Chit Chat for Facebook (Blackberry) is a Facebook chat messaging application. Chit Chat offers the following:

• Easy To Use: An attractive easy to use interface
• Manage Lots Of Conversations – The tabbed interface means that many conversations can easily be handled at once
• Searchable Buddy List – Search your Facebook friends to find the one your looking for
• Customisable – Customize your instant messaging window

You can find out much more about Chit Chat for Facebook (Blackberry) by visiting blackberry.chitchat.org.uk.

Perhaps I should have titled this article, The Avalanche of Social Networking and Instant Messaging Services. Still, the current title is not exactly out of line.

Like most people in my social class, I have a Facebook profile that is quite active. Facebook has been immensely useful in catching up with old friends, as well as loved ones who had been scattered to the winds for years.

Recently, I was able to re-connect with scores of my old classmates from back in the day at Federal Government College Odogbolu. Facebook is indeed a powerful platform for catching up and interacting.

However, I noticed that rather than send an email a number of people (consciously or unconsciously) have resorted to using Facebook messages (and even chat) as a standard means of communication. The result is that now, when I am looking for certain information, I have to search both Facebook and my email box in order to find it. Some are here and some are there.

That may be trivial if you deal with small amounts of information, but when you are constantly bombarded with loads of information, messages and requests like I am, it simply becomes a burden.

It may be different with others, but I also find Facebook chat intrusive. When I log into Facebook, I am looking to see what’s new with my contacts – and then that chat menu pops up, breaking my flow. Aaargh!

So, many weeks ago, I simply turned off Facebook chat. And I generally do not bother with Facebook messages anymore. My website and email addresses are public on my Facebook profile, so anyone who has anything serious to pass across to me can use email. That way, my messages are all accessible and archivable in one place. I also no longer send anyone a Facebook message unless in rare cases that they do not have their contact info public. And when I do, I ask for a response via email or phone.

It is worse on mobile. Usually, when I go mobile, it is because I have something specific in mind to do at the time. I don’t bother with Facebook apps and plugins that enable chat. I find no use for them.

There are so many social networking and instant messaging services available that it is just crazy. As a rule, I have stayed with yahoo for chatting, Facebook for social networking, and Twitter for professional updates. How many IDs and logins does one have to do to stay in touch?

Do you use Facebook messages? Do you use Facebook chat (both on PC and on mobile)? How many social networking accounts do you have? How many instant messaging services do you use?

I am not sure why, but articles on Zain Mobile Internet are extremely popular on Mobility Nigeria. As a matter of fact, the top two items in terms of page views on this site are about Zain Mobile Internet.

Perhaps, part of the reason for their popularity can be attributed to the elusiveness of full internet service on prepaid lines. For quite a while, Zain Nigeria’s official policy is that only WAP is available to prepaid subscribers. This means POP3/IMAP mail cannot be used, and instant messaging apps won’t work, among others. See: From Celtel to Zain; GPRS further restricted, published in August last year.

Earlier this year, I demonstrated that with minimal tweaking, email (POP/IMAP) indeed works on the Zain network (Zain Data works on Phones for Web and Email). But IM apps didn’t.

Last Saturday, however, I receeived an SMS from Zain stating in part:

New from Zain! Internet Browsing, MMS & downloads now possible on your handset!

That sounded to me like Zain had done a rethink of their rather backward policy of limiting prepaid lines to WAP access only. I had some spare time yesterday and dashed over to the nearest Zain outlet, where I requested for full internet provisioning.

I was told that the system was problematic, but the guy I spoke with took down my details anyway. I got home around 5p.m. today and a few minutes later, I received an SMS configuration on my device. I saved it, took a peek and saw full internet settings.

In a few minutes, I was chatting on Yahoo Messenger via Slick, checking my mails, and doing all sorts of stuff. No tweaks. Just straight out-of-the-box.

There’s still neither EDGE nor 3G at my location. Yes; its gross. This is Lagos, where every other 3G-enabled network has almost seamless coverage.

So, it is official. Full internet is now available for prepaid subscribers on the Zain network. By the way, I got another SMS announcing that Blackberry service is also now available for prepaid subscribers.

Hop over to a Zain centre and specify that you want full internet service activated on your line. Then you can forget about using proxies in order to be able to browse on your PC. Alternatively, send SMS in the format, “internet sonyericsson P910i”, to 232 to get activated. If it doesn’t work, keep trying.

For those who may find the Zain internet configuration settings useful, here they are:

APN: internet.ng.zain.com
Username: internet
Password: internet
IP/Proxy: None

Well done, Zain. You are late, but hey, we’ll still throw a welcome party! And while we are at it, please extend EDGE and 3G coverage some more please.

Update: Official Zain Internet Provisioning: An Update