laboratory exercise 14 – chatting via windows and yahoo! messengers office productivity tools 2...

Laboratory Exercise 14 – Chatting via Windows and Yahoo! Messengers

Office Productivity Tools 2

Laboratory Exercise # 14Chatting via Windows and Yahoo! Messengers

Objectives:At the end of the exercise, the students are expected to be able to:

• Chat via Windows Messenger• Chat via Yahoo! Messenger• Use emoticons• Observe Netiquettes• Send Private Messages

Materials:• 3 ½ floppy disk

Note: All exercises should be saved in your data disk and must be submitted to your instructor after everylaboratory session.

Basic Information:

Internet Chat

Rapidly becoming one of the most popular areas of the Internet ischat. What exactly is Internet chat? Internet chat is a real-timecommunication among users using the computer. Real-timemeans occurring immediately. Once a chat has been initiated,either user can enter text by typing on the keyboard and theentered text will automatically appear on the other user’s monitor.

You need to enter a chat room before you could chat to othercomputer users. A chat room is a section on an Internet serverthat allows you to chat with one another. Anyone in the chatroom can participate in the conversation which is usually about a particular topic. Some chat rooms supportvoice chats, and video chats where in you can hear and see each other while chatting.

The value of chat depends on how you use it. Chatting is a good way to make friends, meet acquaintances,explore other cultures, keep in touch with family or relatives and exchange all sorts of information. Chat,though, can get wild and disorderly. Anybody can take on any persona. This is why adult supervision isneeded when children engage in any form of chat on the Net.

There are basically two types of Internet chats: the Web-based chat and the IRC or Internet Relay Chat.

Time to Chat!

You need to connect to a chat server through a chat client before you could start a chat session. A chat clientis a program on your computer that is usually provided by your browsers. You can easily download a chatclient if your browser does not support one. Although some chat clients are text-based, there are other clientswho support graphical chats where the users can assume the appearance of a certain fictitious character.

The person who establishes a chat room serves as the operator and has the responsibility in monitoring theconversation and disconnecting anyone who becomes disruptive and offensive.



What are Emoticons (or Smileys)?

An Emoticon (or Smiley) is a sequence of ordinary characters you can find on your computer keyboard.Emoticons are used in e-mail and other forms of communication using computers such as chatting. The mostpopular emoticon is the smiling face (smiley). If you don't see that it represents a smiling face, tip your headto the left and look at it again. The colon represents the eyes, the dash represents the nose, and the rightparenthesis represents the mouth. These emoticons show an emotion through an icon.

IRC gained fame during the Gulf War in 1991 where people from all over the world are hungry for news thatcame across the wire. During that time, most of the users are gathered on one channel to hear these reports.

Some Common Chat Etiquettes

There are common courtesies to follow when chatting. The people in the chat rooms may not see you but theway you talk is a pretty good reflection of yourself. Here are some common courtesies and etiquettesfollowed when in chatting:

1. Do not type in CAPITALS. Typing in capitals is like shouting. This is universally frowned upon inchat rooms.

2. Observe first. If you go to a large room with a lot of conversation, wait until you figure out what isgoing on before you post a message.

3. Try not to spy on others in different chat rooms. If they mention that they are going to engage in aprivate conversation, respect their privacy.

4. Be kind to newcomers. These people are usually unsure of what to say and do. Be friendly andwelcome them into the chat room.

5. Do not abuse your power if you are an operator (op) or a very well-known regular to a chat room.Do not manipulate conversations or throw any undesirable remarks at people just because you knowmore than the others.



6. Do not take up a lot of space for posting your messages. Most people don’t like scrolling down a lotjust to see a few messages after yours. If you need to say something really long, chop it into bits orsend it in private to the person whom you want to send it to.

7. Say good-bye. When you leave a room of people that you have interacted with, say goodbye. If youhave been mainly on the sidelines, feel free to disappear without a word.

