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Using WCMC Talk with Spark

Spark is simple and easy to use.  Some of the main features are described below:

• Chatting
• Adding Contacts
• Approving Contact Requests
• Status Messages
• Transferring Files
• Multi-User Conferencing

Chatting

To begin chatting with a user on your roster list, double-click their name in your roster. A new chat window will open.

Type your message in the box at the bottom of the chat window and press <Return> to send the message.  Your message and the rest of the conversation will appear in the top portion of the chat window.

When you are finished chatting, you may close the window.

Adding Contacts

Adding users to your contact list requires two steps: Adding and Authorization.

To add a user to your roster:

Select "Add Contact" from the Contacts menu

Enter the contact's information in the "Add Contact" window

Someone's Talk username is their CWID + "@med.cornell.edu". For example, if you were trying to start messaging Charlie A. Testuser (who might have the CWID cat1999), you would add cat1999@med.cornell.edu. Note that WCMC-Q users' usernames will still end in "med.cornell.edu".

To add users with an email alias (such as pete@med.cornell.edu) you will need to use their actual CWID, not their alias.

After you add the user, you must wait for the user to approve your request before they will appear online in your list.

Approving Contact Requests

When another user attempts to add you to their roster, you will receive a message from the server asking for authorization. You may accept or decline as you see fit. If the person requesting authorization isn't already on your roster, you have the option of adding the user to your own roster.

You do not need to be online when a user requests authorization to receive the request; it will wait on the server until the next time you log in.

Status Messages

Spark lets each user set a status message, which allows other users to see at a glance the availability of contacts on their roster. There are traditionally two types of status messages: available messages and away messages.

An away message indicates you are either away from the computer or not responding to messages. It will typically auto-respond to any message you receive.

To set a status message:

1. Click the drop-down menu under your name at the top of the roster window.
2. Select "Set Status Menu"
3. Set the status options as desired and click "OK".

To change your status:

1. Click the drop-down menu under your name at the top of the roster window.
2. Select your desired staus.

Transferring Files

WMC Talk users may send files directly to contacts on their rosters.

To send a file:

1. Right-click (Mac users Control-click) on a contact's name in your roster.
2. Select "Send File" for the pop-up menu.
3. Select the file you wish to send and click "Open" to send the file.
4. The file transfer transaction will appear in the chat window.
5. The transfer is complete when the recipient accepts the transfer.

  

Multi-User Conferencing

WMC Talk supports robust group chatting. Chat "conference" rooms are named by the following convention: roomname@conference.med.cornell.edu

To join a confernece room:

1. Select the Conferences tab in the roster window.
2. Double-click the name of the conference you'd like to join.

To create a conference room:

1. Click the Actions menu
2. Select "Start A Conference"
3. Name the room and add contacts to invite
4. Click the "Invite" button

The conference room will automatically be opened in a new chat window.