Making objects open automatically
Getting additional information about objects
Customizing your viewing preferences
Customizing your sound preferences
All the FirstClass objects that you can access are available through your FirstClass desktop. It's the first thing you see when you connect to your server, unless you have set your device's preferences to automatically go to the mailbox. At the top of the desktop you'll see the name of your server.
The desktop is divided into panes that contain different types of information. The toolbar contains icons that give you access to additional information. These icons are in the following order from left to right: mailbox, calendar, workspace, updates, peoplemailbox, calendar, updates, people (plus workspace)mailbox, calendar, workspace, updates, people. If you are using a narrow Android device, you may not see the workspace icon. You will find the workspace items documented here under the application menu instead.
The toolbar also includes an application menu at the right that provides additional functionality. This menu also gives you access to a workspace menu.
Note
If the toolbar turns red, you are no longer connected to your FirstClass server. You can only browse previously viewed items until you are online again.
To see the menu for a closed container, hold it until its menu pops up.
In open containers, you'll see a New button at the top. This allows you to create new objects.
Some containers have just the New button. Tapping this button opens a menu that lets you choose what to create.
Other containers have a combination New button. The default object for the container (for example, a new message in your mailbox) is on the left. Beside it is an arrow button. Tapping that button opens a menu of the objects you can create. This is referred to as the New button's dropdown menu.
You'll also see a menu at the top of containers. This menu contains actions relating to this container.
Closed objects in lists have menus, in addition to the menus you see when you open them. In this help, this type of menu is referred to as the object's menu (as opposed to the open object's menu).
To access this menu for an object, hold the object. The list is placed in select mode, with this object selected. To select multiple objects in this mode, tap them. You can then use the displayed icons/menu to work with the selected object(s). Tapping a selected object again deselects it. To leave select mode, tap the icon at the top of the checkbox column.
Exception
In some locations, you'll find that tapping an object selects it and displays its menu, rather than opening it.
You can also tap names in message envelopes to access their menus.
When nothing is open, the central pane shows conferences, communities, and other containers that you have access to. The lower section of this pane is in alphabetical order.
The top section, Favorite Places, provides a place for your most frequently used containers. Simply drag those containers from the lower section to Favorite Places. Once there, you can drag them into any order, and you can always drag them back to the lower section.
Your homepage includes a menu on the right that allows you to:
You only see this command when you have files on your FirstClass client desktop.
Note
If your organization doesn't use the FirstClass email system, you won't have a FirstClass mailbox.
Your mailbox stores personal items such as your private email. To open your mailbox, tap the Mailbox icon on the toolbar.
Note
If your organization doesn't use the FirstClass email and calendaring system, your experience will differ from what is described here. For more information, see the "If you use another mail system" help.
Your personal calendar stores events and tasks that you have created, plus events to which you have been invited. Tapping the Calendar icon on the toolbar opens your personal calendar in month view, followed by a list of today's events and tasks. A shaded date indicates that there are calendar items for that date.
To see the events and tasks for a different day, tap that date in the mini calendar. You can display a different month in the mini calendar by tapping the back or forward arrow button beside the month.
Tapping the Workspace icon on the toolbar, then choosing DraftsChoosing Drafts from the workspace menuTapping the Workspace icon on the toolbar, then choosing Drafts lists all items that you have saved as drafts because you are not yet ready to publish them. You'll also see these items in other locations. For example, an unsent message will also show in your mailbox. A document created in a conference and saved as a draft will also show (for you only) in that conference.
Messages are automatically saved as drafts if you create and close them without sending them. When you are ready to send an unsent message, open it and tap the Send button.
Note
If your organization doesn't use the FirstClass email system, you won't have a FirstClass Contacts folder.
Tapping the Workspace icon on the toolbar, then choosing ContactsChoosing Contacts from the workspace menuTapping the Workspace icon on the toolbar, then choosing Contacts lists personal contact information you have created for friends and business associates.
Tapping the Workspace icon on the toolbar, then choosing File StorageChoosing File Storage from the workspace menuTapping the Workspace icon on the toolbar, then choosing File Storage lists files you have uploaded for your personal use.
To upload a file from your device to this folder, open the folder, tap the Upload File button, then browse for and select your file, or take a picture. In other containers, choose Upload File from the New button's menu.
To download a file from this folder (or any other container) to your device, use your device's normal file download method.
Note
Where files are attached to objects such as messages, rather than uploaded directly to a container, you can open the attachment, then use the same download method.
