Yahoo! Lets chat!! (Yahoo! Messenger)

Member Name: preciouskdg

Product:	Yahoo! Messenger
Date:	07/05/04 (1298 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: free, easy

Disadvantages: spamming!

Yahoo Messenger has been a valuable addition to my list of applications since the year 2000! Yahoo gave me my first email address and introduced me to cyber chat! The good and the bad! Back then I was preciousbabeuk!

Since then, the Yahoo Messenger service has expanded a little with webcam link, emoticons, sending SMS, Voice Chat and more

Web-cam Link

You can view your friends webcam and almost as if you were talking in person! The relay on the camera is pretty slow though so don?t expect in depth chats!!

Emoticons

Happy? Sad? Angry? These little smily faces cheer up any message. We use simple versions on Ciao everyday! :0) . On Yahoo, you can have little devils, cowboys clowns, kissing, winking etc. Great fun!

Send SMS
There is a little MOBILE icon on your message window to send SMS messages anytime of the day or night!

IMVironments
These are backgrounds for your Message window. A bit like wallpapers on your mobile phone. There is one which is a bit like a Tekken game and you and your chatee can play against each other. Again the relay is pretty slow which is rather frustrating. Other examples are Pampers, Hello Kitty, cartoons and lots more!

Voice-Chat

Save money on telephone bills, or do away with them altogether! Speak or hold a conference with anyone. There is no delay on this so you can have a proper chat, although your voice may be a little distorted. All you need is a microphone to plug in and make sure your chatee has one too!

Send Files

Another option with Yahoo! Messenger is the send files option. This gives you the chance to download files from your friends computer. Th
is is great if David has left a file at home which he needs at work! I can just send it. You need to place the file into your Shared folder and then click send! The Messenger service then asks the permission of the other person to receive the file! Dead easy and very handy!!

When you are on Yahoo Messenger, you are open to all types of people spamming you with messages. AS with the Yahoo Chat. To stop this, there is an option to stay INVISIBLE so that only the people you want to talk to, know you are there. You can also personalise your online status message. I usually write something like, ?If I don?t know you, don?t bother!!? Friendly aren?t I!

You may still get the odd message from people you don?t know or don?t want to receive messages from if they use a spamming robot. I know about these as my other half has used them before! . However, if you receive a message from someone you do not wish to receive messages from, you can simply click on the Ignore button in the message window and then close the message window. That person will be added to your ignore list and you will no longer receive messages from that person



Store copies of your conversations

You might like to save any conversations you have with other messenger users just in case you ever want to report any abusive behaviour you may encounter. This is a fantastic idea considering all the child abuse we see nowadays and how many people try to trick children.

Word Filter set to strong

Also, again with children in mind, you can filter any strong language so that your child or yourself is not being subjected to foul language!

To start with Yahoo Messenger, go to http://uk.messenger.yahoo.com/. You are asked to choose a password and a user id. This ma
y take a while as there are so many people with user id?s it is quite hard to find one that is not already taken! Then you are asked to input a few bits of personal details as usual, which is kept private. Then you are asked to input a word in to a box, as you see it! Apparently this prevents automated responses.

When yu install Yahoo Messenger you get a smiley face icon in your taskbar at the bottom of your screen. When it is open, a login box comes up to enter your details and then another box comes up with your list of friends ID?s on. If you have no friends on Yahoo then get making some! You can enter a proper chat room if you wish,just to get to know people. I really use it get hold of David at work. I know he will have his Messenger on. Each time you receive a new message, the box pops up on the screen.

Although any type of cyber chat holds its own risks, if you are careful, not giving out phone numbers, addresses, proper names etc, you should stay safe.

Yahoo! Messenger never seems to have any server problems or other glitches. You can guarantee that the service will be working. It is simple to install and does not interfere with any thing else on your pc. Although I do not use the service to chat so much now, only to keep in touch with family and friends when there lines are engaged from using the internet, I would not dispose of it! I find it much easier than the MSN version of the service. Its costing nowt so you have not nothing to lose!

Thanks for reading!

Kerry xx

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