# Which message app do you use? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 16, 2002, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-message-app-do-you-use/114347 "2002-06-16T11:46:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 8\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jmpride62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@jmpride62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmpride62)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-message-app-do-you-use/114347/1 "2002-06-16T11:46:34Z")
With us all on break from college, my friends are bugging me to install an instant messager (msn, aol, icq). Which do you reccomend? I’ve never been a huge fan of them, but my resolve is being worn down. I had ICQ a while back, but tired of the “Hi I’m Britney, and my daddy just bought me a webcam” come to my website at… Any suggestions? ---
**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:** [June 16, 2002, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-message-app-do-you-use/114347/2 "2002-06-16T12:16:28Z")
I personally use trillian (www.trillian.cc), it is a chat app which covers AIM, MSN, ICQ, Y! all in one program. Very handy, and skinnable! But if you only want one, AIM Is still by far the most common IM media. G`luck ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-message-app-do-you-use/114347/3 "2002-06-16T12:51:26Z")
I also use Trillian. You can sign up for ICQ, AIM, Yahoo and MSN and then just use the one program. You can also chat on IRC with it. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-message-app-do-you-use/114347/4 "2002-06-16T13:05:39Z")
Trillian works very well for me too. AIM, MSN, ICQ, IRC, Yahoo! and lets me know when I have new mail as well. ---
**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:** [June 16, 2002, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-message-app-do-you-use/114347/5 "2002-06-16T13:05:56Z")
Ah yes, IRC - I forget that utility of Trill because I am a mIRC child. I grew up on IRC with mIRC and hope to continue using mIRC until a utility comes along which truly weens me from it. Thank’s for covering me on that. ---
**Author:** ![jmpride62](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c37758/32.png) [@jmpride62](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jmpride62)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-message-app-do-you-use/114347/6 "2002-06-16T14:35:37Z")
Thanks for the information 🙂 Anyone heard or had any problems with Trillian being spyware? I haven’t heard anything - just wondering what others might have heard or experienced before I download it. Thanks again! ---
**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-message-app-do-you-use/114347/7 "2002-06-16T14:42:09Z")
I ran the latest version of Ad-Aware after installing Trillian, and it didn’t report anything. I also checked over the license agreement for any giveaway clauses, and that looked okay. One recommendation: if you use it to check Yahoo Mail, don’t use the actual ‘check mail’ option, since it sends your user ID and password in clear text. ---
**Author:** ![OpalCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/8edcca/32.png) [@OpalCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OpalCat)\ **Post date:** [June 16, 2002, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-message-app-do-you-use/114347/8 "2002-06-16T17:50:23Z")
The only weird thing about Trillian is that it keeps telling me that I have mail, and a curious click takes me to AOL’s mail page. Er… I don’t have AOL.