TUTORIAL CHAT

YAHOO MESSENGER : INTRODUCTION

2008-11-12T07:15:00.000-08:00

Introduction: Definition Instant Messaging (IM) Programs

Instant Messaging

"A service that alerts users when friends or colleagues are online and allows them to communicate with each other in real time through private online chat areas. With instant messaging, a user creates a list of other users with whom he or she wishes to communicate; when a user from his or her list is on line, the service alerts the user and enables immediate contact with the other user. While instant messaging has primarily been a proprietary service offered by Internet service providers such as AOL and MSN, businesses are starting to employ instant messaging to increase employee efficiency and make expertise more readily available to employees." --Source: http:www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/experiences/glossary_h-n.asp.

"Instant messaging is the ability to exchange messages in real time with other people over the Internet. To send and receive instant messages, you need a connection to the Internet and instant messaging software. The instant messaging software enables you to set up a list of friends who also use the program. Once you set up this list, you can see if each friend is online at a particular moment. If so, you can begin a conversation with them quickly and easily. Most conversations are typed text messages that are sent back and forth, though more advanced users can exchange voice, video, files and more". --Source: http://messenger.yahoo.com

How Do I "Instant Message"

Perhaps the four most well known Instant Messaging (IM) programs are AOL Instant Messenger, MSN Instant Messenger, Yahoo Instant Messenger, and ICQ. These free programs are very similar in terms of their functionality and features. A limited subset of this same type of functionality is found in WebTycho's "class awareness" and "chat" features.

What Should I Consider Before Using An Instant Messaging Program

Each faculty member and student is free to choose whether or not he/she wishes to utilize an instant message program as a course-related communications tool. Use of these programs requires real-time participation by one or more participants and is, therefore, strictly optional. Before you and/or some of your students elect to use an instant messaging program, please consider the following:

Beyond the information contained in this document, UMUC does not provide technical support for any third-party instant messaging programs. Most IM programs provide sufficient help menus and information.

At the present time, most IM programs are not compatible with each other. Though you may easily be able to run one or more IM programs on your computer at any given time, these programs do not "speak to each other." For example, you cannot use AOL Instant Messenger to communicate with users of Yahoo Instant Messenger.

IM programs are best categorized as a "communications" tool, rather than "teaching/learning" tools. As with any communications tool, IM programs can be used effectively or ineffectively. The perceived benefits derived from using this particular method of communication will vary from one person to the next, based on communication preferences, knowledge and understanding of instant messaging, the specific tool being used, and one's willingness to use the program in a manner considered "acceptable and appropriate" to other users. Just as there are times that people do not wish to be contacted by phone or email, the same is true of IM programs. To avoid annoying the people who have agreed to share their usernames with you (for your IM program's "buddy" or contact list) we recommend that use your IM program in a thoughtful and purposeful manner. Uninvited, incessant instant messages can be as annoying, if not more so, than "pop-up" ads.

As with any software that runs over the Internet, IM programs present certain security and privacy concerns. Some of these concerns may be addressed through end-user controls, such as firewalls, anti-virus software, and selective vs. continuous usage. You can also set the "preferences" (settings) in your own IM program to exclude (forbid) file transfers to and from your computer (strongly recommend). Most IM programs also provide "preference" settings whereby you can limit IM communications to only those people whose names appear on your contact list. Although it is possible to run your IM program continuously while you are online, the choice to do so is yours alone. Some IM Programs, such as Yahoo Instant Messenger, provide you with the ability to log on in "invisible" mode. If you are "invisible", no one on your contact list can tell that you are online. Should you choose to make your "online presence" known to the colleagues, students, or friends on your own personal contact list, simply change your status from "invisible" to "available". Finally, most IM programs will enable you to create multiple user accounts. For example, if you use an IM program at work, you may not wish to receive instant messages from your friends during work hours. Likewise, if you are logged into your IM service during the evening or weekend hours so that you can chat with son or daughter who is away at college, you may not wish to receive IMs from colleagues who may also happen to be online "after work hours". A simple solution to this dilemma is to use two different accounts or usernames -- one for work and a second one for home.

The popular IM programs offer the ability to communicate with other users in the following manner:

one-to-one private messaging (text and possibly audio/video, depending on the IM program) with another person whose username is on your contact list.
group messaging (text and possibly audio/video, depending on the IM program) with two or more people whose usernames are on your contact list.

