Instructions for Windows Users

Preferred Software:

• Spark
• Pandion

The first task for any Windows user wanting to connect to the network will be to download the Spark Jabber client. Use the following link:

Download Spark

1. Run the setup procedure by double-clicking on the downloaded file. This process should be fairly straighforward. First you MAY see a screen warning you that the publisher could not be verified. It is fine to click "Run" when you see this prompt. Next, a progress bar will move across the screen and you will then see the "Welcome to the Spark Setup Wizard" dialogue. Pressing "Next" shows the destination directory. You should not need to make any changes here. Click "Next". The next screen asks you to select a Start Menu Folder. Again, the default should be fine. Click "Next". The next screen shows a series of options. It is suggested that you remove the tick that is next to "Create a Quick Launch Icon" so that you are only adding the program to your Start Menu. You can leave the box ticked if your wish, or unsure what it means. Press "Next". A progress bar will show that the program is installing. Then press "Finish" when the screen that says "Completing the Spark Setup Wizard" comes up.


2. The first time you launch Spark, a login window with blank fields appears. Click on the "Accounts" button to create a new Jabber account. A new window will appear for you to type in a user name, a password, and the name of the Jabber server. Your user name and password can be whatever you like, but you should try to use something familiar to you, or something easy to remember. In the spaces provided, type in the following:
   
   - Type in the username you wish to use. It should contain only letters and numbers.
   - Type in your desired password next to the "Password" entry.
   - Type in the same password again next to the "Confirm Password" entry.
   - Type in the name of the server you will be connecting to next to "Server". In this case, you should enter "chat.mgtow.net" (without the quotes).
   
   A dialog box will appear to tell you that you have been successful in creating a new Jabber account. Press "OK".


3. Next you will need to log into the Men's Chat Network. You will automatically be taken back to the login window. The details of the account you just created are already shown in the boxes. Now, you can just place a tick next to "Save Password" and "Auto Login", and then press the "Login" button near the bottom-right of the window. You will now be logged in and automatically taken to the Chat Server Lobby. Server Moderators will automatically be added to your contacts list, so feel free to ask them any questions you may have.


4. You will now have an instant messaging interface very similar to most other IM programs (but fortunately without advertisements everywhere). If you know the name of another chat network member you can add them to your contact list and wait for them to authorise you. For example, "joeblogs". This works very similar to most IM clients so there should be no need to go into a lot of details. Essentially, each time you want to add a contact, all you need to do is go to the icon of a person with a "+" sign next to them and click once to add a contact. Enter their username in the space provided, along with a nickname for them. Then click "Add". When they next come online, they will see your authorisation request, and hopefully add you to their contacts list.


5. Now that you have joined the network and (possibly) added some contacts, you can join one of the Men's Chat Network Conference Rooms. This concept will be familiar to anyone who has used IRC or Yahoo. Click on the icon of the two overlapping word balloons. A new window entitled "Browse Conference Rooms" with a list of available rooms will open. Double click on the name of a room you wish to join (or single-click to select it, and then click on "Join selected room"), and an IM window with the current discussion will open for you, allowing you to chat with other members. If you like this room and would like to bookmark it to quickly join in the future, select it in the "Browse Conference Rooms" Window and click on the "Bookmark Room" button.

Instructions for Mac Users

Appropriate Software:

There a several Jabber-compatible programs that you can use to access the Chat Server. These include:

• Adium
• Psi
• Spark

In addition, if you've already set up your membership with another program, you can use iChat (v.3 or better), which comes pre-installed on all new Macs, to connect to the server and chat with members. However, for ease of setup and use, Spark is recommended.

Installing Spark

To install after downloading, double click on the .dmg file. This will mount the disk image and open a window containing the Spark application file. Drag the spark icon to your Applications folder (or to any other location on your hard drive), and then unmount the disk image. Locate the application icon on your computer, and double-click on it to launch Spark.

