FirstClass Quick Ref

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This version of the help applies to FirstClass Version 8.0 and all subsequent versions and modifications until otherwise indicated.

Logging into a server

1 Enter the URL of the server (for example, http://www.firstclass.com/login).

2 Fill in your user ID and password for this server on the FirstClass Login form.

3 Click Login to open your FirstClass Desktop.

The FirstClass Desktop

Once you have connected to a server, your Desktop on that server opens. Your Desktop may differ from the example below, because your administrator determines which conferences you start with on your Desktop, and the general Desktop appearance.

To open objects on the Desktop, click them. To select objects, select the checkboxes beside them.

Standard page elements

A - upper pane

This Desktop is split into two panes. The upper pane contents are shown as small icons.

B - lower pane

The lower pane contents are shown as a list, which presents information about each object in columnar format. You can change the sorting and grouping of these objects as described in our online help.

C - toolbar

Each page has its own toolbar. Clicking a toolbar button tells FirstClass to perform that command. Many toolbars contain the Create field, which lets you create an object:

D - summary bar

This bar shows the container name and the path to this container, summarizes container contents, shows the server and your user name, and indicates how much free space you have left on the server, and the permissions you have in this container. It also includes a quick search field.

Standard Desktop objects

Mailbox

Contains all messages sent to you, as well as copies of messages that you send.

Contacts

Contains your personal addresses and mail lists.

Calendar

Your personal calendar.

My Web Site

Contains material that you want to display over the web.

My Documents

Contains material that you don't want other users to see, such as work in progress.

My Shared Documents

Intended for use with the FirstClass client.

Help

Contains online help. This can also be accessed from the Help Contents and About this Form buttons.

The other objects on our sample Desktop were added by the administrator or the user.

Working with messages

Messages work the same whether you are in your Mailbox or a conference. An unread message has a red flag beside it. To read a message, click it.

Creating a new message

1 Choose the message form at the Create field.

If you decide you want to use another form, you can click Delete with the first form still open.

2 Address the message.

Tips for entering recipients' names:

• All users and conferences known to the server (including users you added as personal addresses and mail lists) are stored in the Directory. To address a message to any user or conference in the Directory, you can type a partial name, then click Add. The whole name is filled in if what you typed is unique in the Directory. Otherwise, the Directory opens with a list of all names that match. Select the name you want, then click Select.

• If you are in a conference, your new message is automatically addressed to that conference.

• You can click a name in a sent message to create a preaddressed message.

3 Type the message text in the body section.

4 Attach a file to the message, if desired.

Click Browse at "Attachments" and select the file, then click Attach. To attach a FirstClass object, click On Server, then select the object.

5 Send the message by clicking Send.

Replying to a message

1 Open the message.

2 Click Reply.

The original message is quoted in the reply.

3 Type your reply in the body section.

4 Send the message.

Forwarding a message

1 Open the message.

2 Create a copy of the message (including any attachments) by clicking Forward.

3 Address the message.

4 Make any changes you want to the message body.

5 Send the message.

Downloading an attached file

To download a file attached to a message, use your web browser's standard download feature.

To preview an attached file before you download it, click it. To return to the message, click your web browser's Back button.

Checking whether a message has been read

To see the history of a sent message, including who has read it, click History with the message selected or open.

Saving addresses for future use

You can add your own addresses and mail lists to your Contacts folder.

These contacts will appear in your view of the Directory.

You can also create public contact databases that let you share contact information with other users. For more information, see our online help.

Adding a personal address

1 Choose New Contact at the Create field.

If you want to add the address to a public contact database, open the contact database, then click New Contact.

You can also add an address in a message to your Contacts folder by clicking the Add to Contacts Folder icon beside it.

2 Update the New Personal Address form.

Creating a mail list

1 Choose New Personal Mail List at the Create field.

If you want to add the mail list to a public contact database, open the contact database, then click New Mail List.

