Simviation Forums

Is it necessary to have an AOL connection to get AIM? Or is it available without it?

Thanks,
Ashar

EDIT: Is it freeware?

you can get it for free without AOL www.downloads.com, search for AIM..... But I wouldnt get it.... in my expierance I ran into a few 'happy go lucky' Hackers who turned my comp into swiss cheese! I coulda strangled em  :o Cheers, Gunny

Fortunately, there's virtually no way for a hacker to do anything to your computer through AIM, unless you (for reasons that I'll never understand) allow them to either send you a file or "direct connect" to you when you have no idea who they are.

Common sense.  I've had AIM for YEEEEEEEEEEEARS, and I've never gotten anything malicious from another user.

these kids aint your average mate...... They somehow got my IP they sent me my own chat logs back! and I had things come up on start up that shouldnt have. Dont ask me how they did it, but they did and I had a firewall up!!!!!!!! Cheers, Gunny

How did they send them to you?  They either sent them to you via direct connect, sending the file directly through AIM or they emailed them to you as attachments....all of which should never be opened unless you know what it is.

AIM is a very unsecure piece of software. Even MSN is more secure...

AIM programs can be cracked, meaning be reverse enginerred and have certain function enabled allowing hacked versians of AIM to show your IP and other sensitive info.

In fact, if you have p2p software like kazaa, you can download a hacked versian of AIM that can give you the IP address of anyone you connect to. Other cracked versians of AIM even allowed you to sent files without the other guy's permission. This has been fixed in the newer editions.

i found it here

http://www.aol.co.uk/download/

Craig

btw is AIM any good?

It's an instant messenger....I wouldn't call any of them GOOD, per se, but it does what it needs to do.  lol

MSN 7.1 is the way to go..... With MSN Plus if you want AIM like features.... Cheers, Gunny