The Ninth Street Center: Online Chat Groups

A lot of people suggested that it might be useful to have an occasional "chat group" in cyberspace so that those of us who are interested in discussing the ideas of Paul Rosenfels -- some of whom are literally on the other side of the world from NYC -- could all meet. With the increasing popularity of "instant messaging" software, this dream has become reality.

At the moment we are using AOL's Instant Messenger (AIM) software. It's free, easy to download and install, works on PC's and Mac's -- and you don't have to use AOL as your Internet provider. I use the Microsoft Network, for example, and there are no conflicts. You can highlight any statement with boldface and italics, and you can file the conversation to disk at any time (in .HTML format) and view it later in any web browser. Unlike ICQ, what you type isn't visible to anyone else until you press "Send", which allows you plenty of time to revise your message. I've used AIM for six months without any problems and (best of all!) my mailbox hasn't been flooded with AOL SPAM.

How our Chat Groups Work

Any time before the group starts put my handle ("Dean Hannotte") in your "buddy list". Then you'll be able to see at a glance if I'm logged on, and you'll be able to send me an instant message. Here's how to do that:

Click on the "List Setup" tab.

Right click on "Buddies" and select "Add Buddy".

Type "Dean Hannotte" and press Enter.

A few minutes before the group starts I log on and dynamically allocate a chat group "room".

You log on when the group starts or shortly thereafter, look for my handle ("Dean Hannotte"), and send me an instant message in which you request to join the group. (You need to do this because you don't know what "room number" I'm in.) Here's how to do that:

Click on the "Online" tab.

Wait till my name appears, meaning I'm online.

Right click on my name and select "Send instant message".

Type something like "I'm here for the chat group." and press Enter.

Wait to receive an invitation to the chat room.

I send you an invitation to join. Once you accept, a new window pops up on your monitor showing the chat in progress.

You can get AIM for free by visiting either http://www.aol.com or http://www.netscape.com (Netscape is now AOL's software division.) If you are already using an old version of IM, please try to upgrade to the latest one before our first group meets so you won't be disappointed by any incompatibilities.

Some people have asked us whether the transcripts of the online chat groups are public or private. Since anyone who takes part in a chat can save a transcript and use it in any way they want, it would be impractical for the Center to attempt to exercise control over this information and try to limit its distribution. So be aware that whatever you say is heard in a public forum, is not copyrighted, and may be quoted back to you in unforeseen circumstances.

I address all messages using the "Bcc:" (blind copy) line, which prevents recipients from seeing who else the message is being sent to. This is simply because people have complained in the past about having their names and email addresses advertised to third parties without their prior consent. (This is usually not a problem with first tier recipients, but by the time a message is forwarded 8 or 9 times you no longer know who is harvesting your address for their new ad campaign!)

To stay on the mailing list that referred you to this page, do nothing. To stop receiving news about the chat group, or to suggest a new subscriber, just drop us a note at the email address shown below.