AIM People Searches

Lenny Bailes

AOL Instant Messenger is great for staying in touch with buddies you already know. But the program can also help you strike up new virtual friendships based on shared interests.

To search for new folks to talk to, use the "Find a Buddy Wizard" on the People menu in the Buddy List window. You'll then be able to search for AIM users by e-mail address, real name and address, or by common interest.

For more information about the screen names that you find, click the More Info button. From the resulting Buddy Info window, you can add the user to your Buddy List or send them an Instant Message. (To enable Instant Message sending to non-buddies, you'll need to allow all users to contact you as well--head to the Control tab of the AIM Preferences dialog by right-clicking the AIM tray icon and selecting Preferences. )