To open a file, tap its name or choose Open from its menu. If the file format is supported by your device, the file opens.
To open a file in a window that lets you work with it, tap its icon. To work with the file view for an open file, tap the Zoom button. You can use the up and down arrows to sequentially open the files in File Storage in this window.
If the object shown in this window is an image, you'll see a slider at the top of the window. You can drag the slider to enlarge or shrink your view of the image. To rotate the image, use the clockwise or counterclockwise rotation buttons. The Reset Content button beside the slider restores the original view. You can also drag the image within the window.
To update an uploaded file, download it, edit it in the appropriate program, then upload the updated file. You can then choose Delete from the old version's menu to delete it.
Tapping the Workspace icon on the toolbar, then choosing DocumentsChoosing Documents from the workspace menuTapping the Workspace icon on the toolbar, then choosing Documents lists FirstClass documents that you have created for your personal use.
An open document displays toolbar buttons that let you edit the document, toggle its read status (described in "About those colored dots" later in this document), delete it, and print it.
To create a document here, tap the New Document button.
Note
To create a document in your mailbox or a conference, choose New Document from the New button's dropdown menu.
To update an existing document, open it, then tap the Edit button.
Warning
If you edit a document that was created in the FirstClass client, its format is changed from the native FirstClass format to HTML. This means it is no longer editable in the FirstClass client.
The document form consists of a top pane (envelope), where you provide information such as the document name, and a bottom pane, where you enter and format your document content.
Note
Your spelling is checked as you type. To see suggestions for a word that is underlined in red, or add it to your spell check dictionary, use your device's standard method.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Name | The name you want to give your document. |
| Subject | The subject you want to give your document. |
| Keywords | Keywords that describe your document. Separate each keyword with a space. |
| Category | Any category that is useful to you. |
| Done | Asks you what you want to do with the document. The options you see depend on the document status. New and draft documents give you the option to publish, save as draft, or delete the document. Publish saves the document and displays it for everyone to see in the container. Save as Draft saves the document as a draft, making it visible only to you. Published documents give you the option to save your updates as a new version (see below) or discard your updates. |
| menu | Attach attaches a file that is on your device to the document. Browse for and select the file, or take a picture. Print prints the document using your device's standard print method. Delete deletes the document. |
Note
You will only have access to voice greetings if your organization uses FirstClass Unified Communications.
Tapping the Workspace icon on the toolbar, then choosing Voice GreetingsChoosing Voice Greetings from the workspace menuTapping the Workspace icon on the toolbar, then choosing Voice Greetings displays any voice greetings you have created.
Greetings that are turned on (enabled) are shown in red bold.
Tapping the Workspace icon on the toolbar, then choosing BookmarksChoosing Bookmarks from the workspace menuTapping the Workspace icon on the toolbar, then choosing Bookmarks displays any bookmarks (links) to other FirstClass containers and websites that you have created with the FirstClass client. Tapping a bookmark opens the linked object.
To edit a bookmark, you must select it without activating the link. To do this, first tap the Edit button, then select the bookmark. Choose Properties from the bookmark's menu.
Tapping the Updates icon on the toolbar, then choosing Invitations lists any invitations you have received to join communities. To go to a community from this list, choose Open from the invitation's menu. To join the community, choose Accept. To decline the invitation, choose Decline.
Tapping the Updates icon on the toolbar, then choosing Watched Items lists items that you are watching for activity. You may want, for example, to know when a message is replied to or a document is updated.
To go to a watched item, choose Open from its menu. To remove an item from this list, choose Remove Watch. To add an item to this list, choose Watch from its menu.
Tapping the Updates icon on the toolbar, then choosing Subscriptions lists the communities to which you have subscribed in order to track activity when you aren't connected to your FirstClass server.
To open a community from this list, choose Open from its menu. To stop subscribing to a community, choose Delete.
Your profile provides others with personal information about you and ways to contact you. It's important to complete your profile to make the FirstClass collaborative experience as rich as possible.
To edit your profile, tap the People icon on the toolbar, then choose My Profile.
To see someone's profile, tap their picture wherever you find them as a sender (for example, in a list of messages).
To see someone's full profile, including their blog and a list of who is following them, choose Open Profile from their menu in your people list, the Pulse, or a list of Directory name matches (described later in this document). To cycle through the blog, list of followers, and profile sections, tap the Blog section title, then tap the section title you want to see.
