To chat: 1. Go to http://huntsville.about.com/mpchat.htm 2. Click onto "log onto chat" 3. Enter a nickname (do NOT put a password) 4. Scroll down to "ok, connect!"--click it. 5. Wait for screen to clear and you're in the chat room. Top Hints to Successful Chatting: 1. Mark your calendar and day-timers with the time of the chats you don't want to miss. 2. Bookmark the URL of the chats: http://huntsville.about.com/mpchat.htm 3. Once you're in the chat, to get rid of ads: click the "float" button in the upper right hand side. Then enlarge that window for full view. 4. To enlarge your font size, type: *chat fontsize 16 5. Come on time--early even for the bigger chats. Stay for the whole chat so you don't miss YOUR cousins. 6. Come prepared: bring your genealogy files/printouts of tree/resource books/CD's/maps. 7. Come not only to find your cousins, but to help others! 8. If you get "bumped off" during chat--try to log back on. You may have to enter a different nickname. Please be patience, we're using computers! 9. Greet people when you enter the room; say "good-bye" when you have to leave. Allow time for people to respond BEFORE you go--they may have a special message or info for you. 10. If you have webtv, you will not be able to log onto the chat. I would suggest that you try to go to a friend's, neighbor's, or the library and use the computer there to log on......or hey, used computers are cheap now! 11. If you come to the chat room and it's empty, you can read email and STILL not miss people. Turn the SOUND on so that a "beep" sounds when someone else comes into the room. The commands for sounds are: ......beep enter on........AND: ......beep leave on You will hear a bubble sound when someone comes in (delayed just a few minutes) and a horn when someone leaves. 12. To post your messages: enter text in the white space at the bottom of the screen where it says, "TYPE HERE".....then hit the ENTER key on your computer keyboard to send the message. 13. If you're doing research in Alabama or the South, check out my website at: http://huntsville.about.com/msubgenealogymenu.htm. 14. If you're interested in the Huntsville, AL area, please sign up for my Huntsville Highlights newsletter at: http://huntsville.about.com/gi/pages/mmail.htm 15. If you have questions or suggestions, send me an email. Your comments are welcome 16. Have fun and visit the chat room often! Weekly Special CHATS: Chats last 2 hours (times stated are Eastern-- subtract an hr for Central,2 hrs for Mt., 3 hrs for Pacific) Monday: CLOUD family chat, 8 pm Eastern Monday: ALABAMA chat, 10 pm Eastern Tuesday: GILES family chat, 8 pm Eastern Wednesday: RICHARDSON family chat, 9 pm Eastern Thursday: African American chat, 7 pm Eastern Thursday: Southern States chat, 9 pm Eastern Friday: LOONEY family chat, 8 pm Eastern Friday: Native American chat, 10 pm Eastern Saturday: Civil War chat, 9 pm Eastern Sunday: SANDERS family chat, 6:30 pm Eastern Here's a "Special States" chat schedule. It will be unmoderated--which means, I'll be in and out. If you get there first, please stay a while so you don't miss the next person.....check email or something and then check the chatroom again (you can stay in a lot of times while reading email). Chat schedule for the lunchtime chats: Monday - Friday: 1:00-3:00 pm Eastern; 12-2:00 pm Central; 11:00-1:00 pm Mt.; 10-12 Pacific http://huntsville.about.com/mpchat.htm Mondays: TENNESSEE & KENTUCKY & TEXAS Tuesdays: NORTH & SOUTH CAROLINA & MARYLAND Wednesdays: MISSOURI & ARKANSAS & OKLAHOMA Thursdays: GEORGIA & FLORIDA & MISSISSIPPI Fridays: VIRGINIA & WEST VIRGINIA & OHIO WEEKEND STATES CHATS: This worked really well this past weekend--if you missed it, you might want to try this weekend! I've added new states to the schedule. All state chats are only 1 hour--so come early. If you're the first to arrive, please stay the entire hour so you don't miss the next person. Enjoy! http://huntsville.about.com/mpchat.htm (I hope you have this bookmarked!) Saturday schedule: (subtract 1 hr. for Central; 2 hrs. for Mt.; 3 for Pacific) 10:00 am Eastern--NEW ENGLAND states chat 11:00 am Eastern--OKLAHOMA chat 12:00 pm Eastern--TENNESSEE chat 1:00 pm Eastern--VIRGINIA chat 2:00 pm Eastern--MISSISSIPPI chat 3:00 pm Eastern--MISSOURI chat 4:00 pm Eastern--ALABAMA chat 5:00 pm Eastern--GEORGIA chat 6:00 pm Eastern--OHIO chat 7:00 pm Eastern--MARYLAND chat 8:00 pm Eastern--INDIANA chat 9:00 pm Eastern--CIVIL WAR chat Sunday schedule: (subtract 1 hr. for Central; 2 hrs. for Mt.; 3 for Pacific) 12:00 pm Eastern--WEST VIRGINIA chat 1:00 pm Eastern--KENTUCKY chat 2:00 pm Eastern--TEXAS chat 3:00 pm Eastern--FLORIDA chat 4:00 pm Eastern--NORTH CAROLINA chat 5:00 pm Eastern--SOURTH CAROLINA chat 6:30 pm Eastern--SANDERS family chat 9:00 pm Eastern--LOUISIANA chat 10:00 pm Eastern--ARKANSAS chat 11:00 pm Eastern--NEW ENGLAND states chat If you've forgotten how to chat--send me an email and I'll update you. I'll be checking email and the chat room off and on all weekend. There are a lot of new people on the list--so drop in to see what's new. If you have a friend or relative that would like to be on this list, have them email me. If you want to share the chat news with a mailing list that you're on; feel free to invite them to join you in the chat room! Hope you find YOUR elusive ancestor! Jean Brandau About.com guide to Huntsville AL http://huntsville.about.com email: huntsville.guide@about.com