Most anyone whose kids have become teenagers over the last few years has almost certainly at least heard of "IM". It's become a verb among not only teens, but many adult surfers too. As in "IM me later!". For anyone who doesn't know, IM, or Instant Messaging, is software that lets people communicate over the Internet, well, instantly. Or nearly so - with only slight delays most of the time, instant messaging has always allowed users to type messages back and forth over the Internet. It's a lot like passing a note in class, with new parts of a conversation added on to the end of previous parts. Yahoo Messenger was one of the first to offer both IM software and a lane on the information superhighway for IM messages to travel.
But as the kids have grown, so has Yahoo Messenger. It's a lot more than a mere teen toy now. Yahoo, in an effort to attract and retain loyalty to it's brand, offers email, a personalized My Yahoo Portal, an address book, calendar, maps, bookmarks, a toolbar, and other services, many of them integrated to work together. But they seem to have paid special attention to Yahoo Messenger, especially recently. As more surfers have moved to high-speed internet connections, Yahoo has upgraded Yahoo Messenger to include Launchcast Radio, Yahoo Games, and of course, a considerable selection of customization options.
Perhaps the biggest change, and one many adult surfers will most appreciate, is the addition of Webcam, photo, and voice chat capabilities. Voice chat, in particular, will probably appeal to a broad audience. With it, a pair of speakers, and a microphone, you can talk live with contacts, over the Internet, even internationally, for free, using voice over IP technology. Most of the time, depending on network traffic between you and the other party, the conversation is loud & clear, and there is very little delay.
You may have wondered why your teens would prefer to type messages when they can just as easily call their friends. Now, with Yahoo Messenger, they, and you, can do both, using the same software!
About the author:
Jakob Jelling is the founder of http://www.sitetube.comVisit his website for the latest on planning, building, promoting and maintaining websites.
Internet Chat Rooms: Are
We Missign the Point?
by: Jesse S. Somer
In my short life, after years of talking too much, I’ve come to realize
that if one is always speaking, one never listens. If you never listen to
others, well, you’re limiting your access to a lot of knowledge and
information. Recently, after much deliberation I thought I’d check out
what the world of Chat Rooms is like. People talk to each other by text,
voice, and web cam. This is a really big phenomenon; I wanted to see what
all the fuss is about.
I expect there are many chat rooms where people with similar interests
get to know each other, and share their perspectives on various aspects of
life. These are great, much cheaper than telephones, and multiple, random
people can chat to one another simultaneously.
But I speak the truth, and my preconceived ideas about mindless gossip
from jaded humans were sadly affirmed as I arbitrarily checked chat rooms
that supposedly discussed important subjects. It seems some people are
just very bored, and want to be cool and swear on-line, insulting others,
and giving this area of information technology a bad name. I think a lot
of people are using the rooms solely for personal conversation that
contextually no one else can understand.
I went to a chat room about religion, and then to one about tattoos and
it seemed like the same people were talking. Most of the conversation
didn’t even touch the supposed subject matter. It was definitely a
disenchanting experience but hopefully with more research I hope to come
across some serious rooms where the true intent of the creators has come
to fruition.
I guess it’s good that bored people in our technological society have
others to talk to. It means depressed adolescents may feel more connected
to others and not so alone in the world, maybe even having a positive
effect on a possibly suicidal youth. But, I do feel this nonsensical
chitchat is a sign of our next generation’s apathetic view of present
reality in our postmodern culture. When reading the text from a supposedly
religious discussion, and hearing graphic use of derogatory terminology, I
really have to wonder about the present spiritual beliefs of my culture.
I’m a true believer of the concept that technology is here to further
the consciousness of humanity. Computers and the Internet can help bring
all of us in the world together, thus evolving our society to the next
level. After looking at chat rooms, I feel there is a need to integrate
more wisdom and compassion into our ‘new world’ generation. Having the
technology is great, but it is only one half of the equation. To make the
Internet work properly, I think we need to instill the same faith we have
in science, into a faith that encompasses the actual creators of the
information and communication tools-humanity itself. We seem to realize
that we can invent many great things, but it looks like we’re missing out
on the great truth: that we ourselves are part of, and made of something
great in itself: Life. (Existence!)
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