8. A final word: Always remember to behave yourself while chatting. Many people end up beingpicked on by other chatters or worse, kicked out of a chat room for being impolite and rude.

Yahoo! MessengerThere are a lot of Web sites that offer instant messaging to avid chatters all over the world such as Yahoo! andMSN. These two are the most popular instant messaging service over the net and has the most number ofsubscribers.

Yahoo! Messenger allows you to send instant messages to computer users anywhere in the world as long asthat person is online. It allows you to send and receive text messages instantly unlike with e-mail whereinyou have to wait for hours and even days to wait for an answer. It also alerts you if one of your friends isonline and if you receive a new e-mail.

Yahoo! Messenger is a free instant messaging service that utilizes the connection you have established withyour Internet Service Provider. You need to download the Instant Messenger software and sign up withYahoo! if you still don’t have an ID before you could begin chatting with your friends.

Yahoo! Messenger supports voice chat, and even allows you to see your friends via Webcams.

Adding Friends to your Yahoo! List

A Friend List is a list of your friends, family, and associates who also use Yahoo! Messenger and other servicesof Yahoo!. You can chatwith anyone on your list as long as they are connected in any services provided by

Yahoo!.You can add as many as 100 Yahoo! IDs on your Friend List

(http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/mesg/use/use-10.html).

Only valid Yahoo! IDs can be added on your list by clicking the Add button in the Messenger window. Onceyou add a friend on your list, he will be notified and would be given an option to accept your invitation thenadd you in return. Your friend can also block you so that he would no longer receive any invitation or noticeor he may opt to just cancel your invitation and do nothing.

If you want to invite a friend who doesn’t have a Yahoo! Messenger yet, you can send them an invitation andinstructions on how to download the software.



Searching for a Friend

You can search for your friends among all Yahoo! subscribers as long as that friend of yours currently uses aYahoo! Messenger or whose profiles are for public viewing.

To search for a friend, from the Tools menu, select Manage Friend List, and then click Search for a Friend toopen the search window. You can search for a friend based on a keyword such as badminton, basketball,computers, and others. You can also search using the person’s name, Yahoo! ID and may include gender andage preferences.

If you find someone who already uses Yahoo! Messenger, you can add them on your Friend List. Otherwise,you can send them an invitation to download Yahoo! Messenger. You can chat with them right away if theemoticon icon beside their name is bright yellow.

Sending a Message

You can only send an instant message (IM) to someone who has a Yahoo! ID and is using a version of Yahoo!Messenger.

To send a message to anyone on your Friend list, double-click the Yahoo! ID to open an IM window. Tosend an IM to a group on your Friend list, right-click on your group name and select Send a Message. Tosend a message to anyone not included on your Friend List, click the Message button from the toolbar, thentype the Yahoo! ID on the To field.

If you send a message to your friend who is offline (a gray emoticon face appears beside their name), themessage will be save on your friend’s offline message box, and can be read once he is online.



Receiving and Replying to an Instant Message

When you receive an instant message, a message window will appear on your screen. To reply to thatperson, type your message in the text input box and click the Send button. You may set the preferences ofyour YM that will enable the message to be sent when the <ENTER> key is pressed.

Just click the Close button if you don’t wish to reply. Or, you can click the Ignore User button if you don’twant to receive any more instant messages from that person. Once you’ve ignored someone, they won’t beable to send you any more instant messages until you remove them from your Ignore List(http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/mesg/use/use-02.html).

If you want to ignore someone in your Friend list, you must delete them first from the list, and then you canignore them.

Editing Text Color and Fonts

You can change the color and Font of your text while chatting with your friends. Clicking the Painter’sPalette icon allows you to change the color of your text throughout your conversation with your friend. Thetoolbar below the message text box allows you to format the text you use throughout your conversation.

