This section covers the features that are central to understanding and using Skype. These features include Skype contacts, online status icons, user authorizations, privacy management features, and your Personal Profile. Note You might notice slight differences between what's covered here and the particular version of Skype you are using. Skype Technologies continually adds new features to update the look and feel of the Skype application and Skype Web site. You may also notice differences depending on which operating system you are using, because Skype has been designed to work with many operating platforms. Skype ContactsContacts are people in the Skype network with whom you want to communicate. Your Contacts List is the list of Skype Names in your Skype application that comprise your personal set of contacts. For instructions on how to add a contact to your Contacts List, please refer to Chapter 4. Send a Contact to Another Skype UserYou can send a contact from your Contacts List to another Skype user. If your sister joins Skype and wants your cousin's Skype Name, you can send it to her so that she can call your cousin directly. To send a contact to another Skype user, follow these steps:
Alternatively, you can right-click a contact and select Send Contacts from the context menu. (Mac users: Control-click and select Send Contacts from the context menu.) Figure 5-1. Send contactsInvite Someone to Use SkypeTo invite someone you know to join the Skype network (so he can be added to your Contacts List), choose Tools > Share Skype with a Friend.(Mac users: Choose Contacts > Share Skype with a Friend.) This will launch a Web page where you can send an e-mail invitation to multiple people with a link to download Skype. Delete a ContactTo remove a contact from your Contacts List, right-click the Skype Name, and select Remove from Contacts from the context menu. (Mac users: Control-click, and select Remove from Contacts from the context menu.) Deleting a contact only removes the contact's information from your Contacts List; it does not prevent someone from contacting you. Block a ContactBlocking a contact prevents someone from contacting you. To block a contact, right-click the Skype Name, and select Block User from the context menu. (Mac users: Control-click the Skype Name, and select Block from the context menu.) Skype users who have been blocked will not be able to contact you in any way. To unblock a user, choose Tools > Options > Privacy, and click the Manage Blocked Users link. Select the Skype Name of the person you want to unblock, and click Unblock. (Mac users: Choose Contacts > Manage Blocked Users. Select the Skype Name of the person you want to unblock, and click Unblock User.) Note You can also set your privacy settings to manage who is allowed to contact you. See the "Privacy Features" section later in this chapter for more information. Contact GroupsSkype for Windows gives you the option of putting your contacts into groups so you can see your contacts organized in ways that make sense to you (such as Work, Friends, or Family). You have the option of creating your own groups or using Skype's predefined categories. Having contact groups helps organize your Contacts List and makes it easy to start a regular conference call or multiperson chat. Note The contact-group feature currently is available only for Skype for Windows. Check the Skype Web site for ongoing updates to Skype for other operating systems. Create a GroupTo create your own Skype group, follow these steps:
Figure 5-2. Create a new groupDisplay a GroupTo view a Skype group, follow these steps:
Figure 5-3. Display a groupRemove a Contact from a GroupTo remove a contact from a particular group, follow these steps:
Delete a GroupTo delete a group, follow these steps:
Display All Contacts (Ungrouped)To view all your contacts (ungrouped), open the View menu, and deselect Show Contact Groups (see Figure 5-4). Figure 5-4. Display all contactsDisplay a Skype Predefined GroupTo view a predefined group, follow these steps:
Figure 5-5. Display a predefined groupMake a Conference Call, Start a Multiperson Chat, or Send a File to a GroupTo make a call, start a chat, or send a file to one of your groups, right-click the group, and select the action you want to take from the context menu (see Figure 5-6). Figure 5-6. Make a conference call to a groupOnline Status IconsEach contact in your Contacts List will have an icon next to the name that indicates online status. This status tells you whether the contact is logged into Skype and available for communicating. Table 5-1 lists the Skype online statuses.
