  Chat Options (Personal Info tab)


Provides a space for you to type your real name. Your name is displayed in the list of users on the chat server in the User List dialog box.


Provides a space for you to type your nickname.

Microsoft Chat uses your nickname to identify you to other people inside a chat room.


Provides a space for you to type information about yourself.

If other people ask Microsoft Chat for your personal profile, they will see this information.


  Create Chat Room dialog


Provides a space for you to describe the room’s topic.

The topic description appears in the Chat Room List dialog box next to the room’s name.


Specifies whether the room is moderated.

In a moderated chat room, only a room host and the speakers the host designates can send messages. All other room members are spectators. Only a room host can select this box.


Specifies whether anyone, or only a room host, can set the room’s topic. Only a room host can select this box.


Specifies whether an invitation from the room host is required to enter the room. Only a room host can select this box.


Specifies that only people in this chat room will see the room in the Chat Room List dialog box. Only a room host can select this box.


Specifies whether information about who is inside the room is available to people outside the room. Only a room host can select this box.


Specifies whether the number of people allowed into the room is limited. After selecting the Set maximum users check box, type the greatest number of people allowed. Only a room host can select this box.


  Chat Options (Comics View tab)


Specifies the number of comic strip panels to be displayed in a single row.


   Chat Options (Settings tab)


Specifies whether Microsoft Chat-specific information will be sent to the people you're talking to. This feature is useful when chatting with members using text-only chat programs.


Specifies whether you want to be prompted to save a copy of your conversation whenever you close a Microsoft Chat window.


Specifies whether you want to be able to receive whispers.

Whispers are messages that only you and the person who sent the message can see.


   Chat Options (Character tab)


Lists the available cartoon characters. Click a character to see what he, she, or it looks like.


Displays the cartoon character you selected from the character list, with the expression you selected by using the emotion wheel.


Adjusts the cartoon character’s expression.

You can drag the large black dot around the emotion wheel to change the character’s expressions.


   Chat Options, Text View tab, Set Font Text dialog


Lists the available fonts.


Lists the available styles for the selected font.


Lists the available point sizes for the selected font.


Displays what the text will look like after the selected font options are applied.


Lists the available foreign-language support installed on your computer.


   Chat Options (Background tab)


Lists the available cartoon backgrounds.

Click a background to see what it looks like.


Displays the selected background.


  Room List dialog


Provides a space for you to type words or a portion of a word that matches all or part of the room name you are looking for in the Room list.

Only room titles with words that match will appear in the Chat Room List dialog box.


Specifies whether you also want to search the Topic list for the words you typed in the Display chat rooms that contain box.

Only rooms that have titles or topics with words that match will appear in the Chat Room List dialog box.


Updates the Chat Room list by asking the chat server for a current list of rooms.


Takes you to the selected room.


Creates a new chat room.

You automatically become the host of rooms you create.


  Chat Connection dialog (Connection tab)


Lists the available chat rooms you've added to your Favorites list.


Provides a space for you to type the name of a chat server you want to connect to.


Specifies that you want to enter a particular chat room and provides a space for you to type its name.


Specifies that you want to see a current list of every chat room that is available on the server.


  Invite dialog


Provides a space for you to type the nicknames of people you want to invite into the room.


  Kick dialog


Provides a space for you to type the reason you are removing someone temporarily from the room.

Microsoft Chat displays your reason to everyone in the room. “Kicking someone out” is effective only until the person rejoins the room.


Specifies whether you also want to ban the person you are kicking out of the room.

A banned person cannot re-enter the room until you remove the ban or until the room is recreated, at which time the ban list is cleared.


Provides a space for you to select or type the identity of the person you want to ban or readmit to the chat room.


Specifies that you want to ban the person whose name appears in the Person to ban or unban box. Only a room host can select this box.


Specifies that you want to remove the ban from the person whose name appears in the Person to ban or unban box. Only a room host can select this box.


  Chat Options, Settings tab


Provides a space for you to type the locations of your sound files. Microsoft Chat can send or play only sounds it finds in these folders. You can list several folders, separated by semicolons—for example, c:\windows\media; c:\windows .


Specifies whether to show the arrival and departure of people from your room.


  Chat Options, Text View tab


Specifies that a blank line should appear between each message in text-only mode.


Specifies that a blank line should appear between messages that are not of the same type in text-only mode.

Actions, thoughts, and whispers are examples of different message types.


Specifies that a blank line should not appear between messages in text-only mode.


Click this to change the fonts used to display messages on your computer.


Resets the fonts used to display messages to their default settings.


Specifies whether to display room host message headers with a bold font.


Specifies whether to display room host messages with a bold font.


  User List


Specifies that you want to search for every person connected to the server.


Lists the nickname and identity of every person that matches the search criteria you specified.


Specifies that you want to search for every person having a nickname that contains the text you type in the Names containing box.


Specifies that you want to search for every person with an identity that contains the text you type in the Names containing box.


Invites the person you selected from the Nickname list to enter the current room you are in.


Opens the Whisper Box, where you can whisper to the person you selected from the Nickname list.

Whispers are messages that can be seen only by the person sending the message and the person receiving it.


   Set Text Font dialog  (???--not hooked up, or if hooked up, not exactly this text??)


Specifies whether a line is drawn through the selected font.


Specifies whether the selected font is underlined.


Lists the available colors for the selected font.


Shows how the different message and header types will look.


Lists the available message and header types.


  Play Sound dialog


Lists the available sound files.


Provides a space for you to type a message that will be sent with the selected sound.


Plays the selected sound.


  Chat Options, Settings tab


Specifies whether you want to be able to receive invitations to join other chat rooms.


  Chat Options, Auto tab


Specifies that you do not want to automatically send greetings to people as they enter the room.


Specifies that you want to automatically send a whispered greeting to individuals as they enter the room. Type the message you want whispered in the text box.


Specifies that you want to automatically send a greeting as people enter the room. Type the message you want sent in the text box. Everyone in the room will see the greeting.


Provides a space for you to type a message that will automatically be sent to people as they enter the room. You can use variables for the name and room as indicated in the sample text.


Lists the available key combinations you can use to run a macro. Select a key combination, and then type the message you want to associate with it in the text box.


Provides a space for you to type a message you want sent whenever you press the key combination associated with it.


Provides a space for you to type a name for a macro you create. A macro consists of a message you type plus the key combination associated with it.


Saves the macro identified in the Name box. You must add the macro before you can use it.


Deletes the macro identified in the Name box. You need to select the macro in the Key combination box before deleting it.


  Chat Options, Personal Info tab


Provides a space for you to type your e-mail address. The e-mail address must be in the format name@company—for example, someone@microsoft.com.

If other members want to send you e-mail, Microsoft Chat provides this e-mail address.


Provides a space for you to type the URL (address) for your World Wide Web home page.

If other members want to view your Web page, Microsoft Chat provides this URL.


  Chat Options, Settings tab


Specifies whether to display the identity of each of the members when they enter the chat room (Text View only).


Specifies whether to play sounds sent by other members.


Specifies whether you want to be notified of incoming Microsoft NetMeeting calls. If you clear this check box, your computer ignores other members’ attempts to place a NetMeeting call to you.


  Room List


Specifies that you want to display only rooms that are registered.

Rooms are usually registered by the administrator of the chat server or the Internet service provider. Administrators can choose not to register rooms that might contain objectionable or offensive names or topics.

By displaying only registered rooms, you might avoid objectionable or offensive chat rooms.


Provides a space for you to type the smallest chat room you want to display in the Chat Room list.


Provides a space for you to type the largest chat room you want to display in the Chat Room list.


Provides a space for you to type the name of the room you want to create.


Provides a space for you to type a password that others must use to access this chat room. The password is case-sensitive, so members must type the password with the same characters and the same case as you have typed them.


Specifies whether you want to be notified when someone attempts to send you a file. If you do, Microsoft Chat will ask you whether you want to receive the file and where you want to store it on your computer. If you clear this check box, your computer ignores other members’ attempts to send you files.


Specifies whether rich text formatting (for example, color, bold, and italic) in a sent message is displayed in Comics view. If this box is selected and the message sent to you has been formatted, it will be displayed as such. Otherwise, all messages in Comics view are displayed in a uniform format.


Specifies that you want Chat to automatically ignore a person who sends a flood of messages (multiple lines of text sent in rapid succession). You define exactly what constitutes a flood by setting Message Count and Interval.


Specifies the number of messages that constitute a flood.


Specifies the interval in seconds at which the number of messages specified above must be sent to constitute flooding.


Connects you to the same chat room as the person whose nickname you have selected.


Displays a message published by the chat server you are connecting to. The message typically contains information about server status and other news.


Specifies that you want to display the Message of the Day from the chat server each time you connect to the server.


Specifies whether you want the speaker's name on one line and the message on the next. If you clear the check box, the speaker’s name appears on the same line as the message.


Help is available for each item in this group. Click [image] at the top of the dialog box, and then click the specific item you want information about.


Provides a space for you to type a message that is sent to all of the rooms you are in, indicating that you are away. Your icon in the list of members changes to a teacup.


Provides a way to help you control the types of content that your computer can access on the Internet.


Click this to turn Content Advisor on and off.


Click this to modify the Content Advisor settings.


Specifies whether your name appears in the list of all the users on the server.


  New buttons or text boxes in Chat 2.5


Specifies whether a character not currently on your computer is automatically downloaded to it.

Note: The character must be created for Microsoft Chat version 2.5. If the user has a character that was created for an earlier version of Chat, it will not be downloaded.


Specifies whether a background not currently on your computer is automatically downloaded to it.

