Instant Messaging

• Synchronous communication between two or more people using software running on a computer network
• Primarily text based infomation, recent programs also include ability to send audio and video files
• Also known as IM or chat
• Instant Messaging defined by Wikipedia

Instant messaging is used by millions of people across the world. The ways in which IM is used is often defined by age, workplace needs, technology "comfort zone".

• talk with friends and family
• work on a project with coworkers
• answer customer questions
• answer student questions

The IM tools familiar to most people are freely available on the Internet. Users set up an account with IM provider. Once you have an account, you can IM with other people that have accounts with the same provider. The most popular IM tools are:

• AOL Instant Messenger - AIM
• MSN Messenger - Windows Live Messenger
• Yahoo Messenger

These IM systems don't interoperate. So, if you have an AIM account, you can IM someone with a Yahoo account. However, there is software you can use to buddle your IM accounts. Trillian is one well-known package that supports AIM, MSN, and Yahoo as well as other IM clients.

You can also embed chat tools into your website. By using an embedded chat tool, someone can chat with you without needing to have an IM account. You can install icons on your desktop that will let you know when someone wants to "chat" with you. Some embedded chat tools include:

• Chatango
• Gabbly
• Meebo Me

You can also set up a chat in Blackboard. However, you would need to set up a date/time for your "chat session."

• multitask - work on other things while carrying on a conversation
• how our students communicate with each other
• quick response - you receive answers and send replies when the information is needed; instant clarification
• feeling "connected" to an organization or business because ease of conversing while online During the session, I brought the library's Bloglines account and demonstrated how to add feeds. The class worked on adding feeds to their Bloglines account

• multitasking - distracting, interrupt chain of thought
• waste time with meaningless chatter
• IM jargon - need to learn to understand IM conversations
• privacy and security issues - SPIM (IM spam), private conversations over publicly-owned networks
• will students IM you?
• age divide

There are some great articles on IM. Here are some of the articles I read to prepare for this workshop.

"The Professor as Instant Messenger" by Kathryn Wymer in the Chronicle of Higher Education, 2/10/2006, Vol. 52 Issue 23, pC2.

"Instant Messaging: IM Online! RU?" by Robert Farmer in EDUCAUSE Review, vol. 40, no. 6 (November/December 2005): 48–63.

"How Americans Use Instant Messaging" by Eulynn Shiu & Amanda Lenhart,
2004 Pew Internet & American Life surveys, 9/1/2004.
During the session, I brought the library's Bloglines account and demonstrated how to add feeds. The class worked on adding feeds to their Bloglines accounts.

Workshop presentation for St. Mary's University faculty and staff.

Developed by Necia Wolff, Business/Distance Learning Librarian, Louis J. Blume Library, St. Mary's University.

Contact info:

phone: 210-431-2299 x1452
email: nwolff@stmarytx.edu

Created: 10/24/2006 | Last updated: 11/3/2006

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