Global chat for the Mac

	Tue, October 24, 2006

Installing GlobalChat on the Macintosh

You will need StuffIt Expander in order to download and install GlobalChat. If you do not have StuffIt Expander or are not familiar with it, go to Sunline's guide about it at: www.charlotte-florida.com/Internet/macdown.cfm
Now you'll want to go to GlobalChat's site to download the Mac version of the program You can find GlobalChat's site at: www.global-chat.com
When you go to download, direct your download to your desktop.
After downloading, double-click on GlobalChat-1.3.0.sea.hqx. If StuffIt Expander does not immediately start unstuffing it, you may get a message saying there is no program to open it. If that happens, just hit cancel and open StuffIt Expander. From there, unstuff GlobalChat-1.3.0.sea.hqx.
Two files will be created. One will be called GlobalChat-1.3.0.sea. The other will be a folder called GlobalChat-1.3.0. Drag the folder to your hard drive.
Open your Internet connection using your ConfigPPP or FreePPP.
Open the GlobalChat folder and double-click on Global Chat 1.3.0.
Up will pop a window. Click on "More Detail" so that the window opens up large.
In the Nickname field, type in the name you'd like to be known as while chatting. It can be your real first name or a made-up one.
In the connection label field, erase what is there and type: Sunline
In the Server name or IP, type: chat.sunline.net
In the Port number field, type: 6667
In the initial channel field, type: #sunline
Leave the Channel Password field blank.
In the optional personal information, you may elect to fill it in or leave it blank.
Click on "Save and Connect."
Up will pop a new window, and you'll be in a chat room called Sunline. If there is anybody else in the room with you, they'll be listed in the window on the far right.
If you click once on the person's name and highlight it, you can go up to "Users" at the top of the screen and learn more about that person if they elected to fill out the "optional personal information" form when they signed up.
By the way, if you also have your Netscape browser open in the background, then you can click on "send mail," and a Netscape mail screen will pop up. Clicking on "view page" will take you to that person's home page, if they've got one.
(REMINDER) If you only have 8 MB of RAM, you'll not want to open Netscape while running GlobalChat. You're more likely to crash your computer.
Okay, close the "Information about User" screen.
Look at the bottom right of the main screen. If the circle next to "to everybody" is highlighted, then anything you type in the "send" field will be seen by everybody in the room.
If you want to send a personal message to somebody, double-click on their name and their name should appear in the "to" field at the bottom right.
When you send a personal message to somebody, it will be in italics and only that person will be able to see it, even though it looks like it is in the chat room for everybody to see.
If you want to change rooms (or, channels, as they're call in chat), then go up to "Channels" at the top of the screen and click on "Display Channel List." When you find a room you want to join, click on it once to highlight it, then click on "join" at the bottom right.

Connecting to a different chat server and choosing a room

The server choice is very important in the world of chat. Each IRC network and their servers have their own set of chat rules and their own set of chat rooms. Some servers have thousands of people on them, and because they are so popular, you may have trouble connecting. Other servers may have only a few hundred people on them.

One of the popular IRC networks is Dalnet. You can find out more by accessing their home page at http://www.dal.net. Another popular network is Undernet. You can find out more by accessing their home page at:

http://www2.undernet.org:8080/~cs93jtl/Undernet.cfml>

When you want to change the server you connect to, click on the "Server" button in the Registration dialog box; then type in the new host name. Click the "OK" button.

Once you really become involved in chat, you may want to start adding additional servers in your address book. You can use Yahoo! to search for IRC chat servers at http//www.yahoo.com.

If you are able to connect, a quick start menu appears. (If you receive an error message when you try to connect, try changing to another server, then connect again.) You may join the room listed in the join room box by clicking on the button "Join." Or you may click on the button "List" to see a list of rooms on the server.

Chatting with your fellow travelers

Once you have joined a room, a conferencing dialog box will appear. You can join in the conversation by typing in the box. Above the box will be displayed the room conversation. To your left will be a list of chatters in the room with you. To find out more about a person, double click on their name. To speak in private to just one person, click on the "People" button in the upper left portion of your screen, highlight the person's name, click on the "Private or Direct" button. Now a personal screen will appear. Type in your message. You are now speaking only to that one person.

Leaving one chat room to join another

If you want to leave the room, click on the "Rooms" key across the top of your screen and highlight "Leave Room" to exit your current chat room. To see a list of rooms, click on the "List all Rooms" inside the button across the top of your screen. A list of rooms will appear; highlight the room that appeals to you and click on the button "Join." You can join more than one room at a time by choosing not to leave a room and going ahead and joining second room. Both rooms will be displayed on the screen.

Here are a few of IRC Chat buzz words explained

Channel

A channel is the same thing as a chat room or a room. This is a common location where one or more people go to send and receive messages. On some IRC networks, you can create your own channel; on others you cannot. Some channels have home pages about them on the Web. You may want to check out your favorite channel. The easy way to do this is to use your Internet browser and type in the following location in the URL field:

http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/Chatting/IRC/Channels/

Chat URL list box

If you enter the URL of a Web page you want to share in the Global Chat URL box, you can share this with others in the chat room.

Client

Programs that connect to a server. There are several client programs for IRC chat.

Console Window

The window that displays information from the server that you have connected to. If you knew UNIX, you might use the console to perform IRC functions. It is much easier just to ignore this window once you see you have connected to the server.

Direct Client Connection (DCC)

A mode that allows the rapid transfer of data files across secure circuits without going through a server. Transferred data can be of any type of document in the form of simple text, a graphic file, sound or any binary data forms. Some Chat programs use DCC to implement real-time file transfer. It allows two Chat clients to directly communicate with another without the server.

Directory of available rooms

You can see what rooms are available by clicking on the "Rooms" button. You may not always see a room available; some subjects are geared to certain times of the day. Try checking back later to see if it's open.

Directory of people

To show all the people connected to the server right then, click on the "File" key across the top of your screen and then highlight "Personal Conversation."

Flooding

You may receive a flooding error message when you are listing all users or rooms. This can disconnect you from the server. If this happens, reconnect to the server. Before you list all the users, try using a filter. To do this, just click on the rooms button, then put a check in the box "only list rooms with the number of people in this range." Next, put a number in the minimum number field (this will cut down on the amount of server bandwidth you take up). Use a filter also if flooding occurs when you are getting a directory of people.

Internet Relay Chat (IRC)

IRC is a multi-user, multi-channel chatting network that allows Internet users to talk to each other in real time.

Personal conversation

To speak to just one person, click on the "People" button in the upper left portion of your screen, highlight the person's name and click on the "Talk" button. Now a personal screen will appear; type in your message. You are now speaking only to that one person. To find a person no matter what room they are in, just click on the "file" key at the top of your screen and highlight "Personal Conversation".

Server

Programs that transport the messages from one user client to another. Global Chat (a client program) works with either a Global Chat Server or an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) Server.

Server list

You can add IRC servers to your address book. To find a list of servers, you can use the Internet browser to access Yahoo at this URL.

:http://www.yahoo.com/Computers_and_Internet/Internet/Chatting/IRC/Clients_and_Servers/

Your best bet is to find the server closest to you.

Whisper

To speak to speak to just one person instead of the group when you are in a room, highlight that person's name in the left hand column and type in your message.