How to Remove Write Protection On USB Flash Drives

The other day I was trying to use my flash drive which I have been using for quite a while, but every time I tried to do something a write protection error kept coming up even though I had never put any write protection on my flash drive.  I Googled the problem and found several good solutions which seemed to work for most people and there were many methods to fix this.  Those methods you can find here and here.  I don't want to explain again what has already been explained many times on the internet, so I will just tell you my method.  If you want the other methods, you can click the following links to find them:

http://www.troublefixers.com/remove-write-protection-on-usb-pen-drive-or-memory-card-or-ipod/

http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/questions/101-207273

The main method of fixing the flash drive was going into the registry and editing/adding keys.  I tried that method with no success.  I then found this picture showing how someone else did it: 

Click to enlarge

I wanted to try something similar with my flash drive, but I also didn't want to break it, plus I couldn't even find that copper strip that he was talking about.  Instead I decided to try the old method that was originally for old Nintendo games like NES, N64, or GameBoy.  I tried blowing into my flash drive.  After that I plugged it in to see if it would work and much to my surprise, it did actually work.  

So my method, which worked for me, is to take your flash drive out of the computer and blow into it.  You may also want to blow in to the USB port you are putting your flash drive in just in case there is any dust or crumbs or anything that might be making that Copper thing touch the other write protect copper as explained in that picture.

I hope this works for you as it did for me.  Please post any questions or comments you have in the comment box below.  Thank you and have an extraordinary day!

Some Good Advice Part 5

Here is my final post of this series, I hope you have enjoyed it.  In this post I even gave my own advice, which is number 10.  Have fun and live a happy and joyous life.

1. "JUST ENJOY BEING FOURTEEN. It took me until 17 (a couple months ago) to realize you don't have to worry about the future all the time. Enjoy the next few years, and they'll be some of the best of your life."
2. "Make sure everyone you care about knows how you feel about them.
   Your parents are probably right most of the time and are certainly cooler than you know. (YMMV of course.) Wait until you are ~20+ and they will start unleashing all the random stories from their past and about your family that you were too young to hear earlier. Good times... Also, make sure you get to know your parents and spend time with them when you are an adult. My parents have turned out to be pretty awesome to spend time with now that they aren't in full on parenting mode anymore. So as annoying as they may be now you should look forward to a time when they relax a bit."
3. "Be able to back up your beliefs and opinions. Try not to believe things for no reason, and don't [cheat] people. If you find you have a belief for which there is no evidence, abandon it or go find the evidence. This will make sure you know precisely what you believe and why. It is okay to say 'I don't know.' In the long run this earns you respect and only annoys a few people.
   Also my favorite Dr. Seuss quote: "Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind.""
4. "Do what you want. I decided to go against my planning senior year of high school, and am now a professional actor. Do I make the best money? No, but I am happier then I ever would've been had I followed my plan and become an engineer.
   Also, never be afraid of new experiences."
5. "Eat your fruits and veggies and limit the greasy foods. I'm in my 20s and already my lack of respect for my stomach has gotten to me..."
6. "Recent high school graduate here, here's a list of what I would have liked to have done differently through high school: Don't be cynical. This destroyed me thorough high school. It might seem like life/parents/friends/government [stink] (and often times they do) but don't lose hope. You will become miserable and maybe friendless because no one likes a cynical, bitter person.
   Try not to friendzone any girl (or guy if that's your team). Maybe one day you will begin to have feelings for her but won't be able to act on them because you are friends.
   Do well in school and have some extracurriculars (especially if you are planning to go to college) but remember that that is not everything. Have fun, go to parties, date. Make memories. Too many of my memories are of late nights finishing homework and going through grueling rehearsals.
   Basically, try and make your life awesome."
7. "Find a hobby that requires you to physically interact with others. Rowing, fencing, ballroom dancing - whatever.
   It's alright to play video games, read books and enjoy solitary hobbies but even the most introverted of us need to feel what it's like to enjoy things in the company of others."
8. "Prioritize. You can do whatever you want to in life, but you cant do everything you want."
9. "The thing i regret the most is not doing well in high school when it was REALLY easy because college is much better when you're not paying for it."
10. "Keep a journal.  Document your daily life.  Write about your feelings, your challenges, what makes you happy, and what's going on in your life.  This helps improve memory and it can prove very useful as you get older.  Plus it gives you reason to laugh at yourself later in life.
    Don't curse, it's a terrible habit.
    Live each moment as if it were your last.  You will find life to be much better once you accomplish this.  Don't do stupid or reckless things though.
    Listen to "Night in The Ground" by Trent Willmon. You can find that here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9q53Vf0Ink.
    Listen to "Letter To Me" by Brad Paisley.  You can find that here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQ3bn7V0zdU.
    Keep a book of Happiness.  Buy a composition notebook and have your friends and yourself put anything in there that makes them and/or you happy.  For instance, a funny joke you just heard, a comic strip, a funny magazine ad, something your friend just said—anything that makes you happy.  Then when you are feeling down, just open that up.
    When you need a letter of recommendation, ask at least a week in advance.
    Always give people compliments, they mean a great deal to people.
    When in a fight, compliment the other person, as crazy as it sounds, it is usually the best comeback.
    Listen to classical music; it may be better than you think.  Plus, it stimulates the brain."

