AOL's InstantMessenger (AIM) is a free download from http://www.aol.com/aim/. You don't have to be an AOL member to use it. You can lookup "screen names" by email address. If you have AOL, your screen name is also your AIM screen name.

People who use AIM:
* WardCunningham	wardatc2
* PatCunningham		patman1919 (on 24 hours a day)
* MarnixKlooster	MarniXP
* RobertChurch		churchr
* NatPryce		NGPryce
* TaralDragon		Taral31415 (almost never, find me on MirabilisIcq)
* ChuckSmith		amuzulo
* MikeBowler		mbowler2
* JbRainsberger		throwbluejays (Y!=nails762, MSN=jbrains762)
* SeanOleary		seanochicago
* JonathanTang		Nostrademons
* BrigitteBardot        BB 

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As one of the unwashed multitudes, I looked to see what AIM provides. It seems that you can register to know when Ward or Pat - or whoever - is online, somehow that works, and you get notified if/when they are, then you can run a chat box with them. -- Alistair (funny, I use AOL, and never have used instant messenger. Usually teenage kids find me and ask me to help them with their math assignments).

You're lucky. I got frequest requests for "cybersex" as soon as I logged on until I set up my profile to clearly state that I was male!

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Well AOL and AIM users can talk to each other so if you have AOL you can put it on the list too. -- PatCunningham

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Neat tip: If just visiting on a computer, use the JavaLanguage version. -- TaralDragon
	* http://toc.oscar.aol.com:6969/tic.html or
	* http://toc.oscar.aol.com/aimexpress/index.html

(A non-java version, usable with certain browsers, is at http://aimexpress.aol.com/, but is slow and the initial page contains a non-working link.)
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The best feature of AIM is the Warn button. What's funny (and no, I haven't done it myself) is IMing someone and when they reply, nail them with a Warning.

^- that is incredibly rude. It really really really makes me angry when someone does that.

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CategorySoftwareTool