With group messaging, it is important to understand the difference between "chat" and "conferencing". Unlike WebTycho, where "conferencing" refers to asynchronous posting and reading of messages, conferencing with IM programs is the same thing as "real-time chat" (text, audio and/or video). If you are "conferencing" with people whose usernames appear on your contact list, your chat is restricted to invited participants. However, the "chat" feature in some IM programs can also be used to participate in the service provider's "public chat rooms". Use of those "public chat rooms" is beyond the scope of this tutorial and strictly "at your own risk".

Diposkan oleh wordchat di 03:51

YAHOO MESSENGER : SETTING MIC AND SOUND

2008-11-05T09:31:00.000-08:00

Setting up your mic & sound

To set up your microphone ready for use plug it into the mic socket at the back of your PC, fig 1.1 shows a common set of sound inputs/outputs and we have pointed out the mic socket.

The next step is to open the messenger program and contact the friend that you want to talk to, when you have sent them a message you will see the main instant message window, one of the icons visible is the voice button.

Clicking on the voice button adds a new toolbar with some new areas of interest within the message window, these extra buttons/indicators (see fig 1.2) are what you will use to control the voice conferencing.

Setting up the sound levels

Now you are familiar with the voice toolbar it is time to test and set up the sound levels including the input level for your microphone, this is achieved by opening the volume control on the Windows taskbar (bottom right of your screen by the clock).

In fig 1.3 to the left is a standard volume control window, yours may vary with different controls for different devices.

The one we are interested in is the Mic control, if you cannot see the mic in your volume window then click on options, properties, and then put a tick next to the Mic option in the dialogue box that appears.

Normally your mic will be muted so we need to untick the Mute checkbox (as in fig 1.2), now move the slider for the mic about halfway up for now, we will test the settings in a minute.

Also notice the Volume slider, this should be set according to your PC's speakers.

Now it is time to test the mic, when you enable the voice conferencing (clicking the Voice button) your friend will receive a message asking them if they would like to enable voice as well, presuming they do accept then you would see a message appear in the message window along the lines of your friend has enabled voice conference.

Press the Talk button and say something into your mic, you should see your mic level indicator (C in fig 1.2) light up, the ideal level is shown in fig 1.4 below

Having the mic any louder than the level shown above can cause distortion, adjust your mic slider (fig 1.3) to set the level accordingly, always ask your friend how it sounds at their end too.

Once you have set your levels you are ready to go, just press the talk button or use the hands free feature to talk.

To stop the voice conference simply click on the Voice Off button as seen below

note: If you experience feedback (a humming noise) while talking then adjust the volume and mic sliders until the humming disappears, another cause of feedback is having the mic too close to the speakers.

YAHOO MESSENGER : MAKING CONTACT

2008-11-05T09:29:00.000-08:00

Making contact with your friend

To initiate contact with your friend is very straight forward, after checking they are online simply double click on their Yahoo!^® ID in your friends list, this will open the instant message box similar to that shown in fig 1.3 below:

As you can see in fig 1.3 we have entered the message Hello in the message box, to send your message either press the Enter key or click on the send button, we have also pointed out where the messages will appear.

In fig 1.4 above you can see our message has been sent and our friend has replied, all the messages you send between you and your friend are private and you can chat for as long as you want.

There is a conferencing feature with Yahoo!^® Messenger which allows multiple people to chat in the same message box, we will cover this as well as voice conferencing and viewing web cams in upcoming tutorials.

YAHOO MESSENGER : CHECKING ONLINE OR OFFLINE

2008-11-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

Checking if your friend is online

After adding a friend you will see their Yahoo!^® ID and a small icon (face) appear in the main messenger window (see fig 1.1 below).

If your friend is offline (not connected or hasn't given permission yet for you to add them to your list) then the Yahoo!^® ID and small face icon will be similar to that in fig 1.1.

If your friend is online and they have accepted you as a friend then the small face icon and name will appear like helpwithpcs_friend in our example below (fig 1.2).

In other words when your friend is online and available the face will be brighter and smiling and the Yahoo!^® ID will be in bold letters.

Also notice your status (pointed out in fig 1.1), by default (unless changed) it is set to I'm Available, this means that if you are on someone else's friends list then they can see you are online and contact you if they wish.

Your status can be changed to Unavailable by clicking on the small arrow next to your status, this would make it appear that you are offline but you can still receive messages.

