These questions focus on how to perform certain tasks with Ding!
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Using Ding!
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How do I create a peer list?
See "Creating a Peer List" in the "Getting Started" chapter for details.
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How do I send an instant message?
Send an instant message to a peer by left double-clicking on the peer's icon in the peer list. Refer to the "Instant Messaging" section of "Using Ding!."
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How do I change my "Doing" field bulletin?
Click in the "Doing" field and edit the current setting. Press "Return" when it says what you want. For more on the Doing field, see "Status Tools: Doing field" or "Getting Started."
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How do I send a file?
A right-click on a peer's icon and select File from the pop-up menu. Refer to "Sending Files" in "Using Ding!" for more information.
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How do I change my personal information?
What you allow others to know about you is stored in the "Info" window of the user menu. Right-click on your own icon and select "Info" from the pop-up menu. For more, see "User Menu" in the "Getting Started" chapter.
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How do I chat with multiple people?
Once you've established a chat session, initiate another chat session with a different peer, and if they accept, they'll be added to your current session's participants. See "Chat" in the "Using Ding!" chapter for more details.
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How do I save chat transcripts?
Click on the disk icon in the chat window to save a transcript to a file.
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How do I log incoming messages?
When you receive an instant message, you will see an icon in the upper right that is either an in-box or a trash can. If the icon is an in-box, the message will be logged. If the icon is a trash can, messages will not be logged. You can switch the icon from in-box to trash can by clicking on it. Refer to "Event Histories" in the "Advanced Ding!" chapter for more information.
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How do I view previously logged messages?
To see logged messages, select "History" from the icon of the peer whose messages you want to review. Refer to "Event Histories" in the "Advanced Ding!" chapter for more information.
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How do I send a URL?
Type the full URL (including http:// ) into an instant message and send it to your recipient. To view a URL you receive, double click the URL and it will launch a browser window with the selected URL.
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These questions are overviews of how Ding! works.
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Technical Information
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Why is there no one on my peer list?
There are a few things you should check. First, make sure you're registered with a presence authority -- a Ding! Switchboard -- you have your own Ding! address (WhoDP). Refer to the "Getting Started" chapter for details.
Also remember that you have to fill in your peer list with the peers you want to keep track of. You may perform a Search for those
peers under the Ding! Menu.
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What does the message "An error occurred during the move data process: -115." mean?
It probably means that you are currently running another copy of Ding! You need to close
that copy before you can perform any other functions. If you don't see any other copies of
Ding! runing, check the Windows task manager to see if a jrew.exe process is running. More than
likely, it's left from a previous Ding! session or client and simply needs to be ended with the
'End Task' button.
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What are the little red X's or the black bar on some of my peers?
A peer marked with an X indicates an error in retrieving that peer's presence information from their switchboard. This could be because they have changed their user info, no longer have Ding! installed, or there is something wrong with their switchboard.
The black bar across a peer's icon means that peer is
currently busy. See "Using Ding!" or "Reference" for more information on Ding!'s icons.
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What is Ding!?
Ding! is an all Java, instant messaging application for the Internet that defines a new application category known as a People Browser. It lets you know when your peers are online and lets you communicate with them in a variety of ways.
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What is a People Browser?
A People Browser lets users define lists of people they want to know about. Then, from this list, know when those people are online and how they may be reached. Other information may include availability (A virtual "Do not disturb" sign), and message fields such as what the person is doing at the moment. This collection of information is called presence, and distributing this information dynamically and securely is the job of the People Browser.
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What are the requirements?
You'll need an active Internet connection, 16MB of RAM and 6 MB of hard disk space for Ding! Additionally, you'll need Windows 95 or Windows NT for the beta version to operate.
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If Ding! is written in Java, why does it require Windows 95/NT?
Ding! is written in Java, and is platform independent. However, developers writing standalone java applications must write platform-specific installers and create platform-specific distributions. We are in the process of preparing distributions of Ding! for the Macintosh and several types of UNIX, and you can expect these to be available shortly. We are totally committed to producing platform-independent solutions based on open standards.
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How does Ding! work?
When a user registers with a Ding! Switchboard, a unique Ding! address (called a "WhoDP") is created for them. The Ding! Switchboard then registers their user information including their Ding! address with an LDAP server.
When a Ding! user searches for peers to add to their peer list, the Ding! client asks the LDAP server for information, and if a valid Ding! address is found, it offers to add it to the user's peer list. If a valid Ding! address is not found, a message is displayed indicating that this user does not have a Ding! address.
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Can anyone see me online?
No. The only people who can see you and put you on their peer list are those you allow. In order to be seen by others, you must be registered at a Ding! Switchboard with your own address, and people can only add you to their peer list, if you give permission.
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Where is my information stored?
All your information is kept on your own computer, where it's easy to find. It's also faster and more secure than if it had to be retrieved from a server each time you or someone else needed it.
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What does being online/offline and available/busy mean?
When you start Ding! and you've gotten your own Ding! address, you have established your presence on a switchboard. When you're online then, the switchboard reports to those who are allowed to watch you that you are actually present and there. When you've gone offline, the switchboard reports to those same individuals that you are no longer present online.
Your available/busy status is specification of your online status meaning you've told the switchboard that you're actually present. When you mark yourself as present and available, the switchboard reports that information to your watchers. The same is true in the case that you're present and busy.
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