Chat. Aren't chat programs the tool of shady characters and scam artists? No longer. Thirty million people use AOL's Instant Messenger program. Risking sounding like a commercial, let me repeat that. 30 million people use AOL Instant Messenger. And you do not have to be an AOL customer to use it. It is a free program.

It has become a tool for business and pleasure. I can carry on an online conversation about the Yankees' playoff win with my best friend in New York, and have him respond immediately. At the same time, I can tell my employees that a server is down. And at the same time, I can send a Microsoft Word document to my wife across town -- in seconds!

In this article, we'll show you how to download, install, and setup AOL Instant Messenger 3.0, usually abbreviated as AIM.

Registration

The first thing you need is a screen name. A screen name is a user ID that will be used to identify you to other AIM users. If you have ever registered for Netscape.com Netcenter, My News, CompuServe 2000, AOL Hometown, or AOL.com's Personal Finance Center, you can use the userID for that system as your screen name.

If you need a new screen name, it is easy to get started. First of all, go to this web page (don't worry, it will open up in a new browser window). Click on the big red button to get started. Next, type in your choice for a screen name, and type in your password twice. Finally, enter your e-mail address in the last box. Click on the Continue button and skip below to the Download section of this article. Sometimes you won't get your first choice for your screen name (remember, 30 million people got here first). If that happens, choose another and try again.

If you have registered before with AOL or Netcenter or one of the other web sites listed above, then go to this web page. You will have to enter the userID you chose for that other system, and you will need to enter in your Zip Code (for verification). If all this is too confusing, just start fresh with a new screen name by following the first link in the previous paragraph.

Download

Now, if you have a recent version of Netscape Communicator (version 4.51 or later), you may already have AIM installed on your system. Nevertheless, it is a good idea to go through the instructions below, which will help you download the latest version of AIM.

The Download screen is the easiest part. Click on the button for Windows (which covers Windows 95, Windows 98, and Windows NT/2000/XP), or click on the button for Mac. The file itself is only about 2 megabytes, so download times even over a 28.8K modem will not be too long.

When the dialog box pops up, asking you where to save the file, try saving it to the Desktop. If you save it to the Desktop, it will be much easier to find when we install it in the next section.

Installation

The installation is also quite simple. Double-click on the file you just downloaded (aim95.exe or Install_AIM.exefor Windows users, aim.hqx for Macintosh users). The installation program will start, and you can just accept all of the default options. In a few seconds, the installation will be done and you will have a brand-new AOL Instant Messenger icon on your computer's desktop!

Setup

When you double-click on the AIM icon, you will see the screen below.

Figure 1

Erase where it says "" and instead type in the screen name you established for yourself earlier. Then, in the next box, type in the password you chose.

The first option below that is "Save Password". If you check this box, you will never have to enter that password in again. AIM will remember it for you. This is a good thing to check if you are the only person who has access to your computer. This is NOT a good thing to check if you are using a public machine or a computer at work.

The second option is "Auto-login". Checking this box will automatically log you in as soon as you click on the AIM icon. Same rules apply here -- check this box at home, but not at work or in a publicly accessible place.

When you are ready, click on the Sign On button.

Buddy List

BOOM! You're in! You will now see a Buddy List window (Figure 2 below), which will show you which of your friends are on-line and ready to chat with. But first, you have to setup your Buddy List, so AIM knows who your friends are.

Figure 2

Click on the "People" menu, and choose "Find a Buddy Wizard". You now have the option of finding your friends by a) their e-mail address; b) their name and address; and c) a common interest. Option c) is useful if you are just looking for a random stranger to chat with. Options a) and b) will probably prove to be more useful to you.

I'm going to volunteer myself as an example. You can find me by choosing "by E-mail address". Click "Next".

In the e-mail address box, type staff@help2go.com Click "Next"

You will see my screen name, OSodani. Click on my screen name to highlight it, then click "Next".

You can add me to one of three predefined categories. Am I a buddy, a family member, or co-worker? Even though I don't know you, since you've taken the time to read this article, mark me down as a buddy. Hey, you can never have too many friends, right? Click OK.

You can now confirm that you will add me to the "Buddies" list. You can also choose to create new groups, like "Clients" or "Yankee Fans" or even "Strangers". Click Finish -- you have successfully added me as a AIM buddy!

Send a first message

You will notice that AIM has two tabs -- one called Online and one called List Setup. The Online tab tells you which of your buddies is currently using AIM. If any of your buddies is listed here, you can double-click on their name to chat with them. The second tab, List Setup, allows you to move your buddies between your different groups.

If you see my screen name, OSodani, listed in the Online tab, you can go ahead and send me a message! Double-click on my name -- a new box will pop up on your screen. This is the chat window. Type in your message and press the Enter key. Your message is instantly sent.

Your chat window will split into two halves. One half will record the conversation going on. The other half is for you to type in new messages. You can format your messages with different fonts, colors, bold, italics, and even links to web sites! When someone you are chatting with replies, their message appears in the top half of the chat window. Once you start chatting, you'll see how fast the AIM service really is!

We will soon write an advanced techniques article for AOL Instant Messenger. This article was just to get your feet wet. If you are thirsting for more information, check out the AIM FAQ. Have fun, and I look forward to receiving your instant messages!