The Rate Limit

You've probably noticed you can only send so many messages in a given period of time during AIM. The rate limit - that little meter below your send button - controls how often you can send a message.

Bypassing this is a simple matter - just connect to your buddy using the "Connect to send image" option (People Menu) or use the little 'image button' above the text box on your IM. This will allow you to type as fast as you want to (so you can say 'LOL' as many times as you want).

The Text Limit

A frequent irritant of mine, the text limit restricts your messages to a certain size. Long messages are difficult if you can only paste 1000 characters at a time. What's a long-winded person to do?

The solution, again, lies with directly connecting with your buddy. Just go to "Connect to send image" under your People menu (or the 'image button'). You can now send as much text as you want without worrying that someone might throw you off-track before you finish or cutting-and-pasting several little snippets of convos.

That direct connect thing is pretty handy, isn't it? That's not all you can do with the direct connection feature though...

Talking Without Being Signed on AIM

To do this, you need to sign on AIM first. Directly connect to a buddy using the "Connect To Send IM Image" (People Menu or button). You can then sign off of AIM and still remain connected to your buddy.

What's the point? So you can pick who you want to talk to and not have to worry about going through the trouble of setting up a fake away message or blocking people.

Send Your Voice

Directly connect with the person if you haven't yet (if I have to tell you how to do that again, I'm gonna pop you one upside the head). While directly connected, press the "F12" on your keyboard. This allows you to record a short 10 second message which will be sent and automatically played on your buddy's PC.

What's the point of this one? No real point, but you can use it to mess with a buddy.

Hidden Messages

First off, this doesn't work in the newer versions of AIM (I think like 4.7+) since they disable HTML. Also for this to work the person you are IM-ing shouldn't be viewing "Time Stamps"...if you didn't know already, by toggling the F2 key timestamps can display the time a message was sent (or alternatively, not display it). Like so:

• SotikInc (4:16:34 PM): yes'm

So, how's this trick work? When you type the hidden message they will only be able to see it if they have Time Stamps turned on. To see the message, have them press F2 (most people do not use it because, by default, they're not on).

Enough already, how do you do it? Type a message like so: <!-- What's up, ho? --!> You can cut-n-paste this if you need to, but make sure there is a space between the first hyphen-set and first character and between the last character and last hyphen-set. This is fairly important. If you do it right, they'll see:

• SotikInc:

If/When they press F2 (enabling timestamps) they'll see the hidden message. What's the point? Nothing; another useless trick.

Fake Away Message

Ok, this one is a particular favorite of mine and I actually use it reasonably often. First, in preparation, make sure you add yourself to your buddy list (some of you, this may already be the only person on your buddy list).

1. Open your AIM Preference Window (My AIM-->Edit Options-->Edit Preferences, or click the wrench)
2. Click on Away Messages
3. On the left side, click on whatever away message you want to use
4. Click the "I'm Away" button...this will open up the Away window
5. Now, using your space bar/enter key/mouse, hit the "I'm Back" button (closing the away window), then click the "I'm Away" button. Do this very fast, but at a steady rythym, ending up with the Away window closed.

Now if you added yourself to your buddy list (like I told you too) you should see the little yellow Away note next to your screen name, making it look like you're away.

Some things to note...

The Away note shows and it appears if they view your profile, but if someone IMs you, they will not get an automatic-reply away message. You can create a fake one (using CTRL+H for the horizontal bars) and, if you're quick enough you can paste it in any window that IMs you so it'll look like a message.

If you want to get rid of the Away note without exiting out all the way, just edit your profile and the notepad by your name will disappear.

What's the point? This is one of the best ways to screen IMs.

Removing A Screen Name

If you've ever let someone use your AIM to IM, you'll note their screename is on the Sign On list. The easiest way to get rid of this is to just select the name and press the "Delete" key. If this doesn't work, contact me for the other way to do it (it requires messing with the registry and I don't want to provide instructions this way).

What's the point? Some people don't like extra names on the list (especially those with jealous partners/friends)

Removing the Ads From the Buddy List.

Annoyed by those flashing ads?

1. Go to wherever you installed AIM (usually c:\program files\aim95\)
2. Delete the file "advert.ocm"
3. Make a copy of "admin.ocm"
4. Rename the copy of "admin.ocm" to "advert.ocm"

Easy as cake! No more annoying flashing ads. No more accidentally clicking an ad and having a window pop up. No more lagging while it attempts to update the ads.