How to Get an Instant Messaging Account
Instant messaging is all the rave nowadays. If you don't have an instant-messaging account, you may feel out of the loop. Fix this problem by signing up for an account with some of the most popular instant-messaging services such as AIM, Windows Live Messenger or Yahoo! Messenger. Facebook and MySpace also have instant-messaging capabilities that are connected with their accounts, so they are not covered in this article. The instructions below only cover how to sign up for an account and does not address downloading the software to use them.
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Instructions
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AIM
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1
Go to the Aim.com website. See Additional Resources below for a link.
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Click on "Get a Screen Name" in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
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Click on "Create an Account" or "Use an existing email address as a Screen Name." They will both take you to the same screen. However, the first option allows you to choose a unique screen name. The second one requires you to use your email address as your screen name.
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Choose a screen name or fill in your email address, choose a password and type in how you want to be addressed.
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Fill in your security information that will assist AIM in identifying you if you lose your password. This includes an Account Security Question, your answer to the question, your birth date, gender, country and zip code.
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Fill in the CAPTCHA security question at the bottom of the page and hit submit.
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If your screen name has already been taken, you will be asked to select a new name and refill in the CAPTCHA security question until you find a screen name that has not been taken. Repeat this step until you find a name that is available.
Windows Live Messenger
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Go to the Windows Live Messenger website. See Additional Resources below for a link.
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Click on "Sign In" in the upper right-hand corner.
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Click the "Sign Up" button on the left.
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Decide on a Windows Live ID and click the "Check Availability" button. If it is not available, it will give you several similar options to choose from. Either choose one of those options or try another name.
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Fill in the rest of the information, read the Microsoft service agreement and privacy statement and click the "I Accept" button.
Yahoo! Messenger
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13
Go to the Yahoo! Messenger website. See Additional Resources below for a link.
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Click on "Sign Up" where it says "New User? Sign Up" in the upper right-hand corner of the screen.
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Fill in your name, gender, birth date, country and zip code.
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Select an ID and hit "check" to see if it is available. If not, it will suggest similar names that are available. Once you find a suitable ID, select a password and fill it into both blanks.
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Type in an alternative email, choose a security question and fill in the answer to the security question.
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Type in the CAPTCHA code.
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Read Yahoo's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. Check the box and hit the "Create My Account" button.
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