AIM™

Created and owned by AOL®, AIM™ is quickly becoming one of the most well-known Internet chatting programs. More information concerning this product, and a free download may be obtained by visiting the AOL® Web site.

ICQ®

ICQ® (standing for "I-seek-you") was originally developed by four Israeli's (Yair Goldfinger, Arik Vardi, Sefi Vigiser and Amnon Amir) in July of 1996, and the company was later bought out by America Online in 1998.

This method of chatting allows users to connect to a single network using their individually assigned number.

More information concerning this product, and a free download may be obtained by visiting the ICQ® Web site.

IRC

Unlike the aforementioned Internet chatting programs, IRC does not reside on only a single server, and may be accessed via numerous software programs. Rather, IRC is a chatting protocol, and the IRC network is made up of literally thousands of different networks, managed by different people and organizations, for different purposes. One growingly popular server is known of as "EFnet," but many, many, many more exist. Each server is dedicated to various things, ranging from general chatting to specific topics or genres. Next, within each of these servers, reside what are called "channels," individual rooms where people may converse with one another. It is also possible to privately message an individual rather than talk with a group of people, and it is also possible to create your own chatroom on many of the IRC servers.

One of the most popular software programs for accessing IRC networks via machines running Microsoft® Windows™ is mIRC, and a popular program for Linux is xchat.

More IRC Software for Windows™

• pIRCh

More IRC Software for Linux

• IRSSI

Other Methods of Online Chatting

Other popular methods of chatting online include:

• Chatrooms managed and hosted on individual Web sites
• Rapidly sending e-mails back-and-forth