Using Psi in OSU Sociology

Psi is an instant messaging (IM) application used for high-speed communication among computers.

Psi is installed on some desktop PCs in our department. If Psi is installed on a computer, there will be a desktop shortcut for the program.

Running Psi for the first time

To start PSI, double-click the Psi icon. When Psi starts, you are asked to choose a profile:

Click 'Profiles...'

You will be prompted to ‘Manage Profiles.’

- Click the button labeled ‘New.’

In the window that appears, type a name for your profile, one word, no special characters.

- Select ‘Message’ for ‘Default Action’.

- Checking ‘Enable Emoticons’ should not be checked, unless you want certain combinations of punctuation to be automatically changed to pictographs.

- Click ‘Create.’

Click ‘Open’ to run Psi.

You’ll be prompted to give your account a name.

- Do not check the box for ‘Register new account.’

- Click ‘Add’ once you’ve typed a name for your account.

Now you must specify three Sociology-specific settings:

- For Host, enter im.sociology.ohio-state.edu.

- For Username, type your sociology username.

- Check the box labeled ‘Use plaintext login.’

Click ‘Save.’

Now Psi has your account information, but you aren’t logged in on the Sociology IM server.

Click the ‘Star’ button at the bottom of the Psi window and select ‘Online’

You will receive a box asking for your password. This is your Sociology network password.

Psi will prompt you to fill in some personal information. This is not necessary and you can click ‘close’ to proceed. If you wish to fill in information, click ‘Publish,’ followed by ‘Close.’

Adding contacts

Once you’re online, you won’t get much use out of the program until you add some contacts.

Click the PSI button and select ‘Add a contact.’

You must type the Sociology username @im.sociology.ohio-state.edu of the person whom you wish to add. You can also type a nickname for the person; if you do not specify a nickname, the contact will be listed by their username.

In the interest of politeness, leave the box labeled ‘Request authorization when adding’ checked. This prompts your contact to acknowledge that you are requesting her/him as a contact.

You can add multiple contacts quickly by un-checking the box labeled ‘Close window after adding.’

After adding contacts, click the ‘close’ button.

Accepting a contact

If someone asks you to join her/his contacts list, you’ll see a new entry in your contact list:

Double-click the entry and you’ll see a message window. Click the button labeled ‘Add/Auth.’

Sending a Message

To send a message in Psi, double-click on the name of the contact you want to ‘message.’ If you wish to send a message to multiple recipients, separate their names with a comma. Psi will automatically try to complete the contact’s address when you type, so that you do not have to type each entire address. When you’ve finished composing your message, click ‘Send.’

Sending URLs in your messages

It’s possible to send hyperlinks in your messages. Just type the http:// or www. Address of a web page, or type an email address into your message and it will be viewed as a link by the receiver. It will not, however, be automatically converted to a link while you’re typing (as in Eudora, etc.).

Receiving messages

When you receive a message in Psi, your ‘star’ icon will turn red and dance around a little. Double-click on your icon to open the message you received.

If you want to reply to the message and include the received message in your reply, click ‘Quote.’ To reply with a blank message to type in, click ‘Reply.’

Grouping contacts

If you find yourself frequently sending a message to a particular set of people, you can group contacts. Right-click on a contact’s name and select ‘Group,’ then either select an existing group to assign the contact to it, or ‘Create New…’ to make a new group:

If you create a new group, you’ll be asked to give the group a name.

As of Psi 0.87 there is no option for putting a contact into multiple groups or for nesting one or more groups within another.

Changing your status

Sometimes when an instant message is sent, a quick reply is expected. If you need privacy or some time undisturbed, you can change the status that appears in your and your contacts’ contact list. Click the ‘Star’ button and make a selection.

‘Away,’ ‘Not Available,’ and ‘Do not Disturb’ each have an associated auto-reply message that appears to those who send you messages. You can change the text of the message each time you change your status from ‘Online.’

Going ‘offline’ means that you will not receive any notice that you are being messaged.

Hiding and Closing Psi

Clicking the ‘X’ that typically closes program windows will not close Psi; it merely minimizes it so that it doesn’t take up space on your taskbar. The ‘star’ icon in your system tray shows your Psi status, and it will dance red if you’ve received a message.

To restore the Psi window, double-click on the ‘star’ icon. To see Psi options without restoring the window, click on the star icon.

To quit using Psi, select ‘Quit’ while in the system tray or click the Psi button and select ‘Quit.’