Instant Messaging (IM) Recommendations

Client Choice:

IIT recommends using Yahoo Instant Messenger (YIM) as your instant messaging (IM) client at St. Olaf. What's the rationale and exceptions? Yahoo Instant Messanger can be downloaded and installed from Yahoo.

If you don't have a Yahoo account, you'll need to create one before using YIM. YIM will step you through this process once you have it installed. IIT suggests

first_initial + last_name + _sto

For example, Jane Ole would select jole_sto. If a name is already selected or you are not comfortable with the above, choose something else. Be sure to pick an account name/username that you won't be embarassed to share with co-workers, your boss, etc.

All IIT staff are now set up with Yahoo Instant Messenger. You can see the staff Yahoo account information if you go to tyhe online campus directory — you can also add your information, too.

Usage:

IIT also has suggestions for use of instant messaging and items to be aware of:

  • Do NOT send sensative data via IM (student numbers, social security numbers, salary information, medical information, etc.).
  • Don't IM anything you wouldn't send via e-mail.
  • Realize that everything is saved, either on your computer, the computer of the person you are chatting with, or on the servers acting as the conduits.
  • If you publish IM contact information, be sure to monitor your IMs.
  • Offices like the Helpdesk or Registrar should create a general IM contact address on multiple networks (Yahoo, MSN, AOL, etc.) and use a multi-protocol client like Gaim to be accessible to the widest range of students, etc.

Client choice rationale:

IIT considered the following uses of instant messaging as a guide to recommending an IM client.

  • Student contacting the Helpdesk
  • Inter- and intraoffice communication
  • Voice communication off-campus
  • Video communication on-campus
  • Video communication off-campus
  • Prospective students contacting Admissions, Helpdesk, Registrar, etc.

Given these uses, IIT then considered the IM clients available. There are the "big 3" of AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), Yahoo Instant Messenger (YIM), and MSN Instant Messenger (MSN) along with Google-talk and other multi-protocol clients, such as Gaim.

Comparing the features and keeping network security mindful, IIT feels that Yahoo Instant Messenger (YIM) has the most features available without sacrificing network security. It is cross-platform and easy-to-use. In particular, video and voice functions work off-campus without the need to open up large ranges of port addresses in the border routers, making the campus vulnerable to various viruses and trojans.

Exceptions

For offices or people that expect to be contacted by a wide range of people with different clients, the small group suggests using Pidgin. Pidgin is a multi-protocol client which can be used to combine contacts from the other networks. Pidgin can be downloaded and installed from pidgin.im/pidgin/home/. Users of Pidgin do not have accounts with a Pidgin network, but have accounts on the others (Yahoo, MSN, AOL, Google, etc.).