Note: The background must be created for Microsoft Chat version 2.5. If the user has a background created for an earlier version of Chat, it will not be downloaded.


Specifies whether you want to appear in other people’s user lists. If you clear this option, your name will appear in your user list, but others will not see you in their user lists.


Brings up the directory listing, so you can choose to add a directory to the sound search path.

Opens the Windows folder specified in the path so that you can go to the folder that contains the sounds you want.


Displays the copyright information for the selected character or background.


Lists the members in the selected room. If the room is a private room, then none of the members will be listed.


Specifies that you want to connect to the server without joining a room.


Provides a space to type the nickname or identity text that you want to search for. Click Nickname or Identity to allow the entry of search text in this box.


Specifies that you want to search for all the members of the room entered in the Room box.


Provides a space to type the name of a specific room, all of whose users you want to search for. Click Room to allow text entry in this box.


Provides a space to type a sound file name (or a portion of it) that you want to search for in the list. Only the sounds that start with the letters in this text box will appear in the list below.


  Chat Options, Servers tab


Specifies the name of the chat network that you want to create or modify. The user can select a network from the drop-down list or add a network to the list by typing its name in the box. You can add servers to the network by entering them in the Servers text box.


Specifies the names of the servers that comprise the selected network and whose settings you may want to modify. You can add a new server to the selected network by entering its name here and clicking Add.


Specifies the port number for the server selected in the Servers list. Most chat servers use port 6667 by default. If you cannot connect to the server, it could be for one of several reasons: The server may be down, the server may use a different port, or a firewall may not allow you to connect to the port number of the chat server. If you cannot connect to the chat server, you should contact your network administrator.


Removes the selected network from the network list.


Adds the network you typed in the Network box to the network list.


Adds the server you type in the Server box to the network displayed in the Network box.


Removes the selected server from the network displayed in the Network box.


Specifies that the user will log on anonymously to the selected server if possible. For some servers, you may be required to enter the user’s name and password in a separate dialog box.


Specifies that the user must connect to the selected server with a username and password, which must be obtained from the server administrator. Most chat servers do not require a password and username.


Provides a place to type the username that the selected server will require.


Provides a place to type the password that the selected server will require.


Specifies whether Microsoft Chat remembers the password for you the next time you connect to the server.


  Automation, Logon Notifications tab


Provides a place to type part or all of the nickname of the user whose presence on the selected server you want to be notified of. To see a user's logon information, on the Member menu, click Get Identity. The nickname is given first: “<Nickname>“'s identity: <Username>@<netaddress>


Provides a place to type part or all of the user name of the user whose presence on the selected server you want to be notified of. To see a user's logon information, on the Member menu, click Get Identity. The username immediately precedes the @ symbol in the logon information: “<Nickname>“'s identity: <Username>@<netaddress>


Provides a place to type part or all of the net address of the user whose presence on the selected server you want to be notified of. The net address can be either an Internet service provider or an IP address from which the user connects. To see a user's logon information, on the Member menu, click Get Identity. The net address immediately follows the @ symbol: “<Nickname>“'s identity: <Username>@<netaddress>


Specifies which server or network both you and the specified user need to be on at the same time for you to receive notification of the user's presence on the network. You can select from the list or type the name of a server or network.


Adds the notification definition to the list. At least one of the user identity fields must be something other than Any.


Modifies the selected current notification according to the changes you have made in the user identity.


Deletes the selected current notification.


  Automation, Rule Sets tab


Saves the current changes without closing the dialog box.


Lists all active and inactive rule sets. Rule sets are used to group rules, allowing you to activate or deactivate a group of rules at once. For example, you can use one rule set for one room and another for another room. Click to check a rule set and make it active.


Click to create a new rule set.


Click to rename the selected rule set.


Click to delete the selected rule set.


Click to move the selected rule set upward in the list. Rule sets are performed according to their order in the Current Rule Sets list.


Click to move the selected rule set downward in the list. Rule sets are performed according to their order in the Current Rule Sets list.


Click to save the selected rule set on your computer in a rule set file with a .crs extension.


Click to locate a rule set file and add it to the current list of rule sets.


  Automation, Rules tab


Lists all the inactive and active rule sets.


Lists all the inactive and active rules in the selected rule set. Click to check the box next to a rule to activate it.


Specifies the number of times that a rule in general can be performed within the time you set.


Opens the Edit Rule dialog box, where you can define a rule to add to the selected rule set.


Opens the Edit Rule dialog box, where you can edit the selected rule.


Deletes the selected rule.


Duplicates the selected rule and adds it to the selected rule set.


Opens the Add to Rule Sets dialog box, where you can add the selected rule to one of your other rule sets.


Click to move the selected rule upward in the list. Rules are performed according to their list order in the Rules of selected set.


Click to move the selected rule downward in the list. Rules are performed according to their list order in the Rules of selected set.


  Automation, Rules tab, Advanced Rules Settings


Specifies the number of times any rule will be performed within the time interval specified before it stops.


Specifies the length of the interval within which a rule can be performed the specified number of times before it stops.


  Automation, Rules tab, Edit Rule dialog box


See the Description at the bottom of the Edit Rule dialog box for how to define a rule. For more information, refer to “Rules Reference” in the Help Topics.


See the Description at the bottom of the Edit Rule dialog box for a description of each parameter when you click it. For syntax information, refer to “Rules Reference” in the Help Topics.


Specifies the number of seconds that elapse between the event and its specified action.


Specifies that rules and rule sets subsequent to this action in the rules and rule sets lists will not be performed. Should this event occur again, the specified action will be performed, but the processing of rules stops with this one.


Specifies whether an event involving a message must match the message parameter typed in the Message box in case (uppercase and lowercase) or in whole words to trigger the event.


Select one or more rule sets to which you want to add the rule above.


Allows you to specify a user whose presence on the network you want to be notified of.


Opens the Whisper Box , in which you can “whisper” to the selected person.


Invites the person you selected from the notification list.


Connects you to the same chat room as the person whose nickname you have selected.


Updates the logon notifications list.


Clears the logon notifications list.


Introducing Microsoft Chat

Microsoft Chat is the only Internet chat program that gives you the option of conversing inside a comic strip. As with a standard chat program, you can enter a chat room on an Internet server and conduct real-time conversations with other people. But with Microsoft Chat, you can also pick a cartoon character to represent you, in which case your conversation appears as word balloons inside the frames of a comic strip. As a cartoon character, you can express a wide range of emotions, send "thoughts," whisper to a single recipient, and save the chat session for offline viewing.

You can also use Microsoft Chat to:

Send hyperlinks—for e-mail addresses, Web pages, FTP sites, and newsgroups—in your conversation.

Send and receive requests to play sounds.

Send and receive files.

Use another program, such as Microsoft NetMeeting, to communicate using video and audio outside the chat room with a chat room member, while also conversing in the chat room with them.

Save or print your chat conversation for publication or offline viewing.

Filter which chat rooms are displayed on your computer by size, content, or ratings.

Host your own chat rooms, and control access, size, and content.

Create rules that automate Chat’s response to certain events.

Note

For more information on Microsoft NetMeeting, go to the NetMeeting Web site.


Getting started with Microsoft Chat

Microsoft Chat provides a place for you to talk with other people on the Internet, using either text or cartoon characters to convey your thoughts. To get started, you must have an Internet connection, which links you to a computer (that is, a server) that contains chat rooms. You follow these basic steps to enter into a chat:

Log onto a chat server.

Select the room you want to go to on that server.

Start typing a chat message.

The following topics explain how you get started using cartoon characters to talk in a comic strip.

Basic setup

  Provide information about yourself

  Choose a character

  Choose a comic background

  Connect to a chat server

Chatting with someone

  Finding a chat room to join

  Enter a chat room

Exiting a chat room

  Leave a chat room

  Save a conversation


Providing information about yourself
To provide information about yourself

1	On the View menu, click Options.

2	In the Nickname box, type a name you’d like to be known by.

3	In the Brief description of yourself box, type something that you’d like other people to know about you. This information appears when other people request your profile.

Tips

You can make it easy for others to send you e-mail or visit your World Wide Web home page by including your e-mail address and home page URL (address) in your personal information.

For Help on an item, click  [image]  at the top of the dialog box, and then click the item.

 Related Topics


Choosing a character
To choose a character

1	Make sure you are in comics mode. (On the View menu, Comic Strip must be marked.)

2	On the View menu, click Options, and then click the Character tab.

3	In the Character list, click the character you want. Your character appears in the Preview area.

Tip

To see your character show different emotions, drag the black dot in the center of the emotion wheel to different positions.

 Related Topics


Choosing a comic background
To choose a comic background

1	Make sure you are in comics mode. (On the View menu, Comic Strip must be marked.)

2	On the View menu, click Options, and then click the Background tab.

3	In the Background list, click the background you want. The background you select appears in the Preview area.


Connecting to a chat server
To connect to a chat server

1	Establish a connection to the Internet via your modem or a local area network.

2	On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Internet Explorer, and then click Microsoft Chat.

3	In the Chat Connection dialog box, type or select the name of the chat server or chat network in the Server box.

4	Choose the way you want to connect to the server:

To go directly to a chat room, click Go to chat room, and type the name of the chat room.

To select from a list of rooms on the server, click Show all available chat rooms.

To connect to a server but join a room later, click Just connect to server.

If this is the first time you are using Chat, you should indicate your personal information, your character choice, and a comic background on the other tabs in the Chat Connection dialog box. For more information, click Related Topics below.

