Switching to the Mac: The Missing Manual, Mountain Lion Edition

Let the Chat Begin

As with any conversation, somebody has to talk first. In chat circles, that’s called inviting someone to a chat.

They Invite You

If someone invites you to chat, Messages opens automatically and displays an invitation message like the one in Figure 12-19. If the person initiating a chat isn’t already in your buddy list, the note says, “[service] Message from [name of the person].”

(If you’ve set your status to Offline, on the other hand, you won’t see those invitation messages. You’ll see me.com and AIM invitations once you’re online again, but if the invites come from the other services, you’ve missed out.)

Tip

If you’re getting hassled by someone on AIM or me.com, click his name in the buddy list, or in the window containing the invitation, and choose Buddies→Block Person. If the person isn’t online at the time, go to Messages→Preferences→Accounts→Security and then click the button for “Block specific people.” Click the Edit List button, and then type in the screen name of the person you want out of your IM life. (The other chat network types don’t offer security options like this.)

You Invite Them

To begin a chat:

• One-to-one typed conversations (instant messaging). To message someone, double-click the person’s name, type a quick invite (“You there?”), and press Return. You’ve just triggered what Apple calls an instant messaging session, which is a one-to-one affair.

  Tip

  If this person is on more than one chat network, then open the flippy triangle and choose the account ...