Chatting
The Internet was set up by Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn in the 1970’s as a means of communication. It’s a fantastic way of getting in touch with friends and family, and meeting new people. There’s loads of ways to do this online, including IM, chat rooms, through online telephones, gaming, file-sharing sites and blogs.
Instant Messaging (IM) - like MSN or Yahoo - is one of the most popular ways to chat over the internet. Unlike in a chat room where everyone can see what everyone else is writing, with IM, you can chat privately. People can be added or removed from conversations so you can talk in groups. IM is a really quick and easy way to share files like photos, music or web links and you can customise your settings to personalise you area.
To use IM, you need to have someone’s email address to add them to your contacts. All your contacts are listed showing whether they are online or offline. It’s cool cos you can change your status to be away, busy or do not disturb, etc. You can even appear offline when you are online; sneaky!