by jaebaeli on Fri Dec 07, 2007 5:26 pm
Well the PMs aren't instant, and they have a limit to the storage capacity in boxes, which means you have to copy and past each message one at a time to archive it, and so it become cumbersome and problematic.
As for the chat box, no one uses it on my site because you have to contact those online first and tell them to meet you inside the chat...if they happen to be busy posting, and don't notice they have a PM, they'll miss it....and the PM messages have never popped up on my site, no matter what. Not exactly streamlined in that regard...
Hence, the need for an IM feature, which allows you to click their name and send a pop up IM. Then they can respond immediately. It's also something that would be convenient while working on the site with moderators, or discussing things with friends while posting and catching up on information.
I hope that explains my reasons for wanting IM feature.