Netscape Instant Messenger is an easy way to communicate instantly with
your friends who are online. You can:
Send instant messages to an online buddy. These messages are different
from email, because if your buddy has Instant Messenger open on his or
her machine, your message will appear immediately on your buddy's screen.
Create a "buddy list" of online friends who you want to receive your instant
messages. Instant Messenger helps you locate your buddies so you can add
them to your list.
Chat with groups of friends and family members in your own private chat room.
Control who communicates with you through the Buddy Privacy feature.
Find your buddies by email address.
Warn users who send you offensive or annoying messages.
To get started quickly, use the Instant Messenger Setup screens. You can choose a screen name during setup, which is the name by which you are known to everyone that uses Netscape Instant Messenger and the AOL Instant Messenger service.
Open the Tasks menu and choose Instant Messenger.
Click Setup.
Follow the steps in the Instant Messenger Setup screens. Before you can use Instant Messenger, you must register your screen name. The Setup screens lead you through the process. You can sign on to Instant Messenger immediately after registering, using the screen name and password that you registered.
Note: You already have a screen name if you completed the Netscape Activation process. However, you must still register the name to take full advantage of the Netscape Instant Messenger service.
Before using Instant Messenger, you must use the Instant Messenger
Setup screens to register and select a screen name and password. Once you
register your screen name, you cannot change it to a new one. If you want, you
can register multiple screen names to use with the Netscape Instant Messenger
service.
To register and select a new screen name and password:
Go to the Netscape Instant Messenger registration page,
http://aim.aol.com/aimnew/Aim/register.adp. The Instant Messenger web
page appears on your screen, allowing you to register. (The same page is used
for AOL Instant Messenger registration.)
Type your screen name, password (twice for confirmation), and email address in the appropriate fields.
After you have completed the registration process, use your new screen name and password in the Sign On screen.
Before you can use Instant Messenger to send a message or to chat, you need to start the program and sign on.
To start and sign on to Netscape Instant Messenger:
Open the Tasks menu and choose Instant Messenger.
Type your screen name in the Screen Name field.
Type your password in the Password field. If you want to save your password for your next session, select "Save password."
Click the Sign On icon or button, or press Enter.
Tip: If you want Netscape Instant Messenger to start when you start Netscape 6, select "Sign on at launch" on the sign-on screen.
Note: If you have previously used AOL Instant Messenger, and you have
installed Netscape 6 on your machine, you may have to select your preferences
again. Some preferences, unlike Buddy Lists, do not transfer automatically from
AOL Instant Messenger to Netscape 6. See Setting Instant
Messenger Preferences for details about resetting your preferences.
You can change your password whenever you are signed on to the Netscape Instant Messenger service. Your password must contain between 4 and 16 characters.
To change your password, begin from your Instant Messenger Buddy List Window:
Open the Edit menu, choose Edit Options, and then choose Change Password.
Type your current password in the appropriate field and then type and re-type a new password in the appropriate fields.
Click OK.
Note: Anyone who knows your password has access to your account. Therefore, you should never reveal your password to anyone online.
Using a Different Screen Name
If you have registered multiple screen names, you can sign on with the name of your choice. To sign on with a new screen name that you have registered:
Choose Instant Messenger from the Tasks menu to display the Sign On screen. (You must be signed off from Instant Messenger to view the Sign On screen.)
Select the current screen name that is displayed in the Screen Name field, and type your new screen name over that.
Type the password for your new screen name in the Password field.
When you sign on to Instant Messenger, your Buddy List appears. Three groups are automatically created for you in your Buddy List Window: Buddies, Family, and Co-Workers. Add your buddies to any of these groups or create additional groups.
Note: The Buddy List appears in both the Instant Messenger standalone window and in My Sidebar. You can access and use most of the features of Instant Messenger by clicking the Buddy List tab in My Sidebar.
There are two tabs in your Buddy List Window: Online and List Setup.
Online shows you when your buddies are available.
Whenever your buddies sign on, you can see them in your Buddy List and
send them messages instantly.
