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. At the top of the desktop you'll see the name of your server plus the amount of space your administrator has allotted to you on this server.
The desktop is divided into panes that contain different types of information. Most of the panes in the sidebars collapse and expand to reveal the information you want to see. The left sidebar panes have collapse/expand arrow buttons. The right sidebar panes expand when you select their titles.
When you open FirstClass objects, they may open in the central pane, in one of the sidebars, or in a popup window. Objects displayed in any of these places can in turn be opened. Where you see an x button in the corner of a pane or window, you can use that button to close it. Objects that open in the central pane are closed using the navigation bar, as described below.
Notes
Depending on the amount of space available in your window, the central pane may cover the sidebars when you open an object, to optimize space for the object's contents. If you want to see the sidebars at the same time, enlarge your browser window.
This help assumes your device is in landscape orientation. Depending on the size of your device, rotating it into portrait orientation may result in changes to what you see. In that case, the help will also switch to properly describe how to use FirstClass in that orientation.
The application menu in the top right corner of your desktop allows you to update your preferences, profile, and password, or to disconnect from your server.
In open containers, you'll often see a combination New button at the top. This allows you to create new objects. The default object for the container (for example, a new message in your mailbox) is on the left. Beside it is an arrow button. Using 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.
When you select an object in a list or a name in a message envelope, a menu becomes available. You can use this menu to work with the object. Objects in the right sidebar will display a menu bar when you hover over them. Use the menu bar to open the object's menuwhen you tap them.
When you hold a closed object, the object's menu becomes available. Depending on your device, this menu may just contain items from the device's own operating system. In that case, you won't be able to do some of the operations documented in this help..
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 in the top right corner that allows you to:
When you open a container in the central pane, it is also represented in the navigation bar above the central pane. If you then open a subcontainer, the full path to that subcontainer is shown on the navigation bar. This lets you return directly to a container in that path by selecting it.
To go directly back to your homepage, select Home on the navigation bar.
The containers you have most recently visited are remembered for you. To see these containers in a popup window, select Recent Places on the navigation bar.
If you want to add an open object such as a new message or calendar event to your recent places, use the minimize button at the top of the object's form.
To remove an object from the popup, use the x button beside it.
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.
Your profile picture and name are displayed in the top right corner. Select either of these to open your profile in the central pane, or choose My Profile from the application menu. To edit your profile, select the Profile link at the top, then use the Edit button.
To see someone's profile, select their picture wherever you find them in a list.
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. The MAILBOX pane in the left sidebar lists all unread items in your mailbox. When you select one of these items, your mailbox opens in the central pane, with this item automatically open. The item disappears from the list of unread items.
To open your entire mailbox without opening an item within it, select the MAILBOX title.
To create a new message right from your desktop, use the New Message button at the top of the MAILBOX pane.
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. The CALENDAR pane in the left sidebar shows your personal calendar as a mini 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, select that date in the mini calendar. You can display a different month in the mini calendar by using the back or forward arrow button beside the month.
To open the calendar in the central pane, select the CALENDAR title.
When you open an item listed below the calendar, the calendar opens at the same time.
To create a new event right from your desktop, use the New Event button at the top of the CALENDAR pane.
The WORKSPACE pane in the left sidebar lists folders meant for your personal, rather than shared, information.
The folders in this pane are:
Note
You can also create folders for personal storage directly on your homepage. 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. To create a folder on your homepage, choose New Container from the homepage's menu, then select Folder. Follow the prompts to give your folder an icon and name, then select Create.
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 use the Send button.
Note
If your organization doesn't use the FirstClass email system, you won't have a FirstClass Contacts folder.
Stores personal contact information for friends and business associates.
A place where you can store uploaded files for your personal use.
To upload a file from your device to this folder, open the folder, then use the Upload File button to browse for and select your file, or take a picture. In other containers, choose Upload File from the New button's menu.
If your browser supports the file type, you can open a file by:
The file opens in a new tab or window.
The file opens in the right pane.
The file opens in a new tab or window.
