instant messaging

from HTYP, the free directory anyone can edit if they can prove to me that they're not a spambot
Jump to navigation Jump to search

"Instant messaging", or "IM", refers to electronic communication wherein short text messages are sent and received in "realtime" (i.e. with a very short delay or "lag time" – usually 1 second or less – between the sending and the receipt). It most commonly refers to the various IM services such as AIM, Yahoo!, MSN, and ICQ, but can also refer to IRC.

Text-paging on a cell phone (especially if the recipient is equipped to send back a text message in reply) is also sometimes referred to as IM, but the lag time for such messaging is usually rather longer (seconds to minutes).

Links

Reference

News