Pronto

Version 1.3

User Guide

Pronto v1.3 User Guide_______________________________________________ 1

Pronto Overview ___________________________________________________________ 1

What’s Pronto? __________________________________________________________________ 1

System Requirements _____________________________________________________________ 1

Registration and Installation ________________________________________________________ 2

Using Pronto ______________________________________________________________ 4

Logging In ______________________________________________________________________ 4

About the Interface _______________________________________________________________ 5

Sending Instant Messages _________________________________________________________ 7

Using Voice Chat _________________________________________________________________ 8

Using Group Chat _______________________________________________________________ 10

Managing Contacts ______________________________________________________________ 12

Changing Your Status ____________________________________________________________ 16

Pronto Profiles __________________________________________________________________ 18

Saving Instant Messages __________________________________________________________ 22

Disclaimer ________________________________________________________________ 23

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Pronto v1.3 User Guide

Pronto Overview

What’s Pronto?

Pronto is an instant messaging and voice chat tool that allows students and instructors to meet live online, at any

time, to discuss their coursework.

Pronto is currently compatible with Blackboard Learning Systems Enterprise 6.3 - 7.3, CE 6.0 - 6.2 (formerly WebCT

CE), and Vista 4.0 - 4.2 (formerly WebCT Vista) to automatically populate students’ contact lists with their

classmates’ names, making it easy for students to spontaneously collaborate. With Pronto, you can simply log on to

your computer and instantly see who’s online from your classes, clubs, and study groups – without even logging in

to your Course Management System.

If you have used an instant messaging application before, many features may be familiar to you. However, there are

some features unique to Pronto that serve your educational needs.

Unlike other systems, where you manually invite buddies to join your list, Pronto automatically brings your

classmates to your computer. The Classmates tab is pre-populated with your selected courses, along with your

classmates in each course who have registered for Pronto.

Like other instant message clients, you also have the ability to manage your contacts. The Contacts tab is your area

for reorganizing these classmates into personalized groups. It’s also a way to keep in touch with other Pronto users

when your course ends.

System Requirements

In order to use all the features of Pronto, your computer must meet the following minimum system requirements:

• Windows 2000+, Mac OS 10.3.9+

• 128 MB RAM (256 MB recommended)

• Internet access at 56k or above

• Sound card

• Speakers and microphone for voice chat (headset with integrated microphone recommended)

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Registration and Installation

1. Once your institution has enabled you to use Pronto, register for your account.

• Within Blackboard Learning Systems Enterprise:

From the Communication or Tools areas within Blackboard (or the My Institution page, if your

institution has a portal)

• Within Blackboard Learning Systems (WebCT) CE 6 or Vista 4:

From the External Courses section of the My Blackboard (or My WebCT) page, or within a Section in

CE 6 or Vista 4

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2. Enter a Pronto ID and Password, along with your Email address and a Security Question to help you retrieve

lost account information.

Note: You will be identified by your full name in Pronto (as registered in Blackboard), instead of your Pronto ID.

3. Click the Submit button.

4. An email will be sent to the address you registered. Click the link in this email to activate your account.

5. From the activation page, enter your password to log-in and view your account settings.

6. Click the Download Pronto! Banner, selecting your operating system (Windows or Mac).

Notes:

You can return to this Pronto Settings page to view or edit your current settings.

You may exclude a course (including Organizations and Sections) from this page. Navigate to the Course

Settings section and review the Course Participant list. Uncheck the item(s) of your choice. If you do so, your

classmates will not see your name within their course list, and you will not see the course in your Classmates tab.

Note to Instructors: You may enable or disable Pronto for an entire course. Navigate to the Course Settings

section and review the Course Instructor list. Check/uncheck the item(s) of your choice.

7. Once Pronto has downloaded completely, follow the instructions to install it on your computer.

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Using Pronto

Logging In

Once Pronto is installed on your computer, type in your Pronto ID and Password to log-in.

If you are using Pronto on a shared computer, ensure that the Remember me and Sign in automatically checkboxes

are deselected.

If you have forgotten your password, or would like to change it, click the Forgot your password? link above the Sign

in button.

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About the Interface

There are 2 main tabs within Pronto: Classmates and Contacts.

Classmates Tab

Classmates is pre-populated with your selected courses, along with your classmates in each course who have

registered with Pronto. There is no way to manually add/remove courses or users to this tab. They will be

automatically added and removed based on enrollment status.

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Contacts Tab

Contacts is the area for reorganizing your classmates into new, personalized groups. This tab is empty the first time

you use Pronto. From here, you could create a group called "Homework Buddies," to include your classmates

who’ve agreed to be available to answer questions about upcoming assignments.