Sending Graphical Smileys

Aside from typing what you feel towards your friend, you can simply send them graphical emoticons orsmileys to show them what you really feel. Emoticons enhance your words with emotions. Refer to the slidesfor a list of emoticons you can insert to your messages.



Buzzing a Friend

Yahoo! Messenger has a feature that allows you to “buzz” a friend to get their attention and to alert them ofyour presence.

To buzz a friend, click Buzz button or you may simply press <CTRL + G> on your keyboard. Your messengerwindow and of your friend will vibrate and you will hear a “ding dong” sound. The word “BUZZ” willappear on both of your windows to know that they received an alert. However, you can only use this featureonce in every 13 seconds.

Editing Groups

Groups allow you to separate your list of friends, from your family, classmates, co-workers, and others. Toadd a new group to your Friend List:

•

••

•

Click the Tools menu at the top of the main Messenger window, select Manage Friend List, and thenselect Create Group....Enter the name of your new group and click the OK button to add the group to your Friend List.To rename your new group, just click the Rename Group... option and type the name you want foryour group.To delete the group, you have to delete all your friends from that group first, then right-click on thegroup you wish to delete before clicking the Delete Group option(http://help.yahoo.com/help/us/mesg/use/use-31.html).


IM Security/Privacy

Although Yahoo! Messenger allows members to exchange private conversations, it does not guarantee thatyour conversation will never be known to others. The friend you chat with may share the content of yourconversation to other YM users or an outside party may intercept you from receiving and sending messages.As an example, in an organization that uses a firewall, the network administrator has the authority to reviewall the network traffic and content including your instant messages.

Yahoo! Messenger allows you to archive, print, and save your messages. Although you choose not to retainthe instant messages you received and sent, the persons you converse with may choose to do so.

To prevent other users from using your account, when you log in, uncheck the box labeled Remember my IDand password. And remember to always log out after you finish your session has expired so that no one willalter or edit your account.

Activity

Chatting via Windows Messenger

The Windows1. From the Start button, click on Programs and choose Windows Messenger.Messenger screen appears just like the image below.




2. Click on the link Click here to sign in. The .NET Passport Wizard appears for those who use this forthe first time. Click on Next button.

3. The window below appears asking if you have an email address. For those who have an existingaddress, click on the Yes, use my existing e-mail address radio button. Use the address youregistered in Yahoo. Enter your email address and password.

4. Choose the No, sign me up for a free MSN for those who does not have an email address yet. ClickNext.

5. Window on the next page appears asking you to sign up with MSN Hotmail. Click Next.



6. You are now directed to the Internet. Fill in the following fields and click the I Accept button.

7. Click on the Continue button to go back on the .NET Passport Wizard. Click the Next button.8. Another .NET wizard window appears telling that you are done in signing up an email address.

Simply click on the Finish button.9. The main screen of Windows Messenger appears just like shown on the next page.



10. Access the Tools menu and choose Add a contact. The Add a contact window appears.11. Click on the By e-mail address or sign-in name radio button. Click Next.12. Key in the email address of one of your classmate inside the laboratory in the text box and click

Next.13. Another window appears telling that you have successfully added a friend on your contact list. Click

on the Finish button.14. Notice that the address you have added is now listed on main screen of Windows Messenger. Those

contacts that are in green mode states that they are online. While those that are in red mode statesthat they are off line. Add as many contacts as you can.

15. To send a message, double-click on the person you want to send a message.16. From the conversation window, key in Hello! in the message box and click the Send button. Notice

that what you have typed appears on the above box.



You have many options on communicating using Windows Messenger. It can be with the use of webcamera, a microphone, or by simply typing a message just like what you’ve done.

17. To add someone on the conversation you are currently in, simply click on the Invite Someone to thisConversation option on the right side of the window.

18. To change the font type, click on the Font button. The Change My Message Font dialog box appears.Choose on Optima from the Font list box then click OK.

19. To use emoticons, click on the Emoticons button and choose the Angel. Click Send.



20. Widows Messenger, just like an email, also allows you to send files. From the main screen ofWindows Messenger, click on Send a file or Photo option.

