Or, if the contact is online, you initiate a quick chat session in Yahoo! Mail. Naturally, you'll only do that if the matter is pressing, or if you have time to spare. (I heartily recommend writing a longer email in that latter case as well, though.)
Fortunately, instant messaging is not much different from sending an email in Yahoo! Mail.
Chat with Somebody in Yahoo! Mail
To exchange instant messages with any Yahoo! Instant Messenger or Windows Live Messenger user in Yahoo! Mail:
- Make sure you are singed in to chat.
- If Offline appears after your user name right next to the Yahoo! Mail icon at the top, click Offline and choose Available, Busy or Invisible from the menu.
- Press c (think chat).
- You can also select Chat from the Compose drop-down menu — click the down arrow first.
- Type the desired user's Yahoo! Messenger ID in the To: field.
- Hit Enter.
- Type away.
You can also start a chat by looking for an online contact first:
- Click Online next to Contacts in the Yahoo! Mail folder list.
- Now click on the desired contact's name or user name.
- Start typing.
If you start composing an email in Yahoo! Mail and the prospective email recipient appears under Online, Chat now! in the To: field's auto-complete list, select the entry to convert your email to an instant message.
