Introducing FirstClass©

FirstClass is an easy-to-use, advanced communications and information system. Here are some of the things you can do with FirstClass:

ü send and receive electronic mail (email)

ü transfer files so that other users can access them

ü browse through and send messages to common areas (conferences) that other users can also use

ü maintain online calendars, through which you can set up meetings with other users

ü maintain contact databases, where you can store information about your personal contacts

ü engage in instant messaging sessions with other users who are online

ü organize items into folders for easy access

ü publish information on the World Wide Web (personal web page).

Note that all of these features are not available at this time, but will be added as we learn to use the system over the next few months. Visit the district webpage often to learn about new areas of FirstClass that will be available and the directions for using them. http://www.warwickschools.org

NOTE: In the Online Help sections of FirstClass© you will see references to Voice functionality, such as sending and receiving Voice messages and faxes. Please note that our current infrastructure does not allow us to take advantage of this portion of the FirstClass system, and It is not currently known if we will be able to add this functionality in the future.

Logging into First Class

1. Enter the URL http://webmail.warwickschools.org/login/

2. Once you get to the FirstClass website login page (as shown below). Go to Favorites in the Internet Explorer bar and Add it to Favorites

3. Fill in your user ID (last name, first initial)

4. The initial password is the word password

5. Click Login to open your FirstClass Desktop.

Changing your password

The system will prompt for a password change with your first login.

We recommend that you change the password to something only you know, for security reasons. The minimum length is 6 characters and the maximum length is 12 characters. You must have a combination of letters and numbers.
We recommend changing your password monthly or every couple of months to keep your account secure.

To change your password:

1. Click Preferences in the left menu

2. Click Change Password in the top menu

3. Click on the Save button on the right

Your Desktop

Once you are connected to the FirstClass server, your Desktop opens. It contains your Mailbox, plus any containers that you or your administrator have placed on your Desktop. Here is a sample of what our new email/communications Desktop will look like when you log in:

Menus

Left side menu, in gray, a single mouse click will select an item.

Clicking on the word Desktop will bring you back to your full desktop view.

· Logout allows you to logout of the FirstClass site

· Directory The FirstClass Directory is the place on the server that stores information about users and objects to which you can address mail. You can open the Directory to view who and what is in it. It also lets you address mail just by typing the name of a user or object.

o The Directory contains addresses for:

§ all users who are registered on this server For example, if your organization has one server, all users in your organization who are registered on your server are listed.

§ The groups to which they belong are also shown, your personal addresses and mail lists. These are created by you. You will only see personal addresses and mail lists that you added, not other users' personal addresses and mail lists.

§ conferences, gateways, and calendars known to this server

§ In addition, any entries defined as unlisted do not appear in the Directory. Names in bold are currently logged in. Names in italics will not accept instant messaging invitation

o Listing Directory names

The Directory does not list any names until you click Search.

To	Do this
list all names in the Directory	Leave "Search" blank.
list only names containing certain characters	Type the characters at "Search", then click Search. For example, to list only those entries with a first or last name of Alan, type something like al. To find the entry for Alan Grady, type the entire name or something like al gr.
list only names that belong to your organization or group	Choose My Organization or My Group at "Show".

o Narrowing the Directory list

You can reduce the number of entries shown in the Directory list by requesting only certain categories of entries. The Directory window contains checkboxes for four categories:

§ Contacts Your personal contacts.

§ Local The users who are registered on your server.

§ Remote Users who are registered on other servers that are gatewayed to your server.

§ Conferences Includes calendars.

To remove all entries for a category from the list, clear the appropriate checkbox, then click Search.

· Who’s on-line

o All names in bold are currently connected to your server.

o Names in italics won't accept instant message invitations.

o You can also see a complete list of everyone who is online by clicking Who's Online.

o You can select a user and do the same things from the Who's Online list, such as sending a message to a user, as you can do from the Directory.

· Instant Message shows you who is currently connected to your server.

Instant messages are real-time, online discussions with other users.

· Preferences You can customize how FirstClass behaves in a number of ways. For example, you can display only unread messages, create an automatic reply for mail, and specify whether to accept instant message invitations.

