Chat Guide
Here are some notes and
graphics that illustrate how to use our Chat Room:
When you open the chat room link in your chosen web browser, the first thing you will see is the log-in box shown below.
The nickname is what displays for you in the chat room. A popular choice
is the user's call sign, optionally with a name or other information
appended. This can be changed at any time during the chat session without
logging off.
The main chat window looks like the image below. Click on it for a larger view.
Your nickname will appear at the left end of the Text Entry Box, just
below the chat window. Click on it if you want to change it, such as to
append extra info, or to indicate status change, such as "away" or "PhoneCall", for example.
On the right is the Online Users Box where all logged-in users appear.
The next image below identifies the details of the Tool Bar that is
below the Text Entry Box. Click on the image for a larger view.
The actions of each tool bar button are also identified when you hold
your mouse pointer over a button during your chat session. It is good
practice to click the disconnect button when you are done with you chat
session.
The sound notification (beep) is intended to let you know when anyone posts new text while your attention is elsewhere. You can silence it using the button shown. Otherwise, you should hear a beep if ALL of the following conditions are satisfied:
- Your computer is able to make sounds (e.g. speakers are on and the correct playback device is selected in software)
- Adobe Flash is not blocked for this chat app (this may depend on your browser settings)
- Your mouse pointer is somewhere other than the text entry box of the chat room. If you are actively using the chat room you can seen new posts as they appear.
As with any web page, you can change the text size by pressing Control + (for larger text) or Control - (for smaller text).
Since this chat app does not use Java, it can be used on mobile devices,
too. Some mobile devices have shown a tendency to time out the chat session after a short period
of inactivity, but resuming the chat
session is quick.
There are many features that we can customize in this chat app. We
invite your comments.
08/27/2016