Please note: I did edit a couple quotes.  In number three I used "cheat" as a euphemism and in number six I used "stink" as a euphemism.  If you want to view the uncensored quotes, you can find the whole thread here: http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/isezb/advice_for_a_14_year_old/.

Have an amazing awesome day because you know you are an awesome person!

Some Good Advice Part 4

Here is post number 4 of 5, which means I am almost done with this series of posts.  Knowing that, I probably won't be posting for a while after post number five simply because I am not the best blogger and generally don't get good blogging ideas, but who knows?  Maybe I will actually continue to post regularly now.

1. "skills to have: cooking (learn a few good recipes by heart), ironing, quick reflexes, massage therapy, what to do when your cell phone gets wet, proper grammar and spelling,...know how to calm someone down (or recognize a panic attack and calm them down)....ect"
2. "Try learning an instrument.
   It will help you expand your mind, give you an interesting hobby, it's fun...
   Source: My electric guitar prowess."
3. "Buy an empty journal, a nondescript one. Whenever you have someone in your life that you respect and admire a great deal (wonderful teachers, mentors, etc.) and you move to your next stage in life, leaving them behind, ask them to write a page for you in the book. I always asked teachers for their personal advice to me -- based on myself, my shortcomings, everything, and I let them know that I do not read what people write until I am in transit (on the train to college, etc.) to my next stage in life.
   It has been amazing. I am always worried they will be irritated by my request, but instead, each and every person has been honored, and floored that I respect them so much and want their advice. Teachers have requested to have the book for a week or more, so they can make sure to think of and say everything they want. Mentors have typed up, printed, and stapled in 6+ pages of life experience and advice, telling me deeply personal stories, secrets, and hopes for my future.
   And I learned what these people truly and deeply think of me, and what they think I am capable of. At this point, any time I feel hopeless or worthless, or just utterly lost, I go back and open up this journal. I go through all its entries. I promise you it's worth it."
4. "I would recommend to stop overly caring about what others think about you. I wish I would have known this when I was 14. So many people obsess with how others perceive them and then change who they are to meet social norms."
5. "Keep asking questions and seeking knowledge.
   Be honest with yourself. Recognize your flaws and forgive yourself for them. Love yourself. Do the same for others.
   Learn about reason and logic, fallacies and propaganda.
   Classes you like and careers you like do not always align.
   Evaluate yourself. Improve yourself. Help others.
   The accumulation of knowledge and experience which only effects you is wasted. Be eager and willing to give of yourself and teach the lessons you have, and will, learn.
   Recognize that during your life, you are never at an end point; just passing through a moment.
   Try to leave people better than you found them, the world better than you found it, and enjoy yourself while you're here."
6. "I'm 15 and from what I can see, most high school relationships are worthless and I've seen them tear through friendships and create such large rifts. Also, get good friends. Those are the people who will look out for you and will truly help you, not the popular jock kids. Also, study, it will pay off in the future."
7. "A lot of people are telling you to save money. Do this. Seriously. A lot of people are saying put half of your paycheck blhblah that's a lot of money. So put like, 50 bucks away. Or, since you are 14, maybe for a few years put half. But half is sometimes unrealistic and you end up wanting to use it more and are unable to save (that's what happened to me when I was 15 and got my first job). Also, don't ever tell people how much money you have in that special savings account. NEVER. It makes you sound like a [donkey], some people might try and use you for it, and well, you sound like a [donkey]. So it's your money, not a conversation or tool for boasting, or even something worth mentioning in small talk to a friend. Just don't talk about it.."
8. "APPLY FOR AS MANY SCHOLARSHIPS AS POSSIBLE!!!! AS OFTEN AS POSSIBLE! Also, don't procrastinate on writing assignments."
9. "The one phrase that helped me the most through high school is "No matter what you are going through or what you are feeling right now, it will pass". Lots of crazy things are going to happen between now and when you end up being an independent adult. Some are going to seem world shattering, some you will know are silly but will feel like a big deal. Always remember that it will pass.
   Also keep this in mind for the happy and successful moments in life. It will ground you and give you wisdom beyond your years if you learn that all the good moments in life eventually pass, and for me personally it has served as great motivation to make sure I keep putting myself in a position to be happy and successful.
   Hope that helps and I hope you have a wonderful life going forward!
10. "Talk to people. Sounds stupid, but don't isolate yourself. It's pretty easy to do with computers, steam sales and such. Be social. Let go of your hatred for that guy/girl who annoys you, it burns away at you from the inside. Love. Practice your public speaking skills."

