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Introducing the FirstClass Applications
What is FirstClass?
         The main pane
Mail
Calendars
Contact management
Conferencing
Communities
Instant messaging
Workspaces
Documents
Web publishing
File storage
Bookmarks
Keyboard shortcuts



Copyright  2001, 2011 by OpenText Corp.
OpenText Corporation
905-762-6000 or 1-800-763-8272
Want to know more?
You'll find detailed information about using FirstClass in our online help. To open help:
• click this button to get information on how to use FirstClass:
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• click this button when you have a form open to get information about that form:
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Notices
You must accept the FirstClass License Agreement before you can use this product. If you do not accept the terms of the License Agreement, do not install the software and return the entire package within 30 days to the place from which you obtained it for a full refund. No refunds will be given for returned products that have missing components.
Information in this document is subject to change without notice. Certain features and products described in this document may not be currently available in all geographic regions. Distribution or reproduction of this document in whole or in part must be in accordance with the terms of the License Agreement.
All rights reserved. FirstClass, OpenText and other trademarks and the associated logos used herein are trademarks of OpenText Corporation and/or its subsidiary used under license. All other trademarks are property of their respective owners.
This version of the help applies to FirstClass Version 11.0 and all subsequent versions and modifications until otherwise indicated.



What is FirstClass?
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About FirstClass

FirstClass is a collection of applications that let you organize your work and collaborate with others.
Your work is stored on the FirstClass server. You use your web browser to connect to that server.


Connecting to your FirstClass server

1 Enter the URL of the server (for example, http://www.firstclass.com/login).
2 Fill in your user ID and password for this server on the FirstClass Login form.
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3 Click Login to open your FirstClass Desktop.


FirstClass page components

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Component
Additional information
A
toolbars
Each page has its own toolbars. Clicking a toolbar button tells FirstClass to perform that command.
Many toolbars contain the Create field, which lets you create an object:
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B
main pane
A pane is a section of a window (or web page), divided from other panes by split bars. Panes contain different types of objects. For example, a window may have containers in the upper pane and messages and documents in the lower pane. For messages and documents, the upper pane is the envelope.
The main pane displays the contents of an open container (a conference, folder, calendar, or any other FirstClass object that contains items) or an open object such as a message.
This pane can take up all the space to the right of the side toolbar, or it can be shown to the right of the navigation pane.
C
navigation pane
Dislays a hierarchical (tree) view of the FirstClass objects.
To show or hide the navigation pane, click this button in the toolbar:
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The main pane

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Component
Additional information
A
summary bar
This bar shows:
• the container name
• the path to this container
• a summary of container contents
• the server and your user name
• how much free space you have left on the server
• a search field
• the permissions you have in this container.
Permissions comprise a set of values that determine the default behavior of a container such as a conference. Permissions also give users access to the container, and control what they can do within the container.
B
upper pane
The main pane is often split into two panes. The upper pane is normally shown in icon view.
C
lower pane

The lower pane is normally shown in list view, which presents information about each object in columnar format.
You can change the sorting and grouping of these objects as described in our online help.
D
reading pane

Displays the contents of a selected object.
The reading pane can be displayed below or to the right of the objects in the main pane. To toggle the reading pane on and through these positions, click this button on the toolbar:
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Your FirstClass Desktop

Once you have connected to your server, your Desktop opens. Your Desktop gives you access to the FirstClass applications.
Your administrator may have added other objects to your Desktop, such as conferences, and customized the general Desktop appearance.
To open objects on the Desktop, double-click them. To select objects, click them.


About the FirstClass applications

The FirstClass applications are:


mail
Private email. You, and all FirstClass users, have a personal Mailbox.
calendars
Online scheduling of events (a time commitment, such as a meeting) and tasks (something that you need to do, such as submitting a report). You have a personal calendar, and you may also have access to public calendars.
contact management
Information about your personal contacts. You have a personal Contacts folder, and you may also have access to public contact databases.
conferencing
Online forums primarily intended for discussions on related topics.
communities
Provides access to FirstClass Communities.
instant messaging
Real-time, online chats with others who are also online.
workspaces
Online forums designed for workgroup collaboration.
documents
Useful for recording information that you want to keep on a long-term basis.
web publishing
A tool for building your own website.
file storage
A place to store uploaded files (files copied to the server) of various media, such as pictures and sounds.
bookmarks
Links to FirstClass objects and web pages.



