NEW YORK -- As part of their $750 million peace treaty, AOL Time Warner Inc. and Microsoft Corp. promised to try to make their popular Internet instant-messaging programs work together. Don't hold your breath, however. AOL and its instant-messaging rivals have made similar pledges before.Instant messaging is an Internet staple, commonly used by chatty teenagers and far-flung business colleagues. The services, which are generally free, let users set up "buddy lists" that indicate which of their friends are online, and whisk messages between them in real time.
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