Plug-ins are fun, functional mini-programs that “plug in” to Yahoo! Messenger. They take advantage of Messenger’s unique ability to be “now,” and make it even more useful for you. They come in two types: conversation plug-ins, and tab plug-ins.

Conversation Plug-ins

• Conversation plug-ins help you share stuff and do stuff with friends while you’re in a Messenger conversation. Draw a picture together with a friend. IM with someone in another language, and do real-time translation! View a map at the same time. Check out upcoming events…and much more.

Tab Plug-ins

• Tab plug-ins keep you up-to-the-minute on things like auctions, news, and sports, give you quick access to your Yahoo! Calendar or Yahoo! Finance pages, let you watch video or order items…and much more. They appear below your friends list and can open sliding windows with extended information. And they can interact with your contact list.

We’ll be adding new plug-ins all the time. Some will come from Yahoo! developers. Others are being invented by Messenger users like you. All it takes is a good idea!