Love the Messenger

If loved ones have been mentioning that you spend too much time parked in front of your computer screen, pay attention. They miss you, and they'd really like a word with you. Now there's an easy way to keep up with your computer business and share regards with family and friends. MSN® Messenger Service not only lets you identify which of your friends are online when you are, it also lets you carry on instant conversations with them right from your keyboard.

The beginning of a beautiful contact list
With MSN Messenger Service, you start by creating a contact list of the people who need to be in touch with you. Just think of your favorite people in the world, and then:

1. Click File on the menu bar, and then click Add a Contact
2. If you know the person's e-mail address or sign-in name, select that option and type the required information. Otherwise, you can search for your friend by name and geographical region.
3. If your friend is found, the name is added to your contact list. That person will be notified by e-mail and may choose to add you to his or her contact list, which will enable you to be in touch via MSN Messenger Service.

Once you have started with MSN Messenger, you may get a few requests of you own, too. When your friends find out they can reach you this way, they will start adding you to their lists, if you agree to be added.

Reach out and touch...anyone
Once you have decided who you'd like to have on your contact list, you're ready to begin. When you log onto the Internet and open MSN Messenger (or visit the Message Center on your MSN homepage), you’ll see a list of your contacts who are currently online. Simply click the name of any person who is available that you'd like to contact. An instant message window will open. To initiate a conversation, type your message into the lower pane and then click Send.

It's just as easy to respond to someone else initiating a conversation. The MSN Messenger symbol in your system tray will blink when someone is sending you a message. Click that icon to launch the instant message window, and let the conversing begin.

When you and your friends are online, exchanging messages is as instantaneous as in a regular conversation, even if the person you're talking to is halfway around the world. And it’s easy to know exactly what's going on in your real-time conversation as it's happening. You can tell when your friend is typing a reply, for example, or whether someone is still logged on but seems to be away from his or her desk. If you are busy and unable to talk, you can change your status:

1. Click File on the menu bar, and then click My Status
2. Click the status that best describes your situation: Online, Busy, Be Right Back, and so on.

Make the move to MSN Messenger Service
Ready to start catching up with all those people who have been missing you? To run MSN Messenger Service, you will need:

• A computer with 486 or higher processor running Windows 95, Windows 98, Windows Me, Windows 2000 or Windows NT 4.0
• 2 MB of available hard disk space
• 8 MB of RAM
• Internet access
• Internet Explorer 4.0 or later or Netscape Navigator 4.0 or later browser software
• A Microsoft Passport account.

Users with a 28.8 Kbps modem can be up and running in about four minutes.

To set up MSN Messenger Service:

1. Set up a Hotmail account and get a Passport.
2. When your registration is complete, click MSN Messenger Service from the Sign Up Successful! page.

Note   If you have a Hotmail e-mail account, you can go directly to the MSN Messenger Service download page.

MSN Messenger Service works well with many of your favorite communication tools, including Internet Explorer 5 and above, Outlook Express 5, MSN Hotmail, and NetMeeting. After installing MSN Messenger Service, you can click a button in Internet Explorer 5 and above to chat with your friends about a Web site that you found, or check your friends' online status and send them real-time messages from within Outlook Express 5. You can even invite someone you are chatting with to set up a full Internet conferencing session using NetMeeting.

Protecting your privacy
With MSN Messenger Service, you have the tools to control who can see when you're online and who can send you instant messages. You can avoid prying eyes by granting or withdrawing permission for others to watch your online status. Here's how:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options.
2. Click the Privacy tab.
3. Move people between your Allow List and Block List by selecting names and clicking Allow or Block.

To block someone who is not on your list:

1. On the Tools menu, point to Send an Instant Message, and then click Other.
2. Type the e-mail address of the person you want to block, and then click OK.
3. In the message window, click the Block button.

Note   You can also block any sender by clicking the Block button in the message window when someone tries to contact you.

They've got a line to you now
Surrender to the love of those close to you. Chat about the merits of Cheez Whiz, whether the 49ers have a chance this fall, or what feng shui would mean to Foucault. MSN Messenger Service makes it easy to talk about anything you want to whomever you want—instantly.