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Hello Wies,
Instant Messaging (IM) is like "chatting" or sending short e-mail messages to one person or a group. You can show your "status" like on-line, available to chat, busy, off-line, etc.
There are several IM programs out there:
AOL
Yahoo
MSN
ICQ
Jabber
I am not sure if they run in Mac's, I think they probably do or perhaps they have a web client interface that can be used with a browser instead of installing the program in your computer.
There must be something like a "central server" where you "register" to get an account or ID to logon into the system, they have directories of who is subscribed, etc. so you look for your "contacts" and add them to your "buddy list" to have them handy and "see" when they are on-line then you can "talk" (or IM) to them or they to you.
As with all electronic comunications on the Internet, you should expect no privacy whatsoever, some IM programs may have encryption buil-in to help a bit with that but also the other people receiving your messages can save them to text files, etc. so you will want to be carefull what you say or write.
People use a lot of "short hand" for typing like ttyl (Talk To You Later) and also the little happy faces ":-)" and stuff like that.
If you need the programs get them at the web sites of these service providers and install it.
I once read somewhere that ICQ service is run in servers located in Israel so I am not sure if the mossad would be involved, probably they would as well as fbi and others but I am not sure if that is true.
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