In the Online tab:
Groups in the Buddy List Window are initially shown expanded, displaying all your buddies in each group. You can switch the display mode between expanded and collapsed by clicking the small triangle to the left of each group name; or, select (highlight) the group name and press Enter.
Each group has a number in parentheses to the right of the group name to indicate how many people in the group are online out of the total number of buddies in the group. For example, (3/9) means that three of the nine buddies in the group are currently online.
Buddy names in gray and italic indicate buddies who just signed off or
who are idle.
List Setup lets you add buddies to the list and create groups for them. For example, you can create groups for specific interests such as Golf Pals, College Roommates, Neighbors, and so forth, then add your buddies to them. The List Setup tab also lets you delete buddies and groups.
In the List Setup tab:
Each group appears as a folder.
The buddies in each group appear as branches from the folder. You must expand the group to see buddies in that group. To expand the group, click the triangle next to the folder so that the triangle points downward. Or, select the name of the group and press Enter.
You cannot see which of your buddies is online when you display the List Setup tab. Click the Online tab to see which buddies are online.
Tip: Buddy lists are stored on a server rather than on your computer. That means you can access your buddy lists from anywhere, whenever you sign on to the Netscape Instant Messenger service.
If you know a friend's screen name, you can add him or her to your Buddy
List immediately.
Begin from your Buddy List Window.
Click the List Setup tab.
Click the add buddy icon
(the icon you see may differ if you are using a theme other than Modern).
You see the Add Buddy dialog box.
Type the screen name of the buddy you want to add. Remember to enter just
the buddy's screen name, not the full email address. For example, johndoe,
rather than johndoe@aol.com.
Select the group to which you want to add the screen name.
Click OK.
If you don't know a friend's screen name, Instant Messenger can help you
locate your friend using his or her email address.
Begin from your Buddy List Window in the standalone Instant Messenger version (not the version in My Sidebar).
Open the People menu, and select Find A Buddy.
Type your buddy's email address in the "Friend's email address" field and click Next. Netscape Instant Messenger displays all screen names for the email address you specified.
Select the screen name you want to add to your list and click Add Buddy.
In the Add Buddy dialog box, select the group to which you want to add the buddy, and click OK.
If you use the My Sidebar feature of Netscape 6, then you may find it convenient
to include your Buddy List in a My Sidebar tab.
The My Sidebar Buddy List may be closed, so that only its header is
showing. To open it, click the tab on which the words Buddy List appear.
The My Sidebar Buddy List lets you know when one of your buddies is
online and available for a chat, even if Netscape Instant Messenger is
not open.
To send an instant message:
Double-click a buddy's name in the My Sidebar Buddy List.
Type your message and click the send icon in the lower-right corner of the window.
Tip: On Windows and Linux systems, you can right-click a name and choose to send an instant message or a chat invitation. On Mac OS systems, use Control-click.
To find out which of your buddies is online, click the Online tab in the
Buddy List.
You cannot see which of your buddies is online when you have the List
Setup tab displayed. Click the Online tab.
In the Online tab:
To expand and collapse a group, click the small triangle next to the name of the group.
To see how many people in a group are online, check the number in parentheses
next to the group name. For example, (4/7) means that four of your seven
buddies in the group are currently online.
If your buddy is online, his or her name appears in your Buddy List with an
online presence icon
next to the person's name.
Names displayed in gray are idle (idle means that a person hasn't used the computer for 15 minutes but is still online), and a small clock icon appears next to the name.
If your buddy has activated an away message, the away icon appears next to the name.
In Netscape Mail:
You can also find out which of your buddies is online from within Netscape
Mail. If a buddy is online, and you are signed on to the Instant Messenger service,
a presence icon
appears next to his or her name in a message window, in the To, From, or CC
fields. This icon also appears next the the names of non-buddies. Non-buddies
are Instant Messenger users who you have not added to your buddy list. For both
buddies and non-buddies, the presence icon will show only for those users who
have registered and confirmed their registration.
The presence icon next to a buddy's name disappears when he or she logs on or off. The presence icon does not change next to a non-buddy's name.
Follow these steps to create and send an instant message:
Open the Tasks menu, and click Instant Messenger. You see your standalone Buddy List Window. (You must be signed on to Instant Messenger to view this window).
