|
|
How do you use it?
Home » Website Services » Instant Messaging » How do you use it?In order to get started, you must first download the software. There are several free software versions easily accessible though the major email providers such as AOL, MSN, and Yahoo!. Chances are you either use one of these for your email or are at least familiar with the sites. Once you download the software, if you don’t already have a user id, you will create one along with a password. It is likely that they will ask for some background information and many experts discourage this so that you can protect your identity and only “talk” to those people you choose. Many times the software will allow you to search for friends using a username or email address and that is perceived as fine, but you don’t want anonymous people to be able to “find” you, especially if you have an adolescent or teenager that is using an instant messenger. As another protection tool, if someone wants to add you as a “buddy”, commonly a message will appear first asking if you would like to add this person to your contact list and be able to send and receive messages. Once you have people in your contact list and they are also listed as “available” or “online” you are ready to start IMing. Unlike a chatroom, you are only writing to that specific person and no one else in your contact list can see your conversation. It is important to note that instant messaging is not considered a completely secure form of communication, so confidential information and important identification numbers should not be shared.
Related Instant Messaging Articles
- Instant Messaging Overview
- What is Instant Messaging?
- History and Origin
- How do you use it?
- Features
- IM Abbreviations