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Joe wrote, On 12/22/04 10:18 PM:<br>
<blockquote type="cite" cite="mid41CA38FC.3040203@main.nc.us">While we're
on the subject. I know what an instant messenger is, but that's all I know
about them. Mozilla comes with Chatzilla, but I don't know how to configure
it. Any pointers on how to do that, a good howto article, or a reason why
I should try to install gaim, etc. instead would be appreciated. <br>
<br>
Are instant messaging and irc's two separate things? I need basics. <br>
<br>
Thanks. <br>
<br>
Joe <br>
</blockquote>
<br>
Joe- <br>
Sounds Like you're at about the same point I was a year ago. <br>
I think of instant messaging like an e-mail client - if you know a specific
person's address, you can communicate with only them *instantly*. <br>
No batching or message queues for delays, like e-mail, though. <br>
That's about the extent of my IM knowlege, because , as I said, I haven't
used it. <br>
GAIM sounds like it can run all the "proprietary" IM clients inside linux,
so it's probably really great. <br>
Several creators of live CDs that I have thought it worthwhile to include.
<br>
The GAIM users in the list can probably expound it's virtues. :-) <br>
[If some one could show *me* about GAIM, I'd love it.]<br>
<br>
IRC [internet relay chat] is more similar to a web browser - you log on to
a server, then a channel, and everyone on the channel can see what you type.
<br>
You log on with commands, or in CZ, at least you can hit the"links". You
will need to choose a "nickname" that you will be known by on the channel.
<br>
You can send a private message to someone logged on to the channel, like
IM, though. <br>
You can be logged on to many channels simultaneouslyon different tabs, and
recieve messages from each, which can get confusing, if you have too many
open. <br>
Mirc is apparently the most popular chat client, but you have to *BUY* it,
and ChatZilla, in the spirit of open source, is free, and now even included.
<br>
<br>
I have CZ 0.9.46, which runs in Moz 1.0, Netscape 7.0 and FireBird 0.7,but
I'm sure it's evolved since then. <br>
Bob Ginda's site [CZ's creator] is a good starting point. <br>
<a href="http://www.hacksrus.com/%7Eginda/chatzilla/">http://www.hacksrus.com/~ginda/chatzilla/<br>
</a>[If that URL gets "escaped" that's a tilde, the linux "home" symbol,
or gamer's "console" button, in front of ginda.]<br>
>From there, you can find FAQs, and links to basic IRC sites. <br>
If you want, e-mail me off the list, and I can send you the results of a
weekend of searching and reading various FAQs, copying and pasting info I
found useful as an IRC newbie, condensed down into a couple of text files.
<br>
When I started with CZ, there was no "installer" and prefs had to be editted
manually, so I e-mailed Bob Ginda, and he got me going far enough that I
could ask questions on theChatZilla channel. <a
href="irc://irc.mozilla.org/chatzilla"> irc://irc.mozilla.org/chatzilla<br>
</a><br>
If you have questions about specific prefs, I can probably help. <br>
Here's a bookmark I have called "ChatZilla Prefs" , dated 12/13/03. <br>
It's from "silver", ChatZilla's co-developer's website. He helped me too
- those CZ guys really cool !<br>
<a
href="http://www.warwickcompsoc.co.uk/%7Esilver/mozilla/chatzilla/prefs">http://www.warwickcompsoc.co.uk/~silver/mozilla/chatzilla/prefs</a><br>
<br>
<pre class="moz-signature" cols="$mailwrapcol">--
The sole purpose of my life is, apparently, to test my sanity.
Scott
Netscape 7.0 Mail
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