Tapping the People icon on the toolbar, then choosing My People lists everyone you have decided to follow because their activity particularly interests you. You can tell at a glance when anyone listed here is online, or there is new activity in their blog.
To go to someone's blog and profile, choose Open Profile from their menu.
You can also use this menu to send email to them, chat with them, add them to your contacts, or open their calendar.
To add someone to your people list, open their profile and tap the Follow button.
To remove someone from your people list, choose Stop Following from their menu. You can also open their profile and tap the Stop Following button.
Tapping the People icon on the toolbar, then choosing Who's Online lists everyone who is currently online.
Note
Depending on how your administrator set up FirstClass, you may not see Who's Online information.
To go to someone's blog and profile, choose Open Profile from their menu.
You can also use this menu to send email to them, chat with them, follow/stop following them, add them to your contacts, or open their calendar.
In addition, a green dot beside someone indicates that they are currently online.
Tapping the People icon on the toolbar, then choosing Chats lists everyone with whom you have had an online chat.
To reopen a chat, choose Chat from the person's menu. You will see the comments that were made previously when chatting with this person. If the person is currently online, you are reactivating the chat.
To initiate a chat with someone online who isn't yet in this list, choose Chat at their entry in your people list or from a list of Directory name matches.
To add to an open chat, type your comment at Enter text here. When the person responds, you will see their comment above yours.
To upload a file that is on your device to an open chat, tap the Upload button on the chat toolbar, then browse for and select the file, or take a picture. Your file is represented by a button in the chat. This button opens the file if your device supports this file type. From here, you can use your device's standard method to download the file. If your device doesn't support this file type, you are asked how you want to handle the file.
To stop chatting, simply close the chat window.
You can use a listed chat's menu to email the person, follow/stop following them, add them to your contacts, or open their calendar.
To remove a chat from this list, choose Delete from its menu.
If your device supports video, you can start a video chat with another person whose device also supports video.
To start a video chat, open the person's chat window just as you would if starting a text chat. Tap the Initiate Video Chat button at the top of the chat window to send a video chat invitation.
If the other person accepts, you will both be asked for permission to use your cameras and microphones. After you both accept, the video chat opens in the chat window.
Depending on the size of your device, you can move the video chat to a resizable window in the center pane by tapping the Zoom icon in the top right corner. Closing this window stops the chat. To move the video chat back to the original chat window, tap the Zoom icon again.
Tapping the People icon on the toolbar, then choosing Pulse lists people's status posts and any comments on these posts.
To see everyone's Pulse posts, choose All Posts. To see just the posts of the people you are following, choose Posts by My People. To see just your own posts, choose My Posts.
To go to someone's blog and profile, choose Open Profile from the post's menu.
To comment on a post, choose Comment, then type your comment.
If you see a thumb up (like) icon, you can "like" a post by tapping this icon or by choosing Like from the post's menu. Depending on how your administrator set up the Pulse, you may be able to change your mind. To do that, do the same thing once more.
The Apps pane under your homepage lists any web applications that have been provided by your administrator. To run one of these applications, tap it.
A status post is a short comment that you post for others to see, like a tweet.
You'll see your most recent status post by selecting the People icon on the toolbar.
To post a new status, type it at Share something.
Everyone's status posts are listed in the Pulse.
Although some containers may open in icon view, where you see all content represented by icons, most containers are set up to open in list view.
Some lists are displayed in column format, with column headings.
To change the order in which a list is sorted, tap the Sort by button, then choose the element you want to sort on. For example, Name sorts the list alphabetically by name. Last Modified sorts the list by date.
To reverse sort order, choose the same element again.
To help you find something in a list, you can show only the objects in the list that contain specific words. These words must be displayed in the list (for example, in the subject or sender name), rather than only seen when you open objects (for example, text in the body).
To filter the list in this way, type the words at Filter at the top of the list. Objects that contain all the words you typed will be listed.
To restore all objects to the list view, clear the Filter field.
Notes
Depending on the size of your device, you may not see columns.
In community file and wiki lists, any changes you make to column views are in effect only for the duration of your current session. In other containers, your permissions for the containers determine whether your changes are saved permanently.
To resize a column's width, drag the column heading's right border.
To change the order in which columns appear, drag their column headings to the left or right and drop them where you want the columns to display.
To sort on a column, tap its column heading. To reverse sort, tap the column heading again.
To group on a column, hold its column heading. A group control appears to the left of the column heading, and any objects with the same value in that column are grouped. In the case of messages, if you group on subject, a group comprises a message plus all its replies.
