Let the Chat Begin

As with any conversation, somebody has to talk first. In chat circles, that’s called inviting someone to a chat.

They Invite You

If someone invites you to chat, Messages opens automatically and displays an invitation message like the one in Figure 13-4. If the person initiating a chat isn’t already in your buddy list, the note says, “[service] Message from [name of the person].”

You’re being invited to a chat! Your buddy wants to have a typed chat (top left) or a spoken one (top right). To begin chatting, click the invitation window, type a response in the bottom text box if you like (for text chats), and click Accept (or press Return). Or click Block to lock out the person sending you messages—a good trick if someone’s harassing you.

Figure 13-4. You’re being invited to a chat! Your buddy wants to have a typed chat (top left) or a spoken one (top right). To begin chatting, click the invitation window, type a response in the bottom text box if you like (for text chats), and click Accept (or press Return). Or click Block to lock out the person sending you messages—a good trick if someone’s harassing you.

(If you’ve set your status to Offline, on the other hand, you won’t see those invitation messages. You’ll see me.com and AIM invitations once you’re online again, but if the invites come from the other services, you’ve missed out.)

Tip

If you’re getting hassled by someone on AIM or me.com, click his name in the buddy list, or in the window containing the invitation, and choose Buddies→Block Person. If the person isn’t online at the time, go to Messages→Preferences→Accounts→Security and then click the button for “Block specific people.” Click the Edit List button, and then type in the screen name of the person you want out of your IM life. (The other chat network types don’t offer security options like this.)

You Invite Them

To begin a chat:

  • One-to-one typed conversations (instant messaging). To message someone, double-click the person’s name, type a quick invite (“You there?”), and press Return. You’ve just triggered what Apple calls an instant messaging session, which is a one-to-one affair.

    Tip

    If this person is on more than one chat network, then open the flippy triangle and choose the account you want to use. The flippy triangle is in the little strip called the Recipient bar; if you don’t see it, choose View→Show Recipient Bar.

  • Multiperson typed conversations (chat). To start a chat instead, click someone’s name in the buddy list and then choose Buddies→Invite to Chat. Now, each time you click the button at the bottom of the Participants list, you choose another person to invite. (Or ⌘-click each name in the buddy list to select several people at once and then click the button below the list to start the text chat.) Everyone sees all the messages anyone sends, and anyone can add new participants.

  • Audio or video chats. To start an audio or video chat, click the microphone or movie-camera icon in your buddy list.

To initiate a chat with someone who isn’t in the buddy list, choose File→New Chat. Type the account name, and then click OK to send the invitation.

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