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ICQ
September 4, 1999
Erica Gehring
ICQ-Your friend are registered, your kids downloaded it onto your computer, or maybe you have seen an ad for it on a web page. What is this ICQ-phenomenon and why register?
ICQ (I Seek You) is one of the more popular instant messaging services available for free download from the Internet. A small company named Mirabilis, whose goal was to interconnect people connected to the Internet, originally created it. It has since been bought by America Online and renamed ICQ Inc.
ICQ has been revolutionizing the Internet since its arrival in 1996 with its grass-roots approach to building small Internet communities of users. It does this through user-created friends list, interest lists, and public chat rooms.
A registered user is allowed to create a list of other registered users (friends) to interact with at times when both or all parties are online. This list is compiled with the help of a very user-friend ICQ directly of users.
After registering, you are able to send and receive instant messages, URL addresses, files and directories; or participate in a real-time chat with one or more registered Icq users.
This real time characteristic of the program is its major advantage: once you've created a friend list you'll know exactly when anyone on that list is using the computer and can interact with them instantaneously.
While using ICQ, you have the luxury of selecting a number of modes in which to function, for example: do not disturb, online/connected, and away. Modes are displayed to those whom you are interacting with so they are away if you're able to take massages or prefer not to be disturbed.
ICQ is a useful and fun tool for the Internet. If you're interested in finding out how ICQ can be of use to you, try registering and installing the program on your computer. If you don't like it, you can always uninstall it.
To register, visit the Mirabilis home page at http://www.mirabilis.com and follow the links to download the newest version of ICQ. Once downloaded, follow the instructions to install the program. At this point, begin to build your friends list and discover the wonderful world of ICQ.
Erica's Computer Tip: If you find yourself receiving unwanted ICQ messages or URL's, simply click on the user in your ICQ display with the left mouse button and chose to "send to ignore list" on the menu that appears. In the future, messages sent by the user will not be displayed to you.
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