Instant messaging

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Instant messaging (often shortened to IM) is a way of two or more people to communicate over a network. When the sender sends a message, this message is sent to all the recipients in the group. People use messaging clients to send and receive messages. The type of message supported depends on the specific client, and network. Most of the time, it is text. In some cases, images or other types of media is supported.

Instant messaging services got many ideas from an older and still popular way to online chat named Internet Relay Chat (IRC). In early instant messaging programs, each letter appeared when it was typed and when letters were deleted to correct typos. These were also seen by the reader. This made it more like a telephone conversation than sending letters. In newer instant messaging programs, the other readers in the conversation generally only sees each line of text right after a new line is started. Most instant messaging programs have a way to set a status message. This works likes the message on a telephone answering machine. It shows whether or not people are online and want to chat.