America Online Instant Messenger

This is by far the most popular chat utility, and it's one of the best ... because it's so simple. Unlike ICQ, which can be very complex, IM is so trivial to use that it's deceiving at first.  You just download it, install it, and add the screen names of the people you want to talk to. It's really that trivial. Took me less than five minutes the first time.

Not only is this program simple, it's got literally millions and millions of people signed up and ready for chatting. AOL is by far the largest internet community, and you have them all available from IM. You can also chat with anyone who has downloaded the utility and signed up for the service (which is free).

One of the really cool features of Instant Messenger is you can add it to your web site. Simply go to the AOL Instant Message page and ask for the pane. 

I honestly don't know why someone wouldn't use this product. It's small, it's fast, and it's popular.

In fact, I use two utilities: IM and ICQ. I've found that with just these two chat tools I'm ready to talk to almost anyone in the world.

The usual cautions apply when using this software. Be careful of giving out anything that you would not want the entire planet to know. IM is not terribly secure. Also, since you can download files you need to be careful of viruses. BE SURE YOU HAVE INSTALLED GOOD VIRUS CHECKING SOFTWARE if you are going to download anything.