AIM is AOL Instant Messaging , which is a way to chat real time online. It's free and you don't have to belong to AOL but you do have to download the program.

You'll have to think of a screen name, most combinations are already taken so you may end up with something weird (I'm AliWench...don't ask).

Go here: [link] to download and then follow the directions.

That didn't hurt at all. Nice people!

On my way.

Crumbs, Deb - prepare to lose hours. I hardly ever dare turn it on, because it's so very, very tempting to just sit and chat in real time nonstop. (I think I talked for nine hours the first time I used it. Which is why I don't use it often. Um.)

In other words - you'll like this.

I waste lots of time on IM. Of course, it's the best way to talk to folks who live in the UK, what with the cost of phone calls and all.

Fuckety, damn and blast.

Why did I not make a note of which of the directories the bloody software was being downloaded into?

(banging head against computer)

How do I search our three hard drives, half a freakin' terrabyte or somesuch computer for the AOL Messenger software? (not a Mac; netscape)

Why did I not make a note of which of the directories the bloody software was being downloaded into?

giggles

That's exactly the same thing I did. It'll be okay. It may take a while, and you may feel like an eejit, but if I could (eventually - er, let's skim over the length of time it took me) figure it out, you'll be fine.

Click the download again, look to see where it wants to put the files, then cancel the download?

Deborah, most of the time I've noticed the downloads automatically go into the folder on the C drive called "My Downloads".

You might find it nested deep in the Windows directories.

Okay. You know what's gut-bustingly funny?

When an archivist instructs you that your story is incomplete and cannot be uploaded, after finally ascertaining that you've been having trouble archiving because you've been trying to upload a Word doc, do you:

a) Ask the archivist to archive your story for you instead of sending your lone Chapter 2 to the mailing list
b) Send the archivist the exact same chapter of the incomplete story she told you she can't upload
c) Admonish the archivist not to steal your story

or

d) All of the above

Half a terrabyte. Half a terrabyte. I'll have to ask Nic and I don't want.

WAAAAAAH! There must be search function on this appliance from hell somewhere, surely? I know there is. We can put a man on the moon, and a baboon heart into a baby, I can find AOL Messenger software on T3. Right?

I told you I was a virgin at this. Gah.