To send an instant message to someone in your Buddy List whose name appears
in the Online tab, double-click the name of your buddy. A window opens where
you can type your message. The To field is filled in automatically.
To send an instant message to someone who is not online or who is not
in your Buddy List, click the send IM icon (the icon you see may differ if you are using a theme other than Modern)
in the Online tab. Type the user's name in the To field.
Type your message in the compose area of the Instant Message window.
Click the send button (the flying envelope in the lower-right corner of the
window), or press Enter. The message is sent.
Tip: On Windows and Linux systems, you can right-click a name and choose to send an instant message or a chat invitation. On Mac OS systems, use Control-click.
You see your message in the top pane of the message window. Your buddy's
response will also appear in the top pane. You can continue typing and
sending messages as long as you and your buddy want to converse.
Netscape Instant Messenger lets you customize your instant messages with
special fonts, colors, and styles:
Open the Tasks menu, and click Instant Messenger. You see your standalone Buddy List Window. (You must be signed on to Instant Messenger to view this window.)
Open the People menu and choose Send Instant Message.
In the window in which you can type your Instant Message, type some text, and then select any words you want to style.
Open one of the drop-down lists or click a button on the toolbar and choose the formatting option you want to use:
Paragraph menu (to style text as a heading, list item, or other format)
Font menu
Color button
Size (buttons for making the font smaller or larger)
To decorate a message with "smilies" (emoticons), click the smiling face button on the Compose toolbar in the Instant Message composition window, and choose the image you want in your message. If you cannot see the smiley, make sure that the "Display emoticons as graphics" preference is selected in your Instant Messenger preferences.
To add a hyperlink to a message, type the full URL as text (for example, http://www.aol.com or mailto:johndoe@aol.com). The text automatically converts to a hyperlink when you send the message.
You can easily use Instant Messenger from within Netscape Mail to correspond quickly with friends and colleagues. If an Instant Messenger user who has sent you an email message is online, a presence icon appears next to his or her email address in the envelope of the email message. The icon appears in the To, From, or CC fields for anyone who is a registered, confirmed Instant Messenger user and who is online. (You must be signed on to the Instant Messenger service to see these icons.) To send an instant message to the person, double-click the presence icon. An Instant Messenger composition window opens for you to type and send your message.
A conversation ends when both parties stop sending instant messages. If the other person continues to send messages after you have closed the message window, you will continue to receive message notifications, unless you block that person from sending you messages. To close the message window, click the close box.
To sign off from Instant Messenger, click the sign-off icon
(or the Sign Off button) in your Buddy List Window. Or, open the File menu in
the Buddy List Window and choose "Sign Off" (you are signed off from Instant
Messenger, but the sign-on window remains open) or "Sign Off and Close."
Open the Tasks menu, and click Instant Messenger. You see the standalone Buddy List Window. (You must be signed on to Instant Messenger to view this window.
In your Buddy List Window, click the Online tab.
Select the screen names of the buddies you want to invite to the chat room. To select multiple screen names, hold down the Ctrl key as you select each name. You can also select an entire group of buddies.
Click the chat invitation icon (the icon you see may differ if you are using a theme other than Modern).
The Buddy Chat Invitation window opens.
If you want to send the invitation to additional buddies, type their screen names in the Screen Names to Invite field, separated by commas.
Click Invite to send the invitation.
After your buddy accepts your invitation, Netscape Instant Messenger displays a message indicating your buddy has entered the room. You can start typing your chat messages in the text area after you receive the notification.
You can invite a buddy to join a chat in progress. To do so, click the Invite button on the toolbar in the Chat window.
Type the message that you want to send in the text area box of the Chat window.
You can format chat messages with hyperlinks and emoticons (smilies) or format them using different styles such as bold, italic, or underlining. Using color or a different font can also help emphasize messages you send.
Click Send.
When you are finished with your chat conversation, you can click Save in the Chat window toolbar to save the conversation to a file.
To add a hyperlink to a chat message, type the full URL as text (for example, http://www.aol.com or mailto:johndoe@aol.com). The text automatically converts to a hyperlink when you send the chat message.
