Sending Instant Messages

You can send instant messages to anyone in your Buddy List. Sending an instant message is similar to e-mailing someone. You simply type your message and click on Send.

1. Double - click on a group that contains the name of the buddy that you'd like to send an instant message to. A list of members of that group will appear below the group name. Only buddies that are online will show up in the Buddy List.

2. Select the buddy to whom you'd like to send a message. Their name will be highlighted.

3. Click on the Send an Instant Message button . The Instant Message window will appear where you can enter your message.

   

   Tip  

   Pressing Ctrl+Shift+I will automatically create a new instant message.

4. Type your message .

   

   Tip  

   You can format your message just as you would in a word processor. You have the ability to change the appearance of text including its style, color , and size . You can even change the background color of your messages. Most of the formatting options can be found under Format in the menu bar.

5. Press Enter . Your message will be sent, and the Instant Message window will split into two parts . The top part lists all the messages that are being sent and their replies, while the bottom part is where you can continue entering messages.

6. Continue typing text . Every time you type a line and hit Enter, the message will be sent to the other party. Your conversation can be viewed in the top part of the window.

7. Click on the X in the top-right corner to close the window and end the session.