Re: [Air-l] What is Instant Messaging

While the patent office often gets things wrong (e.g. the hoo ha about Amazon.com's one click patent) this approval does suggest that IM=(online awareness + buddy list + over TCP/IP protocal + messaging) and is something relatively new.

maybe MIT should sue AOL. http://www.technologyreview.com/articles/trailing1002.asp :) ~elijah