Your own online status is displayed at the bottom of your Skype main window. To change your online status at any given moment, click your Status icon, and select a new status from the drop-down menu, or choose File > Change Online Status, and select a new status. (Mac users: Choose Account > Change Status.) To protect your privacy, Skype shows your online status only to those users whom you have explicitly authorized to see this information. See the "Authorizations and Online Status" section later in this chapter for more information. Note When you change your online status, Skype will maintain this status until you change it again. If you change your status to SkypeMe, for example, when you log off and log back on again, your Skype will once again show your status as Skype Me. Authorizations and Online StatusWhen you add a contact to your Contacts List, Skype will automatically ask you whether you want to share your contact details with that person. When you share your contact details with someone, you authorize him to see your full name, your profile information, and your online status. To send your contact details, fill out the Send Contact Details screen (which you display by clicking Add Selected Contact), and select the option you want, as shown in Figure 5-7. Figure 5-7. Send contact details (Microsoft Windows)The contact will be notified that he has been added to your Contacts List and will, in turn, be asked whether he wants to share his contact details with you (see Figure 5-8). Figure 5-8. Respond to requestA contact's online status will be displayed as a question mark (?) until you are authorized to see it. You will not be able to see a contact's online status unless he explicitly authorizes you to see his contact details. To ask someone to resend contact details, right-click the Skype Name, and select Request Contact Details from the context menu. (Mac users: Control-click the Skype Name, and select Request Authorization from the context menu.) Privacy FeaturesIn addition to being able to choose who can see your online status, you have the option of specifying who can contact you (see Figure 5-9). Figure 5-9. Privacy optionsYou can choose to allow calls from:
You also have the option of allowing IMs from:
These two options are set separately, so you can configure your Skype to suit your individual preferences and needs. Choose Tools > Options > Privacy to configure these settings. (Mac users: Choose Skype > Preferences > Privacy.) Again, Skype allows you to block a user completely from communicating with you, if necessary. For more information, see the "Block a Contact" section earlier in this chapter. Your Personal ProfileYour Personal Profile is optional information that you choose to share with other Skype users so that they can locate you by using this information (see Figure 5-10). Please note that your Personal Profile data is stored in the shared Skype peer-to-peer (P2P) network on the Internet. You can always delete or change your Personal Profile information by choosing File > Edit My Profile. (Mac users: Choose Account > My Profile.) Figure 5-10. Edit your profileAdd, Edit, or Delete the Text in Your ProfileTo update your profile, simply change the information in your profile, and save it. To delete information in your profile, simply overwrite the existing information with blank spaces, and save it. Your profile is reestablished every time you log in and may disappear from the network if you don't log in for a long time. Remember, your e-mail address is never displayed for others to see. If someone already knows your e-mail address, however, she can use it to search for you in the Skype network. Skype Technologies will use your e-mail address to send you a new password (if you forget it) and to communicate with you about your account. For this reason, it is strongly recommended that you use a valid e-mail address in your Skype profile. If you do not put a valid e-mail address in your profile, and you forget your password, there is no way to get a new password. You will have to abandon your Skype Name and create a new account. You can use your Personal Profile to present a public "persona" based on information you share about your life, such as where you live or your interests, profession, expertise, or aspects of your personality. Other Skype users can use this information to find you. And depending on the type of information you include, it can also provide the starting point for an interesting conversation. If you want to have multiple personas, you need to create a separate Skype account for each persona. Although you can have multiple Skype Names (with unique Personal Profiles), you will not be able to use the same credit card to purchase services such as SkypeOut across multiple accounts. You will need to use a separate credit card for each Skype Name. This is a fraud-protection measure. Add a Picture to Your ProfileYou have the option of selecting a picture or uploading a bitmap or .JPEG file from your files. This picture is what callers will see when they Skype you. To select a picture from the list, follow these steps:
To upload a personal image from your files, follow these steps:
Change PasswordTo change your password, follow these steps:
Change Skype into Another LanguageThe Skype application was developed in the English language, but you can choose another language, if you want. To change the language, choose Tools > Select Languages, and select your preferred language from the list. For instructions on how to edit the Skype user interfaces into a language that is not yet represented, see Appendix C. If you call the echo123 answering service after changing the Skype language, you will hear the prompts in the language you have selected. The echo123 answering service is also available in Chinese, Mandarin, Taiwanese dialect (echo-chinese), and Japanese (soundtestjapanese). Upload a RingtoneYou can buy a ringtone from the Skype Web site or upload a sound file of your own. To upload a file of your own, choose Tools > Options > Sounds. Click the middle folder icon; select a .wav file from your collection; and click Open. Then click Save to save your changes. (Mac users: Choose Skype > Preferences > Events.) Skype Toolbars (Optional)The Skype toolbar for Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Outlook is an optional feature that you can download from the Skype Web site. The Skype toolbar allows you to launch various Skype functions from your browser or Outlook without having to open a Skype window. Specifically, you can see which of your contacts are online and make calls or start chats directly from the toolbar. It also includes a link for you to check your Skype account balances or go directly to the Skype Web site (see Figure 5-11). Figure 5-11. Skype toolbar for Internet ExplorerIf you open a Web page that has phone numbers on it, the Skype toolbar automatically converts the phone numbers to SkypeOut links so you can call a number, assuming that you have sufficient SkypeOut credit. Simply click the link to be connected immediately. If you open a Web page that has Skype Names on it, you can call, chat, or add contacts to your Contacts List quickly and easily. The Skype toolbar also contains a text box for searching using Google or Yahoo!, so you do not have to install a search engine toolbar in addition to the Skype toolbar. For instructions on how to install the Skype toolbar, see Chapter 3. Skype Widget for Mac OS XFor Mac users, Skype offers a widget for the Mac OS X Dashboard that lets you dial SkypeOut calls, look up country codes, and check calling rates. To download the widget, go to the Downloads section of the Skype Web site. |