Update to Training Page: IM/Chat

Here's what I did while my family was watching "The Dark Knight": I added a lot more to the training page about instant messaging. I put in directions for Google Talk Gadget and for using iChat on the Mac; will keep working on Google Talk for Windows. I wanted to put in directions for AIM Express (which is the web-based version of AOl Instant Messenger) but it wouldn't let me get in for some reason. Google Talk Gadget really doesn't let you do much customization and furthermore, the "search" isn't really a search; if you enter a name into the window, it immediately sends an email to thatname@gmail.com if such a user exists, which is how I sent an email to someone that I am not sure I know. Oops. I put a warning about that in the tutorial. This is one of the prices we pay for jumping into Web 2.0 (potentially annoying other people without meaning to).

Chat

cPros:
- multiple people can be typing at the same time, which actually increases the amount of participation you can have, especially from people for whom conversational wait time is a bigger problem.

Cons:
- thoughts sometimes get shared out of order. (Then again, that sometimes causes them not to be shared at all when face-to-face--I'm thinking of faculty meetings where you don't end up making your point because the conversation has already moved on past it.)