YAHOO MESSENGER : PLAY MUSIC WITH SOUNCARD

2008-11-05T08:48:00.000-08:00

PLAY MUSIC THROUGH YOUR SOUNDCARD IN YAHOO MESSENGER

First find the speaker icon located next to the clock on your Windows taskbar.
Click the speaker icon and open up the Play Control panel. It will look something like this.

Figure 1

Next, you will need to click on Options on the menu and select Properties as displayed below in Figure 2.

Figure 2

Next you will want to select the radio button labeled "Recording".
Below that button you will see a box which allows you to select various output devices on your soundcard.
All soundcards are different but all things considered, you will need to select your master output device and the mic.
These are the only two items you need checked in order to play direct on Yahoo! Messenger.
Below you will see that I have checked Record Master and Microphone.
While all soundcards have a Microphone selection, your particular soundcard may have not have a
Record Master setting but will list instead, Stereo Out, Mixer Out, Master Out, Wav Out etc.

Figure 3

After choosing the proper devices select OK.
The Record Control panel will appear with only your main output control and mic visible.
Set your main output level somewhere between the 3rd and 4th notch as a general rule as indicated in Figure 4.

Figure 4

When you wish to play music in the chat room, select your output control.
When you wish to speak on the mic, select your Microphone control.

Do not close the Record Panel. Allow it to reside on your taskbar as indicated in Figure 5.
This will allow you to switch back and forth between devices easily.

Figure 5

To send music to the chat room, select the master output control, queue up your music and start playing.
Hold down the talk button in the chat room window as indicated in Figure 6 and you are now playing direct.
DO NOT use Hands Free. Hands Free does not work with music in the chat rooms.
There are various mic locking programs available if you wish to save wear and tear on your fingers.
This tutorial will not explain their use as they are fairly straightforward.

A Tutorial by Black Hat

YAHOO MESSENGER : USE PROXY IN YAHOO MESSENGER

2008-11-05T04:38:00.000-08:00

Why We should use Proxy in Yahoo Messenger? We use proxy in Yahoo Messenger due to some security reason or might just to protect your real Internet Protocol. For some cases, Your IP got banned by Yahoo, therefore you can not connect to Yahoo Server (this means you can’t use Yahoo Messenger). Yahoo Banned the IP of the user because of particular security reason, such as the IP suspiciously used to make spam, or flooding bots, or spreading any malicious software, or else. To handle this banned IP (usually if banned IP take temporary, 12 hours or 24 hours, but sometimes it can be permanently), from Yahoo, you can connect to Yahoo via Proxy. How to use Proxy in Yahoo Messenger? Here are the Tutorial:

Use Proxy In Yahoo Messenger

First, We use Yahoo Messenger Version 8 as an example and Windows Operating System. it can be different setting or ways, if you use another version of YM, especially YM Version 9 Final. Back to Tutorial. First You have to find or get a proxy address that work properly. You can use proxy grabber or proxy finder to find the proxy, or just googling it, then you can test it with Proxy Checker. But it is better if you use Private Proxy.

Then Just got to the Proxy Setting of Yahoo Messenger.

Yahoo Messenger ~~> Messenger ~~> Preferences ~~> Connection ~~> Use Proxies

Then you can choose with one of your proxy server that you use. HTTP Proxies or you can use Sock Proxy. But make sure after you setting the Proxies Connection of Yahoo Messenger you also change the Connection setting of Internet Explorer Browser.

Internet Explorer ~~> Tools ~~> Internet Options ~~> Connections ~~> Settings

Then choose Use a proxy server fro this connection (These settings will not apply to others connections).

Make sure, the Yahoo Messenger Proxy settings is same as the Setting of Internet Explorer. Then you can use you Proxy to connect to Yahoo Messenger.

Using Register Proxy Windows

If you want to try a fast way to change your Proxy setting to connects to Yahoo Server of Yahoo Messenger you can visit the tutorial to make register file and how to use it here.

YAHOO MESSENGER : YAHOOMESSENGER EMOTICONT

2008-11-05T03:55:00.000-08:00

If you often chatting with yahoo! messenger, possibly you will familiar with emoticons such as : How to adding Yahoo Emoticons to your post? there is very easy. You just add the codes to your post, what you want to put. However when you post an article, you must choose tab, don't at tab.

This is the codes :

:)happy

:(sad

;)winking

:Dbig grin

;;)batting eyelashes

>:D

:-/confused

:xlove struck

:">blushing

:Ptongue

:-*kiss

=((broken heart

:-Osurprise

X(angry

:>smug

B-)cool

:-Sworried

#:-Swhew!

