How to Send Messages With AOL Instant Messenger

E-mail just not fast enough? Use the free AOL Instant Messenger to send instantaneous messages to your friends and colleagues. You don't have to be an AOL member to install and use this program.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Internet Access
• Computers
• America Online

1. Sign on to AOL or your other Internet service provider (ISP).

2. Make sure your Instant Messenger Buddy List is showing.

3. Select your friend's name from the Buddy List.

4. Click IM. (Or choose Send Instant Message from the People menu, if you're not an AOL user.)

5. Type a message in the message window.

6. Click Send.

Tips & Warnings

• To add names to your Buddy List, see "How to Add Your Friends' Addresses to AOL Instant Messenger," under Related Sites.
• Don't send too many messages real fast or you will get a warning telling you to wait.
• You can change the color of your text, change fonts and the background window color too.
• If you don't see your friend's name in the Buddy List, either he or she isn't online or he or she is "blocking" you. Send an e-mail message instead.

on 11/22/2005 Take some time to explore the preferences of AIM and configure it to exactly how you want it. When you've got 5 IMs on the go things get kinda hectic, so it's a good idea to get everything working just how you want it.

on 11/22/2005 Make sure you have the "new" version of AIM (3.5 or higher), because it's very different from older versions. You can "Direct Connect" to send images and sounds in IMs. The latest version's always at http://www.aol.com/aim/winbeta.html