Help: Topics
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How do I enter a room?
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Once you have the software installed on your PC, you will find a ‘shortcut’ icon on your desktop. Using the left mouse button, double click to launch the software If a new version of the software is available, then it will be downloaded automatically at this point.
Before you can enter a conference room you will be asked to login
Enter your name in the screen name box. If you are logging in as a guest in someone else’s room, we would suggest you ask them if there are any conventions they would like you to use. For example, the host or ‘moderator’ may prefer that you use your real name, or simply identify yourself as a guest in some way.
You will also see a box where you can select which room you wish to enter. If there are no names listed here then this just means there is only the main room available.
You may or may not be asked for a login password at this point, if so enter your password here.
You can also choose to login with ‘moderator’ status. This is usually the owner of the room, however that person may have given you a further password to login as a moderator. This might be the case if you are renting or leasing the room temporarily from the owner. If you do have a moderator password then left click the small down arrow next to the box that says, ‘login with moderator rights’ and enter the password you have been given.
When you are finished click ‘ok’ to enter the room you have chosen or cancel to exit.
When you first enter the room, you will see it is split into several ‘areas’. We will cover each area in turn in the detailed help files, but for the purposes of this quick start section they are as follows:-
Menu options- Along the top of the screen are the main drop down menu’s used to select options and configurations for the room. Some options are only available to the moderator of the room and will be ‘grayed out’.
Work area- This is the main display area and shows either a browser window or the built in whiteboard
Text Chat area- This is where you can type in your text messages to other members in the room, either publicly, or privately depending on what the room ‘moderator’ allows.
List of Conferences- This displays the rooms currently available for you to enter, though some may only be accessible with the correct password.
List of Members- This panel shows the names of the members currently active in the room. If there is a moderator in the room his/her name would be highlighted in blue text.
Speaker Web Cam - This area displays the web-cam image of the person currently speaking.This can be switched on and off by the moderator, and is usually only used for small groups that are on high speed connections with suitable PC specifications.
Audio Controller - This area allows for the setting of microphone and speaker volumes and includes the all-important ‘talk now’ button.
Status display - Along the bottom of the screen you will see info about your connection and other status info.
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Check your speaker and microphone settings
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When a member of the room is talking, you will see a small speaker icon appear to the left of their name and they will be at the top of the list of members.
If you see this and yet cannot hear anything, then check your speaker settings. You may also need to check your speaker settings for your sound card too. This can usually be done via Windows ‘control panel’ Also check your microphone volume and settings here too.
If you still cannot hear anything then try logging out of the room and back in again. It may be that you were connected via a person that has a bad connection or has just logged out themselves and has temporarily caused you to be ‘partially’ logged in. The software will normally detect this and re-connect you via someone else. In most cases logging out and back in again will resolve this manually.
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How do I ‘speak’ in the room using the audio controller?
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To speak in the room, hover your mouse pointer over the ‘talk now’ button located in the bottom left corner. Click and hold the left mouse button to talk and let go when you finish. It is advisable that you click a second or two before you speak and likewise release it shortly after you finish. This is particularly important if you are on a very slow dial-up connection as some small latency can occur. This is normal and is purely a limitation of slow connections, however this rarely affects the overall quality of speech from such connections.
When you first enter the room, at an appropriate time, ask another member of the room if they can hear you ok, to test your microphone.
Adjust the microphone volume up or down depending on the response you get using the sliders on the audio controller.
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What if I can’t see the audio controller?
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Usually, by default the audio controller appears in the bottom left corner of the conference window. If for some reason you cannot see it, then it may be either disabled or de-selected. To check this, left click on the ‘View’ menu option. You will see a list of the windows that you can select or de-select. Make sure there is a tick next to the audio controller option. If not then highlight it and left click the mouse. The audio controller should now be visible. It is also possible to minimize and maximize the audio controller window using the small up/down arrow next to where it says ‘audio controller’. When maximized you should see the sliders for controlling volume for speakers and mic, plus the ‘talk now’ button. Next to the ‘talk now’ button, there may also be a tick box.This tick box enables and disables the hands-free mic option. The moderator may have this option disabled though, in which case you will not see the tick box at all. In most cases this function is only used by the moderator, so that he can keep the mic open while giving a presentation.
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How do I use the text chat?
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The text chat is very easy to use. The Text chat area has three sections. The main viewing area, the enter message box and the ‘private message to’ selection box.
Left click the mouse in the ‘your message box’ at the bottom of the main text chat area. You can now type your message here. When you want to post your message, left click on the ‘send’ button or hit the enter key on your keyboard.
You will see your message appear in the main text chat area. When another member in the room replies, you will see the results in the main area too. The text chat window can be made bigger or smaller depending on your preference and can also be minimized or completely disabled by the moderator of the room (see moderator functions).
To adjust the window size, hover the mouse pointer over the outer edge of the text chat area until it changes shape. It will look like a line with two small arrows either side. When this happens click and hold the left mouse button and ‘drag’ the window to the size and shape you wish by moving the mouse. When you are done just let go of the mouse button.
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What if I can’t see the text chat area?
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Check the view options drop down menu, the instructions are the same as for the audio controller and the other windows that can be selected, de-selected, minimized or maximized.
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What about private messages?
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Private messaging may be enabled or disabled by the moderator. If it is available, you can left click on the small arrow next to the ‘private to’ box and select a member from the drop down list to send a message to.
When you have selected a name, you then send a message in the usual way by typing in the ‘your message box’ and clicking ‘send’ or hitting enter on your keyboard.
When you receive a private message, you will see that in the main text chat window it will say- private message from, followed by the name of the member who sent it. No other member of the room will see this message.
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When I launch HotConference, the "OK" button is grayed out in the "Login Information" box! How do I connect?
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When I launch HotConference, the "OK" button is grayed out in the "Login Information" box! How do I connect?
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Uninstall and re-install the software as per the instructions above. This happens when a major change has been made on the software and it requires a complete re-install.
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My "TALK NOW!" button and text area are grayed out! What's wrong?
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My "TALK NOW!" button and text area are grayed out! What's wrong?
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Simply log out and try to log back in a few seconds later until you get a "good" connection. If you absolutely cannot get a "good" connection, use the helpdesk and post a ticket. This happens when HotConference tries to connect to an other use who has Windows XP firewall enabled or is running a 3rd party firewall. We are currently working on a fix for this top priority issue.
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