AppleTalk Mode

For AppleTalk Mode, a network must be LocalTalk or EtherTalk compatible and AppleTalk must be set to active in Chooser. A welcome to ChatNet login screen appears when ChatNet is launched. It will look similar to this one without any information entered. To use ChatNet on a local area network follow the steps below: 

AppleTalk Login

Step 1. Set the Mode pop-up menu (above Name) to AppleTalk if not already set through Preferences. 

Step 2. To login type a name in the Name box. This may be controlled through ChatGuardian to automatically enter either the Computer Owner Name or Mac Manager user login name (refer to User Preferences-ChatNet User Info).  

Step 3. Click the Login button.
The public Chat Room initially titled “Lobby” is displayed. 

              Note: In AppleTalk Mode the term Rooms is used instead of 
              Channels to be more consistent with online services chat 
              terminology. 

Sending and Receiving a Public Message

Sending a public message is easy to do. By default, the Lobby is the first room available. Since the Lobby is a public room, any message sent while in the Lobby can be seen by anyone currently in the Lobby.

To send a message, begin typing in the message preview area (located at the bottom of the window to the left of the Send Message button). The text in the message preview area can be edited until the Return key is pressed or the Send Message button is clicked. After the message is sent, the message preview area is cleared. The message is sent to all computers currently running ChatNet and the message cannot be changed. A message may contain up to 255 characters.

Sending and Receiving a Private Message

A private message operates exactly like a public message except that only the person you are sending to can see the message. To send a private message, click the Users button or select List All Users… (⌘U) from the File menu. Highlight the desired user and click the Private Message button. A Private Chat Room window opens for both you and the selected user and displays your names in the title bar. Anything that is typed in the message preview area is only seen by the two of you.

Creating New Chat Rooms

Simultaneous conversations can be established by creating additional Chat Rooms. To create a new room, choose Create Chat Room… (⌘N) from the File menu. Type in a name to identify the room and click the Enter button. Try to title your room so that other users that may want to join you will know what your primary subject of conversation is. The front–most window is the only window that text can be typed in the message preview area. Multiple Chat Rooms can be opened simultaneously; however, text can only be typed in the front–most window. To change the front–most window, click once on any part of a room’s window or select the desired room from the Windows menu.

Inviting Other Users to a Chat Room
While in any Chat Room, click the Invite button of the Chat Room window. A User List window is displayed. Highlight each user you want to invite from the list of users and then click the Invite button. 

The Invitation Message screen appears. Type in an invitation message and click the Invite button.

The users receiving the invitation will have  the choice to Accept or  Decline the invitation. 

If the Accept button is clicked, the Chat Room is automatically entered. If the Decline button is clicked, the invitation is canceled.

Joining Chat Rooms
Anyone can join a public room while a conversation is in progress. To enter a public Chat Room, choose List Chat Rooms… (⌘R) from the File menu. Clicking the Rooms button of a Chat Room can also display the Chat Room List window. Select the desired room and click the Enter button. To view a list of the users in a highlighted room, click the Users button on the Chat Room List window.

Ignoring Users
If someone is causing a disturbance in a Chat Room by saying things you do not like, you may ignore that user. Click the Users button, highlight the offending user, and click the Ignore button. The word (Ignored) is appended after the user’s name on your Users List. Any text that user sends will not be displayed on your computer. Choosing Ignore also stops invitations, file transfer requests, and private messages from that user to you. 

To stop ignoring a user, click the Users button again, highlight the user and click the Ignore button. The word (Ignored) is removed after the user’s name. Ignoring will be turned off and the user can communicate to you again.

Hidden Chat Rooms

Creating a hidden Chat Room is very similar to creating a public room. To create a hidden Chat Room, choose Create Chat Room… (⌘N) from the File menu. Type in a name to identify the room and click the Hide Chat Room box. Click the Enter button. The hidden Chat Room has braces around its name in the title bar. This is a reminder that the Chat Room is not visible to any one who has not been invited. To invite users to the Hidden Chat Room refer to Inviting Other Users to a Chat Room.

When the Chat Room List is displayed, hidden Chat Rooms do not appear in the list. Users cannot enter a hidden Chat Room unless they are invited by someone already in the hidden room or they know the exact name of the room. All other features of a hidden Chat Room work identically to a public room.

Sending and Receiving Files

ChatNet allows files to be transferred from one user to another user. To send a file to a user who is in a public or hidden room with you, click the Users button or choose Send File… (⌘S) from the File menu. Highlight the user to receive the file and click the Send File button. A dialog box opens to allow a file to be selected. Navigate through the file directory and highlight the file to send. Click the Select button. Users can chat and perform other operations while the file is being sent.

If you are in a private Chat Room, a file may be sent directly to the other person by clicking the Send File button.

Once a file has been selected to be sent, a File Transfer window is displayed on the sender’s screen and a Save dialog is displayed on the receiver’s screen. The sender’s File Transfer window will display “Waiting for receiver” until the receiver selects a place to save the file or cancels the transfer.

To accept an incoming file from another user, navigate within the Save dialog and click the Save button to begin file transfer. To decline the file transfer, click the Cancel button. Once the file is accepted, a File Transfer window is displayed on the receiver’s screen. The estimated time for the file transfer and a percentage completion indicator are displayed. When the file transfer is completed a window is displayed noting the successful transmission. A voice says “file done.” Click OK to close the window.

           Note: Network traffic is always being evaluated to adjust file transfer 
            speeds. This makes ChatNet’s file transfer protocol as efficient as
            possible without slowing down the entire network. 

            Note: All file transfers and message text are encrypted before they 
             are sent over the network, preventing someone with a network            
             snooping device or program from capturing any files or
             text messages. 

Logging Off

Selecting Logoff (⌘-L) from the File menu allows a user to exit all Chat Rooms and return to the login screen enabling another user to login.