To open a file attached to an object such as a message, select it.
If your browser doesn't support the file type, you are asked what you want to do with it.
To download a file from this folder (or any other container) to your device, use your device's normal file download method. In some cases, you may need to open the file first.
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.
A place where you can store FirstClass documents that are just intended for your personal use.
To print a document displayed in the right pane, use the Print button.
To create a document here, use 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 a document, open it, then use 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, Control(Command)/right-click ituse your device's standard method.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Icon Picker | The icon that will be associated with this document. To change the icon, select the existing icon, then the icon you want from the popup list. To see additional icons, choose All Icons from the popup's menu. |
| 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. |
| Attach | Attaches a file that is on your device to the document. Browse for and select the file, or take a picture. To attach an object that is on your server (such as a FirstClass document or an uploaded file), drag the file or other object to the document's envelope. You can also use this method as a shortcut to attach files that are on your device. |
| 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 | Print prints the document using your device's standard print method. Delete deletes the document. |
Displays any bookmarks (links) to other FirstClass containers and websites that you have created with the FirstClass client. Selecting a bookmark opens the linked object.
To edit a bookmark, you must select it without activating the link. To do this, first use the Edit button, then select the bookmark. Choose Properties from the bookmark's menu.
You will only see this if your organization uses FirstClass Unified Communications. You create and store your voice greetings here.
The Enabled column displays green for greetings that are turned on and black for greetings that have been disabled.
The Apps bar under your homepage lists any web applications that have been provided by your administrator. To run one of these applications, select it.
The MY PEOPLE pane in the right sidebar lists everyone you have decided to follow because their activity particularly interests you, and so acts as your personal buddy list. You can tell at a glance when anyone listed here is online, or there is new activity in their blog.
To open someone's blog and profile, select them.
You can use someone's 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 use the Follow button.
To remove someone from your people list, choose Stop Following from their menu. You can also open their profile and use the Stop Following button.
The WHO'S ONLINE pane in the right sidebar lists everyone who is currently online.
To open someone's blog and profile, select them.
You can use someone's menu to send email to them, chat with them, follow/stop following them, add them to your contacts, or open their calendar.
Outside this pane, a green dot beside someone indicates that they are currently online.
The PULSE pane in the right sidebar 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 comment on a post, choose Comment from its menu, then type your comment.
To open someone's blog and profile, select them.
If you see a thumb up (like) icon, you can "like" a post by selecting 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 CHATS pane in the right sidebar lists everyone with whom you have had an online chat.
To reopen a chat, select the person. 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 the CHATS pane, use the New Chat button on the CHATS pane title bar, then invite the person or people you want to chat with by typing all or part of their names and tabbing. If you type a partial name with multiple matches, you are asked to pick the person you mean. Use the Create button when you have invited everyone you want in this chat. You can also choose Chat at at person's entry in your people list or from a list of Directory name matches (described later in this document).
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, use 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.
For files on the server
If you want to add a file that is already on the server (an uploaded file or one attached to a FirstClass object such as a message), drag it to the chat.
To stop chatting, use the x button at the top of the chat pane.
In the case of chats with only one other person, 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. These options aren't available for chats with multiple other people.
To remove a chat from this list, choose Delete from its menu.
If your browser supports video, you can start a video chat with another person whose browser also supports video.
To start a video chat, open the person's chat pane just as you would if starting a text chat. Use the Initiate Video Chat button at the top of the chat pane 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 pane.
You can move the video chat to a resizable window in the center pane by using the Zoom icon in the top right corner. Closing this window stops the chat. To move the video chat back to the chat pane, use the Zoom icon again.
The UPDATES pane in the right sidebar contains three sections: Watched Items, Invitations, and Subscriptions.
The Watched Items section shows 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. You can select an item in this section to go to it. To add an item to this list, choose Watch from its menu. To remove an item from this list, choose Remove Watch from its menu.
The Invitations section shows any invitations you have received to join communities. To open the community, select the invitation. To join the community, choose Accept from the invitation's menu. To decline the invitation, choose Decline.
