NWA-PCUG Newsletter Article, July 2009
SharedView & Skype -
Attending a Remote SIG Presentation

By Judi McDowell, President,
Quad Cities Computer Society, Iowa / Illinois

http://www.qcs.org
jmcdowell (at) mchsi.com (click to email author)

This article has been obtained from APCUG with the author’s permission for publication by APCUG member groups; all other uses require the permission of the author (see e-mail address above).

A few Quad Cities Computer Society SIG leaders have been using Microsoft SharedView and Skype to allow participation from members remotely. We have been practicing with small test groups; and although SharedView is limited to 15 participants at one time we would like to provide detailed written instructions to all members.

First you need to download Skype, available at Skype.com. tinyurl.com/yjuzbbg Click the download button and then follow the instructions below provided by Skype for installation.

How do I install Skype?
Run the Skype Setup application. A window will open asking what you want to do with a file called SkypeSetup.exe. You might see a confirmation message, asking if you’re sure you want to run this software. Click ’Run’ again.

Follow the Setup Wizard
When the download has finished, the Skype Setup Wizard will appear and guide you through the rest of the installation.

After the installation has finished, you can open Skype at any time by clicking the Skype icons located either on your desktop or in your system tray (this is found at the bottom right of your screen).

Now you need to add your “new contact,” from the contacts menu. A hello window will appear where you type a brief message to introduce yourself; send and wait for the “contact” to accept you. After your invitation is accepted, the “contact” will appear in your contact list.

How do I install SharedView?
Next you need to download Microsoft’s SharedView, available at the following website connect.microsoft.com/site94

After downloading and installing SharedView you will have to obtain a Windows Live ID in order to use it. This is a simple procedure that requires providing an email address and a password.

Please Note:
If you do NOT obtain a Windows Live ID, you may still be able to join a session as a guest, but it will require a password. This password is unique to each session and you will have to obtain it from the facilitator to join as a guest. A Windows Live ID makes joining a session much simpler.

On the night of a SharedView opportunity, you will receive a Skype call from “your contact” to start the audio.

*Open SharedView and sign in with your Windows Live ID and password. *Once signed in, click on the button that says “join a session”. Enter the session name. *After clicking “Join now” at the bottom, wait for the search to find the session; when found, your name will pop up to the SharedView facilitator who must allow or deny your connection to their computer.

After the connection is established, you will see the desktop screen of the SIG Leader. Try again if you aren’t accepted the first time. The facilitator may not have seen your request to join.

*The audio and facilitator’s voice will be heard through the Skype connection. While listening to the presentation, remember to mute or turn down your microphone. Otherwise, every sound picked up on your end will be heard by all the other participants in addition to the facilitator’s voice.

Only 15 people are allowed to join a session at one time so if demand exceeds that, it will be “first come first served”. To assure the best results, let the SIG leader know in advance you plan to attend and if this is your first time, it is recommended that you have a short trial run a day or two prior to meeting night.

Attending a SIG in person is still preferable to a remote log in, but we have had a couple people use it when they were out of town and this is a great opportunity to keep in touch with your favorite SIG if you can’t be there in person. To learn more about SharedView and how you could use it with your friends for collaboration—Visit this website: Shared View User Assistance Home Page / tinyurl.com/a4lt7h

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