Signing in with Spark

The first time you launch Spark, a login window with blank fields appears. Click on the "Accounts" button to create a new Jabber account. A new window will appear for you to type in a user name, a password, and the name of the Jabber server. Your user name and password can be whatever you like, but you should try to use something familiar to you, or something easy to remember. In the spaces provided, type in the following:

- Type in the username you wish to use. It should contain only letters and numbers.
- Type in your desired password next to the "Password" entry.
- Type in the same password again next to the "Confirm Password" entry.
- Type in the name of the server you will be connecting to next to "Server". In this case, you should enter "chat.mgtow.net" (without the quotes).

A dialog box will appear to tell you that you have been successful in creating a new Jabber account. Press "OK".

Next you will need to log into the Men's Chat Network. You will automatically be taken back to the login window. The details of the account you just created are already shown in the boxes. Now, you can just place a tick next to "Save Password" and "Auto Login", and then press the "Login" button near the bottom-right of the window. You will now be logged in and automatically taken to the Chat Server Lobby. Server Moderators will automatically be added to your contacts list, so feel free to ask them any questions you may have.

Adding Contacts

When you log on, you will be greeted with a contact window (or "Buddy list"). Under your username, there is a pull-down menu for you to set your status. If you know any other members of the Chat Network, you can click on the human-shaped icon with the "+" sign to add them to your contact list, and wait for them to authorize you.

Joining Conference Rooms

Now that you have joined the network and (possibly) added some contacts, you can join one of the Men's Chat Network Conference Rooms. This concept will be familiar to anyone who has used IRC or Yahoo. Click on the icon of the two overlapping word balloons. A new window entitled "Browse Conference Rooms" with a list of available rooms will open. Double click on the name of a room you wish to join (or single-click to select it, and then click on "Join selected room"), and an IM window with the current discussion will open for you, allowing you to chat with other members. If you like this room and would like to bookmark it to quickly join in the future, select it in the "Browse Conference Rooms" Window and click on the "Bookmark Room" button.

Linux:

Appropriate Software:

The two most common jabber-compatible chat programs for Linux are:

• Pidgin
• Kopete

For general ease of setup and usage, Pidgin is recommended over Kotpete.

Instructions:

Unlike the Windows and Mac instruction pages, this particular page will assume you are a moderately skilled computer user. This is probably not an unreasonable assumption if you are using Linux.

Start Pidgin and go to "Accounts" and then "Manage Accounts". Click "Add" down the bottom and then set the protocol to "XMPP". In the "Username" box, choose the username you want. It should contain only letters and numbers. In "Domain", type in "chat.mgtow.net" and for "Resource", type in "Pidgin". Next you will need to choose a password, so type in your desired password, and tick the "Remember Password" box. In "Local Alias", choose the nickname you would like others to be able see when you add them as contacts. Be sure NOT to choose "New Mail Notifications", as this will not be possible on this server since you have no email address associated with this account. You can also choose a buddy icon for your account by ticking "Use this buddy icon for this account" and then clicking on the picture below and choosing your desired buddy icon from one of the folders on your PC. Finally, you must tick "Create this new account on the server", and then click "Add" in the bottom-right corner.

A new window appears with the text "Accept certificate for chat.mgtow.net?". To connect to this server, you MUST click "Accept", as the certificate is self-signed. Next, a new window will appear titled "XMPP Client Registration". In the spaces provided, type in the following:

- Type in the username you just chose (again...)
- Type in your desired alias in "Full Name" (there is no need to type in your real name!).
- Type in an email address you can be contacted at (if desired).
- Type in the password you just chose (again).

You can now click on "OK" at the bottom of this diaglogue. You will be taken back to the "Accounts" window. To sign on with your new account, put a tick in the box to the left of the account you just created.

Now that your account is active, you can add contacts and join conference rooms. The server moderators have already been added to your contacts list, so if any of them are online, they will appear immediately. To join a conference room, click on "Tools" and then "Room List". In the new window that appears, be sure "Account" shows the account you just created. Click on "Get List" down the bottom, and then click on "Find Rooms". Highlight whichever room you want to join (the "Chat Server Lobby" is a good place to start) and then either click "Join" or "Add Chat" to bookmark the room so that you can automatically join it the next time you connect.

Men's Chat Network Statistics

Number of registered members: 36
Number active in the last month: 35

Last updated: 20 May 2009.