Technology Tip Sheets - iChat using Jabber iChat using Jabber

What is iChat? • iChat is a personal video conferencing system • No extra or bulky equipment required • Users can instant message staff members in other district buildings because the district now has an internal chat server • Users can video conference with up to three other users and audio conference with up to nine other users • Users can send files to their buddies

Reasons for using iChat • To keep in touch throughout the day • Asking quick questions or sending quick thoughts • Limits the number of email that users send and receive • Send files without attaching to emails

To set up the new and improved iChat on your laptop:

Launch iChat from the or Applications folder.

Open iChat Preferences (File > Preferences) and click on the Accounts tab.

Change the Account Type to Jabber Account. The Account Name will be your username with “@chat.etownschools.org” (for example: [email protected]) and enter your district password in the Password field.

Click the arrow to the left of Server Options to expand that section of the window. In the Server field, type in chat.etownschools.org and click Done.

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Once you have clicked Done, an iChat buddy list window will open, click on Available and set it to Offline. Weʼre doing this because the last step requires you to be offline to perform.

Open iChat Preferences again which should open up to the Accounts tab, but if not, click on Accounts.

Click on the account that is displays as your email address. Click on Server Settings and UNcheck the box that says Warn before password is sent insecurely.

While in the preferences window, you may want to look at the other optional settings. Here are a few that I recommend: • tab Format message colors to your preference Put check in box ʻAutomatically save chat transcriptsʼ (this automatically creates an iChat folder in your Documents folder where it saves a copy of all your chats. This is good if you need to refer back to a chat from a window that has already been closed

• General & Alerts tab Set both to your preferences however, in General, place a check in the box ʻConfirm before sending filesʼ so you donʼt inadvertently send a file to the wrong buddy

• Audio/Video tab Make sure Microphone is set to Internal microphone

Close iChat preferences. Return to the open buddy list window, set your status back to Available.

You are now ready to begin texting, video or audio chatting and .

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To use iChat • To begin a text, video or audio chat or screen sharing, click on the buddy that you would like to chat with and then click on the menu button at the bottom of the window: A - text chat Phone symbol - audio chat Camera symbol - video chat Two rectangles - screen sharing

• There are two ways to invite multiple buddies to an audio or video chat. 1. You can add multiple buddies to a video or audio chat by pressing and holding the apple key while selecting multiple buddies in the list window and then click the audio or video chat buttons at the bottom of the Bonjour pane to start the connection. 2. During an audio or video chat, to add additional people to your audio and video chats, click the + sign at the bottom of the chat window. A list of online buddies will appear. Click on a buddy name. Repeat steps to invite more people.

• The invited buddies will receive notification on their screen that they are being invited to an audio or video chat. They need to click on the notification to expand the window and then click Accept or Decline.

Screen Sharing • To share computer screens with a buddy, highlight the buddy and then press the screen sharing button. Select whether you want to share your screen with the buddy or whether you want to share the buddyʼs screen • The buddy will receive a screen sharing notification in which they need to accept or decline • Once they accept, you will both see the same screen and can work simultaneously • To end a screen sharing session, press the Control + Escape keys

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Sending files through iChat • Click and drag the file over the buddies name in the buddy list window and release • A confirmation window will open verifying that you want to send a file to that buddy • A window will open on your buddies screen asking if they want to accept or decline the file • iChat will tell you if they decline the file

Changing status • Click the status indicator below your name in the buddy list window. You can set a custom available and away message and you can also show your buddies what youʼre listening to in iTunes.

Changing your picture • Click on iChat in the Menu Bar and slide down to Change My Picture • Drag a picture over the image placeholder or click Choose... to navigate through a window to find a picture then click Set.

Opening a Jabber buddy list window that has closed • If you close out of your Jabber buddy list window, open another by clicking on Window and sliding down and clicking on your email address.

Please keep in mind that Elizabethtown logs all communications whether by email, chat, etc. to keep in compliance with state and federal laws.

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