Selecting the icon immediately to the right of a contact's name and password initiates a Private Chat with that individual. This option ensures that a third party cannot view the communications between two individuals. You can run private chats with multiple individuals simultaneously but only two people can participate in a private chat at any given time. For example, an instructor overseeing a group chat could also be engaged in private chats with individual members participating in the group chat.
When the Private Chat icon is selected, it launches A-Communicator's Chat window (displayed below). Note the label in the title bar informing users that they have entered a "Private Chat with..." When the dialog first appears, focus automatically shifts to the "Compose Message" window which features a flashing cursor. Type in your message and, when it's completed, select the "envelope in the mail slot" icon. This "mails" the message to your contact.
Messages you send will appear in your contact's Chat window as well as your own. Each message is preceded by the sender's JID, as the examples below illustrate.
Select the "letter" icon to launch A-Communicator's instant messaging feature. A-Communicator's messaging platform is similar to the ICQ (I Seek You) and MSN instant messaging services. Users are able to exchange messages in "real time" via the Internet by having each key press transmitted individually.
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