Please note:  I did edit a few of these quotes.  The first ellipsis (...) in number 1 is from me and the ellipsis in number 2 is also from me.  Also, in number 7, I used the word "donkey" in brackets as a euphemism. Those were to take out some words and phrases that I deemed inappropriate.  If you would like to view those full comments, you can find the thread where I got all of these quotes from here: http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/isezb/advice_for_a_14_year_old/.

Some Good Advice Part 3

I hope you have enjoyed my last two posts, here is part three to go along with them.

1. "Relax, you're 14. Go be a kid. You only got 4 more years before you're expected to grow up. No one ever does though. I guess that's my advice that I'm going to give to you. Adults are just kids who can buy whatever they want."
2. "If you plan to be on computers a lot (assuming you will since you are on reddit now) - research and follow correct ergonomics for typing. I thought I could do it forever at 14, now I'm 30 and have terrible wrist problems. (I'm a programmer, but important regardless)"
3. "Exercise. Lift weights. Do lots of calisthenics. You'll love yourself later for it when you're ripped and attracting lots of members of the opposite and probably same sex, plus you'll feel better."
4. "Always pay off your credit card every month. ALWAYS. If for any reason you can't, cup it up until you pay it off and then request a new one when the balance is zero."
5. "You always have the power to make a change in your circumstances
   Learn at least one foreign language proficiently
   It is better to ask for help when you need it then to try and blunder on on your own
   Save as much money as you can
   When you do spend money it is better to spend it on experiences than things
   Read everything you can get your hands on
   Take internships, talk with your teachers/professors, etc."
6. "Always pay off your credit card every month. ALWAYS. If for any reason you can't, cup it up until you pay it off and then request a new one when the balance is zero."
7. "It's easier to take a chance and know how it ends then to spend the rest of your life wondering, "What if?""
8. "Don't be too proud to ask for help or find a shoulder to cry on. Everyone has their time of weakness, the difference between the "strong" and the "weak" is that the strong seek help through professional means or find a support structure of friends to talk about how much life sucks at the moment."
9. "Disappointment will follow you whether youre afraid of it or not. Take chances. Be bold, have confidence.
   Decide what you want to be and go for it. Always be willing to start on at the bottom of the ladder. Success comes through paying your dues.
   Never let school get in the way of your education.
   Remember most of High School doesnt matter. Dont let it get to you.
   Go to every school dance. Force your friends to go with you.
   Go on family vacations. Smile when you do. Dont sulk. Enjoy it."
10. "Dont get in a rut. Do new things. Change your routine often.
    Its a great big world out there, see as much of it as absolutely possible. Go to new places near and far.
    Speak up. Share your opinion.
    Be friends with everyone. Smile at everyone. Learn as many names as possible, and say hi to them in the hall. Dont assume people dont remember who you are; remember them and remind them that you know them."

Don't forget that all of these quotes are directed toward a 14-year-old and I did not in any way edit any quotes except in the case of an ellipsis (...) which, by the way, I didn't even use in this post (in this post I did not edit the quotes one bit).  If you want the original thread, you can find it here: http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/isezb/advice_for_a_14_year_old/.

Some Good Advice Part 2

Alright, here is part 2 of 5 of the quotes I mentioned in my last post.

