Can I retrieve old AOL instant messenger conversations?

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Hi! I'm just curious as to how secure IM through Compuserve is. Is there anyway to go to review, history, or archives and see your old conversations, and can anyone do that? I've been told it's not safe to discuss personal things. True? Thanx

does aol keep track of im coversations

They now claim not to. This article as more: http://ask-leo.com/are_my_instant_messaging_conversations_private.html

Get Trillian. Trillian logs all your converations in easy-to-access folders.

AIM's main drawback is that it doesn't do the little things as well as the competition. You can save conversations manually, but you can't archive them automatically. You can send and receive files, but only one at a time. You can't log on as "invisible," hiding your online status from buddies, nor can you send an IM to someone who's off-line.

isn't it true that most computers save pretty much anything for a certain amount of time in an internet file..so wouldn't old messages be on that for a certain amount of time?

Not an "internet" file, no. There are temporary files that programs may, or may not use. (I don't beleive that the IM clients use them.) And once deleted those are often quickly ovwritten by other programs writing to the hard drive.

I know there is no way to retrieve IM conversations when you are using AIM. But what if you are using AIM through AOL? I've heard that there is some way to access emails and IM conversations even if those emails are not AOL 'mails and the person is no longer signed into the email website, or signed into IM. Is this possible, and how would I delete those records? Would clearing my cookies and temp files do the trick?

Can aol track an instant message I sent to someone? Can they tell if it has been edited as in her acting like me writing things?

No, not that I'm aware of.

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