>:)devil

:((crying

:))laughing

:straight face

/:)raised eyebrow

=))rolling on the floor

O:-)angel

:-Bnerd

=;talk to the hand

Yahoo hidden emoticons

:o3puppy dog eyes - New!

:-??I don't know

%-(not listening

:@)pig

3:-Ocow

:()monkey

~:>chicken

@};-rose

%%-good luck

**==flag

(~~)pumpkin

~O)coffee

*-:)idea

8-Xskull

=:)bug

>-)alien

:-Lfrustrated

[-O

$-)money eyes

:-"whistling

b-(feeling beat up

:)>-peace sign

[-Xshame on you

\:D/dancing

>:/bring it on

;))hee hee

:-@chatterbox

^:)^not worthy

:-joh go on

(*)star

o->hiro

o=>billy

o-+april

(%)yin yang

This is the steps to add YM emoticons

When you post your article, choose tab. Write your article, and add some emoticons where you want at your post. For example : Hi everybody, today i feel because i'm to someone Publish your post, and the result will be like this : Hi everybody, today i feel because i'm to someone

Besides above way, there is other way which more simple that is as follows :

You must used Firefox browser when you following this tutorial. Not yet have Firefox? don't worry, you can download at this blog for free, please click the button below :

Open your Firefox browser
Install greas monkey, please click here!
Click this script, and then click install.
Go to yout template editor, and find this code ]]>
Copy and paste following codes above of ]]>

   img.emoticon {

padding: 0;

margin: 0;

border: 0;

}

Click Save Template button.
Done.

After this, you will see the emoticons at your post Editor. However it only at tab editor. Screenshot :

Remember, this is work at Firefox, not for internet explorer.

By Kang Rohman

YAHOO MESSENGER : DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL

2008-11-05T03:39:00.000-08:00

Download and Install Yahoo Messenger

1. Go to http://messenger.yahoo.com

2. Click the Download button. The download/install process should begin automatically.

3. When the installation screen appears (as shown below), follow the instructions provided during each step of the installation.

The installation screen says "Step 1 of 6". There are actually only 5 steps. There does not appear to be a "Step 4" (see screen shots below).

If after Step 1, you receive the following message, click No and proceed to PART TWO of these instructions.

YAHOO MESSENGER : CREATE A YAHOO MESSENGER ACCOUNT

2008-11-05T02:51:00.000-08:00

Create a Yahoo Messenger Account

If you previously downloaded Yahoo but: 1) did not create an account, 2) cannot remember your account name, or 3) want to create a second account, follow the instructions below.

1. When you have completed the installation process, you should see a confirmation message in your browser window. Click "Sign up now" under "Get a Yahoo ID. "

If you closed the browser window that displayed the "Congratulations! You have successfully installed Yahoo Messenger", then you can go to http://messenger.yahoo.com and click the "Sign Up" link next to "New User" at the top of the page.

2. Complete the Yahoo Account form. A sample form is shown below.

While it's not required include an an alternate email address on the Sign Up form, it is best to include one because if you lose/forget your Yahoo login name/password, Yahoo will send you an email with the login name/password to the Yahoo email address that was created when you set up your messenger account. However, since the login and password for your Yahoo email account is the same as the login for your Yahoo Messenger account, you will not be able to retrieve the email. In this case you will be forced to create a new Yahoo account.

3. Write down the User ID and any other pertinent information from the confirmation screen. Keep this in a safe place as you will need the login name and password each time you use Yahoo messenger/Yahoo email.

YAHOO MESSENGER : LOGIN AND CONFIGURE

2008-11-05T02:45:00.000-08:00

Login and Configure Yahoo Messenger

1. Locate the Yahoo Messenger icon on your desktop and double-click to start.

2. In the sign-in box, enter your Yahoo ID and password. IMPORTANT: Do not select "Remember my ID & Password", or "Automatically sign-in" unless you are using your own personal computer. If you select "Sign-in as invisible", you will be able to see who's online (those people who are on your contact list who are currently logged into the service) but they will not be able to see that you are online. You can easily switch between "invisible" and "available" once you are logged into the service.

3. The very first time you log into Yahoo Messenger you will need to a few preferences. Select Messenger-->Preferences.

Unless you are a proficient user of instant messaging programs, we recommend that you set the preferences according to the images below (you will not have to change preferences for all categories).

