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ICQ Review & Tips
It is a real good question that why ICQ is always in beta version
It is because the program is not yet completed and still in testing stage.
But anyway this is still the most famous and user friendly instant messaging program we are using.
ICQ (pronounced "I seek you") is the most popular instant messenger at Download.com and boasts more than 50 million registered users.
This doesn't surprise us one bit. ICQ is one of our top choices because we think it offers the most comprehensive set of features of any instant-messenger program. But perhaps the abundance of features causes ICQ's only problem: ICQ includes so many great tools, no one knows all of them.
Get Started
1. First, if your ICQ window is not open, open it by clicking the ICQ flower in your system tray.
2. To start adding people to your contact list, click the ICQ menu and select Find/Add Users. The Contact List wizard lets you search for other ICQ users and then add them to your list; to do this, enter a person's ICQ number, email address, first and last name, or ICQ nickname, then click the Next button. If ICQ can't find the person you're looking for, it can send an email message inviting her to join. (Note: ICQ is not compatible with other buddy list programs, so your friends must all have ICQ installed in order for you to add them to your list.)
3. Once you've added someone to your list, his nickname will show up in the ICQ window. When that person goes online, his name will appear in the Online section. When the user goes offline, his name will move to the Offline section.
4. Once you've amassed enough names on your contact list to make you feel popular, it's time to send your first ICQ message. To do this, click the recipient's name. In the pop-up list that appears, select the Message option. Type your message in the window, and click the Send button.
5. When you receive a message in ICQ, a yellow icon will flash next to the sender's name. To read the message, double-click the icon.
6. If you want to go offline without quitting ICQ, click the Online Status button in the lower-right corner of your ICQ window (it's the one with the flower). Choose Offline/Disconnect. Now you'll appear to be offline to contacts who have put you on their lists.
7. If you've mastered the easy stuff in ICQ and want to move on to some more advanced functions, switch to Advanced Mode. To do this, click the ICQ button in the main ICQ interface and select To Advanced Mode, then click the Switch To Advanced Mode button in the window that appears. This gives you new menus, buttons, and options to work with. Read our other how-tos to find out how you can take advantage of some of these features.
Chat With ICQ
1. To start chatting with someone on your contact list, click that person's name and select ICQ Chat from the menu that appears. In the Send Online Chat Request window, type in your chat subject and click the Chat button. This sends the chat request to the recipient. (If the recipient is offline, your chat request will remain in your out-box until he or she goes online.) When the recipient accepts your chat request, a chat window pops up.
2. Once you're in the chat window, you can alter your chat interface in a couple of ways. By default, your chat appears in the IRC style, which is what you see in most traditional chat interfaces. You can change your layout to horizontal, vertical, or split-screen style using the Layout menu. You can also change your font, as well as the color of your text and background, in the Display menu or by using the style buttons at the top of the window.
3. ICQ gives you a number of ways to express yourself while you are chatting. You can use gestures (called Emotes) and actions to add character to your messages. To send an Emote, click the heart button or select Send Emote from the Action menu. Pick the gesture you want, add a message, and click Send. That gesture is sent, along with the accompanying message and a sound, to all the chatters in your group. To send an action, click the stick figure button on the top of the window, or choose Send Action from the Action menu. Once you select an action, a message describing that action (for example, "John laughs hysterically, pounding fists and feet on the ground.") will be sent to all chatters in your group.
4. If you want to add more people from your contact list to your chat, you don't have to go through the whole process of requesting a chat again; just drag your friend's nickname to your chat window. Note: Once your chat grows to seven or more people, it reverts automatically to IRC layout.
Make New Friends
You can use the ICQ White Pages feature to find contacts that live in a particular geographic location. Click the Services button and choose ICQ White Pages, followed by Search White Pages. This will allow you to find new ICQ friends based on criteria you specify, including age, interests, and location. To list yourself in the ICQ White Pages, select Publicize in White Pages from the same menu.
Delete ICQ Numbers
If you have multiple ICQ personalities and you'd like to delete one or more, select Add/Change Current Member from the ICQ menu. In addition to giving you a number of registration options, this menu item enables you to delete existing ICQ numbers. To do so, select Remove ICQ # from computer, and choose the number you want to delete.
In ICQ 2000, click the MyICQ button, and choose Change User On This Computer/Remove ICQ# From Computer.
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