 Contributing to instant messages
To contribute to an instant message, type your input in the input pane of the Instant Message page, then click Send.
As participants enter the instant messaging session and contribute to it, the transcript pane fills with everyone's input.
 When you are ready to leave the instant messaging session, click Leave. Other participants are notified that you have left.
Naming instant messages
If you start an instant message, you can give it a name that will show on invitations you send to others, and in the transcript's subject if you save it.
To name the instant message, fill in "Name" in the Setup section, then click Set.
Inviting others
If you are participating in an instant messaging session started by someone else, you can click Invite to invite others to join the session just as you would when starting your own instant message.
Normally, newly invited users don't see earlier input in their view of the transcript. If you want these users to see this information, select "Enable catch up" in the Setup section. Participants that you invite will see the transcript from the point you selected this field.
Adding files to instant messages
You can:
• embed a file, such as a picture file, in the transcript
• attach a file to the instant message.
To embed a file, click Browse below the transcript pane, select the file, then click Embed Object. If you view an embedded file full size by clicking it, you can return to the transcript by clicking your web browser's Back button.
To attach a file to the instant message, click Browse at "Attachments", select the file, then click Attach. The attachment is displayed in the "Attachments" list. You can remove the attachment, just as you can message attachments, by clicking the Delete icon beside it.
Temporarily leaving instant messages
If you will be unavailable for awhile, but don't want to leave the instant message permanently, you can make this icon appear beside your name in the "Participants" list, to let other participants know that you aren't currently available:
 To do this, click the Pause icon. This icon is removed when you send more input.
Changing polling frequency
During an instant messaging session, FirstClass regularly checks to see if there is any new input from participants to add to the transcript. This is called polling.
To change polling frequency, change the number of seconds at "Check for updates every". You can also make FirstClass poll immediately by clicking Check Now.
Saving transcripts
 NoteOnly an instant message creator can save the transcript.
To save a transcript, select "Save transcript" in the Setup section. The transcript contains everything from the point you selected "Save transcript". It is saved after all participants have left.
A private instant message transcript is saved in your Inbox.
A public chat room transcript is saved in the chat room's transcript pane.
Moderating instant messages
If you want to control the contributions others make to an instant message, you can moderate it. In a moderated private instant message, only the instant message creator can allow others to contribute. In a moderated public chat room, only moderators can allow others to contribute.
To make an instant message moderated, select "Moderated". Other participants can no longer contribute. The following icon beside their names indicates that contributions by them are disallowed:
 Participants can request permission to contribute by clicking Hand Up:
 As moderator, you won't see this button. You will see the Hand Up icon beside the name of any participant who has clicked Hand Up.
To allow a participant to contribute, click the "hand up" or "disallowed" icon beside the participant.
The icon changes to indicate that contributions are allowed:
 To prevent a participant from making further contributions, click the "allowed" icon beside the participant.
To make the instant message nonmoderated again, so that everyone can contribute freely, clear "Moderated".
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