Once you are more familiar with Instant Messaging and your IM program, you may later wish to add any functionality or features that are "de-selected" in the screen images shown below. You can change your personal preferences (settings) at any time, simply by selecting "Preferences" from the Messenger Menu. For more information on Yahoo Messenger Features (activated via "Preferences") see: http://messenger.yahoo.com/

YAHOO MESSENGER : CREATE CONTACT LIST

2008-11-05T02:39:00.000-08:00

Create Your Contact List

1. Before you can use Yahoo Messenger to communicate with others, you will need to create a contact list. In order to do this, you must know their Yahoo username. For example, the person you want to communicate with has a Yahoo user name umucdemo.

To add this user to your contact list, you need to select the add icon located on the Messenger tab.

2. Enter the Yahoo ID (username) of the person you wish to add to your contact list. If you think you will have a hard time remembering who the username belongs to, enter the person's first and/or last name. This is the name that will be displayed on your contact list. Click on Next.

3. You can categorize usernames on your contact list. Simply type the name of the group into which you want to categorize the username (i.e., work, school, family, friends, etc.). Yahoo messenger will send an instant message to that person, who can then accept or deny your request to include his/her name on your contact list. If that person is off-line, the "accept/deny" message will be presented to him/her the next time he/she logs in to Yahoo Messenger.

Note: If the person whose username you are adding to your contact list does not recognize you by your Yahoo username, he/she may select "deny" upon receiving the request. Therefore, you will find it helpful to include a brief note as shown in the example image below. When you have entered your note, click Next.

The person whose username you are attempting to add to your contact list will receive a Yahoo Message that resembles the one shown below. Likewise, when someone attempts to add your Yahoo username to his/her contact list, you will receive the same type of message.

4. The "add to messenger list" status window appears. Yahoo Messenger includes an address book feature, in which you can add contact details for each name on your list. To add more details about a particular contact, click the "Add More Details" button.

Because of potential privacy concerns associated with the online storage of your Yahoo Messenger Address Book, we recommend that you RESTRICT the information you include on the contact details form to only that which is absolutely necessary for instant messaging this person from contact list. Once you have filled in any info you want to include, select the Save & Close button to exit the contact details form.

5. Repeat this process for any Yahoo usernames you wish to add to your contact list. If you chose to enter in additional information as outlined in step 4, you will need to repeat Steps 1-4 to enter addional contacts. Other wise you can select Next to add addional contacts or select Finish when you are done adding contacts. Remember, you can only use Yahoo Messenger to communicate with those people whose usernames appear on your contact list.

We recommend that you also add your own username to your contact list. That way, you will be able to see your name/online status the same way that others see it on their contact lists.

6. Check your contact list in Yahoo Messenger. As shown in the screen image below, Yahoo Trainer has been added to the contact list. In this case, Yahoo Trainer's username is actually umucdemo. Note the following:

A yellow smiley face next to the display name indicates that the person is online.
A gray face means that the person is either off-line or "invisible".

7. To change your own status (how others see you), use the drop down status selector at the top of Yahoo Messenger (see image below). You may select from seven existing status messages or click "New Status Message" to create your own. In the second screen image shown below, we see that Yahoo Trainer has changed her status to "Be Right Back".

YAHOO MESSENGER : ONE-TO-ONE MESSAGE

2008-11-05T02:32:00.000-08:00

One-to-One Messaging with Simple Text,
Audio, and Video

At the top of the Yahoo Messenger screen, there are three communication icons (IM,Text, and Chat).

	Use the IM button to open a blank Instant Message window. You can select the contact name from the drop down box at the top of the instant message window. Shortcut: Double-click the display name of the person on your contact list to whom you wish to send a message. This will open an IM message window.
	Do not use the text icon unless you want to send an instant message to someone's cell phone (not advised unless the recipient has given you explicit permission to send text messages to his/her cell phone).
	Do not use the chat icon unless you want to enter a public chat room (not advised).

Text

By selecting the IM icon, a blank Instant Message window will open. You will then need to select from the "To" drop-down menu, the person you would like to IM.

There are two text boxes on the instant message screen. The top box contains the transcript of all text sent by you and your IM contact.

Use the lower box to enter the text you want to send. If the person with whom you are communicating is typing a response, it will say so in the lower left corner of the message window. If the person is typing a message, you should wait until you see his/her response before sending additional text.

