IM Ettiquete: I Clicked on The Wrong Name!

It happens every once and awhile.  Maybe you were tired or distracted.  Whatever the reason you clicked on the wrong name.  It is a minor faux pas in the grand scheme of things, but just in case here are steps for handling the situation.

If you realize at the beginning of a conversation here are your options:

• Have a brief chat on a topic that is actually relevant to your unintended chat partner.
• Explain that you miss clicked and apologize for interrupting them.

If you realized in the middle of a conversation here are some options:

• Apologize for getting off on a tangent and re-orient the conversation.
• Fess up to your case of mistaken identity and explain the similarity in user names that caused the confusion.

If you figured it out at the end of the conversation then the damage is already done.