To expand a group so that all objects in it are listed, tap the bottom bead on the group control to the left of the group.
To collapse a group so that only the top object in it is visible, tap any solid bead in the group control. To restore the group to the initial view, tap the bottom bead.
To expand or collapse all groups, tap the group control beside the column heading.
Note
If you use both sorting and grouping, groups are kept together and sorted by the top object in each group.
To ungroup objects, hold the column heading again. This column will automatically ungroup if you group on another column.
If an object has multiple versions, tapping the number of versions in the Ver column lists all versions.
Tapping this number again hides the older versions.
If an object has comments, tapping the number of comments in the comments (balloon) column displays all comments.
Tapping this number again hides the comments.
To aid in organization, you can store objects in subcontainers inside parent containers. For example, there may be a Personnel conference, and within that, a Benefits subconference.
If you see a Folders button in the top left corner of an open container, you can tap this button to open a flyout pane displaying subcontainers. To close the flyout, tap the Folders button again.
For containers that don't show a split bar in the FirstClass client, you won't see this button. All subcontainers will appear with the other container content.
Tips
To return to a container that is in the path you took to the current container, hold the Back button, then choose the container from its menu.
To add a link to a subcontainer (such as a community, conference, or public calendar) to your homepage, open the subcontainer, then choose Add to Home from its menu.
To create a subcontainer, open the parent container, choose New Container from the New button's dropdown menu, then select the type of container you want. Follow the prompts to name your subcontainer and provide other information, then tap Create.
To protect your subcontainer from being deleted by accident, open it, choose Properties from its menu, then tick the Protected checkbox. If you really want to delete this subcontainer in the future, you must first clear this checkbox.
Folders are one of the types of containers you can create. You can't send messages to folders, but anything stored in them has no expiry period by default, so they are a good way to archive objects.
In addition to creating folders inside other containers, you can create them directly on your homepage by choosing New Container from the homepage's menu.
To search FirstClass for all items containing a particular word or phrase, choose Search from the application menu, then type that word or phrase. If you are searching from your homepage, FirstClass searches everything accessible to you. If you are searching when a particular container is open, FirstClass searches that container.
Search results are divided into Content (objects such as messages and documents containing your search term), People (people who have posted something containing your search term), and Folders (containers with your search term in their descriptions or storing objects that contain that term).
You can work with items in the search results window just as you can anywhere else.
To search the FirstClass Directory for someone, type all or part of their name at Type part of a name at the top of your My People list. Everyone in the Directory who matches your search term is listed.
You can use a person's menu to:
You can use your device's standard methods for formatting text. Where necessary, you'll see buttons for making selected text bold, italic, or underlined.
To insert an image from a file that is on your device, tap the Insert Image button, then browse for and select the file, or take a picture.
To move an object to another container (the target container), select the object, then tap the Move button in select mode. Any subcontainers in the current container are displayed.
If the target container is displayed, tap it, then tap the Move button.
If you don't want to move the object to a subcontainer, tap the Up button to navigate to the target container.
To remove a container, choose Delete from its menu. If this is a shared container that you didn't create, removing it from your homepage affects only your view of it. Others can still access it, and if necessary in future, you can restore it to your homepage.
To delete objects in lists, choose Delete from their menus or swipe to reveal a Delete button. In select mode, tap the Delete button.
To delete an open object, tap the Delete button.
To remove items that display an x beside them, such as message recipients or attached files, tap the x.
When you delete any FirstClass object, it is still available for a short while. The server removes it permanently as part of routine maintenance. Before permanent removal, you can display deleted objects, and undelete them if you wish.
To view the containers you have recently deleted from your homepage, choose Show Deleted from the homepage's menu. To view objects deleted from a container, open the container, then choose Show Deleted from its menu.
To undelete an object, tap its Undelete button in the list of deleted objects. The object is restored to its original location.
To see all objects that you have recently deleted, tap the Workspace icon on the toolbar, then choose Deleted Itemschoose Deleted Items from the workspace menutap the Workspace icon on the toolbar, then choose Deleted Items.
To print an object, open it, then tap the Print button.
When you create an object in a container, it eventually drops down the list of objects as newer objects are created. This can make it difficult to find again.
If you want to make an object easily accessible in a container, you can pin it. This makes it appear in a Pinned flyout pane that works like the Folders flyout. Tap the Pinned button to open and close this flyout.
