In what is arguably the most nerdy way to send and receive instant messaging through popular networks such AIM, Yahoo and MSN, it is possible to do it all using IRC. While it’s true that instant messaging isn’t used as much as it used to be, IRC shows absolutely no signs of slowing down whatsoever and people do use it regularly – so much that...

The instant messaging I’m referring to is the traditional old-school way, that being you download a proprietary client, sign up for a free account and then run the client, add buddies/contacts as need be, etc. Such examples are AIM, Yahoo! IM and Windows Live Messenger. The main reason why people aren’t too fond of IM’ing anymore is mainly...

Most people think the only free email that offers IMAP access is Gmail. Not so. Aol/AIM also has the same capability, which allows you to access your AOL/AIM account via the email client of your choice. If you already know how to configure an email account using IMAP, skip down to the mail servers section below. Why use IMAP? IMAP is better than POP because your...

There are many "elite" bloggers that state that the future of everything concerning internet communications is in the browser. I’ve heard "in the browser" so much in the course of 2009 that it now annoys me to even hear it. Why? Because as far as usability is concerned, doing everything in the browser is a step backwards. All-in-browser...

A problem with instant messaging is that it can be tough to get the same screen name on all services you use. Most people these days choose to employ the use of a multi-protocol instant messaging program such as Digsby, Trillian, Miranda, Adium or Pidgin, and having all those different names can be aggravating for others to remember. You can, however, use your...

AIM is the primary instant messenger I use. Out of all the IM services I’ve used over the years, it is the most reliable. In addition, it runs flawlessly on any operating system. Whether you’re on Windows, Mac or Linux, you can run AIM. The latest client offering on the Windows platform is AIM 7 Beta 2. Short review: It’s awesome. If you use...

Some sites make it easy (more or less) to delete your account if you don’t feel like using it any longer. Others however make it exceedingly difficult. Recently I was going thru my password manager and realized there were a ton of accounts I simply didn’t use anymore, so I figured I’d get rid of them. Some I was successful with, while others.....

Tiny applications run faster because they require far less computing power. They’re useful for several types of computer users. If you run a slower computer box, the less resource an app uses, the better. If you have a slower internet connection, smaller apps that access the internet typically make far less demands on bandwidth. If you’re a gamer,...

More people these days are getting away from instant messenger programs and using the in-browser way, because there really isn’t too much reason to use an IM app these days. Years ago a large chunk of the IM functionality was provided by the application, but that’s not the case anymore. You can do voice, webcam, manage your buddy/contact list and...

Sometimes you may sign up for some type of service on the internet (instant messaging, social networking, etc.) that creates a public profile. And maybe later on you forgot to delete it. This could work against you later on especially if you have posted things in the past you forgot about. See video below for more...

AOL Instant Messenger, better known as simply AIM, is my preferred way of instant messaging simply due to the fact it’s the most reliable chat network. Out of all the things AOL does wrong, AIM is the only thing they do right. Windows Live (formerly MSN) and Yahoo both have routine small outages on their networks that can get really irritating really...

1. It’s not Microsoft. 2. It’s not Apple. 3. It’s not Yahoo. 4. It works on any OS using almost any IM client you can think of (AIM client itself, AIM Lite, Trillian, Pidgin, Kopete, Adium, Digsby, Miranda, etc. etc. etc.) 5. Jabber still sucks. 6. MSN/Live still doesn’t work right and disconnects randomly. 7. Yahoo does the same...