IM is a way of life : CounterStrike

A couple of articles I found interesting...

IM Becoming Medium Of Choice
Jason Lee Miller | Staff Writer

Instant messaging is overtaking email as the preferred way to
communicate, especially among teens and young adults. Overall,
IM's are up 19 percent year over year, with many Americans sending
as many, if not more, IM's than they do emails, according to
AOL's Instant Messaging Trends Survey.

Thirty-eight percent of respondents say they send as many or more
IM's than emails. But for teens and young adults that number is
vastly higher with two-thrids reporting they send more IM's than
emails, up from 49 percent last year.

At work, 58 percent of IM users send instant messages to
colleagues for answers to questions, 49 percent to make business
decisions, and 29 percent use IM to interact with customers or
clients. Twelve percent have used IM to avoid a difficult
face-to-face conversation.


Nearly half of IM users ages 13-21 change their away message every
day. Most of them leave a message to let their friends and family
know where they are, while others list an alternative method of
reaching them or post a favorite lyric or quote.

"Instant messaging is a part of everyday life, with more and more
people using their IM service as a starting point for all
communications, from sending mobile messages to friends on cell
phones to placing VoIP-based phone calls," said Chamath
Palihapitiya, vice president and general manager, AIM and ICQ,
America Online, Inc.

"Usage is spiking, and not just among teens. Parents, grandparents
and professionals are all using instant messaging to stay in
touch and enhance their day-to-day communications."

Across the globe, 300 million people regularly use instant
messaging, with 80 million in North America. The top ten US
cities that have the highest rates of IM's are:

1. Miami, FL;
2. New York, NY;
3. Boston, MA;
4. Chicago, IL;
5. Atlanta, GA;
6. Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX;
7. Detroit, MI;
8. San Francisco, CA;
9. Sacramento, CA;
10. Tampa, FL.

IM Becoming Medium Of Choice
David Utter | Staff Writer

A note at the SEW blog pointed out this little gem on Google's web
site, where users can view search metrics by industry as they plan
their paid search campaigns.

The art of search engine advertising has become a measurable
science. For those who need to learn SEO better for themselves, or
maybe a client, Google provides metrics and tips on using AdWords
by vertical industry.

A recent survey found that 61 percent of physicians, healthcare
professionals, and healthcare consumers all believe Google to be
the most reliable search engine for finding information about new
drugs, medical conditions, and treatment options, the search
advertising company writes, citing a 2002 AMA Search Engine Survey
in its Healthcare metrics page.
Thirteen verticals get the metrics treatment; tech gets it twice,
from a consumer and a B2B standpoint. A Google editor might want to
look at the business and industrials page, where "manufacturing" is
misspelled and a link to optimization tips goes nowhere.

The metrics themselves pose some interesting insights into Google
and Internet users. Their site says half of all traffic to gaming
sites comes from Google. 74 percent of consumers use search engines
to research travel online. And, Google, claims, it sends more users
to auto sites than all other search engines combined.