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Using IM: Know the lingo (and 4 other tips)

Kids embraced it first. But adults now have come to depend on instant messaging as well. At last count, more than 200 million people worldwide were using it and this number continues to balloon.

Instant messaging (IM for short) has become such a boon for business pros and office workers that a Gartner Group study predicts it will surpass e-mail as the primary online communications tool by 2005. IM has also been expanded to Web cams and audio, so you and your correspondent can see each other as you chat.

For those still unfamiliar with it, instant messaging is where users exchange written messages and files in real time, with no charge other than the Internet connection. Instant-messaging systems require you to set up contact lists. This facilitates the exchange of messages between individuals. They also tell you which of your contacts are online at any given time. Just download the software, sign up for a free account and you're on your way.

But first, for you users, here are five important tips about instant messaging — including what many of those wacky abbreviations stand for.

1. Get the "right" software to make the connection.

America Online has been in the instant messaging business since the early 1990s. In 1996, the company added the Buddy List feature. That's when it really took off. Using the Buddy List, you could keep track of who was online and strike up an immediate typed conversation.

The next year, AOL introduced its own proprietary instant-messaging software called AIM. Then AOL purchased Mirabilis, the makers of ICQ (get it? "I seek you"), which was the IM leader at the time. You do not have to be an AOL subscriber to download and use its instant messenger software.

Not to be outdone, MSN released its own MSN Messenger. It allows you to maintain a list of online buddies and receive alerts if others are trying to contact you. The "My Text" feature lets you quickly send frequently used messages with a single tap. You can see when your buddy is writing you back, so communications are more interactive and free flowing.

There are also some other players in the IM game, including Yahoo! Messenger.

None of these systems can talk to one another, so many of you might need to have more than one program on your computer. One way to avoid that is to use Trillian. This free software connects to major chat networks, including MSN, AIM, ICQ and Yahoo!. Unlike other multi-IM products, no accounts need to be registered with Cerulean Studios to begin. That means you can type in your old messenger account names and passwords and start right away. (You can find more information and downloads at http://www.ceruleanstudios.com/trillian.)

If your computers use a Windows operating system, you have instant messaging built in. Windows 98 and Windows Me have NetMeeting. Windows XP has Windows Messenger. There's no need to download a thing, but you can download MSN Messenger for free and have both systems on your PC at once. (How are they different? Windows Messenger is geared primarily for use inside large businesses; MSN Messenger is suited more for personal use.)

2. Use it for more than just chats.

All of the systems allow you to converse via the written word. Most also let you talk through a microphone. You'll get a noticeable lag when you use voice, but, as long as you are connected to another computer, there are no long-distance phone tolls.

MSN Messenger offers video capabilities, as do the Windows systems and Yahoo!'s system.

With a dial-up modem, you may find that the video is jerky, because the frame rate is too slow to allow really smooth operation. But a broadband connection will improve things.

3. Here's how to set it up and use it.

First, you have to know what system your correspondents are using. If everyone has Windows, using the built-in system might be simplest.

The most recent Windows system is Windows Messenger. It is included in Windows XP. It will connect you to other IM users who have Windows XP or who use MSN Messenger. Also, everyone who uses Windows should have NetMeeting, the forerunner of Windows Messenger. It has video and audio capabilities, just like Windows Messenger does.

NetMeeting also is available in Windows XP. To access it, click Start > Run. Enter "conf" (without the quotes) and press OK. In Windows 98 and Windows Me, click Start > Programs > Accessories > Communications > NetMeeting.

To use the audio portion of any instant-messaging system, you'll need a sound system in your computer (most newer systems have sound equipment). Full duplex systems permit two-way conversations, like a telephone. Half-duplex systems allow only one person to talk at once. You'll also need a microphone and speakers or, better yet, headphones..

4. Keep your personal information to a minimum.

Instant-messaging software gives you the option of including personal information in your profile. That way, the other folks can know more about you. But this sort of thing dates from the early, more innocent days of instant messaging.

I recommend keeping your personal information to a minimum. If you are using instant messaging for business purposes, the people with whom you correspond probably will already have your information in their contact manager.

Although you are unlikely to have anything dangerous in your profile, it could give a hacker a way to make an introduction. This could lead to social engineering — a process in which someone attempts to befriend you and convince you to do something against your best interests.

Like e-mail, viruses are being written for instant-messaging systems. Files can be exchanged over instant-messaging systems, and the virus writers are taking advantage of that. So stay as anonymous as possible. Be careful if you receive a message from someone you don't recognize. And don't open an attached file unless you're certain of the sender.

5. Know the lingo.

Because instant messaging moves fast, so does the typing. To be proficient, you need to know the keystrokes. Here are some common ones. (Use the feedback link below to add to this list, if you would like.)

AFK — Away from keyboard

B — I'm back

BBFN — Bye bye for now

BBL — I'll be back later

BFN — Bye for now

BG — Big grin

BO — Brain overload

BRB — I'll be right back

CMIIW — Correct me if I'm wrong

CU — See you

CUL8R — See you later

EG — Evil grin

FIIOOH — Forget it. I'm out of here

FITB— Fill in the blank

G — Grin

G2G — I've got to go

IMHO — In my humble opinion

IMO — In my opinion

JK — Just kidding

L8R — Later

LOL — I'm laughing out loud

NE1 — Anyone

OMG — Oh my gosh

ROFL — Rolling on the floor laughing

TIC — Tongue in cheek

TTYL — I'll talk to you later

WB — Welcome back

Now you are ready to chat. TTFN (ta ta for now).