Unlike courses and users in the Classmates tab, the groups and users in your Contacts tab do not automatically

update. Therefore, if you’d like to keep in touch with users after the semester ends, you can add them to your

Contacts tab and keep them indefinitely.

See the Managing Contacts section for more information.

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Sending Instant Messages

To Send an Instant Message (IM):

1. Double-click a user's name from either the Contacts or Classmates tab.

2. A new IM window will appear. Type your message in the chat box.

3. Press the Enter key on your keyboard.

Tip: To add graphics to your message, click the smiley icon in the lower right-hand corner of the chat box, and choose a

graphic to insert.

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Using Voice Chat

To “Call” a User for Voice Chat:

1. Double-click a user's name from either the Contacts or Classmates tab.

2. Click the Phone icon in the IM window.

You will see a confirmation message in the chat box, and hear a ring tone, indicating that you are inviting

the user for voice chat.

The user will also see a message in the chat box, and hear a ring tone, with the option to accept or decline

your call.

3. Once the user accepts your call, you will receive a confirmation message. Click and hold down the Talk

button while speaking to transmit your voice.

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Alternately, you may click the Lock icon, on the right-hand side of the Talk button, to speak hands-free.

Note: A status meter, located to the right of the Talk button, reflects the health of your Internet connection. A

stronger Internet connection will produce better quality audio.

4. When you are finished with your conversation, click the Disconnect button to hang up.

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Using Group Chat

You can communicate with several people at once via IM (like a chat room), and voice chat (like a conference call),

using Group Chat.

To Start a Group Chat Session

1. Invite users by selecting their names from either the Classmates or Contacts tab.

Tip: Use Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac) to select multiple names

2. With the appropriate names highlighted, click the Contacts Menu. Select Invite to Group Chat, followed by

New Group Chat.

3. Enter a name for your Chat Room in the Invite to Group Chat window.

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Note: You may send a text message with your invitation.

You will automatically enter the Group Chat.

Your invitees will receive an invitation message on their computers. Once a user accepts your invitation,

they will automatically join your Group Chat.

4. Once users have joined, type a message, or click the Phone icon and hold down the Talk button (or click the

Lock button, for hands-free mode), to communicate with the entire group.

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Managing Contacts

The Contacts tab allows you to reorganize your classmates into new, personalized groups and keep these special

contacts within your Pronto list indefinitely.

To Add Users to the Contacts Tab

1. Navigate to the Classmates tab

2. Click the plus (+) icon next to any user

The plus (+) will change to a smiley-face, denoting this user has been added to your Contacts tab.

Tip: You can add everyone in a Course to your Contacts tab by right-clicking (Windows) or Ctrl-clicking (Mac) the

Course name and selecting Add <Course Name> to Contacts.

You may now organize these contacts into groups.

To Create a New Group of Contacts

1. Navigate to the Contacts tab

2. Click the Contacts Menu and select Add Group.

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3. Type a Name for your Group and click the Add button.

4. Locate your users within the Recently Added Group.

5. Select their names. Use Ctrl-click (Windows) or Command-click (Mac) to select multiple names, and drag

them to the name of your new group. They are now part of your new, custom group.

The Recently Added Group is a "smart" Group, and will automatically disappear when empty.

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Tip: Unlike most instant messengers, the same contact can be listed in different groups. (i.e., if you have a “Dorm”

group, and want to put some of the same people in your “Chemistry Help” group). Simply hold down the Alt

(Windows) or Option key (Mac) while dragging contacts to copy, rather than move, them.

Note: To remove a contact from a group, click their name, followed by the Contacts Menu, and select Remove

<Contact Name>.

Note: To remove or rename an entire group, right-click (Windows) or Ctrl-click (Mac) on the group name and

select your choice. To remove, you can also choose Remove <Group Name> from the Contacts Menu.

To Add Contacts Not in Your Classmates Tab

1. Navigate to the Contacts tab

2. Click the Contacts Menu and select Add Contact

3. In the Add Contact dialog box, type in the Pronto ID of the person you wish to add, and select the group to

which you wish to add them

4. Click the Add button

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Note: While Pronto IDs are visible within a user's Profile, there is no mechanism to look up this information. If you wish to

add a user not listed on your Contacts or Classmates tab, you must ask them directly for their Pronto ID.

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Changing Your Status

When you are logged in to Pronto, your availability status may be one of the following 4 choices:

• Available

• Away

• Idle

• Invisible

By default, your status is Available when you log-in to Pronto; it automatically changes to Idle when you are away

from your computer. You can turn this off, or specify the amount of time until idle, in the Status pane of the

Preferences.

Invisible is a special status that shows you as offline, allowing you to talk only to people you want, without letting

others know you are online.

You can manually change your status within the Status bar.

