Chatting with Google

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Is no medium safe from Googling? Well, instant messaging isn’t, that’s for sure. At least three developers have contrived to let you conduct a basic Web search in Google, through one of the three major IM programs:

• AOL Instant Messenger (AIM)

• MSN Messenger

• Yahoo! Messenger

Each one works the same way. You use your IM program’s features to see whether the Google search service is online, and then simply send your keyword string as an instant message. The problem is, these services are very often not online. Remember, this isn’t Google itself, which is always available. These instant-messaging searches are third-party services, alternate Googles, and the developers are regular folks who go online and offline just like you and I do. (Actually, I never go offline. Nor do I venture outside. I am fed intravenously and hunger for simple human touch that I will never receive. But enough about me.)

Here are the three IM services:

• Googolator: This one works in AIM. Add Googolator to your Buddy list and send keywords whenever it’s online. Five results are returned.

• Googlematic: This one works identically in AIM and MSN Messenger. Again, five results. In MSN Messenger, you need an entire e-mail address to locate a new Contact. Look for [e-mail].

• YIMGoogle: This one is set for Yahoo! Messenger. The YIM stands for Yahoo! Instant Messenger, even though that’s not really the name of the program. YIMGoogle is the screen name to look for and add to your Friends list. Query when it comes online to get five results.

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