Would Instant Messaging get more popular vs social networks?

[froggyboy604]

I notice not many people I know like friends or family still Actively use Instant Messaging programs like YIM, AIM, MSN/Windows Live Messenger, etc, and all my friends these day seem to chat on Facebook Chat/PM, or just text via cell phones, smartphones, tablets, and other similar devices instead of Instant messaging.

I'm not sure why not many people I know still use IM these days, but I remember when I used it, There were a lot of spam, and sex chat bots who try to convince me to visit their sites, or prankster who make AIM, YIM, and MSN crash by pasting codes or a specific message to send to me which got kind of annoying.

Do you see Instant Messaging making a huge comeback like in the 90s, early 2000s before Facebook got so popular?

 

[Zuinag]

Re: Would Instant Messaging get more popular vs social netwo

Most people seem to just use the instant messaging features found on social networks, an example being Facebook Chat like you mentioned.

 

[Migi]

Re: Would Instant Messaging get more popular vs social netwo

Frankly speaking I actually prefer instant messengers like that than Facebook or other social networks, there is something different and more fun about them. Too bad people prefer social networks more now. XD

I still use IRC regularly lately, since a forum I go to use IRC as the 'chat box'. Fun, fast, and easy to use too.

As for coming back, I think it will be hard. Developers and users seem to like social networks more than instant messengers for more features to offer.

 

[Deleted member 1609]

Re: Would Instant Messaging get more popular vs social netwo

I've used instant messengers for a long time. I've used them since I was about seven to eight years old... that's over half my life. By contrast, I've been using Facebook (and only Facebook) for less than two years. Instant messengers will always have a special place in my heart.

 

[Wild]

Re: Would Instant Messaging get more popular vs social netwo

I prefer Facebook to IM's personally simply because I can't easily share information to a large group of people using Instant Messenger, it requires me to message each person individually and sometimes that's simply not viable, and not what I want to be wasting my time doing.

 

[Abu Taj al Deen]

Re: Would Instant Messaging get more popular vs social netwo

I miss the days when IMs ruled. Things could be kept nso much more private.
But now, I just see bad things from everything of people's lives offline making it's way online. Even if they don't particularly want it to.

On IMs you were in control, and there was no way for anyone to publically publish anything for all of your other friends to see. They were all private messages.

I just don't like how hard it's getting to hide, I guess.

 

[Ghost]

Re: Would Instant Messaging get more popular vs social netwo

I haven't been using AIM, or other IM clients and services. Mostly because all my friends are on Facebook and when someone doesn't have a Facebook it's odd. However, I do have AIM loaded up now just to get back in touch with some online contacts.

 

[Ian2458]

Re: Would Instant Messaging get more popular vs social netwo

Look Too The Left,

I Got So May On Me. 😀

 

[froggyboy604]

Re: Would Instant Messaging get more popular vs social netwo

I miss the days when IMs ruled. Things could be kept nso much more private.
But now, I just see bad things from everything of people's lives offline making it's way online. Even if they don't particularly want it to.

On IMs you were in control, and there was no way for anyone to publically publish anything for all of your other friends to see. They were all private messages.

I just don't like how hard it's getting to hide, I guess.

I agree social networks are less private since people can copy and paste, or screenshot your posts even when you set your accounts to private/friends-only. But, Instant messaging can also be less private depending on if your friends like to gossip with other friends on IM or blog about their IMs on blogs and websites.

The one thing IM which makes IM more private is it is not searchable since Bing, Google, and other search engines can search public social network accounts, but can't search IM since it is on your computer, and not the web.

 

[ramtastic05]

Re: Would Instant Messaging get more popular vs social netwo

Most people seem to just use the instant messaging features found on social networks, an example being Facebook Chat like you mentioned.

well said,
instant messaging by itself is pretty much dead, its the integration with a larger site like social networking which is keeping it alive