AIM Groups are an easy way to stay in touch with people you know, or to meet new people that share your interests. Each group gets their own web site where members can chat with the group. Each group also has its own e-mail address that members can use to send mail to everyone in the group using a single address.

If you have an AOL or AIM Screen Name, are at least 16 years old, and have parental controls set to at least "Mature Teen", you can create or join an AIM Group. If you don't have a Screen Name yet, you can create one using an existing email address when you  attempt to join a group.

No, it is absolutely free.

'Beta' means that you are an "early adopter" and you may experience certain bugs that we are unaware of.

A Public group can be found by anyone using AIM Groups search. These Groups can be "Open" (anyone can join) or "Closed" (users can ask to become a member). Public Groups can have both a group Home Page (members only) and a Welcome Page (for visitors). The Visitor Page is where others can find out about a group, and ask to join. This lets a Public Group decide what it wants to share, and who gets to see it. Most Public Groups are based on some shared interest or activity.

A Private Group can only be viewed by members, and does not show up in search results. Membership in these groups is by invitation only. A pretty common use for a Private Group is to interact with family, friends, and other people you already know.

No. You can join as many groups a you want.

No. There is currently no limit to the number of users a group can have.

For now, you can search for groups using the search box at the top of the page at www.aimgroups.com. This searches the descriptions and names of any public groups for the word(s) you entered. In an upcoming release, we will be adding owner assignable categories for public groups, so you'll be able to browse for groups as well.

You can join any public, open groups by clicking "Join Now" on the group's Welcome Page, or in search results. For public, closed groups, you can request an invitation from the owner the same way. Private groups are by invitation only.

Yes. There is a "Leave Group" button below the group's picture, and one at the bottom of e-mail messages sent to the group.

You can start a new discussion by clicking the "Post New Topic" button on any message board page. You can also reply to other messages using the "Reply" button on any post.

Users can remove any replies they have posted to a forum, but only owners can delete any post or topic.

"My Groups" is a listing of all groups you are part of. It's also a quick place to access things like your preferences for each group. If you are a group owner, you will also see links to all of the settings for those groups.

Any group you join automatically shows up on your "My Groups" page.

When you leave a group, or delete a group you own, it will automatically be removed from "My Groups"

Currently, all boards are only visible to group members, and only group members can post to their boards.

Shared pictures and files are not yet available, but these features should be released soon as part of a larger update.

Only members of a group can use the group?s e-mail address. Mail sent to the groups address from out side the group will be blocked.

Yes. When you send e-mail to the group?s email address, any member of the group that has not opted out of e-mail will receive the message.

An AIM Groups Owner is someone who maintains the list of members, controls group settings, and determines what is on the group's web pages. Group owners define the purpose of the group, and are tasked with maintaining the group.

At this time, AIM Groups can only have one owner. Multiple owners will be made available in a future release.

At this time, group ownership cannot be transferred. This will be made available in a future release

Just go to aimgroups.com and click the "Create your own Group" link at the top of the page. Simply choose a group name, e-mail address, and description, then pick what type of group you want ("public" or "private"). Once you are done, you will be ready to start inviting users, or customizing your group's web page.

Group settings let you change whether your group is public or private, and open or closed. They are also where you go to change your group's display name, description, or minipic. Owners can access "Group Settings" from links on the group page (below the minipic) or from the group listing in "My Groups".

Yes. You can add a group "Minipic" that will appear on your groups web site and in search results. From the "Settings" of any group you own, just click the "Change Minipic" button, and upload a photo.

Yes. A group owner can choose whether a group is "private" or "public" at any time. Public groups can also change whether they are "open" (anyone can join) or "closed" (users can ask to become a member). If a group's type is changed from public to private, or vice versa, members will automatically be sent e-mail to let them know of the change.

Yes. Public groups can either be "open" (anyone can join) or "closed" (users can ask to be member). Open public groups will have a button users can click to join. Closed public groups will have a button where users can request an invitation from the owner. The owner can change a public group from "open" to "closed", or vice versa, at any time. If an owner changes from "closed" to "open" any pending requests to join the group will automatically be approved.

A group's Home Page is what signed-in members see when visiting the group's web site. This view includes the Group Info module and a message board.

A group's Welcome Page is what non-members or users that are not signed in see. For public groups, this is just the Group Info module and a link to join or request an invitation. For private groups, the welcome page will not be shown, and visitors will simply be told they do not have permission to view the page.

Yes. The "Group Settings" page lets you change your group's display name, description, or "Minipic." Owners can access "Group Settings" from links on the group page (below the "Minipic") or from the group listing in "My Groups."

At this time, only owners can send invitations. The option to let group members send invitations should be added in a future AIM Groups release.

On the group "Settings" page, click the link on the left side of the page labeled "Invitations". There will also be an "Invite People" link under the description of any group you own on the "My Groups" page. You can send up to 50 invitations at a time.

You can "Remove" a member of the group from the "Edit Members" page in the group settings. You may also "Remove and Block" a member there, which will prevent that user from rejoining an open group or requesting an invitation to a closed, public group.

Yes. From the "Blocked" page in group settings, you can unblock any previously blocked member. You may also want to re-invite that member using the "Invitations" tab.

Click the "Report This" link on any message board entry, or at the top of any group page to report Terms of Service violations. Please provide any additional details that will help determine where the offensive content is located.

Using the "Requests" section of your group's settings, you can approve or deny any pending requests to join your group.

The "Ownership" section in your group's settings will let you delete your group. Members of the group will be sent an email letting them know the group has been deleted.