To stop receiving messages from one or more people in the chat room:
Select the person’s screen name in the field that lists participants in the
chat room.
Click Ignore. A red circle with a slash through it appears next to the selected screen name. Click Ignore again to turn the Ignore feature off.
Once you've clicked Ignore, you won't see any messages from those people whose screen names you selected. However, others in the chat room will continue to see the messages of those people.
A chat ends when all parties stop sending instant messages. To
close the chat window, click the close box.
To sign off from Instant Messenger, open the File menu and choose "Sign
Off" (you are signed off from Instant Messenger, but the sign-on window remains open)
or "Sign Off and Close."
If you need to step away from your computer but do not want to sign off, you can use an Away message to let others know that you are temporarily unavailable.
For planned absences, you can turn on your Away message to let others know when you will be back. Netscape Instant Messenger displays this message when anyone requests information about you and automatically replies with your Away message to anyone who sends you a message while you are away.
Open the Tasks menu, and click Instant Messenger. You see the standalone Buddy List Window. (You must be signed on to Instant Messenger to view this window.
Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
Under the Instant Messenger category, select Away. (If no options are visible in this category, click the triangle to expand the list.)
Make sure "Auto respond with "away" message" is selected.
To create a new message, click Add Message. You see the Edit Away Message dialog box.
Type a label for the new away message in the Label field.
Type the message in the field below "Message to send when you receive a message."
Click OK to save your changes and close the dialog box.
Netscape Instant Messenger adds your new message to your list of away messages. When you activate your away message, users who send you an instant message receive your away message.
To turn on (activate) your away message or to turn it off:
Open the Tasks menu, and click Instant Messenger. You see the standalone Buddy List Window. (You must be signed on to Instant Messenger to view this window.
Click the away message icon or button, or select the message you want to use from the drop-down list next to the icon.
To turn off your away message, click "I'm Back" in the Instant Messenger window.
Under the Instant Messenger category, select Away. (If no options are visible in this category, click the triangle next to the words Instant Messenger to expand the list.)
If someone else using Instant Messenger sends you annoying or offensive
messages, you can block the person from sending messages to you.
You can also set privacy preferences to control which users can send
you messages, and how much information about you other Instant Messenger
users can have.
Follow these steps to control who can send you messages, and to control how much
information about you other users can have:
Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences. Under the Instant Messenger category, select Privacy. (If no options are available in this category, click the triangle next to the words Instant Messenger to expand the list.)
Under "Who can contact me," select one of the following options:
Allow all users to contact me: Select this option if you do not want to restrict others from sending messages to you.
Allow only users in my Buddy List: Select this option to receive messages only from those people on your Buddy List.
Allow these users: Select this option to choose the people from whom you will receive messages. Click Add Name and type the screen names of the people you choose.
Block all users: Select this option if you do not want to receive messages from anyone.
Block these users: Select this option if you do not want to receive messages from certain people. Click Add Name and type the screen names of the people you choose.
Block all incoming chat invitations: Select this option to prevent messages from appearing on your screen when someone wants to chat with you.
In the lower section of the dialog box, use the drop-down list to choose how much information users who know your email address should be able to see about you.
You can block one or more users so they can't send you messages. This feature is useful if you want to block users who send offensive messages or if you simply do not want to receive messages for a while.
Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
Under the Instant Messenger category, select Privacy. If no options
are visible in this category, click the triangle next to the words
Instant Messenger to expand the list.
Select "Block all users" or "Block these users."
If you selected "Block these users," click Add Name and type the screen
name of the person you want to block.
To remove someone from the "block" list, click his or her screen name, then click
Remove.
You can also block a user directly from the Instant Message window:
In the Instant Message window, click the Block icon or button.
Click OK to confirm that you want to block the specific user.
If someone else using the Netscape Instant Messenger service sends you annoying or offensive messages, you have two ways to respond. You can issue a warning to the person or you can block the person.
To warn a user who has sent you an offensive message, click Warn in the Instant Message window in which you received the message.