1. "Learn to ask why. Many kids in high school just study for a test. If they don't understand it, they just give up and memorize an answer that makes no sense to them. Sometimes you have to do that when you run out of time, but you are shortchanging yourself.
   Learn good study skills. Imagine you had to explain the stuff you're learning to someone like you. If you have trouble doing this, you probably don't get it, and should seek answers.
   Exercise when you can. Run, lift weights, play sports.
   Don't be shy. Talk to people. Learn to smile. Say hi. Be interested."
2. Respect yourself, respect others. That's not the same as yelling "RESPECT ME!!!" to random strangers in the street. The former is internal dignity and self-esteem, the latter is a show of anxiety.
   Work as hard in school as you can. In school, as in the life beyond, always be the person who knows what they're talking about. Do not ever let peer pressure do the 'cool' thing and not study hard.
   People do not 'give you money for free'. When someone approaches you with an unbelievably good deal [money or otherwise] find out what their motive is. If something is 'FREE!!!' ask what it costs and make your facial expression show that you fully understand that there'll be some kind of cost somewhere down the line.
   Learn at least one other language. It's not that hard but it does take time.
   Your life is the sum of your experiences. Look for enriching experiences, learn and apply the learning all throughout your life.
   Be honest to people, it will show them you are reliable [also: understand that there are a lot of dishonest people. You can regret that but you're not going to change it so don't fret about it].
   Nobody dies wishing they had spent more time at the office. Absolutely nobody. First and foremost do what you enjoy doing and be fantastically good at it.
   Money is a tool to pay for things, that's all it is. If your life centers around the all-consuming need to have more money than you have a practical use for, there's something else missing in your life [but: there is no honor and very little joy in deep, grinding poverty. Nobody truly wants to live under a bridge].
   Love with all your heart. When the time comes, go for it. Keep in mind there's a better than fair chance you'll get burned badly by the process. Don't think you're the first, don't think you'll be the last.
   Avoid injury.
   Do not become dependent on a substance. Addiction is not sexy and it most certainly does not make you look cool. If it ever occurs to you that 'you can handle it', ask yourself why you would even want that.
   Make a positive difference in the world. Let the world be a better place for having had you in it.
   If you can, become the highest you can aspire to be as a human: be a teacher, a mentor. It is one of the most essential, valuable things you can do in life [this is not necessarily becoming a teacher, there are many ways in which you can teach people. Find a way that suits you]. You're just 14, I wouldn't worry too much about that one just yet. Something to keep in the back of your mind.
   Make sure it's stable.
   It's better to be a producer than a consumer.
   Have a great life."
3. "Always keep $100.00 in the bank for emergencies. Real emergencies like you need a textbook you didn't know about, or you need emergency contraception. If you are considering a big decision, give it six months (if possible) and then reconsider. If you still feel the same as you did six months ago, you are probably doing the right thing. Everything in moderation. Don't take your teen years too seriously. Even some of the worst heartbreak will seem silly in a decade or two. Don't worry about the jerks at school. The geeks are all the coolest people from school now. Good grades are worth the effort. Don't start smoking. Nothing good comes of it."
4. "Live your life - it's your life - you are the captain of the ship. Don't ever let someone control where you sail...unless it's part of your strategy."
5. "Learn Microsoft office programs thoroughly and try to learn some other programs in your spare time. They become important when you're trying to get jobs.
   Have fun and don't stress too much. Keep in touch with old friends."
6. "Never let yourself get out of shape."
7. "Find out what you want to do as a career. My parents heavily persuaded me to do pre med in college. I was a biochem major for three years and hated it. I discovered my true passion for finance during my senior year. Although I'm currently unemployed, I have never looked back on my decision. It was one of the best ones I've made. They say that when you love what you do, you don't have to work a day in your life, and it's true. I can read finance 8 hrs a day and love it."
8. "Start working out, learn to enjoy it. Do it 3 times a week for 40 minutes. It goes by fast man. 20 mins running, the rest lifting. You will get fat at either 18 or 28. "
9. "Listen to your parents. They're usually right - you just won't realize it for a few years."
10. "don't try to grow up too fast. the older you get, the faster time will go."

Again, if you want to go to the original page where I took all these quotes from, you can find it here: http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/isezb/advice_for_a_14_year_old/.  I did not edit, in any way, any of the quotes in this post.