The Subscriptions section shows the communities to which you have subscribed in order to track activity when you aren't connected to your FirstClass server. You can stop subscribing to a community directly from this list by choosing Delete from the subscription's menu.
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 in the same location as your profile picture and name.
To post your first status, use the link you see in this location, then type your status. To post a new status, select your old one, then type your new one 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. There are various types of list views, depending on the type of content.
Some content (such as your mailbox content) is displayed in a split pane, with objects listed in the left pane and any open object displayed in the right pane.
Other content (such as a community feed) is displayed in one single pane. Selecting an object such as a wiki page in this display opens the right pane. Selecting the object again closes this pane.
In addition, some lists are displayed in column format, with column headings.
When you select an object in a container's list, its contents are opened in the right pane. You can then use the menus and buttons displayed with both the listed and open object to work with it.
If you want to select an object without opening it, press Control(Command) while you click it. Doing this again deselects it. You can also use this method to select multiple objects.
To select an object without opening it, hold it. The list is placed in select mode. You can select multiple objects in this mode. You can then use the displayed icons/menu to work with the selected object(s). Selecting a selected object again deselects it. To leave select mode, use the button at the top of the checkbox column.
You can use the down and up arrow keys to open the next or previous object in a list.
To open the objects in a popup window, open one of the objects in the right pane, then use the Zoom button. From the popup window, use the Next and Previous buttons, or the down and up arrow keys, to open the next or previous object in the list. Because you can't edit in this window, editable objects are skipped.
To change the order in which a list is sorted, use 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. Use your Enter key when all words are typed. Objects that contain all the words you typed will be listed.
To restore all objects to the list view, clear the Filter field.
Note
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, select its column heading. To reverse sort, select the column heading again.
To group on a column, press Control(Command) while you select its column headinghold 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, select 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, select any solid bead in the group control. To restore the group to the initial view, select the bottom bead.
To expand or collapse all groups, select 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, press Control(Command) and select the column heading againhold the column heading again. This column will automatically ungroup if you group on another column.
If an object has multiple versions, selecting the number of versions in the Ver column lists all versions.
Selecting this number again hides the older versions.
If an object has comments, selecting the number of comments in the comments (balloon) column displays all comments.
Selecting 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 use this button to open a flyout pane displaying subcontainers. To close the flyout, use 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 contents.
Tip
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 subcontainer you want. Follow the prompts to name your subcontainer and provide other information, then select 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.
To search FirstClass for all items containing a particular word or phrase, type that word or phrase at Search on the navigation bar. 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 in the MY PEOPLE pane. Everyone in the Directory who matches your search term is listed.
You can use a person's menu to:
You can also see the person's profile by selecting them in this list.
To move an object to another container (the target container), choose Move from its menu. Any subcontainers in the current container are displayed. If the target container is displayed, select it, then use the Move button. If you don't want to move the object to a subcontainer, use the Up button to navigate to the target container.
You can also move an object to a subcontainer by dragging its icon to the parent container's Folders button, then dropping it on the subcontainer displayed in the flyout.
Control(Option)-dragging will copy an object instead of moving it.
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. To delete an open object, use the Delete button.
To remove items that display an x beside them, such as message recipients or attached files, use 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, choose Undelete from its menu in the list of deleted objects. The object is restored to its original location.
To see all objects that you have recently deleted, open Deleted Items in the WORKSPACE pane. To restore an object to its original location, choose Undelete from its menu.
To print an object, open it, then use 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 to the right of the list of objects. This flyout works just like the Folders flyout.
To pin an object, choose Pin from its menu. If there is already a Pinned flyout in the container, you can also drag the object to the flyout.
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 select that tab to open the envelope.
In your mailbox, envelopes may display a disclosure button beside To. Selecting 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 use 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 (including dragging other objects to the message to create links to them) 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 unopened object in a list, such as a message, by choosing Toggle Unread from its menu. As the name implies, you can use this 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 using 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. |
Select 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.