Warn imposes a warning on the sender, hampering that person's ability to send and receive messages. With frequent warnings, the user will not be able to exchange any messages with anyone. Only after a cooling off period can that user send and receive messages again.
When you click Warn, you can choose to impose the warning anonymously. Anonymous warnings are less severe and the user you are warning won't know who issued the warning.
Regarding warnings you send and receive:
You can issue only one warning for each message someone sends you.
If a user warns you, consider ending the conversation. Every additional message you send enables that user to warn you again.
Alternatively, you can block one or more people from sending you messages. See "Blocking a User" for more information.
Is the password you entered valid? If not, check your case-sensitive password and try again.
Did your request to sign on get denied? If so, you have signed on too many times in a short period. Wait a few minutes and try again. Additional attempts to sign on now will extend the period you need to wait.
Are you currently connected to the Internet? If not, and you have been able to connect before, check the following:
Is your Internet service provider (ISP) connection operating properly? If not, contact the company supplying your connection and be prepared to change your connection configuration.
Is your LAN connection operating properly? If not, contact your LAN network administrator and be prepared to change your connection configuration.
You might not be able to sign on if:
There is a DNS problem with your ISP or network. Contact your ISP or system administrator, or try again later.
Your network is using a firewall. If this is the case, contact your system administrator for information about setting up a proxy server. After you obtain this information, you must enter it in your Connection preferences.
The Netscape Instant Messenger service is temporarily unavailable. Try to sign on again later.
If none of the above conditions is true, there is either a temporary problem somewhere in the network that is preventing the connection from completing or the Instant Messenger server is down. In either case, you simply need to wait and try again later.
Have you added any buddies to your Buddy List? If not, click the List Setup tab in your Buddy List Window and click the add buddy icon.
Are you viewing the Online tab in your Buddy List Window? If not, click the Online tab in your Buddy List Window to display your online buddies.
Are any of your buddies signed on? If not, they won't appear in your Buddy List. From the People menu, choose Sign On A Friend to invite a friend to register with the Netscape Instant Messenger service.
Is the "Block all users" option selected? If so, this prevents anyone from seeing you and also prevents you from seeing anyone in your Buddy List Window. To deselect the "Block all users option," from the Edit menu, choose Preferences. Click the Privacy category under Instant Messenger, and deselect the option.
Are all of your buddies blocking you? If so, from the People menu, choose Sign On A Friend to invite another friend to register with the Netscape Instant Messenger service.
Is your buddy blocking your instant message? If so, from the People menu, choose Sign On A Friend to invite another friend to register with the Netscape Instant Messenger service.
Is your buddy signed on? If not, you need to wait and try again later when your buddy is signed on.
If you have previously used AOL Instant Messenger, and you have installed Netscape 6 on your machine, you will have to select your preferences again. Preferences, unlike Buddy Lists, do not transfer automatically from AOL Instant Messenger to Netscape 6.
The Instant Messenger preferences dialog box lets you set preferences for creating and formatting messages, and for setting a preference to show within the envelope of a Netscape Mail message whether other users are online. If you are not already viewing these settings, follow these steps:
Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
Click to select the Instant Messenger category. (If you chose Preferences from the Edit menu of the standalone Instant Messenger window in step 1, the category is already selected for you.)
Select the boxes next to the options listed to set your preferences for the following:
Enter key inserts Return: If you want the Enter key to insert a line break, check this option. Deselect this option if you want the Enter key to send your message.
Tab key inserts Tab: If you want the Tab key to insert a tab, check this option. Deselect this option if you want the Tab key to toggle among fields in the Instant Message window.
Show time stamp on all messages: If you want the messages you send and receive to be marked with the time they are sent, check this option.
Display emoticons as graphics: You can control whether emoticons (or graphical smilies) appear in your chat or instant messages with this option.
Show online state in message envelope: If you want to display the online presence icon next to all online buddies in the envelope of a Netscape Mail message, check this option.
The Instant Messenger Privacy preference dialog box lets you control who communicates with you while you are using Netscape Instant Messenger. You can prevent any user from sending you messages or specify only those users with whom you want to communicate. If you are not already viewing these settings, follow these steps:
Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
Click to select the Instant Messenger category. (If you chose Preferences from the Edit menu of the standalone Instant Messenger window in step 1, the category is already selected for you.)
