Community->mo'timeNow->TipicIM

TipicIM is a 'desktop' instant messenging program for Windows. It works much like MSN Messenger, AIM, ICQ and other similar applications. If you set it up right, you can also chat with your buddies on these other systems when you are online with TipicIM through your mo'time account. Try it!

Step one: download the TipicIM client

(If you use a computer that does not allow downloads, you can use mo'IM our browser-based instant messenger instead as described in the previous page.)

Tipic, Inc. is the company that brings you motime and, apart from hosting this blogging community is a provider of Jabber/XMPP instant messaging technology.

Click here to go to download page (Windows users only.)

Macintosh and Linux users can use any Jabber/XMPP client to take advantage of the service:
We recommend iChatAV (available only as part of Apple Macintosh's Tiger OS, 10.4) and GAIM for Linux and PSI for Macintosh.

Step two: install the TipicIM client



Double-click on this icon and follow the installer\'s instructions. Choose your installation preferences and click "next".


First screen of the setup process.

You will then be asked to choose the directory of the installation and how to set up your Start menu preferences if you chose that shortcut, above.

In most cases, you will be just fine using the default settings that we built into the installer.

At the completion of the installation process, the TipicIM client will be present in your Start menu and probably on your desktop with this icon:



Double-click to launch the program!

Step three: Setting up the TipicIM client

Upon launching the application, you should see this window:



Do not check "new user"!! All motime members are automatically registered on the service.

Type in your motime username: your username is the name you see at the bottom of your posts. You must use this format: username@motime.com!! NOTE: this is not a valid email address; Motime does not give you an email address. Technically speaking this is your Jabber ID, or JID.

Type in your motime password, the same one you use to login to the site. Check "save password" only if your computer is securely under your own control. Otherwise, leave it unchecked and type it in each time you login with the TipicIM client.

Click Enter.

Step four: your ready to begin!

Here's what you'll see next:


This is your main messenger window.

Notice that you already have one contact on your list: evdisp@alerts.tipic.com is our "event dispatcher", the technology that reads your subscription list and sends your alerts.

[We have nicknamed it "Ed", but we have left his technical name as the default so that you can see "his" real address. This way you can manually add him to any other Jabber-compatible messaging software, or back here in case you accidentally delete him. You can change his nickname by selecting Ed and right-clicking on his name. As you can see, from this menu you can also manage other aspects of this contact.]

In general, we think you will find the menus and right-click mouse menus rather intuitive and self-explanatory. Just explore a little bit and in a minute or two you'll find everything you need more or less where you'd expect it. Just in case, here's a quick-start rundown of the options:

File menu: Change your online status / Disconnect / Close.
Action: Add contacts / Join-create group chats / Manage profile
Tools: Headline and News (your alerts appear here) / Options


An example of how the menu bar works.

Your "avatar" in the last menu item refers to the little picture that you see next to your name. If you have a small jpg graphic, in square format (32x32, or 16x16 pixels work best), you can upload it to the server and use it as your personal avatar. Otherwise, just use one of the canned ones.

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Last modified 11 Feb 2004 - 00:48

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