The mail application
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Creating a message

1 Choose the message form at the Create field.
If you decide you want to use another form, you can click Delete with the first form still open.
2 Fill in the message envelope.
The envelope is the upper pane, which contains addressing information and details about when the message was sent.
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Tips for addressing messages:
• All users and conferences known to the server (including users you added as personal addresses and mail lists) are stored in the Directory (a storage area on the server that contains addresses for user accounts, conferences, public calendars, and other objects known to the server). To address a message to any user or conference in the Directory, you can type a partial name, then click Add. The whole name is filled in if what you typed is unique in the Directory. Otherwise, the Directory opens with a list of all names that match. Select the name you want, then click Select.
• If you are in a conference, your new message is automatically addressed to that conference.
• You can create a preaddressed message by clicking Create Mail To after selecting a recipient from the Directory or Who's Online list, or after opening a contact or mail list form.
• You can click a name in a sent message to create a preaddressed message.
3 Add and format the message content in the body section.
4 Attach a file to the message, if desired.
Click Browse at "Attachments" and select the file, then click Attach. To attach a FirstClass object, click On Server, then select the object.
5 Send the message by clicking Send.


Replying to a message

Messages work the same way whether you are in your Mailbox or a conference. An unread message has a red flag beside it. To read a message, double-click it.
To reply to a message:
1 Open the message.
2 Click Reply.
The original message is quoted in the reply.
3 Type your reply in the body section.
4 Send the message.


Forwarding a message

To forward a message to someone else:
1 Open the message.
2 Create a copy of the message (including any attachments) by clicking Forward.
3 Address the message.
4 Make any changes you want to the message body.
5 Send the message.


Downloading an attached file

To download (save a copy of a file stored on the server to your own computer) a file attached to a message, choose your web browser's standard download command from the context menu.
The context menu contains commands applicable to what you are doing. A context menu is opened by right-clicking the object you are working with. You can also open the context menu for a selected object by pressing the spacebar.
To preview an attached file before you download it, click it. To return to the message, click your web browser's Back button.


Checking whether a message has been read

To see the history of a sent message, including who has read it, open the message, then click History.

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The calendars application
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Working with calendars

You can use a personal calendar (which can record both events, such as meetings, and tasks, such as submitting a report), and look at other users' calendars and public calendars.
To open your personal calendar, double-click Calendar on your Desktop.
To open another user's calendar, select the user in the Directory or Who's Online list, then click Open User Calendar.
Overdue tasks are shown in red. Completed tasks have a line drawn through them.


Viewing calendars

You can view a calendar by month, week, or day. You can also add a pane showing a Today list. The Today list highlights all the events that take place today, and all the tasks that start today or are ongoing.
Here is an example of a FirstClass calendar:
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To
Do this
view the calendar by month, week, or day
Click the appropriate button.
Day view shows items in time slots. Tasks and untimed events are shown at the top of this view.
add the Today list pane
Click Show Today List.
scroll from one month, week, or day to the next (or previous)
Click the arrows at either end of the dates at the top of the calendar.
go to the current month, week, or day
Click the link beside the date fields.
go to a specific date
Specify the date using the dropdown fields, then click Go.
view details of an event or task
Double-click it.


Creating an event

1 Open the calendar.
2 Choose New Event at the Create field.
81203_42521_14.png Shortcuts
To create an event that starts on a particular date, click the New Event icon beside that date. In day view, click the start time.
3 Update the basic information on the Event form.
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4 Update the other sections on this form as required.


To
Update this section
• invite participants
• book resources that are in the Directory
• check for conflicts
• reschedule
Participants
make the event show up repeatedly on the calendar and set other advanced options
Repeat

5 Attach files or add content just as you would for a message, if desired.
You can open an event to change its details.


Creating a task

1 Open the calendar.
2 Choose New Task at the Create field.
3 Update the basic information on the Task form.
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4 Update the Advanced section, if you want to set other advanced options.
5 Attach files or add content just as you would for a message, if desired.
You can open a task to change its details. To change the task status, choose the appropriate value at "State".


Combining several calendars into one view

You can view items from several calendars combined. For example, you can see items from a group calendar in addition to the items in your personal calendar.
To combine several calendars into one view:
1 Open one of the calendars.
The Calendars list shows all calendars that are available for combining.
2 Click Show Calendar beside the calendars you want to add to the view.
You can color code calendars so that all items from one calendar display in the color assigned to that calendar. To do this, select the calendar in the Calendars list, then click Set Color.
You can also add a calendar to the list of calendars. In this example, you are adding a calendar called Subcalendar to your personal calendar:
1 Select Subcalendar.
2 Click Move/Copy/Link Selected Item(s).
3 Select your personal calendar (Calendar) from the list that opens.
4 Click Link.



