Flash+Meeting

**What is FlashMeeting?**
FlashMeeting is an easy to use online meeting application, it allows a dispersed group of people to meet from anywhere in the world with an internet connection. Typically a meeting is pre-booked by a registered user called a 'booker.' The "booker" informs participants of the meeting and they can click on the link to enter the meeting at an arranged time.

Create an Account
A google search of Flash meeting will pull up the site or you can go straight to the site by clicking on the following link: [] The main page will appear.

Choose **Create a sign in account**. You will fill out a form with basic information and **choose create**. You will see the following message:
 * Your account has been successfully submitted.
 * An email has been sent to you containing an 'activation' url. To complete the registration process, you must visit the url provided in the email (note: the activation key in the url is valid for a minimum of 24 hours)

At this point you will need to **check your email**. It will be titled Sign in Account activation and inform you that your account has been successfully activated and ready for use. To manage your account click on the "click here" message.

A chart with a date will appear; ignore the chart for now and notice on the top right corner the words Main, Help and Demo. Choose Main and the main/sign in page will appear again.

How to Attend a FlashMeeting
At this point the best thing to do is choose **Quick Start** either right under the "Book a meeting" and "sign in" boxes or on the top right menu bar (the 4th option). It gives great tips to new users.

Most likely, if you are a new user, you have been invited to a meeting.

To enter the meeting 'Signed In', enter your FlashMeeting account details into the input boxes. You can click one or both of the 'Remember' boxes, so that you don't have to do this each time you enter a new FlashMeeting. Make sure the 'Enter meeting Signed In' radio button is selected and click the 'continue' button.

If you want to register for a 'Sign In' account click the 'Apply' button. If you do not have a FlashMeeting 'Sign In' account, you can visit the meeting before the start time or use [|this] link and request an account. A password will be automatically emailed to you, so you need to leave time for this to take place.
 * To enter as a Guest choose the 'Enter meeting as a guest' button and click the continue button. You do not need to enter any details for this.

The chart below illustrates the differences between the different account types available for FlashMeeting.
 * Note: a 'Sign In' account does not allow you to book meetings. See [|this page] for the differences between account types

The three major account types are:
 * Guest Account - no registration required, limited access to some features.
 * Sign In Account - self registration required, has full access to features in meetings.
 * Booker Account - application for account required, can book, manage and has full access to features in meetings.

On the top right choose "Demo" A small box will appear, choose allow access if you want to use camera and microphone. Note: you will be recorded. Enter email address and password. You will have 2 options - 1. Enter meeting signed in 2. Enter as guest
 * **The Sign In Screen** ||

Once in Flashmeeting, it allows you a demonstration so you can check out how it works. Here's what that screen looks like:
 * **The Title Screen** ||

Once you are signed in this is how the main screen will appear. The 'standard' interface is described below. The 'presenter' interface contains the same controls and functions but with an integrated FlashBoard, go [|here] to see a screen shot.
 * **The Main Screen** ||

=Features=

I have just chosen a few of my favorites to demonstrate.
People who 'Sign In' to a FlashMeeting can create content on the FlashBoard. Everybody sees and has access to the contents of the whiteboard simultaneously, although 'Guests' can only view it. The controls are situated at the bottom of the window, with the whiteboard above.
 * **FlashBoard - the shared whiteboard** ||
 * **Freehand Drawing** : Open the freehand drawing window to draw lines with your mouse. Your drawing will not be seen by others until you press the Send button. Your 'ink' supply will diminish as you draw. It will refresh after you press the Send button.

Key to image below - from left to right: Select a line thickness from 1 to 6; Select a colour; Cancel and return to FlashBoard; Clear all of the drawing; Undo last line drawn (repeat to delete multiple lines); Send the drawing to the FlashBoard to be seen by all.
 * **Text**: You can create text 'boxes' with or without a coloured background by dragging either one of the two 'A' boxes onto the whiteboard. Select the text and type your own content into the newly created 'box'. If you wish to change to a different text size click on the button below the two 'A' boxes, before you drag one onto the whiteboard.When a text box that is already on the whiteboard is 'selected', you can drag the grey arrow that appears to the top left of it when you want to reposition it, or click on the 'plus' or 'minus' buttons to change its size. If you have been creating or editing text you must deselect it to send your changes to everyone else. Click on the 'background' or another object, its arrow and size buttons will disappear to confirm its de-selection.

Clicking the 'X' in the top corner of the image will close it. If both you and they are 'Signed In', clicking the 'T' will open a private text chat between the two of you. If you receive a private text message, an envelope appears on the sender's thumbnail to indicate a new message. Click the thumbnail to read it. In addition, an envelope appears above the image list, in case the thumbnail has been scrolled out of view. Clicking on this envelope shows a list of people from which you have new private messages. You can select one from the list to view their message.
 * **Private text chat**: If you are 'Signed In', by clicking on a thumbnail or list item you can enlarge the person's image.

Use the 'names' and 'images' tabs to switch between the names and images views. The images tab: shows the meeting's participants as a list of image 'thumbnails' with their name shown at the top left. If they join the broadcast queue a hand appears on their picture with the queue position on it. Also the broadcaster's image border turns green. The images reduce in size as more people join. The names tag: lists participants as a text list. This is useful for slow internet connections and/or computers.

**Overview of broadcasting**
If you click on the broadcast button (1), and no one is already 'broadcasting' you will broadcast your audio and video to the meeting until you click the button again to stop. The button turns green when you are broadcasting (2). However, if someone else is broadcasting the button shows the length of the queue within brackets (3). If you click the button to join the 'queue' you will have to wait your turn to speak. The button then displays your position in the queue to the left of the brackets (4). If you click the button again you will leave the queue. The first person in the queue automatically starts broadcasting when the current speaker stops, therefore there is no need to press the broadcast button if you are in the queue.The broadcast button can also be controlled by pressing the 'Page Up' or 'Page Down' key.
 * **Chat tab**: This tab allows you to text chat to the people in the meeting. Type your text into the input text field at the bottom and click the Send button (you can also press the Enter key).

Use the scroll buttons to scroll through the text. Use the small square buttons to alter the size of the text. Click the 'Pin' button to stop the text scrolling when a new message is received. If a message is received when you are looking at another tab, the chat tab highlights in green. The Emoticon icons work the same way as on the 'Vote' tab, but save you swapping tabs. Click the Chat tab again to enlarge the text chat area.


 * ** Vote Tab: **The 'vote' tab allows people in a meeting to vote on a topic. Click on the small square buttons to choose between 'Yes', 'No' or 'Abstain' to have your vote counted. A round 'marker' appears indicating the way you voted. Click on the button again to remove your vote, or on another button to change your vote. Only the person who is broadcasting can 'clear' all the votes.

The 'Emoticons' can be used at any time, to display one of five indicators on your thumbnail. These can be used to unobtrusively indicate your 'feeling' or 'state' to everyone at a particular point of the meeting. Click an icon to display or remove an Emoticon. All automatically disappear after about 10 seconds except the 'time' Emoticon which remains until switched off again.


 * The Final Screen ||


 * [[image:http://flashmeeting.e2bn.net/images/final.gif width="210" height="160" align="left" caption="final screen"]] || When the meeting ends, the 'final screen' appears. Click the 'go to' button to go to the main FlashMeeting web page, or if the meeting was recorded click the 'click' button to go the meeting page containing a link to the replay, or if you have finished close the browser window.

If you wish to leave the meeting before the end, simply close the browser window. ||