To pin an object, choose Pin from its menu.
Note
If you also use the FirstClass client, which has upper and lower window panes, you'll see upper pane objects in the Pinned flyout.
To work with a pinned object, hold it until its menu pops up.
To unpin an object, drag it back to the list of objects in the container.
You can make an object open automatically whenever it is unread (or contains unread objects).
If you make a container open automatically, it will open whenever someone logs in, as long as there are objects in the container that are unread by that person.
If you make an object such as a document open automatically, it will open whenever someone opens the container storing it, as long as the object is unread by that person.
To make something open automatically, choose Properties from its menu, then tick the Auto open checkbox.
To hide an object, choose Properties from its menu, then choose Hidden at View in the View, Icon ID, Icon position section.
To view any hidden objects in a container, choose Show Hidden from its menu. To hide these objects again, choose Hide Hidden.
To permanently show a hidden object, open its Properties, then choose an option other than Hidden at View.
When you create an object such as a message or wiki page, you provide information about that object in the top pane, or envelope.
To save space, FirstClass sometimes collapses this envelope. When you open an object and see a Details tab, you can tap that tab to open the envelope.
In your mailbox, envelopes may display a disclosure button beside To. Tapping this button displays any Cc or Bcc information.
FirstClass tracks the history of activities related to objects, such as who created or read a message and the date, or the date a document was updated and by whom.
To see this history for an object, choose History from its menu.
To see information such as when an object will expire, choose Properties from its menu.
The creators of conferences and communities may provide descriptions of these containers for your information.
To see the description of a closed container, choose About from its menu.
To see an open conference's description, choose Permissions from its menu, then tap the About button.
To see an open community's description, choose About from its menu.
A container's permissions control its behavior. For example, they establish the length of time items will remain in the container before expiring. Permissions also specify what you are allowed to do in the container (for example, read only or read and post).
To see a container's permissions, choose Permissions from its menu.
If you feel others should see an object such as a document or file, you can "share" it.
To share an object, choose Share from its menu. A new message form opens, with a link to the object embedded in the message body.
You can add to the message body and address it just like any other message. For details on addressing messages, see the "Email" help.
A red dot beside a container indicates that there are unread items in that container. The number in the dot tells you how many unread items there are inside. Each unread item inside the container is also marked with a red dot. Opening an item removes its red dot.
Note
In addition, unread items (as well as unsent messages in your mailbox) are shown in blue.
You'll also see red dots beside:
You can remove red dots without opening objects. To remove the dot from a closed container, hold the dot for a couple of seconds. If you remove the dot from a closed container, all items in that container will have their dots removed.
To remove the dot from an object in a list without opening it, select it, then tap the Toggle Unread button in select mode. As the name implies, you can use this button to toggle the red dot on or off. This is useful if you want something you have read to draw your attention again. You can put the red dot back, so that the object appears unread. You can also put the red dot back while the object is open by tapping the Toggle Unread button.
When you remove a red dot without opening an object, you won't be shown as having read the object in its history.
For security, we recommend that you immediately change the password you receive from your administrator.
To change your password, choose Change Password from the application menu.
To customize how you view FirstClass information (for example, the order in which lists are sorted), choose Preferences from the application menu, then update the Viewing section:
| To | Do this |
|---|---|
| list items from most recent to oldest by default | Tick the Show newest items first checkbox. |
| hide objects in lists that you have already read | Tick the Show only unread items checkbox. Tip If you are finding that mail is disappearing, check whether you have this ticked, because read objects will seem to have disappeared. |
| change the time zone in which you want FirstClass to display dates and times | Choose the appropriate time zone at Time zone. The value Default is the time zone in which your server is located. Caution Choose your time zone carefully. You may see several time zones that look like they are the same number of hours off Greenwich Mean Time, but things like daylight savings time rules can differ from place to place. |
Tap Save at the bottom of this form when you are finished.
The other options on the preferences form are described elsewhere in this help.
To customize how FirstClass handles sounds (for example, the volume), choose Preferences from the application menu, then update the Audio section:
| To | Do this |
|---|---|
| play an unread voice message as soon as you open it | Tick the Automatically play audio files when messages are unread checkbox. |
| adjust the volume | Choose the level you want at Volume for built-in sounds. If you don't want any sounds at all, choose Off. |
If you are using a shared device, we recommend for security that you disconnect from the FirstClass server when you are done.
To disconnect from the FirstClass server, choose Logout from the application menu.