CLICK HERE FOR WEBTV VIEWERS' SOLUTIONS FOR ICQ-TYPE INSTANT MESSAGING

The MOST PERSISTENT QUESTION that I receive is whether the WebTV or any set-top box can handle instant messaging such as offered by ICQ and the AOL Instant Messenger. The unfortunate answer at this time is currently NO. This is related to the other question that I constantly get which is whether you can "download" with the WebTV or a set-top box. It depends on what you mean by "download." If you mean download a webpage, well, yes, a set-top box can download a webpage. If you mean can you "download" a computer program such as downloading the ICQ program or the AOL Instant Messenger program, the answer again is NO. Those programs require a Windows computer or a Macintosh computer. The WebTV is NOT a computer. It's a set-top box. AOL is supposed to have a Java version of their AOL Instant Messenger program, but WebTV boxes can't get into the shell or zip files that the program comes in and WebTV boxes will probably choke on the Java program.

I'm sure that the WebTV folks get this question very often also. I would guess that they have something in the works that will allow WebTV viewers to have instant messaging. The question would then be whether any WebTV-supported instant messaging would be compatible with other instant messaging services such as ICQ? We'll have to wait to find out. If WebTV provides any instant messaging, it would most likely become available in a FUTURE AUTOMATIC SOFTWARE UPGRADE. So be patient and wait. If you ask me, I will not find out about any such capability until all other WebTV viewers find out.

[See the second postscript below with some information on how to use HTML form code in the WebTV email signature to do pseudo-instant-messaging; the pseudo-instant-messaging described in the postscript uses HTML form code and is NOT the same as the instant messaging as used by ICQ or AOL Instant Messenger.]

[Club WebTV ran a July 1998 poll of WebTV viewers regarding what should be upgraded. The list of possible upgrades includes ICQ and Instant Messaging, Real Audio version 5.0, Java, Quicktime video, AVI, and word processing for the WebTV. According to the August 1998 issue of Club WebTV, Java came in first place on the poll ahead of ICQ and Instant Messaging.]

Keep in mind that WebTV does provide conventional chat services for WebTV viewers as provided by TalkCity. As for other chat services, try them out if you want to find out if they work for you. For WebTV viewers, Click Here for general chat information. And for WebTV viewers, Click Here for IRC chat information.

If you have been following the Set-Top news page at this website, then you already know that Inergy plans to come out with WebChatt and its instant messaging capability. I don't know the extent of or the compatibility of WebChatt. Reposted below is the report on what Inergy wants to provide sometime very soon:

EXCLUSIVE to Ruel's Set-Top Net Page:

INERGY TO PROVIDE INSTANT MESSAGING FOR SET-TOPS & OTHER DEVICES

Sunday 6-28-98 11:23 - - Inergy CEO Charles Belanger announces that Inergy will be introducing many new features for PC, NC, Set-Top, and hand-held device users with Inergy's WebDesk 2000 service. Inergy and its service can be found at http://www.inergy.com. Belanger states, "We are releasing more in the next month such as WebChatt and WebSync. WebChatt is a private chat that surpasses Instant Messaging features found elsewhere. WebSync is a new tool for moving data from one type of file format to another." According to Belanger, WebSync can convert email attachments and stored files to:

• HTML documents
• GIF and JPEG files
• audio formats such as WAV, GSM, and Real Audio
• text to speech
• Windows to/from MAC

Belanger also states, "Another tool that we have in the works is for notification which will send a full message to your pager, fax, or your cell phone in text to speech conversion. Here at Inergy, I think that we are most proud of our new features. It is an exciting time in this industry." Inergy is currently offering a free one-year WebDesk 2000 subscription.

A significant feature of WebDesk 2000 that has already been offered to WebTV viewers is the WebWriter word processer. The large viewer base of WebTV viewers has to turn to online services such as Inergy's web-based online services for word processing and other computer-type functions. Inergy also provides WebDesk 2000 services to cable-TV viewers using Scientific-Atlanta's Explorer 2000 advanced digital Set-Top box. Inergy also has partnership agreements with General Instruments, Philips, Sony, Primus-Online, and Bell Atlantic.

Happy Set-Top Surfing!
Ruel

P.S. A word of advice regarding Chat: I personally don't do chat that much anymore. I've played with "chat," "CB," etc. in one form or another over the years since 1983 before there was a world-wide-web, but believe it or not, I really find chat to be TIME-CONSUMING. I normally don't think too much about chat nowadays (and I really don't do chat anymore except for infrequent business-related private chat sessions using my computer), but there have been several recent news reports about children being assaulted in real life by someone they met in Internet chat rooms. It's terrible! Chat is meant to be fun. But chat can be dangerous because of the predators who may be lurking in chat rooms waiting to lure someone into real-life dangerous situations. New Internet users typically become fascinated with chat, wating for the instantaneous chat response, and seeing how chat is really oftentimes about watching and "talking" with people about some sort of silly nonsense. Due to the personal nature of Internet interaction, Internet users often open up more in cyber-life than they would in real-life. Be very careful about being too open in a chat room and be very careful about what personal private information you may reveal to someone in a chat room. There can be predators in those chat rooms who may want to meet you in person in order to take advantage of you. Keep everything online and be very wary of meeting anyone in person. If you keep your chat activities online, not reveal personal private information to complete strangers, then you will stay away from dangerous real-life situations. Parents should consider turning on the child-protection capabilities of their set-top boxes. Be careful.
    -Ruel 8-11-98

(A couple more postscripts....)

P.S.S. Pseudo-Instant-Messaging using HTML form code in the WebTV email signature: Several people have sent email to me telling me about a different form of "instant messaging" using HTML form code that can be placed in a WebTV email signature. This method uses the HTML form commands where you are essentially sending an email message to someone. This method is different from ICQ and AOL instant messaging. The instant messaging used with computers via ICQ or AOL does NOT use HTML form code and does NOT use regular email. The pseudo-instant-messaging HTML form code method uses regular email and is essentially a form link where you fill in a blank and send an email message. ICQ and AOL Instant Messenger use a completely different way of sending messages. ICQ is completely different from the HTML form code method.

However, WebTV users may find the HTML form code method useful until the WebTV Networks comes out with a REAL instant messaging capability for WebTV. catsplitter and squekman sent me code showing how this HTML form code is written. catsplitter uses an embed command that calls a file from a website, while squekman uses the code right in the WebTV email signature. The pertinent code (without any fancy tables coding or img src codes) that can be placed in a WebTV email signature is as follows (you'll have to change "email@webtv.net" to your email address):

• TalkCity Live Chat
• WebTV and Internet Relay Chat (IRC)

Another Link: Try out a pseudo-typewriter-word-processor