21. From the Send a file dialog box, click on the person that you want to send in a file. Click OK.22. The Send a file to (name of the person) dialog appears. Browse on the file you want to send and click

Open.23. Notice that on the Messages that have been sent and received box, tells waiting for confirmation.

24. You may press on <ALT + Q> to cancel. This tells you that you have cancelled your action.25. To exit from the conversation window, simply press <ESC> key or click on the Close button. The

messages sent from Windows Messenger are guaranteed private.

Installing Yahoo! Messenger

1. Access www.yahoo.com.2. Click on the Messenger link at the top of the page. The Yahoo! Messenger page appears on your

screen.



3. If the computer you are currently using doesn’t have a Yahoo! Messenger installed in it, downloadthe software by clicking the Get it now link. The Yahoo! Messenger Installation window appears onyour screen.

4. Just follow the installation procedure by clicking on the Get Started button.5. Click the Run button in each window.6. After the system has finished installing Yahoo! Messenger, the Yahoo! Messenger Installation window

appears on your screen. Make sure that the option, Launch Yahoo! Messenger is checked.7. Click the Finish button.8. On the Yahoo! ID dialog box, key in your Yahoo ID and Password that you just created recently.9. Disable the option, Remember my ID and Password option.10. Click on the Sign In button.

11. Close the Yahoo! Insider window if it appears on your screen.

Adding Friends to your Yahoo! List



1. Click on the Add a Contact button from the toolbar. The Add to Messenger List dialog box appearson your screen.

2. Enter a Yahoo! ID just like the given sample. In this exercise, type the Yahoo! ID of any of yourfriends inside the computer laboratory in the Enter Friend’s ID text box. Click Next.

3. Key in Classmates on the Choose or enter a Messenger List group… text box. Key in Hello! on thenext text box. Click Finish.

4. Click on the Address Book tab. Locate the Yahoo! ID of your classmate. Right-click it and chooseContacts Details option.

5. Fill in all the fields for your classmates contact details. Click the Save & Close button.



6. Your friend’s Yahoo! ID is displayed under the group Classmates on your Messenger window.7. If you have been added by any of your friends, the New Friend Alert window appears on your

screen. Click Accept & Add. The Add a Friend window appears on your screen. Click OK.8. Add at least 3 of your friend’s Yahoo! ID on the Classmates group.

Sending a Message

1. Double-click a Yahoo! ID of your friend under the group, Classmates. An Instant Message windowappears on your screen.

2. On the Message Input text box, key in any message you want to convey to your friend.3. Click on the Emoticons button, and select the laughing smiley.



4. Click the Send button or press <ENTER> key.5. On the Messenger window, right-click on Classmates, and select Send Message to all in this group.

6. Key in any message you want, then click Send or press <ENTER> key.7. If your friend hasn’t been replying to any of your messages, from the Friend menu, click on Buzz

button.

Editing Text Color, Fonts, and Instant Messenger Window

1. Click on the Formatbutton. A toolbar appears above on it.2. Click on the Change Text colorbutton, and then select any color of your choice.

3. Begin typing any message to your friend. If your preferred color is not included in the list, clickOther Colors.

4. If you want your text to include not just 1 color but 3, choose Color Effects.

Editing Groups

1. Right-click on the Classmates group, then click on Rename Group.2. On the New Group Name text box of the Rename Group dialog box, enter Computer Lab Kids.

Click OK.3. To add new friends on your group, right-click the group, then select Add a Contact to Group.

Logging Off

1. To log off from Yahoo! Messenger, from the Login menu, click on Sign Out.2. Click the Close button.

laboratory exercise 14 – chatting via windows and yahoo! messengers office productivity tools 2...

Documents

chat session

form of chat

chat clientis

chat server

chat clients

value of chat

internet relay chat

windows messenger chat