A new version of my favorite instant messenger client, AIM is available. I started using AIM back in the dial-up days when AOL was popular and stuck with it over the years. I have always found it to be simple to use and quite reliable. Besides chatting, it's also a pretty good way to send a large file directly to a friend. My biggest pet peeve used to be the inability to log conversations. I had to use a third party program called "DeadAIM" to do this. However, since version 6.0 was released several years ago, this no longer is an issue. Version 6.9 allows you to get Twitter and Facebook updates for your friends directly inside of AIM. It also allows you to find buddies by email address and has the ability to send and receive IMs via your cell phone.
Now that AOL has finally adopted an "Open AIM" posture, more and more developers are writing plug-ins for the client. Eventually I expect this will add a great deal of functionality to the program, especially with regard to integration with popular third party websites such as eBay, Facebook and MySpace. In the past, AOL severely hampered development of this type by being overprotective of one of their flagship products. Programmers were provided with poor APIs and sparse documentation on how AIM worked. Even worse, AOL placed all kinds of restrictions on how AIM could be used. Today, it's different story! AOL now embraces third party developers and even started an advertising revenue program called AIM Money. With such a vast potential number of eyeballs, this may become a hot opportunity and catalysis for new innovative extensions.
If you like the bleeding edge, a beta version of AIM 7 is also available to try out. It features a spiffy new interface, performance improvements (AOL promises it is faster and less of a resource hog), bigger icons and bigger emphasis on status updates, which is sort of Twitterish. Download it here if you want to give it a spin!
You can keep on top of AIM news on Twitter @ AIMRunningMan. YES, the Running Man is back!
My law office AIM screen name is "crossonlaw".
-- Michael
P.S. -- As far as my law office goes, I do not usually communicate with clients or other attorneys via instant messengers. However, I see no reason why it would not work well for simple communications such as setting up meetings, confirming that something was received in the mail or the like. Perhaps it would be a good idea to elicit instant messenger contact information on my client intake data sheet I have clients complete at the initial consultation and try this in the future. I may also post an IM availability "badge" on my website in the future as a way to reach more prospective clients. AIM has tools to do this here. I'll report back on the success of these efforts at a later date. In the meantime, I'd like to hear from other attorneys on their experiences with using instant messenger clients in their practice!
"Running Man (AIM)" Photo Credit: K.W. Reinsche on Flickr (Creative Commons License).
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