Communicator Help: Using Instant Messenger<sup><font size=-1>TM</font></sup> for AOL<sup><font size=-2>®</font></sup> Communicator

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Using Instant Messenger for AOL Communicator

Buddy List® Settings and Preferences

Buddy List Setup
Buddy Info
Away Message Preferences
Buddy List Preferences
Fonts Preferences
Sound Preferences
Incoming Expressions Preferences
Outgoing Expressions Preferences

Buddy List® Setup

If you aren't already viewing Buddy List Setup, click Setup in your Buddy List window, or open the MyIM menu and choose List Setup.

To change the order in which groups or buddies are listed, click the item you want to move and drag it to its new position.

You can take these actions at any time:

- Add Buddy: Click this button to specify a new buddy's screen name and the group where you want the new buddy listed.
  You must type the exact screen name.
- Add Group: Click this button to name a new group.
  After you type the new group's name and click OK, the group shows up at the bottom of the list on the left. You can then click the new group and drag it to the location you want it to appear in your Buddy List window.

To take these actions, you must first select at least one buddy or group:

- Remove: Delete the selected buddies or groups.
- Rename: Rename the selected buddy or group (in this case a single buddy or group must be selected)
- Sort Group: Sort the selected group alphabetically.
- Alert: Set alerts for the selected buddies. (If a buddy is not selected, you will be asked to type the buddy's screen name.)

The Preferences button allows you to adjust preferences such as fonts, privacy settings, sounds, and so on.

Related topics:

Setting Up Buddies and Groups

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Buddy Info

If you aren't already viewing Buddy Info, select the buddy's name in the Buddy List window and click the Info button.

The following information appears in the top-right corner (for online buddies only):

- Online Time: How long the buddy's been online
- Service: The type of instant messaging client this buddy is currently using.
- Warning Level: A buddy's warning level indicates how frequently that user has been warned by other users who received annoying messages.

The tabs display details about this buddy:

Contact Info: Displays your contact entry for this buddy, if any.

To edit the buddy's contact entry, click Edit Contact Info.
If the buddy isn't included in any of your own categories, but does have an entry in an online directory that you've configured for use with Address Book, Edit Address Book Info opens a new entry based on the online directory entry.
You can then edit the entry, if necessary, and add it to one of your own categories, using the drop-down list near the top of the Contact Entry window.

Away Message: The buddy's Away Message (if the buddy has activated it).

Capabilities: Features available in the instant messaging client this buddy is currently using.

Alerts: Details of the alert for this buddy. If you select any options under one of these items, you must select at least one item under the other:

- Notify me when buddy: Select checkboxes for the action(s) by this buddy that you want to generate an alert.
- Notify me by: Select checkboxes for the method(s) of notification you want to use.
  If you to be notified by a sound, you can choose one from the drop-down list or browse to locate a sound file on your hard disk. Click Preview to hear the selected sound.
- Always use this alert for this buddy:
  If this option is not selected, the alert information you set here lasts only until the buddy is available again and you are alerted. You will be alerted only once.
  If this option is selected, the alert information you set here will remain set even after you are alerted that the buddy is available, so that you continue to be alerted every time the buddy becomes available.

Notes: You can use this area to store miscellaneous information about this buddy. The information is stored on a server rather than your computer, so it's available no matter what computer you log in from.

Send IM: Click this button to send an instant message to this buddy.

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Away Message Preferences

Away Message Preferences allow you to create or delete custom Away Messages.

When you set an Away Message and a buddy sends you an instant message, your currently selected Away Message (if any) will be displayed in response.

- To set an Away Message from among those currently available, click the Away Message button near the bottom of the Buddy List window and choose the name of the message you want to use.
- To display Away Message Preferences so you can add or delete Away Messages, click the Away Message button and choose Edit Away Message.

Away Message Preferences include these options:

Labels for Away Messages: The left column lists the labels for your existing Away Messages. Click a label to display the corresponding message in the right column.

Click these buttons to take the actions indicated:

- New: Displays a window where you can type a new message label and message text.
- Edit: Select an Away Message label and click this button to edit message's label or text.
- Delete: Select an Away Message label and click this button to delete the message.

When I'm Away:

- Hide Instant Message windows: Select this option to hide all your Instant Message windows automatically when you turn on your Away Message.
  The hidden message windows reappear when you click "I'm Back".
- Mute sounds: Select this option to mute all Instant Messenger™ sounds while your Away Message is turned on.
- When idle respond with this message: Select this option to display the message that you type below when you're idle.
  The message shown here will be sent automatically to anyone who sends you an instant message while you're idle.

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Buddy List® Preferences

If you're not already viewing the Buddy List preferences, start from the Buddy List window, open the MyIM menu, choose Preferences, and click Buddy List.

Enable Forwarding of Instant Messages to your cell phone: Click this link to open a web page that allows you to enable or disable forwarding of all your instant messages to your cell phone.

This feature requires a text- or Internet-enabled mobile device and an enabled wireless service plan. Additional charges may apply from your wireless provider, depending on your service plan. Contact your wireless service provider for details.

Dim buddies after they have been idle for 20 minutes: When this option is selected, a buddy's name dims (turns gray) if that buddy hasn't used Instant Messenger software for 20 minutes.

Add people I exchange IMs with to my Recent Buddies group. When this option is selected and you exchange instant messages with people who aren't already listed in your Buddy List window, their screen names appear in a special group called Recent Buddies at the bottom of the list, just above Offline.

