Instant messaging

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Instant messaging is a form of text-based real-time communication on the Internet

* "Instant messaging allows you to maintain a list of people that you wish to interact with. You can send messages to any of the people in your list, often called a buddy list or contact list, as long as that person is online. Sending a message opens up a small window where you and your friend can type in messages that both of you can see" \- (How Instant Messaging Works retrieved 13:40, 27 May 2006 (MEST))

* "Instant messaging requires the use of a client program that hooks up an instant messaging service and differs from e-mail in that conversations are then able to happen in realtime. Most services offer a presence information feature, indicating whether people on one's list of contacts are currently online and available to chat. This may be called a contact list." Wikipedia:Instant messaging.

See also: shoutbox, portable chatroom, micro blogging, extensible messaging and presence protocol.

## Contents

* 1 Features and benefits
* 2 Standards and systems
* 2.1 Standards
* 2.2 Types
* 2.3 Popular systems
* 3 Instant messaging in education
* 4 Links

## Features and benefits[edit | edit source]

Here are the most common features:

* Instant messages
* Contact List management
* Web Links sharing
* Files transmission
* Audio conferencing
* Chat rooms.

Benefits:

* In contrast to e-mails or phone, the parties know whether the peer is available (users can set to online or offline status if they wish).
* People are not forced to reply immediately to incoming messages.
* There is a trace. Instant messages typically get logged in a local message history
* It is easy to exchange links (compared to a phone call).

## Standards and systems[edit | edit source]

### Standards[edit | edit source]

* Most popular services are based on proprietary technology, except Gtalk that is based on XMPP, the extensible messaging and presence protocol.
* However, some clients like the the open source Wikipedia:Gaim allow to communicate with different "universes".

### Types[edit | edit source]

* Internet Relay Chat (IRC) like systems (the original, 1996)
* Typical modern systems like AIM, MSN, Yahoo that offer many features (including voice and video chat).
* Small IM blocks integrated into portals like LMSs and C3MS (web based, no special client needed).

### Popular systems[edit | edit source]

* AIM (America online)
* MSN Messenger (Microsoft)
* Yahoo Messenger
* ICQ ("I seek you")
* Gtalk (Google)

See the Wikipedia's instant messaging article for more systems.

## Instant messaging in education[edit | edit source]

* on-demand formal tutoring
* peer-to-peer informal tutoring
* on-line discussions (chats and specials educational chats are better for that)

## Links[edit | edit source]

Instant messaging

* Jeff Tyson, How Stuff Works, How Instant Messaging Works
* Wikipedia: Instant messaging

VoIP (should be moved to a separate article some day ....)

* Voice over IP (Wikipedia)
* Comparison of VoIP software (Wikipedia)