Features and functionality on social networks are evolving right before our eyes. Just a few days ago, AOL purchased Bebo. The purchase was made to combine AOL’s instant messaging service (AIM) with the social networking services of Bebo.

It seems like a nice marriage. I remember when I began college in 2001, everyone I knew in the dorms has AIM. I imagine that what AIM was to my friends and I, what Facebook is to today’s crop of college students.

And interestingly enough Michael Arrington of TechCrunch announced that Facebook will be adding instant messaging sometime next week; Pretty much nullifying the exciting news that AOL purchased Bebo.

MySpace also has an instant messaging service through Skype. For a while they had an instant messaging service created by MySpace developers, that if I remember correctly was full of bugs and never took off. 

I’ll be watching to see how instant messaging effects Bebo, Facebook and other social networks.