HOWTO: Use the Chat feature

How to use "Real Time" Chat
First of all Congratulations to those Members who are trying out the Chat room!!

It is definitely a great way to carry on a conversation and with no long distance charges, albeit you cannot see your "chat" partner(s)

The following are some suggestions for using the Chat Room:
1 ~ To enter, you click on the "Realtime Chat" tab located in the top area of the Forum between "Members" and "Logout" -
This will then take you to the "Chat room"!
Those who are currently using the Main Chat room; will show up in the main Forum Heading area; just under the heading "The Pug Lounge"
If you refresh your board by just clicking on the "Board Index" at the left hand side; it will update who is in the Main Chat Room!
There are 2 other rooms listed as well and are locked. These are "Private" and are only for use by Board Members and/or Co-ordinators for Private Meetings. Please respect these rooms.

2 ~ once in the Chat room - to type a message - there is box at the bottom of the screen - place your cursor in there and type your msg - then hit the "send" button at the right hand side or "enter" on your keyboard

3 ~ now let's have some fun
To change the colour of your font - there is a square box between the "Save" and "Options" tabs; just to the top of your message box. Click on this and a colour chart comes up. Click on a colour you want to use, but, please keep in mind that the colour has to be readable on the blue Chat room background!!

4 ~ Explore the "Options" tab as well! Under here you can change certain things about your own Chat board display. These will become your own personal settings.
**This is where you can change the colours of your own personal board - the background for easier reading **

5 ~ Up at the right hand area of the board is another area - this area shows who is in the room at the time you are. If you click on a person's name a box pops up with several different commands. If you click on "Private Msg" a new box pops up with a new msg area. Type a message to that person in the bottom box just the same as the main Chat Room area. Only the person you have chosen can see this msg Sneaky, eh!
Let the secrets begin

6 ~ now, how about some really great Avatars
There are 2 areas you could put an avatar in the Chat room:
- one can go beside your msg postings
- the other at the top where a list of attending members is located; to the right of the board.
To do so you will need to go into the "Options" tab just above your message box. Then click on "Effects"
Under "Effects" at the top of the pop up box are two square boxes and a pull down arrow. Click on the pull down arrow and you will find all the styles for the avatars. Pick one then click off on the square box; a chk mark should appear. Click "Okay" at the bottom and then check on the main chat area screen to make sure the changes took effect.
You amy have ot play with this area; as some of us have been having a few problems with the individual avatars showing up.

So go ahead have some fun! Already many of us have had some great conversations and the words seem to just fly in there

If you have any specific questions about the Chat room or are running into
any problems; please direct your questions to either myself and/or Mark (Gerk) / we will be only to happy to find an answer or correct the problem.

Happy Chats to all!

Lori