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   As briefly mentioned earlier, AIM's Buddy List allows you to see which of your friends are online when you are and allows you to easily create and manage your list of online friends. When you sign on, a Buddy List window appears. There are two tabs in this window: Online and List Setup.

• Online Tab - Shows which of your buddies are online
• List Setup Tab - Create and manage your list of online friends

1. Adding a Buddy - Adding a buddy's screen name to your Buddy List

2. Adding a Group - Adding a group to your Buddy List

3. Renaming a Buddy or Group - Entering a different name for a Buddy or Group

4. Deleting a Buddy or Group - Erasing a Buddy or Group from your Buddy List

5. Finding a Buddy's Screen name - Searching for your friend's screen name

Online Tab

The Online tab shows you which of your buddies are online.

 

<--Buddy List with Online Tab

• The icons before your buddies' screen names indicate their status:

• The numbers next to a group indicate how many people in that group are online. For instance, (2/5) means that two of the five buddies in that group are currently online.
• You can display or hide buddies in a group. Simply click the triangle next to a group to show or hide the screen names in that group.

List Setup Tab

In order for your Buddy List to detect if your friends are online or not, you must first add your buddies to your list using the List Setup tab. The List Setup tab allows you to make and manipulate your list of online buddies.

 

<--Buddy List with List Setup Tab

• Each group appears as a bold heading. The three default groups are: Buddies, Family, and Co-Workers. You can add more groups or erase existing groups.
• The buddies within each group appear below the group name. Clicking the arrow next to the group name will show or hide the buddies in that group.
• You can't see which of your buddies is online from the List Setup tab. You need to click the Online tab to see which buddies are online.

Adding a Buddy

To add a buddy to your Buddy List window, you must know your friend's screen name. To add a buddy, click the List Setup tab. Choose the group to which you want to add your buddy. Click the Add Buddy button. The default name *New Buddy* appears in the selected group. Type in the screen name of the person you want to add and hit "RETURN" or "ENTER." Now whenever your buddy signs on, his or her screen name appears on the Online tab in your Buddy List window.

Adding a Group

To add a group to your Buddy List window, click the List Setup tab. Click the Add Group button. The default group name New Group will appear. Enter a name for the group (i.e. Classmates) you want to add and press "RETURN" or "ENTER."

Renaming a Buddy or Group

To rename a buddy or group, click the List Setup tab. Select the buddy or group you want to rename (click once on it), then retype the name of the buddy or group and press "RETURN" or "ENTER."

Deleting a Buddy or Group

To erase a buddy or group, click the List Setup tab. Select the buddy or group you want to delete (click once on it), then click the Delete button.

Finding a Buddy's Screen name

You can find your friend's screen name if you want to send an instant message but do not know what screen name to use. Your friend must be registered as an AIM member and allow people to look up him or her by name and address, e-mail address, or common interests. To search for your buddy, click the People menu, then click Find a Buddy...-->Wizard. Follow Wizard's directions to conduct your search.

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