2 Update the New Personal Mail List form.

Files stored in containers

You can upload a file to a container on the server. Uploaded files can be previewed and downloaded just like files attached to messages.

Uploading files to containers

To upload a file to a container:

1 Open the container.

2 Click Upload.

3 Click Browse.

4 Select the file on your computer.

5 Click Upload.

Working with calendars

You can use a personal calendar (which can record both calendar events, such as meetings, and tasks, such as submitting a report), and look at other users' calendars and public calendars. To open your personal calendar, click Calendar. To open another user's calendar, select the user in the Directory or Who's Online list, then click Open User Calendar.

Viewing calendars

You can view a calendar by month, week, or day. The week view of a calendar looks something like this:

To view the calendar by month, week, or day, click the appropriate button. Day view shows items in time slots. Tasks and untimed events are shown at the top of this view.

To scroll from one month, week, or day to the next (or previous), click the arrows at either end of the dates at the top of the calendar.

To go to the current month, week, or day, click This Month, This Week, or Today.

To go to a specific date, specify the date using the dropdown fields, then click Go.

Calendar views include a Today list that highlights all the events that take place today, and all the tasks that start today or are ongoing.

Overdue tasks are shown in red. Completed tasks have a line drawn through them.

To view details of an event or task, click it.

Creating a calendar event

1 Open the calendar.

2 Click New Event.

Shortcuts

To create an event that starts on a particular date, click the New Event icon beside that date. In day view, click the start time. You can also create one event on your personal calendar without opening the calendar by choosing New Calendar Event at the Create field.

3 Update the basic information on the New Calendar Event form.

4 Update the other sections on this form as required.

To invite participants and/or book resources that are in the Directory, check for conflicts, or reschedule, update the Scheduling section.

To make the event show up repeatedly on the calendar, update the Repeat section.

To generate reminders, update the Reminders section. Participants can change the reminders on their own copies of the event.

5 Attach files or add content just as you would for a message, if desired.

You can open an event to change its details.

Creating a calendar task

1 Open the calendar.

2 Click New Task or the New Task icon in the Today list.

Note

You can also create a task on your personal calendar without opening the calendar by choosing New Calendar Task at the Create field.

3 Update the basic information on the New Calendar Task form.

4 Update the Reminders section, if you want to generate reminders for a task with a due date.

5 Attach files or add content just as you would for a message, if desired.

You can open a task to change its details. To change the task status, choose the appropriate value at "Task state" (and "Completed on", if the task is completed). You can also change the status of an unopened task to Completed by clicking the task icon.

Instant messaging

An instant message is an online conversation among users who are currently connected to a server.

Responding to an instant message invitation

If you are invited to an instant messaging session, you will see an Instant Messaging Invitation button on the toolbar. The invitation form shows the name of the user who invited you. To decline the invitation, click Decline. To join, click Accept. The Instant Message page opens and your name is added to the "Participants" list.

Contributing to an instant message

To contribute to an instant message, type your input in the input pane of the Instant Message page. You can embed files in your input by clicking Browse below the transcript pane, selecting the file, then clicking Embed Object. To add your input to the transcript, click Send.

You can also:

• attach files to the instant message by clicking Browse at "Attachments", selecting the file, then clicking Attach

• invite others to join by clicking Invite

• tell people you are temporarily unavailable by clicking the Pause icon:

• use the Setup section to name an instant message that you started, moderate it, or save the transcript

• change how frequently FirstClass looks for new input from participants by updating "Check for updates every", or force an immediate check by clicking Check Now.

Joining a public chat room

A public chat room appears as an icon inside a container. When a chat room has active participants, a red balloon appears beside the icon:

To join the chat room, click it.

Starting a private instant message

1 Click Instant Message.

Shortcut

If you are in the Directory or Who's Online list, select the user, then click Invite to Instant Message. If you use this method, skip steps 2 and 3.

2 Click Invite to invite someone to your instant message.

3 Select the user you want to invite.

4 Contribute to the instant message as you would to any other instant message.