Note

If Microsoft Chat is already open, you can click the Room menu and then click Connect to connect to a chat server.

 Related Topics


Customizing comic strip text

You can change the look of the text in the comic strip balloons in a number of ways:

  Change the comic strip font

  Format message text

  Display rich text in the comic strip


Changing the comic strip font
To change the comic strip font

1	Make sure you are in comics mode. (On the View menu, Comic Strip must be marked.)

2	On the View menu, click Options.

3	On the Comics View tab, click Change Font.

4	Click the font and other settings that you want.

Tips

You can view formatted text (for example, bold or colored) in the comic strip by selecting the Show rich text formatting check box. For more information, click Related Topics below.

For Help on an item, click  [image]  at the top of the dialog box, and then click the item.

 Related Topics


Formatting message text
To format message text

In your message, select the text you want to format, and then use one or more of the commands on the Format menu to add these effects:

Color (choose from the palette)

Bold

Italic

Underline

Fixed pitch font

Symbol font (Σψμβολ φοντ)


Displaying rich text
To display rich text on your computer

1	Make sure you are in comics mode. (On the View menu, Comic Strip must be marked.)

2	On the View menu, click Options.

3	On the Comics View tab, select the Show rich text formatting check box.

Notes

Earlier versions of Microsoft Chat cannot display rich text.

If the Show rich text formatting check box is clear, you can still send formatted text, but you will not see it in your own comic strip.


Chatting using text only
To chat using text only

1	On the View menu, click Plain Text.

2	In the text box at the bottom of the window, type what you want to say, and then click one of the buttons to the right of the text box or press ENTER.

If you click this	Your message appears with your nickname, followed by
	Say	The word "says" and your message.
	Think	The word "thinks" and your message.
	Whisper	The words "whispers to" and the other person's nickname and your message. The message is sent only to people you have selected in the list of members.
	Action	Your message displayed in italics.
	Play Sound	Your message and the name of the sound file. Other chat members must have that sound file on their computers in order to hear it.
 Related Topics


Changing fonts used in text-only conversations
To change fonts used in text-only conversations

1	On the View menu, click Options.

2	On the Text View tab, click Change Font.

3	In the Choose a message type to change its font list, click a message type.

Examples of message types and their current font settings appear in the box below the list.

4	Click the font and other settings that you want.

Tip

For Help on an item, click  [image]  at the top of the dialog box, and then click the item.

 Related Topics


Finding a chat room to join

You can find chat rooms to join on a chat server by looking through the room list for a chat room or by typing the name of a specific chat room. You can even look for a specific person on the server and join them in the room they are in. And when you find a chat room you'd like to return to, you can add it to your Favorites list.

If you don't find anything you like on your current chat server, you can disconnect from it and connect to a different chat server to check out its chat rooms. Or, depending on the chat server, you may be able to start and host your own chat room.

The following are strategies for finding a chat room:

  Enter a chat room

  Find other people

  Add a chat room to your Favorites list

  Host your own chat room


Entering a chat room
To enter a chat room

1	On the File menu, click New Connection.

2	In the Server box, type or select the name of the server that contains the chat room you want to enter (for example, mschat.msn.com).

3	If you know the name of the chat room you want to go to, click Go to chat room, and then type the name of the chat room you want to enter. If you type the name of a chat room that does not exist, Microsoft Chat creates a new chat room with that name.

If you want to pick a chat room from the room list, click Show all available chat rooms. You may be able to screen out chat rooms that contain inappropriate or offensive names or topics by selecting the Show only registered rooms check box. The Internet service provider or system administrator registers the rooms, so whether inappropriate material slips through depends on how closely they monitor names and topics.

Tips

To find a specific chat room by room name, type a word or a portion of a word in the Display chat rooms that contain box, attempting to match all or part of the room name you are looking for. If you also want to search chat room topics, select the Also search in room topics check box.

You can be in more than one chat room at a time as long as the chat rooms are on the same chat server. If you want to participate in a second chat on a different server, you must open another instance of Microsoft Chat.

For Help on an item, click  [image]  at the top of the dialog box, and then click the item.

 Related Topics


Entering a favorite chat room
To enter a favorite chat room

On the Favorites menu, click the room that you want to enter.

 Related Topics


Hosting your own chat room

If you cannot find a chat room that's just right for you, it's easy to create and host your own. When you host your own chat room, you can decide the topic, control access, and limit the number of members in the chat room. You can even kick out or ban members who are disruptive or offensive.

   Create a chat room

   Customize your chat room

   Allow others to host your chat room

   Ban someone from a chat room

   Kick someone out of a room temporarily


Creating a chat room
To create a chat room

1	On the Room menu, click Create Room.

2	Type a name for the chat room.

You can also type a description of the chat topic for your room in the Topic box, but it is not required. The topic description appears in the Chat Room List dialog box next to the room name.

Note

You automatically become the host of any room you create.

 Related Topics


Customizing your chat room
To customize your chat room

You must be the host of a room to customize it.

On the Room menu, click Room Properties, and then select the room properties you want.

Tip

For Help on an item, click  [image]  at the top of the dialog box, and then click the item.

 Related Topics


Allowing others to host your chat room
To allow others to host your chat room

1	In the list of members, select the person you want to make a host.

2	On the Member menu, point to Host, and then click Host.

Notes

Only a chat room host can select other people to become hosts.

A chat room can have any number of hosts, all of whom are able to change room properties.

 Related Topics


Kicking someone out of a chat room temporarily
To kick someone out of a chat room temporarily

1	In the list of members, select the person you want to "kick out" (remove temporarily).

2	On the Member menu, point to Host, and then click Kick.

3	In the Why are you kicking (nickname) box, type the reason you are removing the person from the chat room. This reason will appear to other members of the room.

Notes

Kicking someone out does not prevent them from re-entering the chat room. If you want to ban someone permanently, click Related Topics below.

Only a chat room host can kick someone out of a room.

 Related Topics


Banning someone from a chat room permanently
To ban someone from a chat room permanently

Banning someone prevents that person from re-entering the room until you "unban" them.

1	In the list of members, select the person you want to ban.

2	On the Member menu, point to Host, and then click Ban / Unban.

Notes

Only a chat room host can ban someone from a room.

If everyone leaves the room and then someone creates the room again, the ban list will be clear.

 Related Topics


Removing the ban on someone
To remove the ban on someone

1	On the Member menu, point to Host, and then click Ban / Unban.

2	Select the name of the banned person from the list, and click Unban.


Sending automatic greetings to new members
To send automatic greetings to new room members

You must be a host to send automatic greetings.

1	On the View menu, click Automation.

2	Click the General tab.

3	In the Automatic greeting area, select how you want to send the greeting.
To send the greeting only to the person entering the room, click Whisper it.
To send the greeting to everyone in the room each time someone new enters, click Say it.

4	In the text box, type the message you want to send.

Tips

You can use the special text %Nickname% and %Room% to personalize your greeting. Microsoft Chat substitutes the person’s nickname wherever it finds %Nickname% and your room’s name wherever it finds %Room%.

For Help on an item, click  [image]  at the top of the dialog box, and then click the item.

 Related Topics


Keeping backgrounds in sync
To keep everyone’s backgrounds in sync

On the Member menu, point to Host, and then click Sync Backgrounds.

From this point on, the background in the comic strip will be the one you, the host, have chosen, overriding the individual choices of the other room members.


Finding other people
To find other people

1	On the Member menu, click User List.

2	In the Search for area, define what you want to search for. To narrow down the search, you can type text to search for in the Names containing or Room box.

3	Click the Search button.

Tips

If a person is listed in the User List dialog box, you can send invitations to them, whisper to them, or join them in their chat room by clicking the appropriate button at the bottom of the dialog box.

You can click the column headings in the User List to organize the listing alphabetically by room name, real name, identity, or nickname.

For Help on an item, click  [image]  at the top of the dialog box, and then click the item.

 Related Topics


Getting information about other people
To get information about other people

When you are in a chat room, right-click a member, and then click Get Profile.

This information appears only on your screen.

 Related Topics


Chatting inside a comic strip
To chat inside a comic strip

1	On the View menu, click Comic Strip.

2	In the text box at the bottom of the window, type what you want to say, and then click one of the buttons to the right of the text box or press ENTER.

If you click this	Your message appears like this
	Say	Inside a word balloon.
	Think	Inside a word balloon with "thought" bubbles leading to it.
	Whisper	Inside a word balloon surrounded by a dotted line. The message is sent only to people you’ve selected in the list of members.
	Action	Inside a box across the top of the comic-strip pane. Your message begins with your nickname.
	Play Sound	Inside a box across the top of the comic-strip pane. It begins with your nickname, followed by your message and the name of the sound file. Other chat members must have that sound file on their computers in order to hear it.
Tip

If you select someone in the list of members before sending a message, Microsoft Chat poses your character to appear to be talking directly to the other character.

 Related Topics


Using sounds with Chat
Sending and receiving sounds with Chat

You may want to use sound to accent the messages you send. You cannot actually send a sound file, but rather a request to play a sound file, specifically .wav or .mid files, located on the recipient’s computer. Conversely, if someone wants to include a sound with their message to you, the sound file must already be located on your computer.

When Windows was installed on your computer, several sound files were also installed. Most Microsoft Chat users will have a similar set of files on their computers also. When you send or receive a request for a sound, Chat is limited to the .wav or .mid files in the folder you have specified.

The following topics provide more information:

  Send sounds to other people

  Specify where sounds are located on your computer


Sending sounds to other people
To send sounds to other people

1	Click the Play Sound button at the bottom of the Microsoft Chat window.

2	In the Sound file list, click the sound file you want other people to hear.

To scroll the list to match what you type, enter the name of the sound file in the Show files matching box.

