CNNdotCOM Tools: Instant messaging

(CNN) -- The latest form of real-time communication is gradually turning from a social to business tool. In a poll of 50 Fortune 500 companies, Forrester Research found that nearly half expect to use instant messaging services for business in the next two years.

"Instant messaging is a way to communicate in real time when you're online," said Mark Hancock, an IT consultant for PC On Call. "It's spontaneous, it's fun and it's exciting. It's a good way to keep communications with your friends, your family and your colleagues."

Hancock showed us some of the most popular instant messengers on the Web: ICQ, AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) and Yahoo Messenger. AOL is in negotiations for a merger with Time Warner, the parent company of CNN.

VIDEO CNNdotCOM looks at this new mode of communication and how it works (Nov. 5) Play video (QuickTime, Real or Windows Media)     QUICKVOTE Is IM better than e-mail? Yes, IMing is more like a conversation No, e-mail works just as well View Results     ALSO IM terminology     RESOURCES AOL Instant Messenger ICQ MSN Messenger Service Odigo Messenger PowWow Yahoo! Messenger IDG on IM

While each has a different interface and design, the functionality remains similar enough to use several at one time with ease. And since some messengers are incompatible with each other, you may need to do just that when sharing text, audio or image files.

One of the basic advantages of an instant messenger over e-mail is that you can immediately see the online status of the people you're trying to reach by looking at your "buddy" list, a menu of users with whom you communicate. No more wondering if your e-mail has reached the recipient, or if the recipient is currently accessing e-mail.

Since you can see which buddies, or users, are online, you're more likely to get an immediate response from them. In this way, instant messaging is almost like a rolling conversation, becoming a faster and more spontaneous way to communicate compared to sending one-line e-mail messages back and forth. And it may be less intrusive than a phone call.

So how is this rolling conversation different from a chat room? Your buddy list consists only of people you want to talk with, and it's a private, one-on-one exchange. Also, a message goes directly to the user; you don't have to wait for them to enter a chat room.

To get started on instant messaging, go to some of the Web sites that support them and download a free version of instant messenger software or an update to the version you're currently using. Once you download and install the software, you're ready to add your buddies and start instant messaging.

To add buddies to your buddy list, each instant messenger provides you with a searchable database of registered users. You can search for your buddies by e-mail address, nickname, or by first and last name. In certain instant messengers, such as ICQ, you can even add buddies by their unique user numbers (if you already know them). Once you've found your buddies, double-click on their names to add them to your list.

But first, have you chosen your nickname? Some instant messengers allow you to choose any name you wish for your identity, but you may have to choose a unique user name if the one you like has already been taken. You can try different combinations of the name you'd prefer by adding numbers or trying a different spelling. For example, a variation on "JohnDoe" could be "JohnDoe111" or "JohnDough."

You can also put a little bit of your personality into each message by using colorful emoticons or different font sizes and colors. The latest instant messengers allow you to customize the sounds you hear when you send and receive messages, or when buddies log on and off. The newest features also include instant image and audio file sharing, such as MP3s. Now you can instantly send photographs of the newborn baby, and the recipient won't have to save the image and open it in a different program. The image will pop up in the instant message already opened.

But keep in mind that instant messaging is not like regular e-mail -- messages can pop up on your screen spontaneously and without warning from your buddies. So be careful not to send and receive silly pictures or messages that might pop up as your boss passes by your desk.

CNNdotCOM Correspondent Mary Kathleen Flynn contributed to this report.

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