Thing #6: Instant Messaging

Define:

Instant messaging (IM) allows users to chat with each other in real time. It is more immediate than e-mail and many programs also allow file, picture, and even video sharing. IM services are used by millions of people around the world, and are especially popular among teenagers and college students.

IM has been around for more than 10 years, but it’s only in the last five years or so that it’s gained massive popularity. We’ve all heard about how teens prefer IM to e-mail, but it’s not just the teens who are using IM. In a study published in September 2007, a whopping 84% of undergraduate students surveyed indicated that they IM on a daily basis. Going back to 2004, a Pew Internet study found that over 40% of adult internet users use IM to varying degrees. With statistics like that, you may have already used IM. If you haven’t, don’t fear! This Thing is designed to get you chatting in no time.

Web-based IM services do not require any special downloads, only a web browser and internet access. Popular IM services include AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), Yahoo! Messenger, MSN Messenger, and Google Talk. The caveat with each of these major IM services is that you and your friends must all be using the same program. For example, if you use AIM and wish to chat with your friends, they must also be on AIM.
In the last few years, "multiprotocol instant messengers" such as Trillian and Meebo have made life easier for IM fans by allowing users to log in to multiple IM networks at one time. With these tools, an AIM user can chat with a friend on the MSN network.

Web-based IM services such as Meebo are websites that allow instant messaging from absolutely anywhere. Whether you’re at home, at work, or traveling foreign lands, hop over to Meebo.com on any computer to access all of your buddies (on AIM, Yahoo!, MSN, Google Talk, ICQ and Jabber) and chat with them via the Internet, no downloads or installs required, for free! Trillian also allows you to talk to buddies on different IM services, but you need to download the program to your computer.

Discover:

Libraries all over the country, including Roselle, have been using IM to provide a way for patrons to get in touch and ask questions. This Library Journal article describes IM reference service in public libraries.

Take a look at this list of Illinois libraries providing IM reference service. Select a few local libraries and explore how each presents IM reference to its patrons.

IM can have a language of its own. Do you recognize "lol, btw, bff? Acronyms keep typing to a minimum but can be hard to decipher if you've never seen them before. This Acronym Dictionary from AOL will help you sort things out.

Do:

Use your Playtime 2.0 email account to set up an IM account.
If your email account is Hotmail, use MSN Messenger (Click on Start MSN Messenger)
If your email account is Gmail, use Google Talk (Click on Launch Google Talk Gadget - not Download...)
If your email is Yahoo, use Yahoo! Messenger (Click on Sign In)

As with any "real life" IM experience, you'll have to find out which of your friends you can connect with by asking their screenname and which service they use.
Can you find someone who is using the same service as you? You'll need a partner for this one.
For the sake of this activity, it will be helpful if you and your partner are logged in to your IM service at the same time.

Ask your partner for her/his screenname. Add her/him to your Contacts list by entering their screenname into the "Search, add, or invite" box. You should see your new contact in the list if you are both logged in at the same time.

If you can't find a partner, add the Reference Desk to your contacts. See the Reference Desk's screennames here. The Reference Desk uses Trillian for chat. Trillian works with AIM, Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger, but not with Google Talk.

Start a chat session with your partner. Open a chat window by clicking on your partner's name from the Contacts list. You'll see an open whitespace with a field for typing at the bottom. Start typing and see what happens!

So where does Meebo fit in? Meebo works with AIM, Yahoo Messenger and MSN Messenger, and Google Talk. It even works if you do not have an IM service!
The Playtime 2.0 chat window in the right sidebar is powered by Meebo. If you haven't tried it yet, say hello!

Now, let's write your "Thing #6: IM" blog post
Browse to the "Playtime" blog you created in Thing #1 (it should be listed in the Participants' Blogs on the right) and create a new post.
Use "Thing #6: IM" as the title of your blog post.
In the post, write about:
- your experience using an IM service
- any other IM programs you've used.
- How do you feel about IM as a mode of communication?
- Do you think IM Reference is a valuable service?

You're all finished with Thing #6.
You've learned a little bit about Instant Messaging and created an IM account. You browsed the list of Illinois libraries offering IM Reference and perhaps chatted with one or two. As a bonus, you may have learned a few IM acronyms you didn't know before.

Optional BONUS CHALLENGE:
If you're already using an IM program other than the one you set up for this Thing, why not set up a Meebo account so that you can monitor all of your Buddy Lists?

1. Go to Meebo to sign up for an account. You'll want to configure your accounts so that Meebo signs in to all of them at once. HINT: When logged in, look for the "Accounts" link on the left.
Now, anytime you want to chat with someone, you can go to http://www.meebo.com, login and chat.
2. Share your experience using Meebo by blogging about it. Is Meebo something that you might find useful?

How much do you know about wikis? You're about to learn all about them in Thing #7!