Instant messaging is the ability to exchange messages in real time with other people over the Internet. To send and receive instant messages, you need a connection to the Internet and instant messaging software.

The instant messaging software enables you to set up a list of friends who also use the program. Once you set up this list, you can see if each friend is online at a particular moment. If so, you can begin a conversation with them quickly and easily.

Most conversations are typed text messages that are sent back and forth, though more advanced users can exchange voice, video, files and more.

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Yahoo! Messenger is a free instant messaging service that you can use to communicate with other people who also use Yahoo! Messenger. You can see which of your friends are online and communicate with them in real time. Yahoo! Messenger also has great features for:

Entertainment: Listen to music from Australian LAUNCHcast on your computer, and play Yahoo! Games against your friends.

Personalisation: There are many different ways to add colour and graphics to your conversations and change the look of the program.

Productivity: You can organise all of your contact information (email addresses, phone numbers and more) in Yahoo! Messenger, search the web directly from the program and decide who can see that you are online.

Communication: You can have conversations with several people at the same time, send files of any size over the Internet and use voice and video.

See the features Yahoo! Messenger offers.

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Nothing! Yahoo! Messenger is free to use on your computer.

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There are two steps you need to take to start using Yahoo! Messenger:

1. Download and install the software.

This process will take about 16 minutes if you are using a 56k modem, and 25 seconds if you have a high-speed connection. Go to the download page to begin the process. To continue, follow the instructions that appear on your screen. Once the installation is complete, Yahoo! Messenger will open automatically and you will see a window like the one to your right on your desktop.

2. Get a Yahoo! ID.

Every person needs a unique ID to identify themselves when using Yahoo! Messenger. After you have installed the program, you will see a "register for Yahoo!" button where you can sign up for a Yahoo! ID if you do not already have one. If you have already created a Yahoo! ID for any Yahoo! services - Mail, My! Yahoo, Yahoo! Personals, etc. - you can use that for Yahoo! Messenger as well. A Yahoo! ID is the first part of a Yahoo! Mail address - e.g.dairyman88 in dairyman88@yahoo.com

If you need to sign up for a Yahoo! ID, you will be taken to a web page that asks you to:

• Select an ID (e.g.dairyman88)
• Choose a password
• Enter a security question in case you forget your password
• Enter your name, language, postcode and gender

After completing this process, your Yahoo! ID will be active.

To sign in to Yahoo! Messenger, type your Yahoo! ID and password into the Yahoo! Messenger ID and password boxes, and then click the sign in button.

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Add some people to your list!

Click on the "Add" button, enter people's email address or Yahoo! ID, and follow the on-screen prompts to add them to your list. The best way to get someone's Yahoo! ID is to ask them in person, on the phone, via email, etc.

See if people are online.

Friends who are online will appear in bold in your contact list and will have a yellow smiley face next to their name.

Send an Instant Message.

First, double click on the name of a person in your Messenger List. A window will pop up with the person's name. Type your message to them and hit "enter." Your message will be sent to them. You will also be able to see when they are typing a reply to your message.

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Instant messages will automatically open on your desktop in boxes that look like the image on the right. To respond, just type in empty area in the bottom of the box, and hit enter.

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