3	In the Accompanying message box, type a message to send with the sound you selected.

Notes

To hear your sound before you send it, click Test.

Other people can hear sound files only if the files are already on their computers. For more information, click Related Topics below.

 Related Topics


Specifying where sounds are located on your computer
To specify where sound files are located on your computer

1	On the View menu, click Options.

2	Click the Settings tab.

3	In the Sound search path box, type the location on your computer where you want Microsoft Chat to look for sound (.wav or .mid) files.

You can have Chat look in more than one folder for sound files. Click the button to the right of the Sound search path box to search for directories to add to the list. Separate each directory with semicolons—for example, c:\windows; c:\windows\media.

 Related Topics


Whispering to other people
To whisper to other people

1	In the list of members, select the people you want to whisper to. To select more than one name, press and hold down the CTRL key while you click.

2	In the text box at the bottom of the window, type what you want to say, and then click the Whisper button.

Your message appears only to the people you selected.

Tip

You can also send whispered messages by using the Whisper Box. This enables you to keep track of several whispered conversations at the same time. For more information, click Related Topics below.

 Related Topics


Changing a character's emotion
To change a character’s emotion

Drag the black dot in the center of the emotion wheel around the wheel. The closer to the edge of the wheel you move the dot, the stronger the emotion.

You can choose eight different emotions for your character:

Shouting	Angry
Happy	Laughing
Bored	Scared
Sad	Coy
The pane above the emotion wheel displays your character's current emotion.

Tip

Not all characters can display the full range of emotions.

You can also press the TAB key to get to the emotion wheel, and then use the four arrow keys to move the black dot around the wheel.

 Related Topics


Freezing a character's emotion
To freeze a character's emotion

Right-click your character in the self-view pane and then click Frozen. The expression will not change until you click Frozen again or drag the black dot in the emotion wheel to a different location, at which time this new emotion is frozen.

Freezing an emotion is useful if you want to lock one of several neutral expressions (if your character has more than one), or avoid the default expressions associated with various grammatical structures (click Related Topics).

 Related Topics


Using character gestures
To use character gestures

When you begin a sentence with these words	Your character does this
I	Points to himself or herself
You	Points to the other person
Hello or Hi	Waves
Bye	Waves
Welcome	Waves
Howdy	Waves
When your sentence contains these words	Your character does this
are you	Points to the other person
will you	Points to the other person
did you	Points to the other person
aren't you	Points to the other person
don't you	Points to the other person
I'm	Points to himself or herself
I will	Points to himself or herself
I’ll	Points to himself or herself
I am	Points to himself or herself
When you type this	Your character displays this emotion
All capitals	Shouting
!!!	Shouting
ROTFL ("roll on the floor laughing")	Laughing
LOL ("laugh out loud")	Laughing
:)  or  :-)	Happy
:(  or  :-(	Sad
;-)	Coy
 Related Topics


Leaving a chat room
To leave a chat room

On the Room menu, click Leave Room.

After you leave a room, you are still connected to the chat server.


Saving a conversation
To save a conversation

1	On the File menu, click Save.

2	Double-click the folder you want to save the conversation in.

3	In the File name box, type a name for the conversation, and then click Save.

Tips

When you are in Plain Text view, you can save a conversation as an .rtf (Rich Text Format) file. All character formatting is saved, including font, color, size, and style.

By saving conversation files offline, you can view and print chat-room sessions and share them with your friends.

 Related Topics


Creating rules

You can determine Chat’s responses to various events by establishing rules. For example, when a friend joins a chat room, you can make certain things happen—have a sound played on your computer or send your friend a whisper, for example. In fact, you can set up a sequence of rules that follow one another. In this way, you can customize the way that Chat works for you.

To start creating rules, you must first create a rule set, and then you create rules to put in the set:

  Create a new rule set

  Create a new rule

  Base a new rule on an existing one

  Edit an existing rule

  Delete a rule


Creating a new rule
To create a new rule

1	On the View menu, click Automation.

2	On the Rules tab, select the name of the rule set to which you want to add a rule.

3	Click Add Rule, and select an event from the drop-down list.

4	Define the specific details of the event by selecting a parameter option or specifying one of your own.

5	Select the action that should occur in response to this event, and define its parameters.

For descriptions of the various parameters associated with each action and each event, see the Rules Reference.

Tips

You can delay the action that results when the event occurs by specifying the seconds you want to elapse in Delay action by __ seconds.

You can stop any further action that may be set to occur in subsequent rules by selecting the Do not process subsequent rules check box.

 Related Topics


Basing a new rule on an existing one
To base a new rule on an existing one

1	On the View menu, click Automation.

2	On the Rules tab, select the rule set that contains the rule you want to add, and then select the rule.

3	Click Duplicate Rule.

Now you can edit the rule to make it unique.

 Related Topics


Editing rule
To edit a rule

1	On the View menu, click Automation.

2	On the Rules tab, select the rule set that contains the rule you want to edit, and then select the rule.

3	Click Edit Rule, and make your changes.

Consult the Rules Reference for descriptions of the actions, events, and their various parameters.

 Related Topics


Deleting a rule
To delete a rule

1	On the View menu, click Automation.

2	On the Rules tab, select the rule set that contains the rule you want to add, and then select the rule you want to delete.

3	Click Delete Rule.


Creating rule sets

Rules can be grouped into sets to give you more control over their application. For example, you may want a set of rules to be specific to a certain room or a certain server.

  Create a new rule set

  Add an existing rule to a set

  Rename a rule set

  Delete a rule set


Creating a new rule set
To create a new rule set

1	On the View menu, click Automation.

2	On the Rule Sets tab, click Create Set.

3	In the Creating Rule Set dialog box, type the rule set name.

 Related Topics


Adding a rule to a set
To add an existing rule to a set

1	On the View menu, click Automation.

2	On the Rules tab, select the rule set that contains the rule you want to add, and then select the rule.

3	Click Add to Sets.

4	In the Add to Rule Sets dialog box, select one or more of the rule sets to which you want to add this rule.

 Related Topics


Renaming a rule set
To rename a rule set

1	On the View menu, click Automation.

2	On the Rule Sets tab, select the rule set you want to rename, and click Rename Set.

3	Type the new name.


Deleting a rule set
To delete a rule set

1	On the View menu, click Automation.

2	On the Rule Sets tab, select the rule set you want to delete, and click Delete Set.


Sequencing rules and rule sets

Rules are processed in the order in which they are listed: first the active rules in the first set, then the active rules in the second set, and so on. For this reason, it is important to consider the way you order rules and whether they are activated or not.

  Establish a sequence for rules

  Establish a sequence for rule set

  Activate rules and rule sets


Establishing a sequence for rules
To establish a sequence for rules

1	On the View menu, click Automation.

2	On the Rules tab, select the rule set you want to order.

3	Select the rule you want to move, and click the Move Up or Move Down button to position the rule.


Establishing a sequence for rule sets
To establish sequence for rule sets

1	On the View menu, click Automation.

2	On the Rule Sets tab, select the rule set you want to order, and click the Move Up or Move Down button to position the rule set.


Activating rules and rule sets
To activate rules and rule sets

1	On the View menu, click Automation.

2	On the Rule Sets tab or the Rules tab, select the box beside the rule sets or rules that you want to activate.

If a rule or rule set is not activated, it will not be processed. The sequence will proceed, ignoring rule sets and rules whose check boxes are cleared.


Exchanging rule sets

You can share rule sets with other people by saving them and importing them.

  Save a rule set

  Import a rule set


Saving a rule set
To save a rule set

1	On the View menu, click Automation.

2	On the Rule Sets tab, select the rule set you want to save, and click Save Set.

3	Name the set, and choose a location to save it.


Importing a rule set
To import a rule set

1	On the View menu, click Automation.

2	On the Rule Sets tab, click Open Set.

3	Add the rule set you want to your current rule sets.


Getting notified when someone logs on

You can keep track of when a person you specify logs on to the network you are on.

  Add someone to the notification list

  Change someone’s information in the list

  Delete someone from the notification list


Adding someone to the notification list
To add someone to the notification list

1	On the Member menu, click User List to get the identity of the person you want to add to the notification list.

An identity may look like this: JD’s identity: John Doe@msn.com. JD is the nickname, John Doe is the user name, and msn.com is the net address.

2	On the View menu, click Automation.

3	On the Logon Notifications tab, select Equals instead of Any from the various drop-down lists in User identity, and then type the person’s nickname, user name, or net address. Or indicate portions of their identity using the other options: Contains, Starts with, Ends with.

You must supply at least one of these items. The more specific you are, the better your chances for swift notification.

4	In Network or server, select a server from the list or type in the name of your server or network.

If you are logged onto this server, you will be notified of the person logging onto this server or network.

5	Click Add to add this person to your notifications list.

Tips

If you clear the check box in the list, you will not be notified when that person logs on.

To get someone’s identity, right-click the person’s name in a chat room’s user list, and then click Get Identity.

 Related Topics


Changing someone's information in the list
To change someone's information in the list

1	On the View menu, click Automation.

2	On the Logon Notifications tab, select the name in the list that you want to change.

3	Make the changes to any of the fields, and click Modify.

 Related Topics


Deleting someone from the notification list
To delete someone from the notification list

1	On the View menu, click Automation.

2	On the Logon Notifications tab, select the name in the list that you want to delete.

3	Click Delete.

 Related Topics


Meeting beyond the chat room

There are several ways you can communicate privately with chat room members, some within Microsoft Chat and some using other Internet programs. All you have to do is right-click a person in the list of members to see what options are available.

