Chapter 13
Information Exchange Tool
Overview
The Information Exchange Tool lets you easily exchange files with fellow conference members. With the Information Exchange Tool, there is no need to set up specific accounts or configure file permissions; you can share files quickly and painlessly. You can use the Information Exchange Tool to exchange application files, images, or other data.
This chapter discusses:
- working with the Information Exchange Tool
- sending a file
- receiving a file
- Information Exchange Tool options
Sending and Receiving
The Information Exchange Tool’s interface is divided into two main sections: the Recipients list and the Incoming Files list.
Recipients List
The Recipients list shows conference members who receive the files you send. You may select one, some, or all conference members. Everyone whose name is highlighted will receive files that you send.
Incoming Files List
The Incoming Files list shows a list of files sent to you by others. These files remain in the Incoming Files list until you either delete them or save them to disk.
Sending a File
Knowing Where to Send It
To send a file, you must first decide to whom you wish to send.
1. Click on the Information Exchange Tool icon in the Conference Manager.
The Information Exchange Tool interface appears.
2. Click the names of only those persons in the Recipients list whom you wish to receive your files. Or, click the Select All Users button to send the information to everyone in the conference.
The members whose names are highlighted will receive the files you send. Any number of conference members may receive your files.
3. If you wish to remove someone from the Recipients list, toggle the selection with a click. Alternatively, you can click the Deselect All Users button to remove everyone from the list of recipients.
Names that are not highlighted do not receive any files from you.
Choosing the File
1. Select Send from the File menu to choose a file to transmit to other conference members.
The Send Information File window, a file selector, appears.
If you are unfamiliar with using a file selector such as the Transmit Information File window, please see Chapter 17 for a short tutorial.
2. Select the file you wish to send.
3. Click the Transmit button.
The file is sent to the people selected in the Recipients list and it will appear in their Incoming Files list.
If you have a particularly slow network or you are sending a large data file, it may take a few moments for the files to reach its destination.
4. After you are through sending files, close the Transmit Information File window.
Receiving a File
Saving an Incoming File
When someone sends you a file in the Information Exchange Tool it appears in your Incoming Files list. You can either delete it or save it to disk. To access the file, you should do the following:
1. Click on the Information Exchange Tool icon in the Conference Manager.
The Information Exchange Tool interface appears.
If you have any files that have not been acted upon, they are listed in the Incoming Files list along with the name of the person who sent you the file.
2. Select one of the files in the Incoming Files list by clicking on its name.
3. To save the file to disk, first select the Save As option from the File menu.
4. Specify a name and location in the file selector for saving the file.
The file is saved to disk and disappears from the Incoming Files list.
If you do not specify a new name for the incoming file, it will be saved under the same name it had on the sender’s workstation.
If there are files in the Incoming Files list you do not want to save, you can delete them.
Deleting an Incoming File
1. Select the files to erase from the Incoming Files list by clicking on their names.
2. From the File menu select Delete File.
You are asked to confirm the deletion.
3. Select Yes to delete the file or No to cancel.
The selected files are removed from the Incoming Files list and deleted from your disk.
If you delete an incoming file there is no way to get it back other than having the sender redistribute the file.
Information Exchange Tool Options
Compress
If this option is enabled, the Information Exchange Tool attempts to compress all files before sending them. The files are decompressed automatically and transparently on the receiving side.
Turning off Compression may yield an increase in speed, since no compression or decompression phase is required. However, disabling compression creates more network traffic. On a particularly slow network or with an unusually large file, you may actually experience a decrease in speed.
Compression is enabled by default.
Popup On Receive
With this option enabled, the Information Exchange Tool automatically opens when new files are received from other conference members.
This option is on by default.