AIM/AOL Conversations

[Bluejeanwearer]

Hello E1,
Is there any way that I can find out if someone I am speaking with on AOL Instant messenger is also chatting on AIM messenger under a different name at the same time?...some strange things have happend on IM's where his type colour suddenly changes and things written by him don't match the conversation that we are having...I used to hear him turn his AIM Messenger on when he got online and I mentioned it to him...but recently this has stopped,he tells me now that he doesn't have AIM anymore?
I have also been seeing an "Orange" colour cell phone next to his name on my aol buddy list...sometimes it is a "Blue" icon....he swears that he doesn't have internet on his cell phone and put the blame onto me as having a cell phone,but I don't have one....when I check his aol profile under "buddys"next to his name there is a blue phone icon.
Thank you for any help on this

[Gandalf]

Hi, Bluejeanwearer, and welcome to BigBlueBall!

There isn't a way to automatically or programatically find out if he is using two screennames.

As for all the changes, why don't you just ask him what he is using? You say you chat with him on AIM, and you also say that he "doesn't have AIM anymore." What is he using to chat with you? It could be Meebo, Digsby, Trillian or any number of third-party IM programs that are compatible with AIM.

This could also explain some of the strange behavior with colors and icons. Whatever program he is using might be mistakenly identified by AIM as being a mobile user, or send funky font codes that aren't intended.

Most of the better IM programs (like the ones I listed) shouldn't create those kinds of problems, but it's possible. I would just ask him.