ICQ is the Swiss Army Knife of personal communications programs. Listing what it can't do is easier than listing all the things this nifty product can do.

ICQ—it stands for I seek you—originated as an instant messaging program, a 'buddy list'. Such programs let you send messages directly to anyone else connected to the Internet and running the same program.

When ICQ was launched at the end of 1996 by the small Israeli start-up, Mirabilis, America Online (AOL) already had such a program for its subscribers. What made ICQ revolutionary was that it gave instant messaging capability to anyone connected to the internet, not just those who subscribed to a specific service. It also made waves because of the astounding number of features it packed into a single, small panel.

Since ICQ first made its appearance, more and more features have been shoehorned into that same panel. As well as instant messaging, ICQ provides:

Add to this an overwhelming collection of Web-based communities, discussion groups and chat rooms all consisting of ICQ users, and you can see that ICQ has almost all bases covered when it comes to tracking down and communicating with others on the Internet.

Thumbnail of ICQ's chat program ICQ's built-in chat client comes in multi-coloured splendour. Click the thumbnail image to view more details.

Why so popular?

ICQ may be loaded with features, but its interface is hardly elegant and its menuing system is a dog's breakfast. Why, then, is it so popular?

Apart from being a really handy piece of software, there are four main factors that have rocketed ICQ to the number one download—around a million copies each week—on the Internet. Those factors are:

  1. It's free. Mirabilis (now ICQ, Inc) has used the phrase "time limited free beta" since ICQ's inception. That phrase left the way open for the company to charge for the software, but it never has and it doesn't seem likely that it ever will. AOL, which bought ICQ last year, appears intent on making a profit from ICQ by using its huge subscriber pool to generate advertising dollars.
  2. It's available in versions for most computers. All you need to run ICQ on a PC is a 486 processor, any version of Windows from Windows 3.x on (including Windows CE), and an Internet connection. (Under Windows 3.x you'll also need to have a Winsock program such as Trumpet Winsock and Win 32S installed.) As well as Windows, ICQ runs on the PalmPilot, the PowerMac and 68k Macs, and on Java platforms. There are also versions optimised to run in conjunction with Microsoft's NetMeeting and the BigFoot people directory, and a Groupware version designed for intranets.
  3. Anyone can use it. It has a truly international community of users and it's available for download all over the place.
  4. ICQ was the first of its kind. AOL's Buddy List was confined to use by AOL subscribers; ICQ was the first tool anyone with an Internet connection could use. With this headstart, ICQ has built up a community of users that numbers in the tens of millions, making it the must-have program when it comes to connecting up with others online. While there's at least one other program—Ding (www.ding.com)—with features that rival ICQ, the huge ICQ user base is irresistible.

Alternative communications channels

Despite its handiness, ICQ is not always the best tool for your communications needs and there are some things it can't do.

If there are people you want to communicate with who use AOL—the Internet's largest private ghetto—you'll need AOL's Instant Messenger (AIM) to bridge the gap. AIM is AOL's second buddy program (third, since it bought ICQ): Buddy List is for internal use within AOL; AIM connects users on the Internet with AOL users. ICQ can't do that.

If you're interested in collaborating with others over the Net via online meetings, video conferencing, brainstorming, and sharing notes, you'll do better to use tools specifically designed for the purpose, such as Microsoft's NetMeeting.

Similarly you'll find dedicated voice messaging and Internet telephony programs such as iPhone can provide better quality connections and a simpler interface than ICQ if you want an aural connection.

You should also remember that just as AOL subscribers are a limited subset of people online so, too, are ICQ users. All the discussions lists, community chats, message boards and other communications tools you'll find on the ICQ site are designed to connect ICQ users to one another. If you're wanting to talk to the broadest possible audience or find the meatiest newsgroups, chat rooms and mailing lists, you'll need to look outside ICQ and use the general resources available to anyone on the Net, regardless of the software on their computer.

Up and running

If you've yet to try ICQ, getting up and running is pretty simple. You can download a copy from the ICQ site.

To install the program, make sure you're connected to the Internet and then double-click the program's icon to load the installation wizard. In most dialog boxes, simple accept the pre-selected options. The most important thin you'll need to consider when installing ICQ is how much you wish to protect your privacy.

