What's the attraction of AIM or YIM?

[Faithless]

I having been hacking away at computers for a while now, but have never gotten into the AIM / YIM thing. I know what's for, but what's the attraction?

I see the little message boxes on people's screens at work, and I see people on them as much as message boards. I don't get it. :(

[SunWuKong]

because you can have one-on-one conversations with people right at your computer?

i just wish they'd come up with a standard IM protocol. but then again, i wouldn't expect Microsoft to adhere to it anyway.

[sOKaLiBoY]

i guess for me it's the fun of chatting with 10 ppl at the same time.

[LoneSwordsman]

Originally posted by SunWuKung@May 30 2003, 07:21 AM
i just wish they'd come up with a standard IM protocol. but then again, i wouldn't expect Microsoft to adhere to it anyway.

i remember reading that there was a program working towards this goal
i dont remember if it was called myjabber or jabber

the attractiveness of IM for me is the instant thing

[angelwiththesword]

i use AIM, ICQ, MSN, tIRC, and YIM.

i use aim because i know people who use it, and i can talk to them.
i use icq, because i know people who use it, and i can talk to them.
i use msn because i know people who use it, and i can talk to them.
i use tIRC, because it is part of my trillian program, and i would much rather be using mIRC, but since i have aim, icq, msn, irc, and yim on this one program, i might as well use what i have.
and the attraction of yim is because of the webcam interface on it, along with the ability to play games on it.
since i use hotmail a lot, i use msn to chat and check my e-mail.
a lot of people i know in the states use aim, so i really have no choice unless i don't ever want to speak with them ever again.
and icq can go to hell and die, but i have a uin, and i have trillian, so i might as well use it.
oh, and lets not forget:
i use tIRC because i know people who use it, and i can talk to them.
i use yim because i know people who use it, and i can talk to them.

pretty generic, neh?

:o

[moschikat]

<-- trillian user.

:P

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by LoneSwordsman@May 30 2003, 08:26 AM
i remember reading that there was a program working towards this goal
i dont remember if it was called myjabber or jabber

the attractiveness of IM for me is the instant thing

yeah a while ago i read that they were trying to get a consortium together for this. but seeing how microsoft doesn't follow W3C protocols and that an overwhelmingly large percentage of... everybody... use IE, i think that probably is pretty discouraging in trying to come up with a standard IM protocol.

[SunWuKong]

by the way, the startup i used to work for in HK actually sold software that does what trillian does... on your cell phone. :) it was a wireless application for IM, and we had AIM, YIM, ICQ, and (i think) MSN on our network.

[Emperor_Mike]

I use ICQ and MSIM for work and sometimes for casual chatting. I prefer real life meetings though because sometimes IMSs cannot convey emotions properly even with emoticons.

[tapestrybabe]

i use to use icq all the time when it came to downloading mp3's from another person... but as for chatting to have conversations with ppl... No, i'd rather have real life interaction than using instant messengers...

[Fireblade]

Pretty much instant messaging is immediate, so it's like talking on the phone without having to deal with the other person's voice.

man.. I need to get out of the house more often. :nerd:

[angelwiththesword]

more to the point, i think AIM is popular because of the sheer number of people using it. i am pretty sure that there are more active AIM users out there then there are active ICQ or Y! users.

as for Y!, its attraction is the webcam interface, and their extensive chat rooms and options. though much like MSN in use, Y! has the added bonus of everything MSN has, plus customizable away messages, and webcam stuff.

[SunWuKong]

Originally posted by angelwiththesword@May 31 2003, 12:54 AM
more to the point, i think AIM is popular because of the sheer number of people using it. i am pretty sure that there are more active AIM users out there then there are active ICQ or Y! users.

that may be true for the US, but i actually don't know anybody in HK (or mainland China, for that matter) that uses AIM or Y!. they usually use MSN or ICQ. Chinese support for AIM is kind of bad.

don't know about other parts of asia.

[tapestrybabe]

i use msn for my mother and sister...
i dont really chat with them for conversation...
but more like... making plans of some sort... like if we have a family get together or something... i'll just instant message them... in regards to what time i can make it... or something like that...

i like using msn for my family...
cuz like i can put myself on invisible... so they cant see me online... but i can still see them... and if i do need to say something... i know that their still available online for me to send a message to them...