Emoticon

Emoticons, or smilies, are symbols used to create a picture. Sometimes you have to bend your head a little to get the picture. To view a :) just tilt your head to the left. You can see two eyes and a smile.

Different emoticons express different feelings.
:) means the user is happy.
:( means the user is sad.

You can find a list of various emoticons and what they mean by visiting http://www.windweaver.com/emoticon.htm

Accessing Personal Instant Messages

It is not possible for someone from another computer to access your instant messages unless they have your personal username and password, and even in this case, it is most likely not possible.

Most instant messaging services have an auto save feature, where the system will automatically save conversations. The saved conversations are stored in a file that anyone using your computer may access. Your chat buddy may also have this as well.

You can turn off this feature by viewing the preferences file and finding the auto save feature.

Someone Else Viewing Instant Messages

Can anyone see previous Instant Messages or chat messages? In most cases, anyone who does not have access to your computer cannot see the messages, with the exceptions of the person you are chatting with and sometimes the chat host.

However, someone who uses your computer may be able to see your previous messages.

For starters, if you use chat rooms, your history pages may reveal the chat room conversation. Clean your history file if you want to protect yourself from being reviewed in this manner.

If you use an Instant Messaging system, like ICQ or Yahoo, check your preferences. You may find the messenger system automatically saves your chat files. You can delete the chat files and turn off this feature.