Thing 11 - Instant Messaging

I loved this tool so much when I first heard Jeff Bond talk about it at the Library Tech meeting in Fort Worth. And today I had two email interactions with other librarians that would have worked as IM interactions very well - we were both at the computer and responding back and forth via email bam bam bam... But, they don't IM, and I'm not sure yet how to get them started - or even sure I can do it at work.
But - I have now signed up for a web-based account on Yahoo (since that is where my email is) and also for Meebo as an agregator (just confirmed with them that I am not a robot).
I love all the text messaging abbreviations! thanks for the link.
I rather like the idea of using IM as a reference tool - but given the vargaries of our library, we don't really have a "reference desk" so there isn't really a time when any one of the 2.5 of us are dedicated to time/place where IM reference could really work. I am going to ask if I can become part of the Outlook IM-type application that our Information Serivices people use between themselves to help answer problems/questions. An educator colleague also uses it, and between watching her use it, and listening to Jeff, I think I have a better feeling for how it works than I got from the Meebo video clip. The Outlook option might at least give me a chance to use the feature in my professional environment & see if I can answer someone's question, get their input on a searchk, or walk them through finding an article online, for example...
Now, the hardest part seems to be just finding someone to converse with at a time when we are both available to do so, so I can try this for the 23 things! And then there is all this stuff about having an avitar (couldn't figure that one out this morning, but maybe if I try again another time?) and other customizations... Jeepers. More on this.