  Whisper to other people

  Whisper to more than one person at a time

  Send a file to a chat room member

  Place a NetMeeting call to a chat room member

  Send e-mail to a chat room member

  View another member's web page


Sending e-mail to a chat room member
To send e-mail to a chat room member

In the list of members, right-click the person you want to send an e-mail message to, and then click Send E-mail.

 Related Topics


Sending a file to a chat room member
To send a file to a chat room member

1	In the list of members, right-click the person you want to send a file to, and then click Send File.

2	Specify the file you want to send.

Notes

File transfer may not work across some corporate "firewalls." If you have difficulty sending files, consult your system administrator.

You can set Microsoft Chat to refuse all incoming file transfer requests. For more information, click Related Topics below.

 Related Topics


Placing a NetMeeting call to a chat room member
To place a video and audio call to a chat room member

In the list of members, right-click the person you want to place a Microsoft NetMeeting call to, and then click NetMeeting.

Currently, placing a NetMeeting call to a chat room member is possible only if you both are using Microsoft Chat version 2.0 or higher.

Notes

Both you and the person you are placing the call to must have NetMeeting installed.

You can set Microsoft Chat to ignore incoming NetMeeting calls. For more information, click Related Topics below.

 Related Topics


Viewing the Web page of a chat room member
To view a chat-room member’s Web page

In the list of members, right-click the person, and then click Visit Home Page.

 Related Topics


Sending links in messages
To send a link in a message

In the text box at the bottom of the window, type what you want to say, using the appropriate syntax for the type of link.

To link to a Web page, type http://website where website represents the URL (address) of the Web page.

To link to an FTP site, type ftp://ftpaddress where ftpaddress represents the URL (address) of the FTP site.

To link to a newsgroup, type news: newsgroup where newsgroup represents the name of the newsgroup.

To send a link to a new mail message, type mailto:someone@company.com where someone@company.com represents the e-mail address of the person the message is to be sent to.

 Related Topics


Whispering to more than one person at a time
To have multiple whispered conversations

You can have multiple whispered conversations with members in your chat room and with other people on the chat server.

To whisper separately to several people in your chat room, in the list of members, right-click the name of a person, and then click Whisper Box. Repeat for each person you want to whisper to.

If you want to have a single whispered conversation with several members at the same time, select each member, type your message, and then click the Whisper button to the right of the text box at the bottom of the window.

To whisper to someone on the chat server, on the Member menu, click User List, click that person’s nickname, and then click Whisper Box.

Tip

In the Whisper Box, you can easily switch whispered conversations by clicking the name of the next person you want to whisper to.

In the Whisper Box, you can also send a sound or an action by clicking the Whisper action or Whisper sound buttons.

 Related Topics


Creating message macros
To create a message macro

You can use macros to send the same message many times without retyping it each time—for example, "Where are you from?"

1	On the View menu, click Automation.

2	Click the General tab.

3	In the Key combination list, select the key combination you want to use to run the macro.

4	In the Name box, type a name for the macro.

5	In the Macros box, type the message you want to send.

 Related Topics


Sending a cartoon character expression without talking
To send a cartoon character expression without talking

1	In the emotion wheel in comics mode, drag the black dot to an emotion.

2	Right-click the emotion, and then click Send Expression.

The expression appears in the most recent comic strip pane.

 Related Topics


Ignoring a person
To ignore a person

In the list of members, right-click the person you want to ignore, and then click Ignore.

You will no longer see messages from this person. Other members of the chat room will continue to see them.

 Related Topics


Inviting others into a chat room
To invite others into a chat room

1	On the Member menu, click Invite.

2	Type the nicknames of people you want to invite into the chat room.

Tip

To invite more than one person at a time, type a comma ( , ) between nicknames.

 Related Topics


Finding out who is in a room

You can find out who is in a specific chat room without being in that room yourself.

On the Room menu, click Room List, select a room from the list, and click the List Members button.

On the Member menu, click User List. In Search for, click Members of room, type the room name, and then click Update List.


Adding a chat room to your Favorites list
To add a chat room to your Favorites list

While in the chat room, click the Favorites menu, and then click Add to Favorites.

 Related Topics


Organizing your Favorites list
To organize your Favorites list

1	On the Favorites menu, click Open Favorites.

Your Internet Explorer favorites are stored here, as well as your Chat favorites.

2	To create a new folder, right-click in the folder list, click New, and then click Folder.

3	Right-click on the new folder, click Rename, and then type the name for the folder.

4	Drag and drop the Microsoft Chat Room (*.ccr) files that you want into the folder.

 Related Topics


Reading conversation files offline
To read conversation files offline

1	On the File menu, click Open.

2	Double-click the conversation file that you want to read offline.

Note

You can only read previously saved conversation files.

 Related Topics


Tracking activity in multiple chat rooms
To track activity in multiple chat rooms

Take note of a color change in a room’s tab in the main window.

If you have several open chat rooms that overlap, you can see when there is activity in a room because the color of the icon on the tab will change.


Notifying others when you are away
To notify others when you are away

1	On the Member menu, click Away from Keyboard.

2	Type the message you want to publish to members currently in the room and to new members when they enter the room.

A coffee-cup icon now appears next to your name in the list of members.

Note

Repeat the procedure above to notify members of your return to the chat room.


Ignoring someone who sends floods of messages
To ignore a person sending floods of messages

1	On the View menu, click Automation.

2	On the General tab, select the Auto ignore enabled check box to ignore a person who is sending a flood of messages to you.

3	Define what you want to constitute a "flood" by setting the Message count and Interval dials.


Accessing chat servers with special requirements
To access chat servers with special requirements

1	On the View menu, click Options.

2	On the Servers tab, select the server whose special requirements you want to define.

3	In Advanced settings, change the default port number to an alternative port.

If you have been unable to connect using the default port, contact the system operator for the number of an alternative port to use here. (If you still cannot connect, you may be behind a firewall that does not support using this port. Contact your system administrator for more information.)

4	Also in Advanced settings, specify the password or security package required by the chat server.

Most servers allow you to connect without a password or security package. If your chat server requires either of these, contact the chat server’s administrator to get them.


Connecting to a chat network more efficiently
To connect to a chat network efficiently

1	On the View menu, click Options.

2	On the Servers tab, type the name of the network you want to define.

3	Click Add Network to add it to the drop-down list.

4	Type the name of the server you want to add, and click Add. Repeat for all the servers you want to include in this network.

This network will now appear in the Server list in the Chat Connection dialog box. When selected there, an attempt will be made to connect to each of the servers in this network, and you will log on to the first one available.

 Related Topics


Stopping the playing of a long sound
To stop the playing of a long sound

Play a short sound by clicking the Play Sound button at the bottom of the Microsoft Chat window and selecting a short sound.

 Related Topics


Using IRC commands
To use an IRC command

Type the IRC command in the text entry box preceded by a forward slash.

Microsoft Chat now supports all IRC commands that experienced chatters use with other chat clients. You do not need to use these commands in Microsoft Chat because we provide most of the same functionality through our user interface. However, if you are familiar with IRC commands and want to use them, we have listed the ones Microsoft Chat currently supports in the IRC Command Reference. To see the list of commands, see Related Topics.

 Related Topics


IRC Command Reference

Most of the IRC commands you can use in Microsoft Chat are described below. There are three types of IRC commands: those defined by the "RFC 1459" standard, those defined by the extension to the "RFC 1459" called IRCX, and those that are specific to a chat client. If you are not sure about a command’s syntax, type the command name in the message window and the error message will provide you with its parameters.

In the table below, certain symbols are not part of the syntax, but signal to you the type of information you need to enter: the bar ( | ) signifies or, angle brackets ( < > ) signify the nature of the information you must enter, square brackets ( [ ] ) signify an optional part of the syntax, and curly brackets ( { } ) signify that the entry can be multiple. For example, if the syntax is given as /Msg <Nickname|room_name>{,< Nickname|room_name >}<message>, you might enter /Msg SusanB,JoeC How are you?

IRCX commands work only on servers that support the extensions. You can find out if the server supports IRCX by typing the command /IRCX. Some of the IRC commands with this extension will have extra parameters, especially the /mode command has additional modes, supported only on IRCX servers.

