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Instant messaging

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Instant Messaging (IM) represents a mode of digital communication that facilitates the instantaneous exchange of textual messages across internet[2] or computer networks. Unlike its email[3] counterpart, IM encourages prompt, engaging dialogues, often enriched with emojis, file sharing capabilities, voice-over IP, and video conferencing. IM systems can operate autonomously or as a component of a broader social media framework. They have undergone substantial evolution since the inception of early platforms like Talkomatic and CompuServe CB Simulator, maturing into graphical user interfaces with an array of functionalities. Contemporary popular services such as Signal, Telegram, WhatsApp, and Snapchat provide private and group messaging, advanced security protocols like end-to-end encryption[1], and social network integration. They serve a crucial function in personal and business communication arenas, enabling efficient real-time dialogue with conversation archives for subsequent reference.

Terms definitions
1. ↑ End-to-end encryption ( end-to-end encryption ) End-to-end encryption (E2EE) is a crucial security feature in today's digital era. It's a secure communication method that safeguards data from third-party access as it moves from one system to another. Essentially, E2EE operates by transforming the sender's message into a coded format, which can only be deciphered by the designated recipient. This ensures the data stays private while traversing networks. However, E2EE does encounter hurdles such as susceptibility to man-in-the-middle attacks, endpoint authentication demands, and regulatory compliance issues. Additionally, backdoors, capable of circumventing encryption, present substantial security risks. Despite these challenges, E2EE is extensively used in diverse communication platforms and file-sharing services to bolster data security. Regardless of these obstacles, the importance of E2EE in preserving privacy in our increasingly digital world cannot be overstated.
2. ↑ internet. The Internet, a global network of interconnected computer systems, utilizes standardized communication protocols, predominantly TCP/IP, to connect devices across the globe. The term 'Internet' has its roots in the 1849 term 'internetted' and was later adopted by the US War Department in 1945. The inception of the Internet can be traced back to the 1960s when computer scientists developed time-sharing systems, which eventually led to the creation of ARPANET in 1969. The Internet operates autonomously, without any central control, and the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) manages its primary name spaces. It has revolutionized traditional communication methods and has seen an exponential growth, with the number of internet users growing by 20% to 50% every year. In 2019, more than half of the global population was using the Internet. The Internet protocol suite, comprising TCP/IP and four conceptual layers, directs internet packets to their intended destinations. Fundamental services such as email and Internet telephony function on the Internet. The World Wide Web, an extensive network of interconnected documents, serves as a crucial element of the Internet.
Instant messaging (Wikipedia)
For other uses, see Messaging application.

Instant messaging (IM) technology is a type of online chat allowing immediate transmission of messages over the Internet or another computer network. Messages are typically transmitted between two or more parties, when each user inputs text and triggers a transmission to the recipient(s), who are all connected on a common network. It differs from email in that conversations over instant messaging happen in real-time (hence "instant"). Most modern IM applications (sometimes called "social messengers", "messaging apps", "chat apps" or "chat clients") use push technology and also add other features such as emojis (or graphical smileys), file transfer, chatbots, voice over IP, or video chat capabilities.

A classic example of instant messaging on a desktop computer: the left window of this software showing a list of contacts ("buddy list") and the right window an active IM conversation

Instant messaging systems tend to facilitate connections between specified known users (often using a contact list also known as a "buddy list" or "friend list"), and can be standalone applications or integrated into e.g. a wider social media platform, or a website where it can for instance be used for conversational commerce. IM can also consist of conversations in "chat rooms". Depending on the IM protocol, the technical architecture can be peer-to-peer (direct point-to-point transmission) or client–server (an IM service center retransmits messages from the sender to the communication device). It is usually distinguished from text messaging which is typically simpler and normally uses cellular phone networks.

Instant messaging applications can store messages with either local-based device storage (e.g. WhatsApp, Viber, Line, WeChat, Signal etc.) or cloud-based server storage (e.g. Telegram, Skype, Facebook Messenger, Google Meet/Chat, Discord, Slack etc.).

Instant messaging was pioneered in the early Internet era; the IRC protocol was the earliest to achieve wide adoption. Later in the 1990s, ICQ was among the first closed and commercialized instant messengers, and several rival services appeared afterwards as it became a popular use of the Internet. Beginning with its first introduction in 2005, BlackBerry Messenger, which initially had been available only on BlackBerry smartphones, soon became one of the most popular mobile instant messaging apps worldwide. BBM was for instance the most used mobile messaging app in the United Kingdom and Indonesia. Instant messaging remains very popular today; IM apps are the most widely used smartphone apps: in 2018 there were over 50 million Signal users, 980 million monthly active users of WeChat and 1.3 billion monthly users of WhatsApp Messenger.

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