Voice

Before using Voice as part of a one-to-one instant message (chat session with one other person), consider the following:

Although you can listen via your computer's speakers, use a headset mic if you are going to talk.
If the other person does not have a headset mic, he/she can still hear you via his/her speakers and respond with text.
The speed of each participant's Internet connection and the quality of his/her headset mic will affect the overall audio quality. Quality ranges from crackling ham radio to high-end speaker phone. Generally, the fewer people participating, the greater the overall quality will be (simply because you are reducing the potential number of quality detractors, such as slow or spotty Internet connections, bad microphones, etc.).
The audio portion of your chat does not appear in the text window (you cannot see it, you can only hear it). Keep this in mind if there are any ADA compliance concerns (those concerns will be based on who is participating in the chat and whether the chat it is mandatory or optional).
Currently, there is no way to save a transcript of the audio portion of your chat. Only the text portion can be saved.

To speak with the person with whom you are text messaging, click the Voice icon. The person will receive an "accept/deny" message in his/her instant message window. If the person does not have a headset mic connected to the computer, he/she will probably deny the request and then explain why via the text window. If the person accepts your request, you will receive this information in the transcript portion of your instant message window, as shown below.

When you begin using audio as part of your instant message, a "Talk" indicator will appear on your instant message window, as shown below.

If you do not select "Hands Free", then you will have to push the green Talk button every time you want to say something. "Hands Free" mode works best, unless there are other people in the room with you or there is significant background noise, which you do not wish to "play/transmit" into the message.
If you have selected "Hands Free" mode and you need to speak privately to someone standing next to you, select mute. Otherwise, the person with whom you are instant messaging will hear everything you say.
If your telephone rings while you are engaged in a Hands-Free voice chat on Yahoo Messenger, you should also select Mute. Be sure to de-select Mute when you are ready to begin talking again via Yahoo Messenger.

Video

If you and the person with whom you are chatting both have high speed Internet connections, one or both of you you can add video to your chat.

Starting your own Webcam:

Assuming that you have already connected a Webcam to your computer, there are three ways to start your own Webcam:

Option 1: Before you open an instant message with someone on your contact list, click the Messenger menu on your contact list and select "Start My Webcam".

A "View My Webcam" link (see image below) will appear next to your name in the IM contact list of anyone who has added your username to his/her list of contacts.

Option 2: If you have an open IM window (with someone on your contact list), select the Webcam icon located on the IM window toolbar.

Option 3: In the IM window, select the Contact menu located on the IM window and select the "Invite to View My Webcam".

If you select either Option 2 or 3 above, the person with whom you are chatting will see an invitation to view your Webcam in the transcript window of the IM window. He/she may accept or decline the invitation.

If he/she accepts the invitation, a small window containing your Webcam video (see sample image below) will appear on his/her screen.

Regardless of the method you use to activate your Webcam, a warning window will appear containing the terms and conditions of Yahoo Messenger Webcam service. Click OK to continue.

You may be prompted to select your connection speed.

Viewing someone else's Webcam: Assuming that someone on your contact list or the person with whom you are chatting has started his/her Webcam, there are two ways to view his/her Webcam image:

Option 1: If you are not engaged in an active chat session yet, click the "View My Webcam" link located to the right of the contact's ID/name on your Messenger contact list.

Option 2: If you are already engaged in an active chat session, click the Contact menu in the IM window, select Contact Options and View Webcam.

Depending on the other person's IM preferences (settings), he/she may have to grant permission for you to view his/her Webcam before the Webcam image appears, as shown below.

If the person does not have a Webcam installed, or the Webcam is not turned on, you may see the following error message:

You can adjust the display properties of the video image from the Webcam menu located inside the Webcam window (see screen shot below):

Select "always on top" to force the Webcam window to remain on top of your open IM (chat) window. Otherwise, you will not be able to watch the video while you are instant messaging the person in the video.
Select Small if the Webcam image is too large, relative to the size of the IM (chat) window.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Only the text portion of your instant message/chat session can be saved. To save the text transcript, select "Save As..." from the Conversation menu located in the upper left corner of the IM box. You must click "Save As...." before you close the chat window. Once the chat window is closed, you will not be able to save or retrieve the text of your chat.