Command	Syntax	Notes
/Access (IRCX only)	/Access <room_name> ADD|DELETE <entry_type> <nick!user@host.domain> <time> :[reason]	Used by owners and hosts to specify the type of access to a room that users are permitted. <entry_type> provides five types of access: GRANT, DENY, VOICE, HOST, and OWNER.
/Access (IRCX only)	/access <room_name> LIST	This parameter lists all access entries currently defined for a room.
/Access (IRCX only)	/access <room_name> CLEAR [entry_type]	This parameter clears out either the entire access list for a room or a specific type of entry in it. If [entry_type] is omitted, all entries will be cleared.  Note: Only a room owner can use /access <room_name> CLEAR on OWNER entries.
/Action	/Action <text>	Displays your nickname followed by the specified text.
/Admin	/Admin	Used to find the name of the administrator of the server.
/Away	/Away	Notifies members of your return to the chat room after being "Away." (See next entry.)
/Away	/Away <reason>	Changes your setting to "Away" and displays your reason.
/Create	/create<room_name> <modes> <mode arguments>	Makes a new room and sets its properties. See the /Mode command below for possible arguments.
/Info	/Info	Queries the server for information.
/Invite	/Invite <nickname> <room_name>	Invites another user to join your room.
/IRCX (IRCX only)	/IRCX or /ISIRCX	Queries the server for IRCX compatibility.
/Ison	/Ison {<nickname> <space><nickname>}	Verifies whether one or more specific users are on the server.
/Join	/Join <room_name> [<password>]	Creates or joins a room.
/Kick	/Kick<room_name> <nickname>[<reason>]	Used by room hosts to kick out users from the specified room.
/Kill	/Kill <nickname|room_name> [<reason>]	Used by system operators to remove a user from a server. The same command, if applied to a room name, closes the specified room.
/Links	/Links	Returns a list of all servers known by the server queried.
/List	/List [<room_name>]	Opens the Room List dialog box. To check for specific rooms, specify their names separated by commas, but not spaces. Wild cards allowed.
/Listx	/Listx [<room_name>]	Returns a list of all the rooms and their topics in the Status window. To check for specific rooms, specify their names separated by commas, but not spaces. Wild cards allowed.
/Me	/Me <message>	Displays your nickname followed by the specified text. (Same as /Action)
/Mode (Nickname)	/Mode <nickname><user_modes>	Changes the user mode of the specified nickname. The plus sign (+) before the <user_modes> changes the user’s mode as described below; the minus sign ( - ) removes the mode from the user. <user_modes> are as follows: i   Marks the user as invisible. o  Marks the user as an operator. q  Allows a room owner to give owner status to another user.  (IRCX only)
/Mode (Room_Name)	/Mode <room_name> [<room_modes>] [<max_member>] [<nickname>] [<nickname_mask>] [<password>]	The plus sign (+) before the <room_modes> changes the room’s mode as described below; the minus sign ( - ) removes the mode from the room. <room_modes> are as follows: a  Sets the room mode so that only authenticated users can join the room. Only system administrators can use this argument. (IRCX only) b  Sets a ban to keep users out. d  Sets a room mode so that when a room is full another room is created. Only system administrators can use this argument. (IRCX only) h  Sets hidden room mode. (IRCX only) i   Sets invitation-only room mode. k  Sets a room password. l   Sets the user limit in the room. m  Sets moderated room mode. n  Marks the room so no messages can be sent from outside the room. o  Gives operator privileges to a user for a specified room. p  Sets private room mode. r  Sets registered room mode. (IRCX only) s  Sets secret room mode. t  Sets room mode so that hosts and owners are the only ones who can change the room topic. u  Sets room mode so that messages are sent to hosts if the user cannot enter the room. (IRCX only) v  Sets the room mode so that the user can speak on a moderated room.   w  Sets the room mode so that nobody can whisper in the room. (IRCX only) x  Sets auditorium room mode. This argument can only be used with /Create. (IRCX only) z  Sets room mode so users can see whether a service on the server is monitoring the room. This mode is set by the server. (IRCX only)
/MOTD	/MOTD	Displays the server’s message of the day in the Status window.
/Msg	/Msg <nickname|room_name> {,< nickname|room_name >}<message>	Sends a message as a whisper to one or more users (if you use nicknames) or as a regular message to everyone in the room you are in (if you specify a room name).
/Names	/Names	Displays a list of other users connected to your server in the Status window.
/Nick	/Nick <nickname>	Changes your nickname.
/Notice	/Notice <nickname><message>	Opens the recipient's Whisper Box with your message.
/Oper (IRCX only)	/Oper <user_name> <password>	Changes user status to operator status.
/Part	/Part	Used by you to leave the current room.
/Privmsg  (same as /Msg)	/Privmsg <nickname|room_name> {,<nickname|room_name>} <message>	Sends a message as a whisper to one or more users (if you use nicknames) or as a regular message to everyone in the room you are in (if you specify a room name).
/Prop	/Prop <room_name> <property_name> <parameters>	Allows room owners to modify extended room properties that are available on IRCX servers. <room_name> is the room where the settings should be applied. <property_name> is the property of the room to modify.  The available properties are: OwnerKey <OwnerKey>  Sets a room password that will grant owner status to anyone who joins that room using the owner key. HostKey <HostKey>  Sets a room password that will grant host status to anyone who joins that room using the host key. MemberKey <MemberKey>  Sets a room password that all users must use to join the room.  OnJoin:<message>  Sets a message to be sent to anyone who joins the room. If <message> is omitted, the current OnJoin message will be cleared. OnPart:<message>  Sets a message to be sent to anyone who leaves the room. If <message> is omitted, the current OnPart message will be cleared.
/Quit	/Quit	Closes your connection to the server.
/Quote (same as /Raw)	/Quote <command>	Allows you to send commands to the server unprocessed. For example, for commands that Microsoft Chat doesn’t support, you can use /raw to send the command to the server.
/Raw	/Raw <command>	Allows you to send commands to the server unprocessed. For example, for commands that Microsoft Chat doesn’t support, you can use /raw to send the command to the server.
/Server	/Server <server[port]network>	Connects you to a server or network.
/Sound	/Sound <nickname|room_name> <"sound_file">[<message>]	Sends a sound file to the selected user or room.
/Sound off	/Sound off	Stops the playing of any sound file on your computer.
/Think	/Think <message>	Displays a message as a thought.
/Time	/Time	Returns the server name, as well as the local date and time of the server.
/Topic (Room host)	/Topic<room_name> <topic>	Used by room host to set a topic for the current room.
/Topic: (All users)	/Topic <room_name>	Displays the room topic in the Status window.
/Userhost	/Userhost <nickname> {<space><nickname>}	Verifies whether selected users are signed on to the server.
/Version	/Version	Queries the server and returns its version to the Status window.
/Who	/Who [<nickname>]	Displays the users who match the query, if there are any, in the User List dialog box. Wildcards allowed.
/Whois	/Whois <nickname>{,<nickname>}	Displays information on selected user(s) in the Status window.
/Whisper	/Whisper <room_name><nickname>	Sends a whisper to the selected user.
Note

For the IRC specification, go to http://www.cis.ohio-state.edu/rfc/rfc1459.txt. For the IRCX specification, go to the IETF site at http://www.ietf.org/, and look under Internet-Drafts for the IRCX specification.


Doing repetitive tasks easily
To do repetitive tasks easily

For repetitive tasks, you can send a whisper to yourself and thereby trigger a rule with its resulting action. For example, a disabled person may regularly want to send a message to everybody in their room without typing it every time. By creating a macro that sends a whisper to yourself, you can trigger a rule that then results in the message being sent.

1	Define a macro with the message: /msg %Nickname% event1

2	Create a rule where the event is "A user in your room sends a whisper to you," the Nickname parameter for the event is %Me%, the Room parameter is %AnyOfMyRooms%, and the Message parameter is event1.

3	Choose any repetitive action you want to trigger (for example, "Send a message to a room"), and define its parameters (for example, %EventRoom% and the text of the message you want to easily send.)

4	To do this task, select your name in the room's list of members, and press the key combination you specified for the macro.

The result will be the action you specified above.

 Related Topics


Using keyboard shortcuts
Microsoft Chat keyboard shortcuts

You can use shortcut keys to choose commands, format text, and send information.

To do this in the compose pane	Press this
Select all text in the pane.	CTRL+A
Copy selected text to the Clipboard.	CTRL+C
Cut the selected text and place on the Clipboard.	CTRL+X
Paste text you've copied into the compose pane.	CTRL+V
Undo the most recent action in the compose pane.	CTRL+Z
Send the contents of the compose pane.	CTRL+Y
Send the contents of the compose pane as a thought.	CTRL+T
Send the contents of the compose pane as a whisper.	CTRL+W
Send text as a caption (action) to the comic strip pane.	CTRL+J
Play a sound.	CTRL+H
Make the selection bold.	CTRL+B
Make the selection italic.	CTRL+I
Underline the selection.	CTRL+U
Give the selection a color.	CTRL+K
Format the selection in a fixed pitch font.	CTRL+F
Format the selection in the Symbol font.	CTRL+D
To do this in Microsoft Chat	Press this
Open a new connection after disconnecting from another.	CTRL+N
Open a file.	CTRL+O
Print a file.	CTRL+P
Open the Microsoft Chat Options dialog box.	CTRL+Q
Open the Microsoft Chat Automations dialog box	CTRL+L
Move the focus to the various panes in the Microsoft Chat interface.	TAB
Switch among active rooms (and the Status Window if it’s open).	CTRL+F6
Move the black dot around the emotion wheel.	ARROW keys
Return the black dot to the center of the emotion wheel.	HOME
Save a file.	CTRL+S
 Related Topics


Event parameters for rules

See Related Topics for how to specify a nickname, room, network, or message for an event and for how to specify the constants used in actions.

