Choosing my Buddylist settings

To choose your Buddy List® settings

Your Buddy List The Buddy List (TM) feature lists the screen names of your friends and family members who are online when you're online is populated with friends and co-workers with whom you exchange instant messages The Instant Message feature allows you to have immediate, one-on-one, private chats in real time with other AOL members who are online at the same time as you (or with non-AOL members using the AOL Instant Messenger (TM) service)., chats and e-mail E-mail is typically a one-to-one communications system. With an AOL screen name, you can e-mail with other AOL and Internet users.. You can use your Buddy List to find out buddy availability, access Member Profiles, take advantage of Buddy Matching, in addition to the basic function of sending instant messages.

To choose your Buddy List settings

1. On the AOL toolbar, click Settings.
2. In the By AOL Feature tab, click Buddy List.
3. Click Buddy List Preferences in the window that opens.
4. Choose your Buddy List settings.

The Buddy List Settings window has four tabs: General Buddy, General IM, Expressions and Privacy and Security. You can choose settings in each tab.

In the General Buddy tab, select or clear checkboxes for the following options:
· Show your Buddy List at sign-on.
· If people not yet on your Buddy List send you an e-mail or IM, add them to the Recent Buddies group.
· Let members see if you are idle if you've been away from the computer for 20 minutes or more.
· Let members see if you're using a mobile device, such as a cell phone or a PDA.
· Allow rich text display, which lets buddies choose the text style for their listing on your Buddy List.
· Display the Buddy QuickView window when you roll the mouse over a buddy's name.

In the General IM tab, select or clear checkboxes for the following options:
· Timestamp Instant Messages.
· Display smileys as art.
· Use the Enter key to send IMs and Shift+Enter for carriage returns.
· Have AOL automatically suggest names from your Address Book and Buddy List when you address IMs.
· Let members see when you're typing a response.
· Hide Buddy Icons to make the IM window smaller.
· Allow for volume reduction on incoming IM sounds.

The Volume Reduction setting gives you the option of reducing the volume on IMs as they come in. You hear IM sounds at full volume with the first IM and then at reduced volume on subsequent IMs in the series. The volume goes back to full when the IM form is closed or if several minutes pass between IMs in a conversation.

In addition, you can allow forwarding of IMs to your cell phone.

To do so:

1. Click the the Forward IMs link.
2. In the window that opens, select the Enable IM Forwarding checkbox.
3. Enter your cell phone number, including the area code.
4. Click Confirm.

In the Expressions tab, make the following choices:

· Choose if you want to see other members' Buddy Icons.
· Choose if you want to see other members' IM Wallpapers.
· Choose if you want to hear other members' Buddy Arrival & Departure Sounds.
· Choose if you want to hear other members' Buddy Sounds when you exchange IMs with them.

In addition, this tab allows you to edit the default AOL sounds, such as the creaking door sound, and it lets you edit your own Expressions.

In the Privacy and Security tab, under Choose your Privacy settings, clear or select the following radio buttons and checkboxes:

· Allow all users to send you IMs.
· Allow only people on your Buddy List to send you IMs.
· Allow only people on a list you construct to send you IMs.
· Block people on a list you construct from sending you IMs.
· Block Internet The Internet is a world-wide network of computers that allows people to send e-mail, browse and create Web pages, communicate in chat rooms and instant messages, and much more. AOL offers access to the World Wide Web through direct hyperlinks, AOL Search, and Keywords. Reminder: Some Internet content may contain objectionable material. users (as opposed to other AOL members) from sending you IMs.
· Block all people from sending you IMs.

In the Privacy and Security tab, under Choose your Security settings, clear or select the following check boxes:

· Display a knock-knock before showing IMs sent from Internet Users on my Buddy List.
· Always show names of Internet Users on knock-knocks.
· Display a reminder before initiating a 'direct' connection (one that goes directly from your computer to your IM partner's) for enhanced IM features.
· Virus Viruses are small programs that can reproduce themselves and spread from one computer to another. Viruses are sometimes benign, doing nothing more than filling up space on your computer's hard drive. Unfortunately, some viruses are actually malicious. They can destroy critical data on your computer. Reminder: Equip your computer with a reliable Anti-virus software. You can download or purchase virus protection software in the AOL Computer Protection Center at Keyword: Virus Info check files A File is an electronic document which can be text, pictures, sounds, videos or whole programs. Reminder: Never download files from someone you don't know. Files may contain dangerous Trojan Horse programs that may capture your AOL password, severely damage your computer, or contain objectionable graphics. To report a violation in an attached file, please forward the e-mail to screen name TOSReports. I receive through IM File Transfer.