Difference between revisions of "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
(news: IM teen renaissance)
(rephrasing of overview)
 
Line 1: Line 1:
[[category:computer terminology]]"'''Instant messaging'''", or "IM", refers to electronic communication wherein short text messages are sent with a very short delay (usually 1 second or less) between the sending and the receipt. (This delay is usually called the "lag time".) It most commonly refers to the various IM services such as [[AIM]], Yahoo!, MSN, and [[ICQ]], but can also refer to [[IRC]].
+
[[category:computer terminology]]"'''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).
 
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).

Latest revision as of 22:21, 20 May 2008

"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