YAHOO MESSENGER : GROUP CONFERENCING

2008-11-05T02:05:00.000-08:00

Group Conferencing with Text, Audio, and Video

For maximum participation, schedule your Group Conference/Chat times well in advance via email. Prior to the scheduled time, planned participants should exchange their Yahoo usernames as they will need to the usernames of the other participants to their own contact lists in Yahoo Messenger.

It is also helpful to determine in advance who will be the one to initiate the conference at the scheduled time. The person who initiates the conference invites the other participants to join. This will ensure that everyone is "invited into" the same group conference (chat) window.

Text

1. On the Yahoo Messenger window, click on the group name (i.e., work) containing the usernames of those with whom you wish to have a group chat. Click the IM icon to open a blank message form.

2. On the blank instant message form, click the conference icon.

3. On the Invite Contacts to Conference window you will see a "messenger list" to the left and an "invitation list" to the right. Although you may have many names on your contact list, the "messenger list" in the chat window only displays those people who are currently online and available for a conference. If a desired participant has his/her individual IM status set to anything other than "available", his/her username may not be displayed on the "messenger list" (for more information on "availability" status, see Part Four, Step 7).

Select the usernames from the messenger list that you want to invite to your conference and then click the add button in the center of the screen. The names you have added will appear on the invitation list to the right.

If you wish to include audio in your conference, check "Enable Voice Chat for this conference" as shown in the screen image below.

Note: All participants must have speakers connected to their computers for a group conference with audio. Those who plan to speak must use headset mics. Those who do not have headset mics, can still listen via their computer speakers, but they will have to type their responses.

After you click the Invite button button on the Invite Contacts to Conference window, the recipients of your invitation will receive an instant messenger pop-up notice. If someone (besides yourself) initiates the conference, you will receive the same type of pop-up message.

4. When the group conference (chat) windows appears:

The username of the person who initiated the conference appears in the title bar of the conference window.
Usernames will begin appearing in the right column as the invitations are accepted.
The upper text window displays the transcript of all text that has been entered by participants.
Under the transcript box, you will see font tools (bold, italic, color, font type and font size). Those tools only affect the text that you enter.
Under the font tools, you may click the smiley face icon at anytime to select a particular "emoticon" to accompany the text you are currently typing.
The format tool next to the smiley face icon toggles the font tools on or off.
You may send a private side-bar message to anyone whose name appears in the right column. Click the username and then click the IM button beneath the username column to open a private message window to that user.
Enter your text in the lower text window and click send to communicate with the group.

Voice

Before using Voice as part of your group conference/chat, consider the following:

Although you can listen via your computer's speakers, use a headset mic if you are going to talk.
If the other participants do not have headset mics, they can still hear you via their speakers.
The speed of the participants' Internet connections and the quality of their headset mics will affect the audio quality of your conference. Quality can range from crackling ham radio to high-end speaker phone. Generally, the fewer people participating, the greater the overall quality will be (simply because you are reducing the potential number of quality detractors, such as slow or spotty Internet connections, bad microphones, etc.).
The audio portion of your chat does not appear in the text window (you cannot see it, you can only hear it). Keep this in mind if there are any ADA compliance concerns (those concerns will be based on who is participating in the chat and whether it is mandatory or optional).
Currently, there is no way to save a transcript of the audio portion of your chat. Only the text portion can be saved.

To activate Voice chat, you must first click the voice icon at the top of the existing conference window. If you are a participant in a conference that someone else initiated, the initiator of that conference may have already enabled voice chat. If so, the title bar of the conference will say "Voice Chat" followed by the username of the person who initiated the conference. The voice enabled conference/chat window is identical to the text conference/chat window with the following exceptions:

The icons located to the left of the users who are able to participate in voice chat will be wearing headsets. In the screen image below, umucdemo is able to participate in voice chat, but mikeevanchik is not, as noted by the absence of headphones on the icon next to his username.
Under the transcript box, you will see Talk and Mute controls/indicators.
As a reminder, if you do not select "Hands Free", you will have to push the green Talk button every time you want to say something. "Hands Free" mode works best, unless there are other people in the room with you or there is significant background noise, which you do not wish to "play/transmit" into the message. Also, if you have selected "Hands Free" mode and you need to speak privately to someone standing next to you, select mute. Otherwise, the person with whom you are instant messaging will hear everything you say. If your telephone rings while you are engaged in a Hands-Free voice chat on Yahoo Messenger, you should also select Mute. Be sure to de-select Mute when you are ready to begin talking again via Yahoo Messenger.

