I have recently been asked why I use a chat messenger as well as a java based website. Mainly it is to discuss with those I train the various aspects they may be interested in learning, especially for those who cannot travel to take their training in person.
The different chat facilities vary in their operation and reliability and I will attempt to show you what I mean here.
A chat messenger allows you to stay in touch with others you may wish to converse with while out of the java chat rooms you may have encountered. Indeed, if you are reading My blog it is quite likely that W/we met in a java based chat room that you use in your web browser.
Many of them now also incorporate voice communications and video communications as well. Indeed, My chat client of choice is Yahoo Messenger, available from http://messenger.yahoo.com
I have tried MSN Messenger, found at http://get.live.com/messenger/overview,
Aim, found at http://www.aim.com/download.adp,
ICQ, found at http://www.icq.com/download/,
EyeBall Chat, found at http://www.eyeballchat.com/ ,
Meebo, found at found at http://wwwl.meebo.com/ ,
and Yahoo messenger, found at http://messenger.yahoo.com .
Though they all work, and though meebo allows you to connect to the other messenger clients as well, much of the functionality of Yahoo is lost when shared with other messengers. Thus, I suggest that Yahoo is the most stable and most enjoyable messenger software yet available and I suggest that you do your own research on them as well.
As I am not always in the chat room, Yahoo messenger also affords the ability of leaving offline messages which the recipient will get once they log on. When setting yours up it will ask you for an email address. You can give them an existing email address or the one Yahoo will offer you at the time of registration.
Keep in mind that these are all freeware and thus costs you nothing. They enable you to keep in touch, in private, with anyone you add to your list of contacts.
I hope to see you there.
Sir.Strict
