| Most anyone whose kids have become teenagers | | | | special attention to Yahoo Messenger, |
| over the last few years has almost certainly | | | | especially recently. As more surfers have |
| at least heard of "IM". It's become a verb | | | | moved to high-speed internet connections, |
| among not only teens, but many adult surfers | | | | Yahoo has upgraded Yahoo Messenger to include |
| too. As in "IM me later!". For anyone who | | | | Launchcast Radio, Yahoo Games, and of course, |
| doesn't know, IM, or Instant Messaging, is | | | | a considerable selection of customization |
| software that lets people communicate over | | | | options. |
| the Internet, well, instantly. Or nearly so - | | | | |
| with only slight delays most of the time, | | | | Perhaps the biggest change, and one many |
| instant messaging has always allowed users to | | | | adult surfers will most appreciate, is the |
| type messages back and forth over the | | | | addition of Webcam, photo, and voice chat |
| Internet. It's a lot like passing a note in | | | | capabilities. Voice chat, in particular, will |
| class, with new parts of a conversation added | | | | probably appeal to a broad audience. With it, |
| on to the end of previous parts. Yahoo | | | | a pair of speakers, and a microphone, you can |
| Messenger was one of the first to offer both | | | | talk live with contacts, over the Internet, |
| IM software and a lane on the information | | | | even internationally, for free, using voice |
| superhighway for IM messages to travel. | | | | over IP technology. Most of the time, |
| | | | depending on network traffic between you and |
| But as the kids have grown, so has Yahoo | | | | the other party, the conversation is loud & |
| Messenger. It's a lot more than a mere teen | | | | clear, and there is very little delay. |
| toy now. Yahoo, in an effort to attract and | | | | |
| retain loyalty to it's brand, offers email, a | | | | You may have wondered why your teens would |
| personalized My Yahoo Portal, an address | | | | prefer to type messages when they can just as |
| book, calendar, maps, bookmarks, a toolbar, | | | | easily call their friends. Now, with Yahoo |
| and other services, many of them integrated | | | | Messenger, they, and you, can do both, using |
| to work together. But they seem to have paid | | | | the same software! |