# AOL Instant Messenger Function **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [January 10, 2003, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-instant-messenger-function/147710 "2003-01-10T09:01:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![rayray5884](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@rayray5884](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayray5884)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 9:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-instant-messenger-function/147710/1 "2003-01-10T09:01:12Z")
Maybe something like this does exist but Im thinking it doesn’t. There needs to be a button on the message window that once clicked sends a customized message to the person your talking to. That message could be something like, “My boss is standing behind me,” “or my mother just walked in the room.” This is simply a matter of instant privacy. Another function of this button would be to save the conversation, hidden from view, and replace the message box with a blank one until your ready to continue the previous conversation in privacy. I think this makes sense…anyone else have any input or ideas how to make this work with popular message clients or possibly some program that already does this. Just a thought running through my head at 3am, lol. ---
**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 12:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-instant-messenger-function/147710/2 "2003-01-10T12:50:58Z")
My sister used to set up a code word with her friends, she would send “911” when someone was in the room with her. It was short to type and an instantly recognizeable signal. ---
**Author:** ![SlickRoenick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e68b1a/32.png) [@SlickRoenick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SlickRoenick)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-instant-messenger-function/147710/3 "2003-01-10T15:05:55Z")
Years ago when I had AOL, I got an email that said a simple code was “jaf” and that meant parents were reading. I haven’t used it b/c now I’m a big boy. ---
**Author:** ![Max\_Carnage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/max_carnage/32/12775_2.png) [@Max\_Carnage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Max_Carnage)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-instant-messenger-function/147710/4 "2003-01-10T15:13:14Z")
POS is popularly used for “parent over shoulder” ---
**Author:** ![rayray5884](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/57b2e6/32.png) [@rayray5884](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rayray5884)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-instant-messenger-function/147710/5 "2003-01-10T16:58:48Z")
Im not one of those people that likes to think simple like that…I like to make things more complicated than they should be sometimes. Ill have to remember that though. lol ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [January 12, 2003, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/aol-instant-messenger-function/147710/6 "2003-01-12T02:03:12Z")
You can check a couple of boxes on your away message that say “hide windows while I’m away” and “disable sounds while I’m away”. Also, type a title for the message and then check the “save message for later use” box. That way, you can just hit the away message quickly, and everything disappears, but is really still there. The away message itself won’t be seen by anyone else unless/until they send you an IM, but if you’re in the middle of a conversation, it should only be a couple of seconds.