Events	Parameters (Variables in parentheses)	Constants (used in Action parameters)
A new room is created	Room (No variables)	%EventRoom%
A user becomes a host in a room	Nickname (%Anyone%, %Me%, %AnyoneButMe%)	%EventNickname%, %EventRoom%
	Room (%AnyOfMyRooms%, %MyActivatedRoom%, %MyInactivatedRooms%)
A user connects to your chat server	Nickname (%Me%)	%EventNickname%, %EventServer%
	Network (%Any%)
A user disconnects from your chat server	Nickname (%Me%)	%EventNickname%, %EventServer%
	Network (%Any%)
A user in your room sends a whisper to you	Nickname (%Anyone%, %Me%, %AnyoneButMe%)	%EventNickname%, %EventRecipients%, %EventRoom%, %EventMessage%
	Room (%AnyOfMyRooms%, %MyActivatedRoom%, %MyInactivatedRooms%)
	Message (%Any%)
A user invites you to a room	Nickname (%Anyone%, %Me%, %AnyoneButMe%)	%EventNickname%, %EventRoom%
	Room (%AnyOfMyRooms%)
A user is kicked from a room	Nickname (%Anyone%, %Me%, %AnyoneButMe%)	%EventNickname%, %EventRoom%
	Room (%AnyOfMyRooms%, %MyActivatedRoom%, %MyInactivatedRooms%)
A user joins a room	Nickname (%Anyone%, %Me%, %AnyoneButMe%)	%EventNickname%, %EventRoom%
	Room (%AnyOfMyRooms%, %MyActivatedRoom%, %MyInactivatedRooms%)
A user leaves a room	Nickname  (%Anyone%, %Me%, %AnyoneButMe%)	%EventNickname%, %EventRoom%
	Room  (%AnyOfMyRooms%, %MyActivatedRoom%, %MyInactivatedRooms%)
A user outside your room sends a whisper to you	Nickname (%Anyone%, %Me%, %AnyoneButMe%)	%EventNickname%, %EventMessage%
	Message (%Any%)
A user sends a message to a room	Nickname (%AnyoneButMe%)	%EventNickname%, %EventRecipients%, %EventRoom%, %EventMessage%
	Room (%AnyOfMyRooms%, %MyActivatedRoom%, %MyInactivatedRooms%)
	Message (%Any%)
 Related Topics


Specifying a nickname for events

In the Nickname field, you can specify the identity of the user who activates this event. Here’s the format you can use for the user’s identity: nickname!username@netaddress. The user chooses their own nickname (though but they can change it after they log on); the user logs onto the chat server using their username, which doesn’t change while they are logged on, and user logs on from the netaddress, which can be either an IP address or a DNS name.

Nickname can be the exact nickname, or you can use wild cards in it (see below). Not case-sensitive.

Username can be the exact username, or you can use wild cards in it (see below). Not case-sensitive.

Netaddress can be the exact DNS name or TCP/IP address, or you can use wildcards in it (see below). Not case-sensitive.

Using wild cards

Wild card	Used to Match	Example Pattern	Example Result
*	Multiple characters	M*	Mike, Microsoft, mirror
?	Single character	ar?	Art, are, arm
Combination	Specific to pattern	a?y*	anyone, anytime
Some Nickname field examples

Sample	Result
joe!someone@microsoft.com	Only the user who uses the nickname joe, the username someone, and the domain name microsoft.com can trigger this event.
*!*@175.25.23.23	All users from the IP address 175.25.23.23 will trigger this event.
*!*@*.msn.com	All users from the msn.com address will trigger this event.
Joe	Any user who uses the nickname joe will trigger this event.
Joe@*.microsoft.com	Here the nickname is not specified, so anyone who logs on with the username joe from the host server *.microsoft.com will trigger this event.
Using constants

To see the constants available for an event, click on the drop-down list. You can use any of these constants in the Nickname field with the results below (assuming the other parameters for the event are matched).

%AnyoneButMe%: The event will be triggered for all users except yourself.

%AnyOne%: The event will be triggered for all users including yourself.

%Me%: The event will be triggered only by yourself.


Specifying a room for events

In the Room field, you can specify the room name for the selected event.

The room name has to be exact; you cannot use any wild cards in the definition of this parameter and event, with the exception of the event "A new room is created" (see below for details). This field is not case-sensitive.

A Room name field example

Sample	Result
test	The event will be triggered only if the room name is test and the rest of the parameters are met.
Using constants

To see the constants available for an event, click on the drop-down list. You can use any of these constants in the Room field with the results below (assuming the other parameters for the event are matched).

%AnyOfMyRooms%: The event will be triggered in all the rooms that you are in.

%MyActivatedRoom%: The event will be triggered only in the room whose window has the focus.

%MyInactivatedRooms%: The event will be triggered in all the rooms that you are not active. A room is considered active if the window for the room has the focus.

Exceptions: The event "A new room is created"

Only for this event can you use wild cards (* and ?) in the room name. Depending on the server, the room name for this event might be case-sensitive.

Within 15 seconds of the first time you log on to the server or define the rule, Microsoft Chat will check to see if there is a match for the room or rooms defined in the room entry box on the network. MS Chat will check again every 2.5 minutes after that. You will not be notified immediately of the creation of the room, only when MS Chat checks the server to see if there is a new room created. If the query returns multiple rooms, the event will trigger multiple actions.

Note

It is possible that the room that matches the entry in the Room field was created and removed (or removed and recreated) between the times that MS Chat checked the server for room names. You will not be notified about these changes on the server.


Specifying a network or server for events

In the Network field, you can specify the name of the network or server that the user connects to or disconnects from depending on which event has been chosen. This event will be triggered only if you and the user specified in the Nickname field are on the same network at the same time. The network name has to be the exact network name specified in the Connect dialog box. You cannot use any wild cards in defining this parameter.

A Network name field example

Sample	Result
irc.msn.com	The event will be triggered only if the server name is irc.msn.com and the rest of the parameters are met.
Using constants

To see the constants available for an event, click on the drop-down list. You can use any of these constants in the Network field with the results below (assuming the other parameters for the event are matched).

%Any%: The event will be triggered when the user connects to or disconnects from any network that you are on at the same time.


Specifying a message for events

In the Message field, you can specify the message that will trigger the event.

The Advanced button will appear only when the message field is available. The user can choose to match the case for the whole message or for the whole word or sentence only.

Using constants

To see the constants available for an event, click on the drop-down list. You can use any of these constants in the Message field with the results below (assuming the other parameters for the event are matched).

%Any%:  The event will be triggered when any message is sent.


Using constants for actions

When you enter these constants in an Action parameters field, they have the following results.

Constant	Results
%EventNickname%	The nickname of the user who triggered the rule replaces %EventNickname%.
%EventServer%	The server of the user who triggered the rule replaces %EventServer%
%EventMessage%	The message that triggered the rule replaces %EventMessage%.
%EventRoom%	The room name of the event that triggered the rule replaces %EventRoom%.


Action parameters for rules

Actions	Parameters
Activate or deactivate a rule set	Rule set name, Activate
Ban the event’s user from the room	None
Connect to a server or network	Nickname, Network
Disconnect from the current chat server or network	None
Display a message window	Message
Don’t display the event in the history window	None
Execute a macro	Macro
Get the identity of the event’s user	None
Get the lag time of the event’s user	None
Get the local time of a user	None
Get the profile of the event’s user	None
Get the version information of the event’s user	None
Highlight the message associated with the event (text mode only)	Highlight format type
Invite the event’s user to a room	Room
Join a room	Room
Kick the event’s user from the room	Reason
Leave the event’s room	None
Make the event’s user a host of the room	None
Make the machine beep	Number of beeps
Play a sound on your machine	Sound file name
Replace a part of an incoming message	Message
Send line of a file to a room	Room, Text file name, Line number
Send a message to a room	Room, Message
Send an action to a room	Room, Message
Send a sound to a room	Room, Message, Sound file name
Send a thought to a room	Room, Message
Send a whisper to a user in your room	Nickname, Room, Message
Send a whisper to a user outside your room	Nickname, Message
Start ignoring the event’s user	None
Whisper a line of a file to a user	Nickname, Text file name, Line number


Rule set name

Enter the name of the rule set you want to activate or deactivate, or select it from the drop-down list, which includes all the rule sets you have created. The name you enter does not need to be a rule set you created.


Activate

Select Yes to indicate you want to activate the specified rule set, or select No to deactivate it.


Nickname

Enter the nickname you want, or select %EventNickname% from the list. %EventNickname% will be replaced by the nickname of the user who triggered the event.

In a few cases, you'll have the option of selecting %EventRecipients%. If you select it, %EventRecipients% will be replaced by everyone in the room except yourself and the person who triggered the event.


Network

Enter the network or server name you want, or select it from the list. If you enter %EventServer%, you will be connected to the server you were disconnected from.


Message

Specify the message you want. It can include constants if the event that triggered the rule has these constants. Sample message: "Hi, %EventNickname%!" The nickname of the user replaces %EventNickname% and is displayed in the message box. You can use rich-text formatting in the message.


Macro

Select the name of the macro you want from the list, or enter another macro name. To define a macro, on the View menu click Automation, and specify your macro.


Highlight format type

Select from four types of highlight formats. Define the format types in the Set Font dialog box when you are in text mode.


Room

Enter the exact room name, or select from the list.The items in the list can change depending on the selected action and event. Constants possibly available:  %EventRoom% (name of the room that triggered the event) and %MyActivatedRoom% (name of the room that has the focus).


Reason

Enter your reason for kicking the user out of the room. The whole room will see the message, as well as the user getting kicked. If the event that triggered the rule has constants, you can include them in your reason. For example, "%EventNickname% used a word that is not allowed in %EventRoom%.


Number of beeps

Enter the number of beeps. Only whole numbers are acceptable.


Sound file name

Enter the name of the sound file you want, or select one from the list.


Text file name

Enter the name of the text file you want the lines of text to come from, or select one from the list. The list will show any text files that are in the same directory as Microsoft Chat and any of its subdirectories.


Line number

Enter the line number of the text you want to send, or choose the constants %All% and %Random% from the list. %Random% sends a random line to the room; %All% sends the whole text file.

To enter a range of lines, type 1-4, for example, to send lines 1 through 4. To send a combination of single lines, separate the line numbers with commas: 1,5,8 sends lines 1, 5, and 8. Combine a range of lines and single lines like this: 1,4-7,11 sends lines 1, 4, 5, 6, 7, and 11. If the line you specify is empty, the line will not be sent.