The contact management application
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Saving addresses for future use

You can add addresses and other personal information for your friends and business contacts to your Contacts folder. You can also create mail lists there, if you routinely send messages to the same group of people, and they don't have access to a FirstClass conference that is shared by the group.
These contacts will only appear in your view of the Directory.
Your Contacts folder looks something like this:
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You can also create public contact databases that let you share contact information with other users. For more information, see our online help.


Adding a contact

1 Open your Contacts folder or the contact database where you want to store this contact.
2 Choose New Contact at the Create field.
You can also add an address in a message to your Contacts folder by clicking the Add to Contacts icon beside it.
3 Update the New Contact form (your form may look different).
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Creating a mail list

1 Open your Contacts folder or the contact database where you want to store this mail list.
2 Choose New Mail List at the Create field.
3 Update the New Mail List form.
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The conferencing application
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About conferences

FirstClass conferences are places for you and the others in your organization to exchange information about related topics. You can send messages to conferences just as you do to other users.
When a conference contains mail that you haven't read, it is flagged and the number of unread items is displayed, just like your Mailbox. You can open the conference and read the messages posted there by others.
The advantage of conferences over private mail is that all messages concerning the same topic are stored in the same place. And you don't have to address a private message to multiple users or to a mail list that you have to keep up to date. You can simply address it to the conference.
Conferences can be created by your administrator, by yourself, or by other users. Your administrator determines which conferences are open to everyone in your organization, and you will see these conferences by double-clicking Conferences on your Desktop.

The communities application
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Accessing FirstClass Communities

If you also use FirstClass Communities, you'll see your communities on your FirstClass Desktop. You can go to these communities directly from FirstClass.
To go to your FirstClass Communities home page, click the Communities button.
To go to a particular community, double-click it on your FirstClass Desktop.



The instant messaging application
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Responding to an instant message invitation

If you are invited to an instant messaging session, you will see an Instant Messaging Invitation button on the toolbar. The invitation form shows the name of the user who invited you.


To
Do this
decline the invitation
Click Decline.
decline without notifying the sender
Click Ignore.
join
Click Accept.
The Instant Message page opens and your name is added to the "Participants" list.

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Contributing to an instant message

To contribute to an instant message, type your input in the input pane of the Instant Message page. You can embed files in your input by clicking Browse below the transcript pane, selecting the file, then clicking Embed Object. To add your input to the transcript, click Send.
You can also:


attach files to the instant message
Click Browse at "Attachments", select the file, then click Attach.
invite others to join
Click Invite.
tell people you are temporarily unavailable
Click the Pause icon:
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name an instant message that you started, moderate it, or save the transcript
Use the Setup section.
change how frequently FirstClass looks for new input from participants
Update "Check for updates every", or force an immediate check by clicking Check Now.

Joining a public chat room

A public chat room appears as an icon inside a container. When a chat room has active participants, a red balloon appears beside the icon:
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To join the chat room, double-click it.


Starting a private instant message

1 Click Instant Message.
81203_42521_14.png Shortcut
If you are in the Directory or Who's Online list, select the user, then click Invite User to Chat. If you use this method, skip steps 2 and 3.
2 Click Invite to invite someone to your instant message.
3 Select the user you want to invite.
4 Click Invite.
5 Contribute to the instant message as you would to any other instant message.

The workspaces application
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About workspaces

A workspace is a shared area where users in a workgroup have access to FirstClass applications and resources that are of use to the group.
As an example, a workspace designed for online meetings may contain:
• a conference for discussions
• a group calendar for scheduling meetings
• a contact database for storing information about contacts who are important to the group
• a documents container for storing permanent records
• a file storage container for storing uploaded files.
Workspaces can be created by your administrator, by yourself, or by other users.


Creating workspaces

1 Open Workspaces.
2 Choose New Workspace at the Create field.
3 Select the template you want your workspace to use.
A template is a starting point when you are creating an object such as a document or conference. Templates can provide default backgrounds, layouts, formatting, placeholder text, and so on.
Pick the template that is closest to what you want. You can change any defaults that don't suit you, or start over by deleting the object and picking a different template.
4 Name your workspace.
You can now open your new workspace and customize it for your purposes. This may involve:
• deleting default applications that your group won't need
• adding applications
Choose Add Application at the Create field.
• customizing the look of your workspace
• sharing your workspace with other members of the group.
Click Workspace Members.