When choosing your privacy level, decide whether you wish to be visible and available to all and sundry or whether you wish to limit your visibility on ICQ to those people you choose to place on your contact list. As ICQ has its share of spammers (junk message senders) and other obnoxious people, you may well find the latter option the best. You can always change it through the ICQ Menu's Preferences option later on.

If you want to preserve your privacy:

Make sure that you choose a memorable password as it's an involved and lengthy process to recover a lost password.

Once you're registered, jot down your ICQ number. Giving friends your number makes it easy for them to find you on the network.

The only other piece of information you'll need is your outgoing e-mail server address. Your Internet service provide usually provides this, and you should be able to find it within your e-mail program's settings. Don't worry if you can't—not knowing your mail server won't stop you from using any of ICQ's crucial features.

Thumbnail of ICQ's Message Archive The message archive stores all incoming and outgoing ICQ activity. Click the thumbnail image for more details.

The ICQ interface

As soon as you click the Done button after installing ICQ, three things will appear on your screen:

  1. The ICQ panel. The panel is in Always On Top mode, so it stays on top of any other open programs. (You can turn this off by selecting: ICQ button; Preferences; Contact List tab; Always On Top box.) You can tuck the panel out of the way by clicking the Minimise button in the top-right corner.
  2. The ICQ icon in the system tray at the right end of your Taskbar. Different events alter the appearance of the icon: a flashing icon indicates an incoming communication; a static icon indicates the current status of your ICQ connection. Double-clicking a flashing icon will open a dialog box showing the contents of the incoming communication; double-clicking a static icon will open the ICQ panel. Right-clicking any of the icons will display a pop-up menu.
  3. After first installing ICQ, the icon will appear as a flashing exclamation mark indicating an ICQ system message has arrived for you. At other times the icon will be: a green flower (online and visible to ICQ users); a green flower plus another image (indicating your availability status, such as Invisible, Do Not Disturb, Urgent Messages Only, Away, and so on); a red flower (online but not connected to ICQ); an ICQ button (offline ready to activate ICQ as soon as you go online); a flashing note, page, globe, chat balloon or tick mark indicating an incoming message, file transfer, URL, chat request or authorisation request respectively. You receive an authorisation request when someone wants to add you to their ICQ contact list (unless you've set your preferences to accept all contacts without authorisation).
  4. An ICQ Global Directory dialog box. This dialog lets you add users by e-mail address, ICQ nickname, first name, last name, or ICQ number. When you add someone, their name will appear in the Contact List in the ICQ panel. Once you've finished adding users the Invitation Wizard and Future User's Watch will appear. You can use this wizard to notify non-ICQ members that you're on the network and to let them know where they can get their own copy of ICQ.
Tired of ICQ's unstylish appearance? Grab a copy of ICQ Plus and put on a new 'skin' like this one. There are hundreds of ICQ Plus skins available from sites such as Skinz.org, Freethemes, and EZ Skins.

Messaging

Once you've added someone to your Contact List, you can send them a message by clicking their name and choosing Message from the Contact Menu. Type your message in the Message dialog and click Send. If they're online, they'll receive the message almost immediately. If they're offline, the message can be delivered later when they log on.

You'll find a whole list of options available from the Contact Menu. Take your time to explore them.

In fact, many of the options are hidden away from beginners. If you'd like to see all the features available to you, click the ICQ button, choose Advanced Features, and click the Switch To Advanced Mode button.

Keeping your head

Using ICQ can be seductive. The program, together with the ICQ Web site, makes it so easy to get in contact with people and offers you so many alternatives that it's easy to spend hours online simply chatting, exchanging URLs, and playing with the latest options.

If you have children, you may want to come to an agreement with them about limits on their ICQ usage You may also want to do the same with yourself, particularly if you are paying hourly connection charges.

Of course, ICQ is equally easy for others to use and you may find, after the first delight of using it wears off, that your work or other computer pastimes are constantly interrupted by the uh-oh of incoming messages.

Fortunately, you'll find ICQ is stacked with tools (in the Security & Privacy settings, the Preferences settings, or by clicking a contact and choosing More...Alert/Accept modes) that will help you keep unwanted intrusions to a minimum. It's up to you to keep your head and avoid becoming an unwanted intruder yourself.

© 1999,  Rose Vines

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