private im without so many mouse clicks

sorry if this is a stupid question but is there a way to im other people without so many mouse clicks? instead of going to communicate and the person or group tag to start chatting say a command to do the same thing?

If they are next to you - right click them and choose IM.

what about if they've already im'd me or we are already in middle of a chat?

other than in the im window there are no chat commands
such as /r or /rt (I wish there was) but there is not

I think you're asking if there is a Command Line (aka Chat Line) command to go to IM with someone? If so, I don't think there is. Like Talon said, if you're near them, right clicking and using the pie menu is the fastest way. If the person is in your collection of calling cards and your inventory is open, you can pull up their profile by double-clicking on the calling card. Otherwise, just use the friends list if the person is a friend. I don't think there's a quick and dirty way via the command line.

It's not a stupid question at all. You're right that the interface should be simpler. One of the biggest reasons SL's dropout rate is so high is that a high percentage of newbies find it to be "too hard" to use. LL's good at a lot of things, but interface design is not quite their greatest strength. The whole thing needs a massive overhaul.

Anyway, the answer to your question is no, there's no easier way at this time. Sorry.

oh god not another interface 'upgrade'!

Second Life is like one of those Claw Prize games. Seems easy enough, but by the time you get anything out of it, you spent a lot more time, and a hell of a lot more money then you figured you would.

can't help but wonder why so many ppl answer the same way to the same question.

is it like the OP will not believe the others but will believe them?

(I am guilty of it too LOL)

I guess the reason I do it is just in case a point was missed that I thought about.

i wonder why ANY chat just doesnt make the name klickable to goto IM chat.

Not sure if this is what you're talking about but I (ahem) know of an IM replacement that might be purchasable at modest cost. There might even be some mention of it in a sig line nearby.

Modesty forbids me giving any further details.

And we should be glad they don't have them too. You wouldn't want to have to write up some of the names they have in sl. Some extra long, others extra stupid which you would have to type up, at least to start a convo.

I pity anyone who would have to type out my name, after all it was random letters on the keyboard that created it

yes I agree, I like not having those chat commands. It is only a few clicks to im someone

This is the best analogy I have heard for Second Life ever. In addition, once you start shovelling money in, you are strangely compelled to keep going, and in the end, all you have to show for it is some crappy stuffed animal that you didn't want in the first place.

Thanks for replys. Kinda sux that there isn't a simple solution, eg. /msg partnick ..... But maybee this is something linden can get on sometime. It's nice sometime to have point and click function but when I'm chatting the mouse is pushed to a side, unless I go into private..

I absolutely love this analogy, in some ways that's how I feel like about sl. (totally off topic) Not because there's not alot to do or see, not that it's not a good game and all. But becauze eventually I know the bugs and problems with linden is gonna become a pain for me it may stop adopters from signing up or staying in world.

ive played many many games over the years and i still dont get this learning curve and difficulty learning sl that everyone talks about

i came into sl and within a day was flyin dancin walkin learning to build joinin grps everything

the only thing that confused me for about an hour was how to edit prim hair i didnt know i could edit it while on me once i got that figured out i was off and runnin

i think mmorpg's with multi windows that you have to remember which chat channel it is and use command lines are more difficult

but i guess thats just me

I'm with you, I didn't have much trouble with navigating the interface, What I couldn't figure out, I just asked, or hit the wiki. As for the OP's question. I don't know of any thing that can just start an IM with someone just near you, other than right click. However, I do have a script that was a freebie I picked up which allows you to store a few of your most consistant buddies that you'd want to IM. I haven't played with it yet, so if you want to give it a go, IM me in world and we can play with it and see how well it works

i need 2 clicks to send an im to someone in my friends list. and one click to reply to someone who just send me an im.

am i missing something?
do you mean someone you never talked to before? that requires a search and then 2 clicks, yes that could be faster