How to best communicate with my users

[Redd Vinylene]

Hello hello!

Pardon me for asking such a simple questions, but what is the best way of

1) messaging offline users on my system? No e-mail please, I want
something more concrete, something displayed immediately upon login,
no need to go via a third party app.

2) talking to users logged onto my system? I find ntalk too
frustrating, and ytalk too ASCII artsy. Anything else out there under
the sun?

Much obliged, ladies and gentlemen.

Redd

-- 
http://www.home.no/reddvinylene