You also have the ability to customize your status (for example, On the Phone or Looking to Chat). To do so:

1. Click the Status bar and select Custom.

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2. Enter your new status text in the Message box. Its title is automatically changed to match the first few words

of your message. You can enter a separate Title if you wish.

Note: Custom Status Messages appear by default beneath each user's name in the Contacts and Classmates

tabs. You can hide/show these messages by clicking the View Menu, followed by Show Status Messages.

3. Select additional options:

• Select Save for future use if you want this status to remain in your Status bar after you are finished

using it.

• Select Auto-reply if you want this message to be sent automatically to anyone who sends you an

instant message.

4. Click the OK button.

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Pronto Profiles

Profiles enhance the Pronto experience by giving each user the opportunity to create a customized, online identity

-- combining the image of your choice along with biographical, and optional contact, information.

Until you edit your Profile, it will display a standard message and a default picture.

Your Profile picture, along with any information you enter, will be viewable to any Pronto user listed on your

Classmates tab, or whoever has added you to their Contacts.

Editing Your Profile

1. There are two ways to edit your Profile:

• Click the picture icon, located in the upper right-hand corner of the main Pronto window

• Navigate to the Profile pane of the Preferences menu

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2. Drag and drop an appropriate image in the Drag Image Here box, or click the Choose Picture button to

browse your hard drive (supported image files include: .bmp, .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .gif). The image you select

will be resized accordingly.

Note: The Profile Picture box is optimized for square images, but will accept any dimensions.

3. Click the About Me text box to type a biography, or any other information about yourself you wish to share

4. You may optionally enter your email address within the Email field

5. You may also enter your favorite web sites (up to 10) within the My Webpages box:

a. Click the plus (+) button

b. A dialog box will appear. Enter the web address in the URL field (http:// and https:// only) and

additional information about the website in the Description field.

c. Click the OK button.

d. To modify the URL and/or Description for a particular webpage, click the appropriate entry,

followed by the Edit button. Alternately, you may double-click the entry.

e. To delete a website, click its row in the My Webpages box, followed by the minus (-) button.

Alternately, you may press the Delete key on your keyboard.

A confirmation prompt will appear. Click the OK button to proceed with deletion.

6. When satisfied with your changes, click the OK button.

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Viewing Profiles From the Main Pronto Window

1. Place your mouse cursor over any user's name, in either the Classmates or Contacts tab, to see a preview of

their Profile.

This will display limited information, including their picture, current status, and a partial review of their

About Me text.

2. Click this preview to open a new IM window with this user; this will also display a "drawer" with complete

Profile details.

Viewing Profiles Within an IM Window

1. If you do not already have an IM window open with the user of your choice, double-click their name from

either the Contacts or Classmates tab

2. Click the picture icon in the upper right-hand corner of the IM window

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3. The Profile drawer will appear, displaying the information they have entered

a. If the user has entered an email address, you may click the Send Email button (otherwise, it will be

grayed out). This will open your default email client and populate the "To" field with their address

b. If the user has entered websites, you may click the Webpages button (otherwise, it will be grayed

out). This will produce a drop-down list of websites you may click.

4. Click the picture icon again to close the Profile drawer

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Saving Instant Messages

Pronto saves all of the messages that you send and receive, by default. If you would like to disable this, deselect the

Save chat logs item in the General pane of the Preferences menu.

To save a particular instant message session that is still on your screen, click the File Menu and select Save As. Save

the .html file onto your computer.

To view all instant messages with a particular person, click the Contacts Menu and select Show Message Log, while

that person is either selected in the Contacts or Classmates tab, or while you are chatting with them.

These message logs are stored in the following location on your machine:

Windows: C:\Documents and Settings\<username>\Application Data\HorizonWimba\Pronto\

Mac: ~/Library/Application Support/HorizonWimba/Pronto/

Note: Windows users can access the File and Contact Menus within the IM window. Macintosh users can access them

from the main Pronto window.

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Disclaimer

This Guide, as well as the software described in it, furnished under license may only be used or copied in

accordance with the terms of such license. The information in this Guide is furnished for information purposes only,

is subject to change without notice, and should not be construed as a commitment by Wimba, Inc. Wimba, Inc.

assumes no responsibility or liability for any errors or inaccuracies that may appear in this Guide. Except as

permitted by such license, no part of this Guide publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or

transmitted in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise without the prior written

permission of Wimba, Inc. Any references to company names in examples or illustrations are for demonstration

purposes only and are not intended to refer to any actual organizations.

Pronto and the Wimba logos and trademarks are property of Wimba, Inc., 520 8th Avenue, 23rd Floor, New York,

NY, 10018.

© 2007 Wimba, Inc. All Rights Reserved.