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Montessori Student Instant Messaging

Introduction

The Montessori Student Instant Messaging system is like other Internet chat systems in that your child can see which of their friends are online, talk to them, get help with schoolwork, and have fun. Unlike other systems, though, this one is by invitation only. Your child cannot use it to talk to anyone other than their teacher, their fellow students, and other parents, and no one else can connect to it. Its goal is to provide a fun, safe place for a small, close-knit group of students to visit on the Internet.

Applying For An Account

Complete and submit the online application form. When you account has been created, your child's account name and password will be sent to the email address you specify on your application.

Once you've received your account information, return to this page and follow the instructions below to connect your computer to the system.

If You Already Have A Jabber Program

Jabber is quickly becoming the standard instant messaging system. If you already use an IM program that supports it, such as Trillian Pro, you may use it to connect to the Montessori system. Follow the instructions included with the program to configure an account with the settings mentioned below.

If You Need A Jabber Program

"Psi" is a free program you can download and use to connect to any Jabber server. It is very widely used and does not contain viruses or spyware.

Download And Install Psi

First, try to download Psi from http://umn.dl.sourceforge.net/sourceforge/psi/psi-0.10-win-setup.exe. If that doesn't work, follow these steps to get it:

  1. Go to http://psi-im.org/download
  2. Click the link for the "Windows 98/2000/XP Installer".
  3. Choose a "mirror site" (Minneapolis, MN usually works well), and save the file to your computer. If the download doesn't begin within 10 to 15 seconds after you select a mirror site, click the link to it (near the top of the page) to manually start the transfer.

Install Psi.

  1. Run the new program file you just downloaded.
  2. Select the installation language of your choice and click "OK".
  3. Click "Next".
  4. Click "I Agree".
  5. Click "Next".
  6. Click "Install".
  7. Click "Finish".

Configure Psi

  1. Psi should have launched when you clicked "Finish" in the steps above. If it did not, launch it now (Start → Programs → Psi → Psi).
  2. Click "Add" to add create a new account.
  3. In the "Jabber ID" field, enter the Jabber address you were given. It will look like "firstname.lastname@montessori.honeypot.net". For example, John Smith will probably be "john.smith@montessori.honeypot.net".
  4. Enter the password you were given into the "Password" field.
  5. Make sure "Automatically connect on startup" is selected.
  6. Make sure "Automatically reconnect if disconnected" is selected.
  7. Click the "Connection" tab.
  8. Make sure "Use SSL encryption (to server)" is not selected.
  9. Make sure "Ignore SSL warnings" is selected.
  10. Make sure "Allow Plaintext Login" is not selected.
  11. Click "Save".

Connecting To The Instant Messaging Server

  1. You'll see the connection status at the bottom right corner of the Psi program. It will probably say "Offline" now. Click the word "Offline" and change it to "Online".
  2. You should now see a list of all other online users. Double-click one of their names to open a chat window and begin typing to send them a message!

Questions, Comments, or Concerns?

Please feel free to send email to kirk@strauser.com at any time if I can be of assistance.