How Do I Initiate a Group Chat?

You can initiate a conversation with a group of buddies from your buddy list.

To initiate a chat conversation:

1. Select the buddies you want to add to the conversation by clicking the buddy name from the buddy list. Press Ctrl and click the buddy name to select multiple buddies simultaneously.

2. Click the Group Chat icon from the toolbar.

   An invitation is sent to the buddies requesting confirmation to join the conversation. A chat window appears with the participant list on the right displaying the buddies who are added to the chat. The buddy names are not highlighted until they accept the invitation. If a buddy rejects the invitation, a notification that the user has not joined the conversation is displayed in the chat window and the buddy name is removed from the list.

When you receive an invitation to join a private chat from a buddy, click the Accept button to accept the invitation or Reject button to reject the invitation.

To invite more buddies to the existing conversation:

1. Type a name or part of it in the Invite Buddy text box of the chat window.

   A list of online buddies matching the text you typed in the text box is displayed.

2. Select the buddy name from the list.

3. Click the add {+} icon next to the Invite Buddy text box to add the buddy to the group chat.

To remove a buddy from the conversation:

1. Hover over the buddy name in the right panel.

2. Click the remove from conversation {-} icon next to the buddy name.

   A confirmation that the buddy has left this conversation is displayed in the chat window.

Click the Hide Buddy Pane button to hide the right panel and Show Buddy Pane button to display it again. You can minimize or maximize the chat window by using the appropriate buttons from the top right corner. Click the Send Chat Transcript button to send the chat archive through email to all the buddies in the group chat, and Print button to print a copy of the chat conversation.