Defining the size of the comic strip
To define the size of the comic strip

1	Make sure you are in comics mode. (On the View menu, Comic Strip must be marked.)

2	On the View menu, click Options.

3	Click the Comics View tab.

4	In the Page layout list, click the number of comic strip panels you want to display across the window.


Ignoring incoming NetMeeting calls
To ignore incoming NetMeeting calls

1	On the View menu, click Options.

2	On the Settings tab, make sure the Receive NetMeeting Calls check box is clear.

 Related Topics


Refusing all incoming file transfer requests
To refuse all incoming file transfer requests

1	On the View menu, click Options.

2	On the Settings tab, make sure the Receive file transfer requests check box is clear.

 Related Topics


Accessibility for people with disabilities

Microsoft is committed to making its products and services easier for everyone to use. This section provides information about the following features, products, and services that make Microsoft products more accessible for people with disabilities.

  Customizing Microsoft Windows

  Microsoft services for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing

  Microsoft documentation in alternative formats

  Third-party utilities to enhance accessibility

  Other products and services for people with disabilities

Note

This information applies only if you purchased Microsoft products in the United States. If you purchased Microsoft Windows, Windows NT, or Windows 95 outside the United States, your Windows package contains a subsidiary information card listing Microsoft support services, telephone numbers, and addresses. You can contact your subsidiary to find out whether the type of products and services described in these Help topics are available in your area.


Customizing Microsoft Windows, Windows NT, and Windows 95

There are many ways you can customize your operating system to make your computer more accessible.

Beginning with Windows 95, accessibility features are built in to Windows and Windows NT. These features are useful for individuals who have difficulty typing or using a mouse, have moderately impaired vision, or who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. The features can be installed during setup, or you can add them later from your Windows 95 installation disks. Look up "accessibility" in the Windows Help Index for information about installing and using these features.

You can also use Control Panel and other built-in features to adjust the appearance and behavior of Windows or Windows NT to suit varying vision and motor abilities. These include adjusting colors and sizes, sound volume, and the behavior of the mouse and keyboard.

Many of the features that make Windows 95 more accessible can be added to Windows NT, earlier versions of Microsoft Windows, and MS-DOS, through Access Packs. You can download these files by modem or you can order them on disks from Microsoft.

Dvorak keyboard layouts make the most frequently typed characters on a keyboard more accessible if you have difficulty using the standard QWERTY layout. There are three Dvorak layouts: one if you are a two-handed user, one if you type with your left hand only, and one if you type with your right hand only. You do not need to purchase any special equipment to use these features.

The specific features available, and whether they are built-in or must be obtained separately, depend on which operating system you are using.

For full documentation on the accessibility features available in the operating system you are using, obtain the appropriate application notes listed below. Accessibility features are also documented in the Microsoft Windows 95 Resource Kit and the Microsoft Windows NT Resource Kit.

Accessibility notes and utilities to download or order

You can obtain these files by downloading them with your modem, or you can order them on disks by phone. Specific instructions for downloading and ordering these files immediately follows this list of files.

For this	You need
Customizing Microsoft Windows NT 4.0 for individuals with disabilities	WW1279.doc
Customizing Microsoft Windows 95 for individuals with disabilities	WW1062.exe
Customizing Microsoft Windows NT 3.1 and 3.5 for individuals with disabilities (includes Access Pack for Microsoft Windows NT, which provides features for people who have difficulty using a keyboard or mouse, or who are deaf or hard-of-hearing	WN0789.exe
Customizing Microsoft Windows for Workgroups 3.1 for individuals with disabilities	WG0788.txt
Customizing Microsoft Windows 3.1 for individuals with disabilities	WW0787.txt
Customizing Microsoft Windows 3.0 for individuals with disabilities	WW0786.txt
Access Pack for Microsoft Windows 3.0 and 3.1, which provides features for people who have difficulty using a keyboard or mouse, or who are deaf or hard-of-hearing	ACCP.exe
Dvorak keyboard layouts for people who type with one hand (already included in Windows NT version 3.5 and later)	GA0650.exe
To download the files by modem

If you have a modem, you can download the accessibility files from the following network services:

Microsoft World Wide Web site, http://microsoft.com/enable. Choose Microsoft Products from the navigation bar on the left, and then choose the appropriate product or platform.

Microsoft Internet server at ftp.microsoft.com, in /softlib/mslfiles

MSN, the Microsoft Network online service.

CompuServe: type GO MSL.

GEnie.

Microsoft Download Service (MSDL), which you can reach by calling (425) 936-6735 any time except between 1:00 A.M. and 2:30 A.M. Pacific time.

MSDL supports 1200, 2400, 9600, or 14400 baud rates (V.22bis, V.32, V.32bis and V.42), with 8 data bits, no parity, and 1 stop bit. MSDL does not support 28800 or ISDN connections.

Various user-group bulletin boards (such as the bulletin-board services on the Association of PC User Groups network)

Ordering the accessibility files by phone

If you do not have a modem, within the United States you can order the accessibility files on disks by calling Microsoft Sales Information Center at (800) 426-9400 (voice) or (800) 892-5234 (text telephone) between 6:30 A.M. and 5:30 P.M. Pacific time.

In Canada, you can call (905) 568-3503 (voice) or (905) 568-9641 (text telephone).


Microsoft services for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing

If you are deaf or hard-of-hearing, complete access to Microsoft product and customer services is available through a text telephone (TTY/TDD) service.

Customer service

You can contact Microsoft Sales Information Center on a text telephone by dialing (800) 892-5234 between 6:30 A.M. and 5:30 P.M. Pacific time.

Technical assistance

For technical assistance in the United States, you can contact Microsoft Technical Support on a text telephone at (425) 635-4948 between 6:00 A.M. and 6:00 P.M. Pacific time, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. In Canada, you can call (905) 568-9641 between 8:00 A.M. and 8:00 P.M. Eastern time, Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Microsoft Technical Support is subject to Microsoft prices, terms, and conditions in place at the time the service is used and is subject to change.


Third-party utilities to enhance accessibility

A wide variety of third-party hardware and software products are available to make personal computers easier to use for people with disabilities. Among the different types of products available for the MS-DOS, Microsoft Windows, and Microsoft Windows NT operating systems are:

Programs that enlarge or alter the color of information on the screen for people with visual impairments.

Programs that describe information on the screen in Braille or synthesized speech for people who are blind or have difficulty reading.

Hardware and software utilities that modify the behavior of the mouse and keyboard.

Programs that enable users to "type" using a mouse or their voice.

Word or phrase prediction software that allows one to type more quickly and with fewer keystrokes.

Alternate input devices, such as single switch or puff-and-sip devices, for those who cannot use a mouse or a keyboard.

For more information about obtaining third-party utilities, see Other Products and Services for People with Disabilities.


Microsoft documentation in alternative formats

In addition to the standard forms of documentation, many Microsoft products are also available in other formats to make them more accessible.

Many of the Internet Explorer documents are also available as online Help, online user's guides, or on a CD that comes with the package.

If you have difficulty reading or handling printed documentation, you can obtain many Microsoft publications from Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, Inc. Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic distributes these documents to registered, eligible members of their distribution service, either on audio cassettes or on floppy disks. The Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic collection contains more than 80,000 titles, including Microsoft product documentation and books from Microsoft Press. For information about eligibility and availability of Microsoft product documentation and books from Microsoft Press, contact Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic at the following address or phone numbers:

Recording for the Blind & Dyslexic, Inc.
20 Roszel Road
Princeton, NJ  08540

Phone: (609) 452-0606

Fax: (609) 987-8116

World Wide Web: http://www.rfbd.org/

You can also download many of these books from the Microsoft Web site http://microsoft.com/enable/.


Other products and services for people with disabilities

In addition to the features and resources already described in this Help file, other products, services, and resources are available from Microsoft and other organizations.

Microsoft products and services for people with disabilities

For more information for people with disabilities, contact:

Microsoft Sales Information Center
One Microsoft Way
Redmond, WA 98052-6393

World Wide Web: http://microsoft.com/enable/

Voice telephone: (800) 426-9400
Text telephone: (800) 892-5234

Macintosh disability solutions

For more information on products and services for the Macintosh for people with disabilities, contact Apple Worldwide Disability Solutions Group at (408) 974-7910 (voice) or (408) 974-7911 (text telephone).

Computer products for people with disabilities

Microsoft provides a catalog of accessibility aids that can be used with the Windows and Windows NT operating systems. You can obtain this catalog from our Web site or by phone. Please see the section on Microsoft Products and Services for People with Disabilities, earlier on this page.

The Trace R&D Center at the University of Wisconsin-Madison publishes a database of more than 18,000 products and other information for people with disabilities. The database is available on their site on the World Wide Web. The database is also available on a compact disc, titled CO-NET CD, that is issued twice a year. The Trace R&D Center also publishes a book, titled Trace ResourceBook, that provides descriptions and photographs of about 2,000 products. To obtain these directories, contact:

Trace R&D Center
University of Wisconsin
S-151 Waisman Center
1500 Highland Avenue
Madison, WI 53705-2280

World Wide Web: http://trace.wisc.edu/

Fax: (608) 262-8848

Information and referrals for people with disabilities

Computers and other assistive devices can help persons with disabilities to overcome a variety of barriers. For general information and recommendations on how computers can help you with your specific needs, you should consult a trained evaluator. For information about locating programs or services in your area that may be able to help you, please contact:

National Information System
University of South Carolina
Columbia, SC 29208

Voice/text telephone: (803) 777-1782

Fax: (803) 777-9557