If you deselect this option, names will no longer be added to the Recent Buddies group. If you remove the Recent Buddies group, this option will be automatically deselected.

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Fonts Preferences

If you're not already viewing the Fonts preferences, start from the Buddy List window, open the MyIM menu, choose Preferences, and click Fonts.

Settings for: Choose the type of fonts settings you want to see from the drop-down list: for your Buddy List window, for instant messages that you send, or for chat messages that you send.

Font face: From the drop-down lists, choose the font and font size in which you want your buddies' names to be displayed.

Font preview: This area shows what the currently selected font settings will look like.

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Sound Preferences

Sound preferences allow you control the sounds that identify various events while you're logged on, such as a buddy signing on or off.

If you're not already viewing Sound preferences, start from the Buddy List window, open the MyIM menu, choose Preferences, and click Sound.

Note: The selections you make here may be overridden by selections you make in Incoming Expressions Preferences under the heading Choose what you want to hear from others.

Buddy List Sounds

Use this area to control the sounds triggered by any buddy signing on or off. Select the checkbox for each action that you want to trigger a sound.

For each selected action, choose a sound from the drop-down list. To hear the currently selected sound, click Preview.

IM Sounds

Use this section to control the sounds triggered whenever a buddy sends you an instant message. Select the checkbox for each action that you want to trigger a sound:

Play a sound when first receiving a message: This is the sound you'll hear if you don't already have a message window open for the buddy who is sending the message.

Play a sound when sending a message: This is the sound you'll hear when you click Send.

Play a sound when receiving a message: This is the sound you'll hear if you already have a message window open for the buddy who is sending the message.

For each selected action, choose a sound from the drop-down list. To hear the currently selected sound, click Preview.

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Incoming Expressions Preferences

Incoming Expressions preferences control whether you see the following AOL® Expressions set by others:

If you're not already viewing Incoming Expressions preferences, start from the Buddy List window, open the MyIM menu, choose Preferences, and click Incoming Expressions.

Choose what you want to see from buddies

Buddy Icons: Choose one of the following options from the drop-down list:

- Show me other members' AOL Buddy Icons in instant messages: Select this option to block all icons displayed in messages from other people except for those available from AOL® 8.0 or later versions (the AOL® Buddy Icons).
- Show me other members' AOL Buddy Icons and icons from Internet users on my Buddy List: Select this option to accept all types of icons in messages from other people who are listed in your Buddy List window. (This is the default option.)
- Do not show me Buddy Icons: Select this option to block all icons displayed in messages from other people.

Wallpaper: Choose one of the following options from the drop-down list:

- Show me other members' wallpaper in AOL instant messages: Select this option to see the background wallpaper that users of AOL Communicator or AOL 8.0 (or later versions) can use in their messages.
- Do not show me wallpapers: Select this option to see a plain background for all instant messages that you receive.

Choose what you want to hear from others

Other people can choose sounds to play when they perform various actions (such as signing on or off), and you can also choose sounds for the same actions.

These options allow you to select which sounds other people's actions will trigger:

- Do not play any sounds at all: If you select this option, you won't hear any sounds when buddies sign on or off or sends you a message.
- Play other members' AOL sounds: If you select this option, you'll hear the sounds that other members' have specified for the AOL service.
- Use the custom sounds selected in the Sounds panel: If you select this option, you'll hear the sounds that you have specified in your Sounds preferences. Click Sounds on the left side of the Preferences window to see what they are.

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Outgoing Expressions Preferences

Outgoing Expressions preferences control the personal icons, smileys, wallpaper, and sounds that your buddies will see or hear when you send them messages.

If you're not already viewing Outgoing Expressions preferences, start from the Buddy List window, open the MyIM menu, choose Preferences, and click Outgoing Expressions.

The sections that follow describe the corresponding preferences:

Outgoing AOL Expressions
Outgoing AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) Expressions

Outgoing AOL Expressions

You must have AOL 8.0 (or later versions) on your computer to set these preferences. Each of the links in this area opens the AOL client software to the area where you can set the corresponding Expressions:

- My Buddy Icon: Select one of the AOL® icons as your buddy icon.
- My Smiley Theme: Select one of the AOL® smiley themes (different ways of drawing the same set of smileys).
  Versions of AOL client software earlier than 8.0 may not be able to display smiley themes.
- My IM Wallpaper: Allows you to spice up your instant message conversation window by choosing a background wallpaper that will be displayed to you and other users of AOL Communicator or AOL 8.0 (or later versions).
- My IM and Buddy Sounds: Allows you to select personal sound to be played on your buddy's computer whenever you do any of the following: send that person an instant message, appear in that person's Buddy List window (Buddy In), or sign off (Buddy Out).
  Your buddy must be using either AOL Communicator or AOL 8.0 (or later versions), and must have Instant Messenger preferences for Incoming Expressions set to "play other member's sounds" to hear the personal sound you have chosen.

Outgoing AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) Expressions

AIM buddy icons do not appear with your messages to buddies who are using AOL client software. AIM buddy icons may or may not appear with your messages to buddies using other AIM software, depending on their individual preference settings.

To select one of the standard AIM icons: Click Set Icon, scroll through the list of categories, and click the category you want. Then click the icon you want to use and click OK.

To select a custom icon available on your hard drive: Click Set Icon, then click Browse to specify its location. After you have done so, click OK to confirm your selection and dismiss the Set Icon window.

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Last Updated September 16, 2003