How to Be an Instant Messenger Humanitarian

Are you the type of person that sympathizes with the plights of the world but either can't be bothered to or don't have the time to help charities? Don't feel bad; you're not the only one who feels powerless. What if I were to tell you there was a way you could give back to the whole, well, world from the comfort of your computer chair. It's very possible, and easier than you might think.

What do most teenagers do when they have time to kill? They go on the computer. To do what? Normally to go on myspace and maybe chat a bit with friends on some form of instant messenger. Here's where the saving the world comes into play. While you're chatting away with your friends on MSN messenger you have the option of giving to charity without actually spending any money. MSN has started this thing that every time you use it, money is sent to the charity of your choice. As long as you have the most recent version of MSN messenger, which is absolutely free to download, you can contribute.

In the main messenger window there is an option of changing what your display name is. All you have to do is type in the code *help or any of the other code words for the charity of your choice. That's all. That is as hard as it gets. How does it work? Well, every time you have a conversation with the IM code in your name; Microsoft shares a portion of its advertising revenues with the charity you selected. The beauty is there is no cap on the amount of money Microsoft is willing to give to the charities. "The sky is the limit" as Microsoft says. The best part is that with the very stylish IM symbol that's now in your name, you're bound to be asked about it. This is where you have a chance to spread the knowledge. Give a brief idea of what I'm is about and suggest your friend uses it themselves. It's so simple to use and so effective. The money goes to a wide variety of charities. For a picture to show you how to get the name and for a list of the charities of their corresponding codes go to http://im.live.com/Messenger/IM/Join/ and click the show me how button.