|
|
How do I block incoming AIM IM messages from strangers?i have an issue. My daughter is getting im'ed by someone not on her buddy list. How do i stop people not on her buddy list from joining a chat she is part of and how do i find out the identity of thi person? I can't help you with the latter question about tracking down the identity of someone when you just have their AIM handle, but you might try Googling their handle + "AIM" or similar, and see if something surfaces. I surmise it won't, but you never know what people make available on the public Internet. In terms of blocking unwanted AIM messages and chats from people who aren't already on your buddy list, that's exactly how I have my own AIM account set up because, well, I don't want to hear from all those weirdoes either! For reasons I find inexplicable, the default settings in AIM are too permissive and you really do need to go in and fix things. Worse, you have to go to a couple of places to really set things as you want, starting with Edit --> Settings...: ![]() Once you've chosen that, you'll see a settings window with a ton of tabs running down the left side. Your first stop is "General IM", where you need to change a default setting: ![]() You unquestionably want to turn OFF "Auto-accept IMs from unknown senders". Really, I have no idea why anyone would want that to be enabled, but that's another story. Make sure it's not checked, then click on the "Privacy" tab: ![]() The most important setting is on the top left: I strongly suggest your daughter have hers set to "Only allow users on my Buddy List" to block the IMs from unknown folk. As you can see, I take it even a step further and have an explicit list of who can communicate with me (I've masked their handles to protect their privacy, btw). Honestly, that's a bit of a pain since when I want to IM with someone new on AIM I have to go to this specific window and add them by hand, even if I initiate the chat, but when I can be logged in to AIM all day and never get one stray or unwanted message, it's worth it! Also note that if it's a single user or small set of users that are bugging your daughter, she can drop them into her "block" list and never be bothered by them again. You can also block someone when you're right there in a chat window: just look for "Block" on the "People" menu: ![]() That should help your daughter gain some privacy in the chaos rave that is AIM chat. Good luck to both of you!
More Useful Computer and Internet Basics Articles:
✔ How do I blur my house on Google Maps Street View?
I was poking around on Google Maps looking at satellite views of my neighborhood and when I switched to street view, was upset...
✔ Create a custom vanity URL for Kickstarter?I was reading some updates on Twitter and saw someone had posted a URL that would let me see what projects they'd backed...
✔ Export or Save Subscription List from Google Reader?Just heard that Google Reader is going away this summer. That stinks! How am I supposed to read my RSS feeds? More importantly,...
✔ Shrink or Reduce a Photo File Size on Mac?I'm trying to upload some photos to a social media site and it's complaining that they're too big. They are, as they come...
✔ Can I organize my Yahoo Mail with folders?I've been on Yahoo Mail for years and while most of my friends are now on Gmail or their own Web-based email programs,...
Let's stay in touch!
Sign up for my weekly AskDaveTaylor Newsletter and you'll receive even more tech and gadget help
right to your inbox, along with exclusive news and industry updates. It's good stuff. I promise!
Categorized:
Computer and Internet Basics
(Article 7374,
Written by Dave Taylor)
Tagged: aim, america online, aol im, im privacy Previous: How do I change the default page view in Google Reader? Next: How does https and SSL keep my information safe? Reader Comments To Date: 3cassnadra said, on February 27, 2009 10:15 AM:
can u tell meh how i do it in skewll how do i go on aim.com so that way i can cheack mi stufff thanx u cassandra wader pce Arvin said, on March 16, 2010 1:11 PM:
Hey Dave, I've recently noticed that when I go to My Computer, my "Presario (C:)" is highlighted in blue. And when I click on it to further investigate there are other file that are highlighted in blue as well. What does this mean? And what should I do? Should I delete the highlighted blue files in My Computer, or what? Thanks alot.
I do have a comment, now that you mention it!Check This Out Too... |
Recent Entries
Look for Answers
Recommended
All Our Categories
Apple iPad Help
Articles and Reviews Auctions and Online Shopping Blogs and Blogging Building Web Site Traffic Business and Management Computer and Internet Basics d) None of the Above Facebook Help Google Gmail Help Google Plus Help HTML, JavaScript and Web Site Programming Industry News and Trade Shows iPhone and Cell Phone Help iPod, Sony PSP and MP3 Player Help Kindle Fire Help Mac OS X Help Pay Per Click (PPC) Advertising Pinterest Help Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Shell Script Programming Tech Support Video Help The Writing Business Twitter, LinkedIn and Social Network Help Unix and Linux Help Video Game Tips and Help Windows PC Help Find Me on Google+ ADT on G+ |
how do you block people from IMing you i have yahoo!