The third way to add a buddy is also though the address book. You will notice that below each person's name(who are on webtv,hotmail or passport) it has a link that says: "Try sending instant message." If you click the link,it will open a chat widow to that person. If the person isn't online at the time,it'll say in the screen: "(person's name) cannot be contacted right now. Please try again later." Beside the screen, you will see a button labled Make. If you click Make, you get a screen that says: "To add this person to your addresses and make (person's name) your buddy,choose Add." The screen also shows the person's name in a typing field(which can be changed) and their e-mail address. After you have added them,you need to go back to the chat screen and click end to close that chat window.    In your address book,if a person is not yet your buddy,it'll say: "Try sending instant message." If someone is your buddy and is online,it'll say:" Send instant message to buddy" and if your buddy is not online or has blocked you,it'll say: "Buddy is not connected now."    The 4th way to add someone to your buddy list is to accept a buddy request from someone who has added you to their buddy list.

Adding/Inviting someone else into your conversation    There is actually yet a fifth way to add someone to your buddy list. It involves new people being added to the existing conversation.When you are having an IM conversation,you or your buddy may invite someone else into your chat window.    The way to invite someone in: Click the Invite button to the right of your chat screen/window while having a conversation, this will bring you to your buddy list. Click on another highlighted name(a buddy who is online). You will be sent back to the chat window and will see a notice saying:" (new person's name or addy) has been added to this conversation". If the person you invited clicks on the tab at the top of the chat window(which will now say 3 people) then they can join the conversation.    If the other person invites someone else into the conversation who is NOT already your buddy,you will see Make and Block buttons under the Invite and End buttons. If you then click on Make,the new person will be added to your buddy list and address book(this is the 5th way to add someone to your buddy list). And if they try to add you to their buddy list and you would rather not be on their list then click Block.

How to talk to 2 or more people separately    I have a PM Webtv Plus MAT976 also known as a "new" plus. "New" Pluses can have up to 3 separate chat screen/windows open at one time. You do this by: Opening one window to one person then by clicking on the tab on top that says Buddies to bring you back to your buddy list. You can then click on another buddies' highlighted name to open a separate chat window directly to them. The people in the separate windows cannot see what is being said outside the window they are in. If you later invite one into the other window,it is best to go to the original window that was open to the one invited in and click End to close the window,as you wll all then be in one window that is labeled 3 people. "New" PM Pluses can have up to 5 people(including yourself) in EACH window.    If you have more than one window open,you can switch back and forth between them by clicking on each tab.If you get a message in a different window then the one you are currently in,then you will hear the 3 note series of chime-like tones every time the person in the other window posts a message and the name on the tab will change from white to gold.    I also have an "old" PM Classic. Not sure of the model number but it's the Classic that's as big as a VCR. "Old" PM Classics can ONLY have 1 chat window open at a time. With up to 5 people in the window at once. But if you are having an IM conversation with an "old" classic user and try to invite them into another window,you will see a notice that says: (Person's name)'s is busy with another IM conversation right now".The "old" Classic user will need to click End to close the window they have directly to you then wait until they see a tab at the top of the IM pop-up that says 3(or more) people. They click that tab and are then part of the combined conversation. It probably would be better for the "old" Classic user to be the one to invite the new people into the window.    I don't have the information at this time,as to how many windows/people in each, all the other makes and models(such as Sonys, "old" PM Pluses--MAT972, "new" PM Classics or any other types of webtv accesses) can handle. But, when you have reached the limit of windows,you will get a notice saying,"All of your IM windows are being used now". If you try to go over the limit for how many people can be in a window,you will get a notice pointing this out.    If you have opened your limit of windows,whether you are having a conversation or not, MSN/webtv will not let you open more or have new windows opened to you from another. In other words,if you are at your limit,you cannot be contacted until you go back to one or more window(by clicking each tab on the top of the IM pop-up) and click End to close it.

How to remove and/or block a name from your buddy list If you would like to remove someone's name from your buddy list,go to your address book. Click the link that says change by their address. Then click the link that says Instant Messenger settings. Uncheck the box that says "(Person's name) is your buddy". This will give you another checked box that says,"(person's name) can send you instant messages" Uchecking the "is your buddy" box,should remove the person from your buddy list. If you uncheck the "may send you an instant message" box,it blocks the person from sending an Instant Message to you. It also makes you appear to not be conected on the other person's buddy list.They won't get a notice saying they have been blocked,your name will just never be highlighted on their buddy list. If the person tries to send you an instant message,you will see a scroll on the title bar saying," (person's name) is trying to send you an instant message.    You can also discard their address from your address book afterunchecking the boxes first then deleting their address totally.

How people on computers can send Webtv-ers instant messages To get MSN IM on a computer, go to http://messenger.msn.com/ Follow the links to downloading MSN IM , when it asks , chose "run this program now" , it will install MSN IM in the windows program folder. You will also need a Hotmail,MSN or Passport account. These are free e-mail services. After it sets up on your PC ,use your hotmail/etc. account name and password to log on. Click save password ,unless more than one person uses the PC. After installing MSN IM , you can use all the IM programs at one time,YAHOO, AOL, MSN IM all can run on one PC at the same time. Nothing gets changed by installing MSN IM, all the other IM programs stay the same . But none of them can send IMs to the other IM programs. Only MSN can send messages to MSN and so on. Any messenger service does not need a Web browser to run them , but you need one to download it from the web. After you download a IM program , you will get an Icon placed on your desktop , deleat it if you want . The IM program stays in your windows program files any way, An Icon will be placed on your start menu also , you can deleat this also if you wish . These links are just links to the main folder in your windows/program files folder. To add a buddy who has Webtv , open your MSN IM folder on your PC. Click on add,then choose "By e-mail address" and type in their e-mail address, making sure to use the full address,example: personsname@webtv.net.This adds them to your PC MSN IM buddy list. Hotmail,MSN and Passport addresses can also be added to the MSN IM buddy list. You will get a "Ring" when a buddy comes on line, and you will get one when you get new mail at your hotmail account.

Miscellaneous   Sometimes you may notice that the words on your MSN IM screen will go up beyond the top of the screen. Use the scroll up and scroll down buttons(not the arrow buttons) on your keyboard to keep the words in the screen and/or scroll up to reread a message or whatever. As long as the IM screen is up,the scroll buttons will only work inside the IM screen. When the IM display is down,the scroll buttons will work on whatever page you are on at the time. As far as I know,you can't use html in the MSN IM chat screens. Your name appears in blue and other's names appear in green and can't be changed. The background can't be changed and links can't be posted. If any of this can be done...I haven't heard how. Also,it seems that Webtvers can't cut and copy and paste words inside the IM chat screen. The reason is,the curser only goes in the typing field not into the chat screen itself so you can't use the shift and arrow buttons to hightlight passages to cut. And if you try to use "find" to highlight a word,the IM pop-up goes down,so it won't work either.If your WEBTV is hooked up through your VCR,then you can tape/record a chat session.