Editing AIM (software) (section)

==URI scheme==
AOL Instant Messenger's installation process automatically installed an extra [[Uniform Resource Identifier|URI scheme]] ("protocol") handler into some Web browsers, so URIs beginning with <code>aim:</code> could open a new AIM window with specified parameters. This was similar in function to the <code>mailto:</code> URI scheme, which created a new e-mail message using the system's default mail program. For instance, a webpage might have included a link like the following in its HTML source to open a window for sending a message to the AIM user ''notarealuser'':
 &lt;a href="aim:goim?screenname=notarealuser"&gt;Send Message&lt;/a&gt;

To specify a message body, the <code>message</code> parameter was used, so the link location would have looked like this:
 aim:goim?screenname=notarealuser&message=This+is+my+message

To specify an away message, the message parameter was used, so the link location would have looked like this:
 aim:goaway?message=Hello,+my+name+is+Bill
When placing this inside a URL link, an AIM user could click on the URL link and the away message "Hello, my name is Bill" would instantly become their away message.

To add a buddy, the addbuddy message was used, with the "screenname" parameter
 aim:addbuddy?screenname=notarealuser
This type of link was commonly found on forum profiles to easily add contacts.