Web Conference Guide

3.1 Joining a Conference

To join a conference, start your browser and go to the conference login page. If you are to be the moderator of a conference then you should have been given the location of the login page together with your conference reference number. If you have been invited to join a conference then the link in the invitation will take you to the login page with the correct conference reference already filled in.

You will be presented with a login screen with three or four fields:

• Conference Reference -the unique number which identifies your conference
• PIN -the password which allows you to enter the conference
• User name -the name by which you will be known in the conference.
• Show Audio Console – you may also view an audio console from which you can observe (and, if you are a moderator, control) the audio part of the conference.

Fill in the Conference Reference and PIN you have been given, and a name by which you will be known in the conference, and click "Enter Conference."

3.1.1 Security Warnings

The first time you attempt to enter a conference, your web browser generates a security warning. In order to attend the conference, you need to say that you trust the conferencing provider. If you choose "Always trust content from <provider>" then you will not see the warning on future conference entries.

3.1.2 Joining a conference after it has started

If you enter a conference after it has started, you can see all of the previous chat. Simply scroll up and down the Discussion Area using the scroll bar.

3.1.3 Conference Duration

The conference exists from the time the first presenter joins to when the conference is either explicitly ended by a presenter, or all participants have left. All conference data (chat, application sharing, annotations, presentations etc.) is deleted at the end of each conference.

3.2 Leaving a Conference

To leave a conference, follow these steps.

• Click Conference on the Conference Desktop menu.
• Choose Exit Conference from the menu that appears.

The Conference Desktop and the Discussion area will close. If you wish to log in again, click on Log in again on the browser window that appears.

3.2.1 Leaving a conference but returning later

You can leave and rejoin a running conference. If you do so then the other participants will see you disappear and reappear in the roster. When you rejoin, you will still be able to see all of the previous chat, but you will not be able to see any private messages that were sent to you before you logged out.

3.3 What you will see

Once you have logged into a conference you will see a screen like the one below.

GRM: Screenshot will need renewing

• The Discussion Area is the place where all of the users in the conference can chat with each other, as described in section 4.2, Chatting.
• The Attendees Window lists all of the users in the conference and indicates whether they are Presenters or Attendees. The icons are discussed in section 3.4, Who is in the conference?. Attendees and Presenters are explained in section 4, Attendees, and section 5, Presenters.
• The Conference Roster comprises the Discussion Area and the Attendees Window.
• The Conference Desktop is the area of the screen where users can view and annotate the Whiteboard, shared applications, or slides, as described in sections 5.4, Using the Whiteboard, 5.5, Sharing applications, and 5.6, Giving a slide presentation
• The Mode Selection tabs allow a Presenter to switch between the Slide Show, shared applications, and the Whiteboard.
• The Conference Desktop menu bar allows users (depending on permissions) to:
  • Exit the conference
  • Invite other users
  • Set options for drawings and shared applications
  • Set options for, and navigate between slides
  • View the Vesta DataXchange online help files.

For more information about the menu options in the Conference Desktop menu, see Chapter 6, Conference Desktop menu.

The Drawing menu allows Presenters to create and alter annotations, as described in section 5.4, Using the Whiteboard.

3.4 Who is in the conference?

The Attendees Window shows a list of other users in the conference. This window displays icons showing whether users are Presenters or Attendees, as well as which Presenter is currently in charge of the presentation.

Represents a Presenter.

Represents the Presenter who is currently in charge of the presentation.

Represents an Attendee.

Each user will have a different colored icon. The color of the icon is the color in which that user’s annotations to the Whiteboard appear, which provides a quick reference for distinguishing between annotations.

3.5 Online help

Vesta DataXchange has an online help function. To use online help, take the following steps.

• Click on Help on the Conference Desktop menu.
• Choose Vesta DataXchange Help.