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Getting
Started
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Signing
On to CompuServe Instant Messenger
Once you've registered, downloaded, and installed CompuServe
Instant Messenger, you are ready to start using it.
- First, make sure that you are connected to the
Internet via your Internet Service Provider, school, or
office network.
- Start CompuServe Instant Messenger by double-clicking
the CompuServe Instant Messenger icon on your
computer.
- When you see the "Sign On" window, type or select the
screen name and password you chose during registration in
the space provided and click the "Sign On" button.
- CompuServe Instant Messenger will then sign you
on.
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Setting
Up Your Buddy List
Once signed on, you'll see the main CompuServe Instant
Messenger window which contains two tabs, a window with
names in it, and a row of buttons at the bottom. This window
is your Buddy List and it shows you the screen names
of your buddies who are online. Your Buddy List window will
have three sample groups that you can use to begin
organizing your buddies: 1) Buddies; 2) Family, and 3)
Co-Workers. (You can change the names of these groups by
highlighting the group name and typing over it - or just add
additional group names.)
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Personalize your Buddy List by adding your CompuServe
Instant Messenger friends' screen names. To add a new
buddy, click on the "List Setup" tab, click the "Add
Buddy" button, and type a friend's screen name. Do this for
each buddy you want to add. To add a new group, click
the "Add Group" button and type the name of the new group
(like "marketing dept."). Once you've added your buddies to
the new group you've created, click the "Online" tab.
If you can't remember someone's screen name, use the
Find a Buddy function to first see if the person is a
registered CompuServe Instant Messenger user or not. If the
person is registered, you can look up his or her screen
name. Simply click on the "CompuServe Instant Messenger"
button found at the bottom left corner of the Buddy List
window. Select "Find a Buddy" and "By E-mail Address" to
search for his or her screen name.
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Using
CompuServe Instant Messenger
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Seeing
Your Buddies Online
Make sure that the "Online" tab is clicked, not the "List
Setup" tab. You will see the names of the groups that are
set up, and then the names of your buddies who are currently
online. (Your buddies must be registered and have their own
copies of CompuServe Instant Messenger, or they must be
signed on to America Online.) As your buddies sign on and
off, CompuServe Instant Messenger will automatically update
the list. On Windows, if a screen name appears in
bold, that means the person just signed on. If a
screen name appears dimmed (or a lighter grey color), that
means the person's CompuServe Instant Messenger session is
"idle" (probably because the person has stepped away from
his or her desk, is in a meeting, etc.). If your buddy's
screen name appears dimmed and in italics, it means
he or she just signed off. On the Macintosh, icons appear
next to the screen name to indicate when someone signs on
and off or is idle.
Sending
an Instant Message
When you see someone's screen name on your Buddy List, it
means that person is online and able to receive an Instant
Message (which is a private, personalized, text
message).
There are two ways to send an Instant Message:
1) Double-click on a screen name, and a "Send Instant
Message" window will appear. Type your message in the main
part of the window and click "Send." Or, 2) highlight your
buddy's screen name and click on the "IM" button. (If your
buddy's screen name is not on your Buddy List, then click on
the "IM" button and type in his or her screen name and a
message.)
In either of these cases, after clicking the "Send"
button, your message will "pop up" on your buddy's computer
screen. Then your buddy can send messages back to you for an
instant, private, one-to-one chat.
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Responding
to an Instant Message
When you receive an Instant Message from someone, a message
window will "pop up" on your computer screen. To send a
message back, type your message in the bottom half of the
pop up window -- then click "Send." If you want to add this
person to your Buddy List, click on the "Add Buddy" button.
If you don't want this person to have the ability to send
you an Instant Message, click the "Block" button and this
person will be added to your "Block List."
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TIP: Send an Instant Message to yourself and see
what it's like.
- Click the "IM" button below your Buddy List window. A
"Send Instant Message" window will pop up.
- In the "To:" box, type your screen name.
- Type your message in the box below.
- Click the "Send" button. Your message to yourself
will instantly appear in a pop-up window on your computer
screen.
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Beyond
The Basics
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Using
Stylized Text
When sending an Instant Message, you can use different
colors, sizes, and styles (like bold, italics
and underlining). Just select the text with your
mouse and choose the option you want from the toolbar just
above the text box.
Using
Hyperlinks
When sending an Instant Message, you can create a hyperlink
to a Web site address and send it to your buddy. Click the
"link" button in the toolbar just above the text box, which
will pop up a window where you can type the text of the
link, and then the Web address (for example,
"http://www.compuserve.com"). The text will then appear in
your sending window - underlined, highlighted, linked and
ready to send. When your buddy clicks on it, his or her Web
browser will open to the Web site you sent.
Issuing
a Warning
If someone sends you an unwanted Instant Message, you can
issue a warning to this person. Other users will be able to
see how many warnings a person has received, and if a person
receives too many warnings, he or she will temporarily lose
the ability to send messages. You can only give warnings to
people signed on to Instant Messenger and you can only warn
someone once per message received.
Saving
Time Signing On
You can make your signing-on to CompuServe Instant Messenger
easier in the future if you click the "Save Password" box on
the sign-on screen. This will save you from having to retype
your password each time you sign on to CompuServe Instant
Messenger. Note, however, that if you select "Save
Password," anyone who has access to your computer can sign
on with your screen name. You can also tell CompuServe
Instant Messenger to automatically launch itself when you
connect to the Internet (either by logging on to your
company's network or by dialing into the Internet access
provider you use from home). On Windows, this is done by
checking the "Auto-login" box on the sign-on screen. On the
Macintosh, this box is called "Sign on at Launch."
Customizing
CompuServe Instant Messenger
You can customize CompuServe Instant Messenger by changing
your Preferences. Set your Preferences by clicking the
"CompuServe Instant Messenger" button found at the bottom
left corner of the main Buddy List window. Select "Options"
and "Edit Preferences." You will see a series of tabs that
control different parts of CompuServe Instant Messenger like
"Sounds," "Privacy," and "My Info." See the CompuServe
Instant Messenger User's Guide (choose "Help" from your
CompuServe Instant Messenger menu) for information about the
specific features you can change.
Getting
Info on Other Users
You can learn more about other CompuServe Instant Messenger
users by clicking on their screen names and then clicking
the "Info" button (found in the lower left corner of the
main window). "Info" will tell you if that person is
currently an Instant Messenger user, what his or her warning
level is, as well as any personal profile information he or
she has available.
Performing
Searches
CompuServe Instant Messenger gives you instant access to CompuServe
Internet Search, the quickest and easiest way to search the Web,
check phone listings, and more. Click "Find" in the lower
right corner of your Buddy List window, choose from "Find a
Person" or "Find a Business," and then click "Go." You'll go
directly to the appropriate section of CompuServe Internet
Search.
Signing
Off and Exiting
To Sign Off, choose "Sign Off" from the CompuServe Instant
Messenger main menu. To exit the program entirely, select
the "Exit" option from the main menu.
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