you guys are cheeky!
http://www.xfire.com/
it's a small application that allows you to stalk your friends <kidding>. it helps you keep in touch with people you game with and there are also message functions among other functions that i'm not even familiar with. i use it to find out what my gamer pals are up to so i can join them for a map or two. it's sort of like msn messenger crossed with the buddies list in ut2k4 (which doesn't work if someone is aliasing or has temporarily changed their name) and is geared towards gamers. in combination with ventrilo, it's been especially helpful with this girls vs boys ons match taking place this august; as long as we're signed in, the ladies are able to connect with eachother for practices or scrims on the whim.
anyhow, if anyone was interested in trying it out, my username is kdee1