User:TheTrimax/sandbox

TOPIC: AOL_Instant_Messenger

Nabatkabir: Privacy, AIM Phoneline, Versions available, AIM Real-Time IM

TheTrimax: AIM iPhone application, iPad application, Robots, Updated Logo

Mirage.colloied: History, Vulnerabilities

History

In September 1995, the "Buddy List" precursor to AIM was launched internally to AOL employees. In March 1996, the Buddy List was opened up to AOL subscribers running Windows 95. The buddy List feature became available to Mac users sometime later in late 1996 to mid 1997. The standalone AIM became available to non-subscribers in 1998. The release of AIM came over a decade after AOL's prior QuantumLink incarnation had offered "On-Line Messages" (OLMs) to its subscribers.

Since version 2.0, AIM has included person-to-person instant messaging, chatroom messaging, and the ability to share files peer-to-peer with buddies. Version 4.3 introduced storing user contact lists on AOL servers and allowed for a maximum of 200 buddies to be stored. Also, in the 4.x versions, the AIM client for Microsoft Windows added the ability to play games against one another using the WildTangent engine. The first version released with WildTangent did not warn the user that it was going to be installed. Newer versions do, because many spyware scanners flag WildTangent software as spyware.

The successor to AIM version 5.9 was originally named AIM Triton. Compared with version 5.9, Triton's programming code was rewritten and featured a brand new UI engine called Boxely. The first beta version of Triton (0.1.12) supported only Windows XP when released. For the first time in developing a new version of AIM, these preliminary versions were made publicly available on the AIM home page for any user to test and provide feedback.

In September 2006, Triton was renamed to AIM 6 and a new beta version was made available. This version slightly changed the UI. The final stable version of AIM 6.0 was released on December 15. New features included connection to AIM Pages, additional customization, and compatibility with address book programs and sites through a "Universal Address Book" powered by Plaxo. Further, the upgrade unified away messages and general user updates into RSS feeds and added the ability to send messages to offline users. Certain features that were missing from the prior version were also re-added, such as global font customization and a smaller cache usage, although the Get File function has yet to return. Also new in this release was opening AIM to developers, which allowed anyone to create plug-ins or custom AIM clients for Windows, Macintosh, or Linux.

The next version, 6.1, added Buddy List docking, support for inserting images into Buddy Info, the ability to change the highlight colors of the UI, improvements in displaying Linked Screen Names, several bug fixes, and improved Windows Vista support.

Version 6.5.11.1 supports status messages which are similar to away messages, and has improved cell phone integration.

In version 7.4 for Windows and version 2.1 for Mac OS, AIM added support for Facebook, allowing users to login using their Facebook ID and chat with their Facebook friends.

Version 7.5 has added the voice call option between AOL users and the ability to share photos and videos. The 7.5 version also allows people to download the program for Windows Vista. Users can now also connect their AIM account to Twitter, Foursquare and MySpace.

Privacy

For privacy regulations, AIM has a strict age restrictions. AIM accounts are only available for children over the age of 13. Any children under the age will not have access to AIM.

Under the AIM Privacy Policy, AOL has no rights to read or monitor any private communications beaten users. Unless the conversions is posted public domains such as Chat Rooms or Message boards. The profile of the user has no privacy.

If public content is accessed it can be used for online, pint or even broadcast advertising etc. This is outlined in the policy and terms of service, "you grant AOL, its parent, affiliates, subsidiaries, assigns, agents and licensees the irrevocable, perpetual, worldwide right to reproduce, display, perform, distribute, adapt and promote this Content in any medium". This allows anything one posts to be used without the knowledge of your permission.

The question of how secure is AIM has come up to question. AOL has taken many steps in order of preventing the access from unauthorized member. However it is not guaranteed that personal information will not be accessed.

AIM is different from other clients such as Yahoo! Messenger in that it does not require approval from one buddy to be added to another's buddy list. As a result, it is possible for users to keep other unsuspecting users on their buddy list to see when they are online, read their status and away messages, and read their profiles. In fact, there is a web API to display one's status, away message as a widget on one's webpage. However, one can block another user from communicating and seeing one's status; though this does not prevent the user from creating a new account that is not blocked and therefore can still track the first user's status. A more complete privacy option is to select a menu option allowing communication only with those on one's buddy list; this causes blocking (thus appear offline to) all users not on one's buddy list.

AOL recently teamed up with Facebook, allowing you to login to AIM using your Facebook account. However, many privacy advocates claim that the convenience comes at a high price. In order to sign up for AIM Express, the more lightweight, web-based version, you must accept all of their account access stipulations. These include access to your photos, videos, messages in your inbox (including private), custom friends list, friend requests, and more. You must also allow AIM to access your account when you're offline, as well as post messages and videos on your wall. If you refuse to accept all the terms, the sign-up process stops.

New release logs all conversations and there is no opt-out.

Chat Robots

AOL and various other companies supply robots on AIM that can receive messages and send a response based on the bot's purpose. For example, bots can help with studying, like StudyBuddy. Some are made to relate to children and teenagers, like Spleak, others give advice, and others are for more general purposes, such as SmarterChild. The more useful chat bots have features like the ability to play games, get sport scores, weather forecasts or financial stock information. Users were able to talk to automated chat bots that could respond to natural human language. They were primarily put into place as a marketing strategy and for unique advertising options. It was used by advertisers to market products or build better consumer relations.