Some Good Advice Part 1

I was recently on reddit and I saw a post (or whatever they call it on reddit) titled Advice for a 14 year old? It seemed a bit interesting to me and I thought I could contribute a bit. I went to it and found some very useful advice. It was directed at a 14-year-old but much of it is very useful for anyone of any age. In my next few posts, I will put the best pieces of advice that I read in peoples replies. I can't put them all in one post because there are simply too many. It would make you think, "Oh my gosh, this is very annoying reading all of this; I want to go do something else...but what if I miss something important? I better stay and read it all." Therefore, I made it easy for you; I will post them in separate posts for the next few days. All you need to do is just check back tomorrow.  I think I will post ten a day until my list is empty.  Well I guess I will start now.

Each numbered quote is from a reply I found on that topic. If you see an ellipsis (...) I may have added it to take out useless or unnecessary words. Other than that though, I did not edit them in any way.

Enjoy.

1. "if you believe a cute girl is interested in you. ask her out. not much to lose. :-) don't be shy."
2. "Fake confidence is the same as real confidence. Nobody will know the difference except yourself."
3. 
   
• "Make decisions based on what YOU want to do, not on what other people want. Following the crowd is easier, no doubt, but you won't be happy.
• Don't ever close any doors through laziness. Sure, school is a pain, but you don't want to limit your options by screwing around. Be excellent, try your best, and if you choose to go to college or not, know that it's YOUR choice, not one foisted on you by poor decisions.
• Try everything. You're at a point in your life where the world is open to you. Just because you haven't done something doesn't mean you won't like it and it can't provide you with a lifetime of satisfaction.
• Be kind to everyone. It's easy to get approval by picking on those weaker than you. Avoid that temptation. Everyone deserves your regard.
• Forgive your friends when they wrong you. They will. It's part of life.
• Don't do drugs until you're old enough to do it responsibly. The consequences of getting caught aren't worth the momentary pleasure.
• ...
• Be kind to your parents. Odds are they love you and want what's best for you. Alienating them will hurt them and those scars will last for decades (personal experience here).
• If someone asks you out on a date, go. You never know.
• Read. Everything. Get a list of the top 100 books and slog through it. Yeah, everything won't make sense but you'll understand the world so much better. Everywhere in our culture people allude to things that you just won't understand if you haven't forced yourself to become well-read.
• Take every opportunity to travel. Seriously. The world is huge and you want to lose your provincial view as early as possible.
• Get involved in politics. You may as well get disillusioned early.
• ...
• Stay in shape. It's so easy now and it will last your life.
• Don't smoke.
• Learn a foreign language.
• Don't be contemptuous of those who know less than you.
• Take every opportunity to tell your family you love them.
• Learn to cook. ...
• Save your money for things that are important, not things that give you momentary satisfaction."
4. "Oh, and don't give away too much of your personal info on the internet. Never put your phone number or address on Facebook or Myspace or whatever it is you're using. Also try to stop as many incriminating pictures of yourself (drinking, doing drugs, in the nude, whatever) from going on the internet as possible."
5. "Are you a smart person? Do you find schoolwork to be a breeze, no need to study? If you are i have some advice. Learn how to study, even if you don't need to study at this point in your life.
   I breezed through high school. Everything was so easy and intuitive the need to REALLY study was never there. For things i didn't know, i always used deductive reasoning to find the answer (on tests and the like). When i started working, same thing, i picked everything up real quick. If you are intelligent there are no real hurdles at this age. However, no matter how smart you are, this style of living will not get you through college. If you do not have good studying skills, you will not make it. Period. The amount of information covered is a lot, and you will need to know how to absorb that information, and the only way to do so is good study habits. Again, it doesn't matter how intelligent you are at this point, it's all about your ability to retain knowledge. The tests can not be gamed (i.e. i know a, c, and d aren't the answer, therefore its b.). When i got to college this was a huge problem for me. I didn't know how to study, really at all. I quit after two years before they kicked me out."
6. "Don't let anything socially in HS get you too down. You'll find that things you may be beating yourself up over now don't matter later. "
7. "Pay attention when you see someone doing something you'd like to learn. Ask if they'd mind teaching you, even. I learned to cook a few things just by watching other people."
8. "Just RELAX. Seriously. That's what I would've told myself, anyway."
9. "Be skeptical of things. Don't just take things as they are"
10. "As I say in every thread like this, don't make the mistake that I have and get hung up on one person. Makes life miserable. Take it from me and move on."

