Want to know where your friend is hanging out online? Find your buddy fast by right-clicking his or her screen name from your AOL Buddy List, and then picking Locate Buddy from the menu that appears. This option works just like the regular Locate Member Online option (the same one you get with the Ctrl+L key combination). Locate Buddy tells you whether your buddy is signed on to America Online and whether he or she is in a chat room. If your buddy is in a publicly available chat room, the Locate dialog box also offers a handy Go button that whisks you away to join your buddy's chat.

Quickly send your friend an instant message by double-clicking his or her screen name. An Instant Message window opens on-screen with your friend's screen name already filled in.

If you had a more face-to-face discussion in mind, use the Buddy Chat feature to invite your buddy to a private chat room with the two of you (and whomever else you want to invite).