Site-based Messenger and Relationships feature

minor update 23-Nov-09

Relationship feature

Why this has been implemented:

• Many users here make direct contact with others, e.g. via email, Skype, etc. The relationship feature allows you to keep track here as to which other users you have established contact with.

• Facilitates use of the messenger feature described below.

How to establish a relationship with another user.

Go to your intended contact's profile page, e.g:
* Click on a user-name where you see it displayed as the named author of a post, or:
* Go to http://chat.ksfiomdepositors.org/users/user-name, specifying the user-name part.

On the resulting page, you will see a section titled Relationships showing links similar to the following:

• Become user's Site Contact
• Become user's Email Contact
• Become user's Phone Contact

Clicking one or more of these will send a request that person, telling them that you want to establish contact, and which type of relationship (Site, Email, Phone) you are requesting. No information is given out - you must reply giving them details such as email address or phone number if you want them to have that information - see the security notice below.

Use the Site Contact relationship type in order for that name to be displayed in your contact-list for the site-based messenger feature (if available, see below for more details.)

How to edit your relationship settings.

Go to your account page and select edit - some way down the page you will see sections titled relationship email settings and relationship settings.

Messenger feature

IMPORTANT: This feature is under test, and may not be available to you. If it is available then the following applies, otherwise it doesn't ...

You will see this in a block marked Messenger near the top of the right side-bar of every page.

Why this has been implemented:

• For technical support, for users to ask questions to site administration or other helpers.
• For direct communication between users without cluttering the forums with "chat".
• Possibly, for other "help" activities.

This facility is very basic by comparison to programs such as MSN Messenger or Skype. If you intend to have ongoing conversations with another user here, it probably makes sense to use one of those messenger services. However, one important advantage of using the site-based messenger is that you do not need to give your contact any further details (Skype or Messenger id or email address) in order to use it.

NOTE: In order to talk to anybody using this feature, you must first establish a relationship with them. See above for more information. The Messenger block includes a help link with some brief instructions.

Security notice

Remember, members of this site are not vetted in any way. Think carefully before providing any kind of personal information to other members - they may or may not be who they claim to be.