Under the Instant Messenger category, select Privacy.
Click the buttons next to the options listed to set your preferences for the following:
Allow all users to contact me: Select this option if you do not want to restrict others from sending messages to you.
Allow only users in my Buddy List: Select this option to receive messages only from those people on your Buddy List.
Allow these users: Select this option to choose the people from whom you will receive messages. Click Add Name and type the screen names of the people you choose.
Block all users: Select this option if you do not want to receive messages from anyone.
Block these users: Select this option if you do not want to receive messages from certain people. Click Add Name and type the screen names of the people you choose.
Block all incoming chat invitations: Select this option to prevent messages from appearing on your screen when someone wants to chat with you.
Allow users who know my email address to see: Choose one of the following options from the drop-down list.
My screen name: Choose this option to allow users who know your email address to obtain your screen name through the Find a Buddy feature.
Only that I have an account: Choose this option to allow users who know your email address to find only that you have an account through the Find a Buddy feature.
Nothing about me: Choose this option to allow users who know your email address to learn nothing about you through the Find a Buddy feature.
The Instant Messenger Notification preference dialog box lets you control who communicates with you while you are using Netscape Instant Messenger. You can prevent any user from sending you messages or specify only those users with whom you want to communicate. If you are not already viewing these settings, follow these steps:
Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
Click to select the Instant Messenger category. (If you chose Preferences from the Edit menu of the standalone Instant Messenger window in step 1, the category is already selected for you.)
Under the Instant Messenger category, select Notification.
Check the boxes next to the options listed to set your preferences for the following:
Play a sound when: Check this option and then check the box next to the event (or events) for which you want to hear a notification sound. To hear a sample of the sound, click the speaker button next to the right of the event.
Flash chat window when messages are received: Check this option if you want the chat window to flash when someone sends you a chat message while you are working in another window.
Show announcements when users enter and leave chat room: Check this option to display an announcement when users enter and leave a chat room.
The Instant Messenger Away preference dialog box lets you define messages that appear to others while you are away from your computer. If you are not already viewing these settings, follow these steps:
Open the Edit menu and choose Preferences.
Click to select the Instant Messenger category. (If you chose Preferences from the Edit menu of the standalone Instant Messenger window in step 1, the category is already selected for you.)
Under the Instant Messenger category, select Away.
Check the boxes next to the options listed to set your preferences for the following:
Auto respond with "away" message: If you select this option and activate your Away message, this message is automatically sent to those who send you a message. To activate your message, click the Away message button in your Buddy List Window. To activate a particular message, click the down arrow next to the Away message button and choose a message from the drop-down list.
Disable sounds: If you select this option, Netscape Instant Messenger does not play any sound when your buddies send you instant messages while you are away.
To add a message, click Add Message and type a label and a new Away message in the text fields. Highlight a message and click Edit or Remove to edit or remove a particular message.
If you access the Internet through an Internet service provider, you most likely will not need to make any changes to the Connection preferences dialog box. If you access the Internet through a local area network firewall (for example, at your workplace), then your network administrator may need to configure the proxy section of the Connection preferences dialog box.
Here are descriptions of the items in the Connection dialog box:
Server Host
This field contains the default Internet address of the Netscape Instant Messenger server. Under normal circumstances, you do not need to change this field. If your proxy server needs to resolve the host name, you may need to put the IP address instead of the name of the server in this field.
Server Port
This field contains the default server port number to be used on the Netscape Instant Messenger server. Under normal circumstances, you do not need to change this field.
Connect using proxy
If you click this button, the Netscape Instant Messenger software activates the proxy server controls.
Proxy Server Host
Supply the name of the proxy server.
Proxy Server Port
Supply the port number to be used on the proxy server.
Protocol
Specify whether your proxy server uses the SOCKS 4, SOCKS 5, or HTTPS protocol.
Authentication Username
Supply the authentication username required by the proxy.
Authentication Password
Supply the authentication password required by the proxy.