Following are a few simple instructions
that will make it easier to become familiar with Web Chat.

There are 5 Steps to participating in the Web Chat:

Step 1 -> Registering:
• A- Click on the registration link on the chat calendar and follow the registration instructions. You will be sent confirmation that you have registered successfully for the chat and given a specific URL, user name and password. You must keep this information since you will need it when you want to enter the chat room.

Step 2 -> Entering The Chat Room:
• A- Point your Web browser to the specific chat room location (URL) that you were given when you registered.
• B- Enter the User Name and password EXACTLY as you were given in your confirmation. If you delete or add spaces...you wil be denied entry and will have to try again.

Step 3 -> Identifying Yourself:
• A- You should always begin a chat by identifying yourself!
• B- Above the large white chat box, you will find a smaller white box that asks for your "first name." If you do not type anything in this box the name that you used in registration will be added to your posted message. If you are sharing your log-in or computer with other classmates and you want to identify yourself specifically, you may type your name in this box.
• C- Examples:
  • Your class registered as Lincoln Elem. If you do not type anything in this box only Lincoln Elem. will be posted. If you are one of the students at Lincoln Elem and your name is Carla, you should type in Carla in the box. The following will be posted when you submit a message: Carla-Lincoln Elem.
  • You registered as Sherie/Woodland H.S. Another classmate is using your log-in. If she does not type in a name in the box the message she posts will have Sherie/Woodland H.S. If she wants to identify herself as another user, then she should type in her name. If her name is Candra and she types it in, the following will be posted when she submits a message: Candra-Sherie/Woodland H.S.

Step 4 ->Showing posted messages and Scrolling Back:
• A- Under the chat dialogue box are the choices" Show at least_" and "Scroll back_ messages." The show at least is set at 10. If you leave this number at 10 you will see the last 10 messages that have been posted each time you click refresh screen. If for some reason you wish to see more messages, you can change this number. We have found that 10 seems to be an ideal number and recommend you leave this default. As the chat progresses, there will be more than 10 messages posted and they will not all show on your screen. If you want to go back and see some earlier posted messages you can enter a number in this box and click on refesh screen. This will post that number of messages.
• B- Scroll back: If you type a number in the scroll back box and click on refresh screen it will bring you back that many messages. This is helpful if you think you may have missed dialogue or if you want to go back and see more than the last 10 posted messages. The small numbers after each dialogue posted tells you the dialogue number posted and the time. For example in this posted message:
  [Emily-Woodland H.S. - 21 - 12:22:26 ]
  This is the 21st message posted and it was posted at 12:22 p.m.

Step 5 -> Chatting:
• A- Chat Window: To send a message or question, type it into the large white window.
• B- Refresh Screen or Submit New Message: Once you have completed your message click this button to send your message out to the other participants. You must click this button each time you want to see new dialogue. We suggest about every 15 seconds.

Capturing text to save it yourself: If you want to save any or all of the dialogue text yourself you can simply cut and paste into any word processing document.

Reading archived dialogue: All chat dialogue will be saved, edited and placed as a file that you can link to from the featured women's bio. Chats are usually archived the day following the chat.

This NASA's Quest Project Web site is managed and maintained by Tish Krieg

Responsible NASA Official: Karen Traicoff traicoff@quest.arc.nasa.gov