Video

Participants in a group conference (chat) who have high speed Internet connections and Webcams installed on their computers can use video as part of the conference .

Starting Your Own Webcam:

Option 1: Before starting a group conference, click the Messenger menu on your contact list and select Start My Webcam.

A "View My Webcam" link (see image below) will appear next to your name in the IM contact list of anyone who has added your username to his/her list of contacts.

Option 2: If you are already active in a group chat window, click the Webcam icon located in the upper left corner of the group conference window. An announcement should appear in the transcript window indicating that you have activated your Webcam.

Option 3: Select the name of the person on the group conference participant list (right side of conference window). Select Contact from the tool bar, then select the "Invite to View My Webcam" from the drop-down box. The person whose name you clicked will see an invitation to view your Webcam. He or she may accept or decline the invitation.

Regardless of the method you use to activate your Webcam, a warning window will appear containing the terms and conditions of Yahoo Messenger Webcam service. Click OK to continue. You may be prompted to select your connection speed.

Viewing Other Participants Webcams:

You do not need to have a Webcam to view another participant's Webcam. There are two ways to view another participant's Webcam.

Option 1: In your Yahoo Messenger contact list, click the "View My Webcam" link to the right of the contact's ID/name in your Messenger List. If there is no "View My Webcam" link, the person either does not have a Webcam or he/she hasn't activated it.

Option 2: If you are already active in a group conference window, place your cursor over a name in group conference participant list, right click, and then select View Webcam.

Depending on the participant's IM preferences (settings), he/she may have to grant permission for you to view his/her Webcam before the Webcam image appears, as shown below.

If the person does not have a Webcam installed, or the Webcam is not turned on, you may see the following error message:

You may repeat this process as many times as you want, based on how many participants are active in the group chat session. However, the more Webcam windows you open, the more difficult it will be to make room for all of them on your computer screen. Also, with more than one or two Webcam windows open at once, you will notice a considerable delay in the frame rate of each video.

To view your own Webcam image, place your cursor over your own name in the group chat participant list, right click, and select View Webcam.

You can adjust the display properties of the Webcam windows by using the Webcam menu located inside the Webcam window (see screen shot below):

Select "always on top" to force a Webcam window to remain on top of your open instant message window. Note: If you do this to everyone Webcam window you have opened during a group chat, you will most likely obscure your view of the group chat window.
Select Small if a Webcam image is too large, relative to the instant message window.
If you have opened your own Webcam image (see tip above) and you which to immediately cease transmitting your image to the participants of the group chat, de-select Broadcast from the Webcam menu of your own Webcam window.

IMPORTANT REMINDER: Only the text portion of your instant message/chat session can be saved. To save the transcript, select "Save As..." from the Conversation menu located in the upper left corner of the message box. You must click "Save As...." before you close the message window. Once the message window is closed, you will not be able to save or retrieve the text of your chat.

TUTORIAL CHAT

YAHOO MESSENGER : INTRODUCTION

Introduction: Definition Instant Messaging (IM) Programs

Instant Messaging

How Do I "Instant Message"

What Should I Consider Before Using An Instant Messaging Program

YAHOO MESSENGER : SETTING MIC AND SOUND

YAHOO MESSENGER : MAKING CONTACT

YAHOO MESSENGER : CHECKING ONLINE OR OFFLINE

YAHOO MESSENGER : PLAY MUSIC WITH SOUNCARD

YAHOO MESSENGER : USE PROXY IN YAHOO MESSENGER

YAHOO MESSENGER : YAHOOMESSENGER EMOTICONT

Yahoo hidden emoticons

YAHOO MESSENGER : DOWNLOAD AND INSTALL

Download and Install Yahoo Messenger

YAHOO MESSENGER : CREATE A YAHOO MESSENGER ACCOUNT

Create a Yahoo Messenger Account

YAHOO MESSENGER : LOGIN AND CONFIGURE

Login and Configure Yahoo Messenger

YAHOO MESSENGER : CREATE CONTACT LIST

Create Your Contact List

YAHOO MESSENGER : ONE-TO-ONE MESSAGE

One-to-One Messaging with Simple Text, Audio, and Video

Text

Voice

Video

Starting your own Webcam:

YAHOO MESSENGER : GROUP CONFERENCING

Group Conferencing with Text, Audio, and Video

Text

Voice

Video

Starting Your Own Webcam:

Viewing Other Participants Webcams:

One-to-One Messaging with Simple Text,
Audio, and Video