More IM Services

• All-in-one services
• GAIM
• Trillian
• Allow you to chat with people from multiple IM
  services (w/ accounts)
• Requires software be downloaded
• May provide extra functionality

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Even more but different IM services

• Web-based all-in-one services
• Meebo

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And you thought I was done with types of IM
Services

• Embedded Chat Windows (widgets)
• MeeboMe, Plugoo, Chatango

No software downloading required No
Account/Identity/ Profile required for
users Able to insert on specific webpages
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IM/Chat Conventions

• Spelling/grammer not alwys correck
• Sometimes, chatspeak
• LOL, IRL, BTW
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FFO (some crudity)
• Sometimes, use of smileys (emoticons)
• From -) to graphics http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki
  /Emoticon

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IM/Chat Issues

• Privacy Considerations
• Use common sense
• Privacy policies
• Yahoo! Privacy
• MSN/Microsoft Privacy
• Security Concerns and Preventions
• Potential threat of IM viruses (WebJunction)

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Why I like Meebo

• Web-based
• All-in-one
• Ghost messages
• Pop-out chat windows
• MeeboMe widget!
• But
• Must remember to log on!
• No full URL supportyet

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Lets Go Live!(Cue Ringers)

• www.meebo.com
• Yahoo IM wsulorena
• MSN Messenger wsulorena

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IM Clients

• Meebo www.meebo.com
• GAIM http//gaim.sourceforge.net/
• Trillian http//www.ceruleanstudios.com/
• Yahoo! Messenger http//messenger.yahoo.com/
• MSN Messenger http//get.live.com/messenger/overvi
  ew
• AIM http//www.aim.com/
• AIM Express http//aimexpress.aim.com