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Chat
- To send a message that everyone in the room can see, simply type in the box at the bottom of the chat screen,
and push <enter> or click the send button that is to the right of the text box.
- To use the MSN Emoticons, type the command for the
emoticon in the normal text box. You can mix the MSN Emoticons and text messages.
Example: Happy Birthday , Sue! 
- Remember! Send the message only ONCE (don't scroll!), and DO NOT USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS!
Whisper - To send a private message (whisper), you have a couple of options.
- Click on the person's nickname, then click the whisper button
 . The default
settings are set so that a new "whisper box" opens, and allows you to type your message directly in the bottom of the box. Push <enter> or click the send button to send the private message.
- Click on the person's nickname, then use a keyboard combination of <control>
and <W> to open the whisper box. Continue as above.
- Type in the message at the bottom of the chat window as usual, click on the
person's nickname, then click on the whisper button.
- If you receive a whisper and have the separate whisper box enabled (the
default setting), a button will appear at the bottom of your monitor in the taskbar. To view the whisper, simply click on the button, and reply in the
whisper box. You may also hear a sound when you receive a whisper.
- Don't want to answer a whisper? Just close it with the close button or the X
at the top right of the whisper box.
- To stop receiving new whispers, use the Chat Room Options button located in
the blue bar across the top of the chat window, and turn off new whispers. If you don't want to receive whispers at all, turn it off at the very beginning of your chat session.
- Note: Some chatters may not be accepting new whispers, or be ignoring a
chatter so they are unable to see whispers. Don't bother whispering the bot :-)
Ignore
- Maybe the most useful feature of chat! The absolute best way to handle
obnoxious chatters is to ignore them - don't provide an audience or reaction, they'll usually go away!
- When you put a chatter on Ignore, you will not see any public OR private
messages (whispers) from that person as long as they remain in the chat room.
- Click on the person's nickname, then click the Ignore button
 . You can also RIGHT click and select the Ignore option.
- To take a person OFF Ignore, click on the person's nickname and click the
ignore button again, OR right click and remove the ignore feature.
- In most of the MSN created chatrooms, scrolling will put a person on ignore
automatically. Every chatter in the room will have to remove the ignore feature from that individual before their chat is seen again. (And yet another reason not to scroll!).
- Note: Clicking the coffee cup (away feature) repeatedly causes the room to
scroll, and will end up putting the chatter on automatic Ignore in the chat room!
Coffee Cup - Away Feature.  Stepping away from the keyboard for a few minutes? Need to answer the phone or concentrate on a private conversation so you
aren't available for chat? Use the Away Feature!
- To set yourself as "Away", just click the coffee cup that is located just to right of your nickname at the top of the member list. When you return, click it again.
- A coffee cup appears before your nickname in the member listing that other
chatters see, indicating that you have turned on the Away Feature.
- Other members will see a notification of when you set your Away feature, and when you return. Note: Clicking the coffee cup repeatedly causes the room to
scroll, and will end up putting the chatter on automatic Ignore in the chat room! (worth repeating)
- You do have the ability to chat and exchange whispers in the normal mannerwhen you are Away . Your nickname will be lighter in the chatroom,
though, and difficult for others to read. Try to remember to turn off the Away feature when you begin chatting again.
Member Profiles - Theirs Members have the ability to share some information
about themselves that others can view. Guests do not have member profiles. To view a member's profile, which opens in a new window,
- Click on their nickname, then the Profile
 button below the member listing, OR
- Click on their nickname, RIGHT click for the menu, and select the View Profile option
- A whisper box also allows you to view the whisperer's profile from a button contained in the whisper box.
- Just close the member profile window when you are through looking at it with the X in the upper right hand corner.
Member Profiles - Yours You can avoid many of the constant questions
(age/sex/location/marital status), plus introduce yourself a little to attract chatters with the same interests using your public Member Profile. Access your member profile by:
- Clicking on your own nickname at the top of the Member Listing, then the profile button at the bottom of the listing
- Change in Member Settings, which may be accessed from the Chat Home button at the blue bar at the top of the chat screen.
- Your member profile can be changed/updated at any time.
Member Settings - access from the blue bar at the top of the chat area using Chat Home. Change your nickname there, and other preferences. The first time you go
into a MSN chat, you may want to take a look at your member settings to be sure they're what you want!
MSN ChatRadio - requires Windows Media Player. Different chat rooms may offer
different music, but all chatters in an individual room are offered the identical song. Not all rooms have the MSN Radio.
- To start it, click the arrow.
- To turn it off, click the stop button (the square).
- Member settings allow you to choose if the radio automatically begins when
entering a chat that offers it. You'll also be given that option the first time you install the ChatRadio.
Chat Room Options - access the Chat Room Options button in the blue bar immediately above the chat area.
- Set the text formatting of your own typing (which is what other people will
see). Avoid neon colors and wild fonts that others will not be able to view easily, or at all.
- Set the text style for all the chat that YOU will see, or turn off text formatting.
Use this option to make the text easier for you to read.
- Choose if you want to see notifications of people arriving and departing.
- When you just start chatting, you may want to turn the notifications
OFF, which will make your screen scroll slower, and make it easier to follow.
- Choose your whisper options. Turn off new whispers, have them open in a separate window (recommended), and more.
- Choose if you would like to receive sound notifications (applicable to whispers and tagged conversations).
Tag - Follow selected conversations more easily by using the Tag  feature to hightlight chat from users you choose.
- Click on the nickname of the person you want to tag in the member listing.
- Click on the Tag button at the bottom of the member listing.
- As long as that person (or people) are in the chatroom, you will see their public chat preceded by a tag.
- If you have sound notifications selected in the Chat Room Options, you will
also hear a sound when a tagged user makes an entry into the chat.
- To remove a person from the tagged option, just click their nickname, then the tag button again.
- You can also tag and untag a chatter by clicking on their nickname in the
member listing and RIGHT clicking for the mini-menu.
Find a Friend - Allows you to locate other chatters who are online using just part of their nickname.
- Click on the Find A Friend button located in the blue bar above the chat screen, which opens a new window..
- Enter in all or the beginning of your friend's nickname
- A listing of all chatters online who meet your criteria will appear. Check to see
if it's the right person by checking their profile.
- You can choose to join them in their chatroom (if it's not full or private), invite
them to join you in your chatroom (if it's not full), or cancel by closing the Find A Friend window.
Stop Abuse
button in the blue bar provides advice on using the Ignore feature, as
well as a short cut to the Help Desk chatroom and feedback form.
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