Google introduces group IM for Gmail
It’s a day of experiments and feature upgrades for Google users. On top of an experimental voting option in Google search, Gmail users can now do instant message chats in groups.
Here’s how it works. Log into Gmail, then use its chat feature and start chatting with someone. Go to the “options” button in the chat window. Select the “group chat” option. You’ll then be given a part of the window where you invite other Gmail users to chat.
Each person needs to choose to join the group chat.
People have been wanting this feature since Google first introduced IM to Gmail. It is competing against other group chat services, like 37 Signal’s Campfire group chat.
Google has also added more emoticons, for serious IM users.
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About the Author, Eric Eldon
Eric currently covers digital media technology and business news, especially what's happening on social networks and their platforms. He also writes and edits stories about venture capital, and lots of other stuff, too. He started at VentureBeat in the spring of 2007, half a year or so after Matt Marshall left his reporting job at the San Jose Mercury News to found the site. Eric previously cofounded a startup called Writewith, that was building editorial software for newspapers and other groups of writers. The startup didn't work out, but he learned a lot.
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