Before the inclusions of such bots, the other bots DoorManBot and AIMOffline provided features that are provided today by AOL for those who needed it. ZolaOnAOL and ZoeOnAOL were short lived bots that ultimately retired their features in favor of SmarterChild. As of November 18, 2008, the SmarterChild bot for AIM was retired and is no longer offering any services, although still available through MSN.

Vulnerabilities

AIM is known for security weaknesses that have enabled exploits to be created that use third-party software to perform acts unbeknown to the user on users' computers. Although most are relatively harmless, such as being kicked off the AIM service, others perform potentially dangerous actions such as sending viruses. Some of these exploits rely on social engineering to spread by automatically sending instant messages that contain a URL accompanied by text suggesting the receiving user click on it, an action which leads to infection. These messages can easily be mistaken as coming from a friend and contain a link to a web address that installs software on the user's computer to restart the cycle.

Users have also reported sudden additions of toolbars and advertisements from third parties in the newer version of AIM. Multiple complaints about the lack of control of third party involvement have caused many users to stop using the service. AIM has also been complained about their internet connection quality. Connection would be either inconsistent or working properly only of a few months before deteriorating severely. AIM has also been considered a slower program than most available instant messaging services. Mostly in relation to the lack of proper internet connection, service between connections has been hard to arrive quickly, especially involving sent images and videos. The interface has also been criticized as impractical and unorganized, make it user-unfriendly. Although people who have used AIM since its beginnings may have a much better grasp of how to use it, newer users would have a harder time grasping the concept of the interface.

Extra features

Versions Available

There are five different ways to access AOL instant messaging service. There is three main different categories. The first category is strictly from using an internet browser. By clicking 'aim.com' on AIM's main website, it directs the user to a page, where they can access and use AIM. The Second category would be operating systems on computers. The AOL service allows AIM for Windows and AIM for Mac. This allows users to use the service on any type of operating service. The last category is mobile devices. Currently, the application is available for three systems, iPhone, and Android.

iPhone application

On March 6, 2008, during Apple Inc.'s iPhone SDK event, AOL announced that they would be releasing an AIM application for iPhone and iPod Touch users. The application is available for free from the App Store, but the company also provides a paid version, which displays no advertisements. Both are available from the App Store. The AIM client for iPhone and iPod Touch supports standard AIM accounts as well as MobileMe accounts. There is also an express version of AIM accessible through the Safari browser on the iPhone and iPod Touch.

In 2011 AOL launched a massive overhaul of their Instant Messaging service. Included in the update was a brand new iOS application for iPhone and iPod Touch which incorporated all the latest features. A brand new icon was used for the application, featuring the new cursive logo for AIM. The user-interface was entirely redone for the features including: a new buddy list, group messaging, in-line photos and videos, as well as improved file-sharing.

Currently the application is in version 5.0.5, which was updated as of March 2012. In the latest iteration, it supports more social stream features, much like Facebook and Twitter, as well as the ability to send voice messages up to 60 seconds long.

iPad application

On April 3, 2010 Apple released the first generation iPad. Along with this newly released device AOL released the AIM application for iPad. It was built entirely from scratch for the new version iOS with a specialized user-interface for the device. It supports geo location, Facebook status updates and chat, MySpace, Twitter, YouTube, Foursquare and many social networking platforms.

AIM Express

AIM Express runs in a pop-up browser window. It is intended for use by people who are unwilling or unable to install a standalone application or those at computers that lack the AIM application. AIM Express supports many of the standard features included in the stand-alone client, but does not provide advanced features like file transfer, audio chat, video conferencing, or buddy info. It is implemented in Adobe Flash. It is an upgrade to the prior AOL Quick Buddy, which was later available for older systems that cannot handle Express before being discontinued. Express and Quick Buddy are similar to MSN Web Messenger and Yahoo! Web Messenger.

AIM Pages

Main article: AIM Pages

AIM Pages was released in May 2006, allowing the 63 million AIM users to create an online, dynamic profile. The buddy list serves as the basis for the AIM Page social networking service. An AIM Page is built using modules following the ModuleT microformat. AIM Pages was discontinued in late 2007.

AIM Phoneline

AIM Phoneline was a Voice over IP PC-PC, PC-Phone and Phone-to-PC service provided via the AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) application. It was also known to work with Apple's iChat Client.

On May 16th, 2006 AOL will launch a new service for AIM. AIM Phoneline provides users the ability to have a few local number, this allows AIM users to receive incoming calls for free. The service allows users to make calls to landlines and moblie devices through the use of a computer. The service however is only free for receiving and AOL will charge a user of 14.95 a month for unlimited calling plan.

In order to use AIM Phoneline users must download the latest version of a AIM Triton software (the free one), and must have a good set of headphones that has a microphone attached. It may take several days after a user signs up before it starts working.

The service has provided users with many interfaces such as Auto Action APIs, Ringback Tone APIs and Screen Name Services API that make the AIM Phoneline a great service.

On January 13th, 2009, the service was officially closed. The closing of the free service has caused the number associated with the service to be disabled and not transferrable for a different service.

AIM Real-Time IM

A new feature has been added to AIM. The real-time IM allows users to have a better experience. This feature is available for AIM 7 and it allows a user to see what the other is typing as it is being done. This feature was developed and built with assistance from Trace Research and Development Centre at University of Wisconsin-Madison and Gallaudet University. The application provides visually impaired users the ability to convert messages from text(words) to speech.

For the application to work users must have AIM 6.8 or higher. This feature is not compatible with older versions of AIM software, AIM for Mac or iChat. Real Time IM will connect directly to a users PC and their partners PCs as well. This is a direct IM connection. For one's safety it is important to only accept connections from people you know.