The documents application
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About documents

Unlike messages, documents don't expire by default, and can be updated after they are created. This makes them useful for posting information that you want to keep for a long time.
But you can do the same things with documents that you do with messages: add background pictures, format content, and check whether they have been read.
Your Documents folder is a place for you to store documents for your own use.


Creating documents

1 Choose New Document at the Create field.
2 Select the template you want your document to use.
3 Update the envelope of the document form.
4 Add and format the document content.

The web publishing application
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Creating a website

Your Web Publishing folder stores material that you want to publish on the web. This material can be:
• basic web pages, which are like documents
• blogs (online diaries)
• podcasts (collections of audio or video tracks)
• web versions of calendars
• lists of uploaded files, such as PDFs or photos
• lists of useful links.
You can structure your website by organizing your material into folders.
The first object in your Web Publishing folder that isn't a folder or a link is automatically your home page (the first page people see when they go to your site).
You can change the overall appearance of your website by clicking Appearance and choosing a new template. You can also change the appearance of individual objects.
To see what your website looks like as you develop it, click View in Browser.


Creating content for your website

1 Open Web Publishing.
2 Choose New Web Page at the Create field.
3 Select the template for the type of object you want to create.
4 Update the object's content.
If you are creating a blog, you first create the blog, then create dated entries for your blog by choosing New Blog Entry at the Create field.
If you are creating a podcast, you first create the podcast, then add tracks to your podcast by choosing New Episode at the Create field.
To provide a list of uploaded files, create a listing folder, then upload the files to it.
To provide a list of links, create the links in your Bookmarks folder, then create a web folder in Web Publishing. Copy or move the links to your web folder.

The file storage application
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Files stored in containers

You can upload a file to a container on the server. To preview an uploaded file, double-click it. To download an uploaded file, choose Download from the context menu.
The File Storage folder on your Desktop is designed for storing uploaded files of various media types. In list view, the file type is displayed.
As is the case for other containers, you can create subcontainers to organize your files. There are specialized container templates for pictures, music, and movies, that provide optimized environments for those media.


Copying files to containers

To upload a file to a container:
1 Open the container.
2 Choose Upload at the Create field.
3 Click Browse.
4 Select the file on your computer.
5 Click Upload.

The bookmarks application
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About bookmarks

Bookmarks are links that provide quick access to FirstClass objects and web pages. You double-click them to open the objects to which they link (the targets).
Your Bookmarks folder contains all links that you have moved there.


Creating bookmarks

1 Select the object to which you want to link.
2 Click Move/Copy/Link Selected Item(s).
3 Select your Bookmarks folder from the list that opens.
4 Click Link.

Keyboard shortcuts

Shortcut
Action
Esc
Close context menu or cancel action.
left arrow
Collapse threads (list view) and tree branches (tree view).
Ctrl K
Connect or disconnect.
Shift/Ctrl/Meta drag
Copy objects.
Ctrl D or Delete
Delete the selected object(s).
Ctrl S
Download the selected object.
right arrow
Expand threads (list view) and tree branches (tree view).
Ctrl Shift =
Forward the selected message.
F1
Help.
Ctrl H
History for the selected object.
Alt drag or
Option/Cmd drag
Link objects.
Tab or
Shift Tab
Move between panes.
arrow keys
Navigate context menu.
Ctrl M
New message (automatically addressed if names were selected in Directory or Who's Online list).
Ctrl 3
Open Bookmarks.
Ctrl 2
Open Contacts.
Spacebar
Open context menu for the selected object.
Ctrl 0
Open Desktop.
Ctrl L
Open Directory.
Ctrl 1
Open Mailbox.
Ctrl 8
Open Memos.
Ctrl 6
Open personal calendar.
Ctrl 5
Open résumé.
Enter/Return
or Ctrl O
Open selected object or choose selected command in context menu.
Ctrl 9
Open Shared Documents.
Ctrl Shift /
Open System Administration page (for administrators only).
Ctrl 7
Open Voice Greetings.
Ctrl 4
Open Web Publishing.
Ctrl ;
Permissions for the selected object.
Ctrl Enter/Return
or Ctrl I
Properties/get info for the selected object.
Ctrl R
Reply to the selected message.
Ctrl F
Search a container.
Ctrl A
Select all.
Shift arrow
Select multiple objects, in the direction of the arrow.
Ctrl E
Send the selected unsent message(s).
Ctrl `
Toggle the approved status of the selected object(s).
Ctrl -
Toggle the unread flag for the selected object(s).
Ctrl U
Upload a file to a container.