There was part one.  I have a total of exactly 50 quotes; I just now counted, so there will be four more parts. If you want to view the thread you can find it here: http://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/isezb/advice_for_a_14_year_old/.

Please note: in this post I edited number 3 a total of three times.  You can see those edits where the ellipses (...) are on that number.

Have an excellent day because you are amazing!

How to Work the New Facebook Chat (July 2011)

Recently Facebook changed the way the chat works and very many people are confused and angry that it is not working the way it used to.  In this post I will show you how to get it to work starting at step one.


EDIT: A simple, however, also temporary fix to this is using the popout chat.  You can get to that by copying and pasting this into the address bar: http://www.facebook.com/presence/popout.php


First thing's first.  When you first log in to Facebook nothing seems too different until you click on the chat at the bottom of the screen.  When you do this you will likely get this message:

Picture 1

When I got that message, that is exactly how it appeared on my screen, I couldn't see anything below that.  However, this does not happen with some people.  If you are using Google Chrome (which I hope you are because I don't know a way to do this with other browsers, you can download Chrome here: http://www.google.com/chrome), you can move that message away from the corner so you can see the entire message.  If you can already see the whole message, skip this part.  What you need to do is right click somewhere on the message and click inspect element.  Something that looks similar to the following picture should appear in either a separate window or at the bottom of the web browser.

Picture 2

The part that is red will be next to where yours will be higlighted.  Scroll up a bit until you find the part that I have highlighted it should include the text:

fbDockChatBuddyListNub

Click on that to highlight it, then right click and select "Edit as HTML," it is usually the third option.  Then all the text will appear black and white.  Go to the very beginning and right after "div" copy and paste the following code:

     style="position: absolute; right: 100px; top: 100; bottom: 100px"

 Make sure that there is a space between div and style and between 100px" and class.  Then click somewhere outside that black and white text box so it looks normal again.  After that, the message should appear somewhere else on the page where you can see the whole message (see picture 3).

Picture 3

Now, click the "Try It Now" button.  Don't worry if nothing happens, just refresh the page or open a new Facebook window/tab.

When you get to the new refreshed page, you will see a list of your most interacted with friends there, however, this will show you friends who are not even online.  If you wish to see only friends who are online, you can click the settings button at the very bottom right and from there, click "Hide Sidebar."

Picture 4

Picture 5

After you do this, the sidebar will minimize like it normally used to and then all of your friends who are online will appear at the bottom of the left sidebar (underneath your name and your groups and everything...at the very bottom of that column).  

Also in the menu shown in Picture 5, you can limit your availability which allows you to choose which friends in your friend lists are allowed to see you online, very similar to the old Facebook chat that had a pill like icon (see Picture 6).

Picture 6

So really, Facebook didn't take away any features from the old friend list to the new one, they just changed the user interface, though that was very quite possibly a bad decision on their part.

In conclusion, you can see all of your online friends by hiding the side bar.  You can still appear offline by making sure that "Available to Chat" is not selected in your settings (See Picture 5, in that, it IS selected).  You can still choose which friend lists are allowed to see you online, you just need to know how to work it and in this post I showed you just that.

I hope this has helped you in knowing how to work the new Facebook chat.  Please leave me your feedback in the comment section below and feel free to ask any questions regarding something I may not have covered.  

Side Notes:

First I want to tell you that I always use Digsby for chatting with my Facebook friends, so if you are still confused about all the changes to Facebook chat and you just want to use a chat that doesn't change, you can download Digsby here: http://www.digsby.com/download.php.  Digsby can also connect to other IM accounts such as Yahoo, Gtalk, MSN, MySpace, and can connect to email accounts by most providers (Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail and others), and can also hook up to your Twitter and Facebook accounts so you can check those without ever visiting the site.  It also allows you to update your status, make comments, like posts, dislike posts, and much more.  It is currently only available for Windows operating systems, but is coming soon for Mac and Linux.  You can sign up to know when they become available here: http://www.digsby.com/signup/maclinux/.  However, if you run Ubuntu, you can download the windows version and use Wine to run Digsby.  You can download Wine here: http://www.winehq.org/download/ubuntu.  I am currently running Ubuntu, so I know that that works.

Second, having been using Digsby for so long, I did not know that you can group chat with Facebook, this may or may not be old news, but you can do it by clicking the settings button in a conversation, right next to the X and then click "Add Friends to Chat..."  Type your friends name, select the friend, click done and now you have a group chat.