The 411 on today’s global Instant Messaging culture...............
Away Msgs: Say what?!
Originally conceived as a way of letting IM contacts know why you’re not online, when you’ll be back and how you can be contacted in the meantime, away messages have taken on a whole new dimension in recent years as people continue to seek new ways of expressing themselves through their use of IM. This customizable messaging feature is increasingly used to post favorite song lyrics or inspirational quotes or to invite others to support a particular cause or movement. Around half of all 13-21-year-olds change their away message every day, and "checking away messages" has become as much a part of the IM experience as chatting! Entire websites have been dedicated to the phenomenon, offering extensive categorized collections of cool and funny suggestions for away messages.
Buddy Icons: Ur Naked Without One!
Known as avatars on Yahoo! Messenger or display pictures on MSN, Buddy Icons are small, changeable images that identify individual IM users, allowing for an element of individual expression. Kids often choose an image of their favorite celebrity or sports team to represent them on IM. Buddy Icons are usually Jpeg or GIF files that can be created with home graphics programs or downloaded online from a wide variety of websites. Commercial organizations have jumped on the bandwagon, with record labels and movie studios offering free, downloadable avatars as part of a word-of-mouth marketing strategy. Along with wallpapers and other "personalization" tools, Buddy Icons have emerged as the most popular feature of IM programs.
Buddy Lists: Size Matters!
Buddy list envy is on the increase! According to the most recent survey of instant messaging trends, 70% of teen IM users think they have at least as many IM buddies as their friends. To settle the arguments once and for all, AIM users can head to www.aimfight.com, an official AOL website that lets kids pit themselves against their friends to find out who's most popular!
Chat Speak: Translation Pls!
Extremely popular with kids and young adults, chat speak is an acronymic language (or slang) that has developed in conjunction with the rise of fast, text-based communication through instant messaging and SMS. The widespread use of chat speak can make IM conversations seem indecipherable to those unfamiliar with this most fundamental element of messaging culture. One dad described his son's IM chats as looking "more like graffiti than an actual conversation!" For the sake of clueless parents and newbies, here’s a rundown of the most common terms:
| AFAIK | As far as I Know |
| ATM | At the moment |
| B/C | Because |
| BF | Boyfriend |
| BRB | Be right back |
| BTW | By the way |
| CYA | See you |
| DL | Download |
| FYI | For your information |
| G2G | Got to go |
| GF | Girlfriend |
| GR8 | Great |
| IIRC | If I remember correctly |
| K | OK |
| LOL | Laughing out loud |
| NE1 | Anyone |
| OMG | Oh my gosh |
| OT | Off topic |
| TBH | To be honest |
| THX | Thanks |
| TTYL | Talk to you later |
| U | You |
| WTF | What the f***? |
| XOXO | Hugs and kisses |
| Y | Why |
Screen Names: Wot urs sez abt U!
An original screen name (aka handle, username, nickname, user id) is your tool for carving out a unique identity in the world of IM. Picking a screen name is a serious business. It’s important to be creative – that’s the whole point! But be careful not to wander into the realms of ‘obnoxious’. If you’re embarrassed at the thought of explaining your screen name to your mom, kids or partner then you’ve probably gone too far! Make sure your ‘handle’ is appropriate for the communities you will be operating in online. The wrong screen name could result in ostracism from a particular group, while professional clients and educators might be less than impressed by an especially wacky choice.
Smilies: An important ingredient of happy IM-ing!
Smilies (or Emoticons) are another IM staple. It can be tricky to convey emotion and nuance in a faceless, text-based conversation where both parties are typing at great speed. Sarcasm and irony don’t play well on IM, and misunderstandings occur all too frequently. Smilies help to eliminate this problem; these text-based icons are widely used to express emotion in online communications. Most messaging applications include a selection of smilies for users to insert directly into their messages, but there are literally thousands of emoticons available online and in specialist software programs. The most common examples include:
| : - ) | Happy |
| : - ( | Sad |
| ; - ) | Wink |
| : - D | Delighted |
| ; - \ | Confused |
| ; - O | Shocked |
Netiquette: Messaging Manners Matter!
Three Basic Rules:
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