The Global Gen World

Instant messaging or IM is considered by many as a better form of communication compared to email. This is due to the ability of IM to offer real-time communication while allowing for easy collaboration. IM is more similar to a genuine conversation as against the letter format of email. Peers are able to know when a user is busy, available or away from the computer. The difference however is negligible once a system allows offline messages or the sending of messages to people who are not logged on.

Additional features such as seeing the other party, using web-cams or direct conversation over the Internet for free helped in propagating IM’s popularity. Instantaneous and simultaneous communication is possible between several parties. Information is transmitted swiftly and efficiently and conversations can be saved for future reference.