To change a preference:

1 Click Preferences.
2 Update the Preferences form.

· Show Deleted Items shows you items you have deleted

· Show Unread Items shows you items you have not read

· Search allows you to search for many items within FirstClass

· New Folder allows you to create a new folder on your desktop

You can create folders to store and organize your messages and documents. These folders work like the ones you are used to in your operating system.
You can nest folders within containers.

o Creating folders

§ Open your Mailbox, or a container where you have permission to create folders.

§ Click New Folder.

§ Type the folder name.

§ Change other folder properties on the folder's Info form, if desired.

o Moving messages into folders

§ You cannot address messages directly to folders. The only way to get messages into folders is to move them there.

§ The default expiry date for messages in a folder is determined by the default set for the conference within which the folder is located; therefore, moving a message into a different folder may change its default expiry date.

· Upload allows you to send an attachment to your desktop

You can upload files such as word processing and graphics files so that they are available to other users. These files can be attached to messages or placed directly in containers.

· Create the Drop Down Menu allows you to do many things

· Help Contents shows numerous help topics

Your Desktop

A double mouse click will select an item icon.

Mailbox contains:

· messages that have been sent to you (Received)

· messages that you have sent

· messages that you have created but not yet sent (Unsent, i.e. draft)

· Any folders to store messages or other items you want to keep in your Mailbox section

My Tools

· Contacts You can store personal addresses and mail lists in contact databases, to simplify addressing messages. You have a personal contact database, called your Contacts folder. In addition, you can create public contact databases for sharing personal addresses and mail lists.

· Calendar FirstClass includes online calendars that record time commitments, such as meetings, and tasks that you need to complete. In addition to your own personal calendar, you may have access to public calendars that let you schedule meetings at mutually convenient times.

· My Website shows you a list of the items you have on your website

· Bookmarks shows your favorite websites

My Projects and Work

· My Documents shows you a list of any documents you have uploaded and/or created in FirstClass (not to be confused with items in MyDocuments in Windows that are created with Word, Excel, Access, Powerpoint, etc.)

· The folder My Documents is a place to put private documents, files, and so on.

You can create documents in FirstClass much as you do messages. These are the differences between a message and a document:

a message

· is intended for mailing to someone electronically, and therefore includes space in the header for address information · can't normally be edited after being sent (although FirstClass does let you unsend a message) · expires after a certain period by default (FirstClass automatically deletes expired objects) · is automatically named with the name of the sender (for mail received) or recipient (for mail sent)

a document

· is intended for posting directly to an area where others can see it, and therefore can't be mailed (unless attached to a mail message) · can be edited after it has been posted · never expires by default · must be named explicitly

Collaboration

· Conferences A conference lets a number of users exchange information online. They are similar to online discussion forums on the internet that you may already have experience with.

o You can send a message to a conference just as you would send a message to another user (email a conference!).

o You can open a conference and read the messages posted there by others.

o A conference icon is flagged when the conference contains unread mail. (red flag will be displayed next to the conference icon)

o Conferences can be created by your administrator or by yourself or other users.

o On your Desktop, you will only see those conferences which you have created or moved there, or to which you have been subscribed.

o You can also see any subconferences within a conference to which you have been subscribed.

o If there is another conference that you want to see on your Desktop, ask the conference owner to subscribe you to it.

o At first glance, FirstClass conferences look like folders. A conference serves the same purpose of putting items with a common topic into one place, but there are some important differences:

a folder	· is intended mainly as an organizational aid · doesn’t have directly controlled access; the folder’s container determines its access · can only hold messages that have been moved there · doesn’t indicate that it contains unread mail when it’s closed
a conference	· is intended mainly as an online forum for the exchange of information · has controlled access; you need to be given certain permissions to be able to see and work with it · can be recipient of messages · is flagged when it contains unread mail

Currently there are 3 conferences available that you see in the Collaboration pane of the Desktop ~ remember that the FirstClass implementation is a work-in-progress, and will change and grow as time passes! These are only representative samples of the Conferences we will have, and there will be many!

• Employee Area
• Cedar Hill Area (every school will eventually have their own Area!)
• Teacher Area

Help Icons at the bottom of your screen:

· Help allows you to:

o Explore a number of topics

o Explore uses of First Class

o Note we are not currently using the client version of FirstClass, only the web version. The difference is only that the client version runs on your computer, and the web version runs off the web. There are some differences between the look and feel of the two, but not so many that you will have to relearn the entire system when we move to the client version! Installation of the client version to all computers is tentatively planned for an August-September rollout.

· Working with First Class allows you to

o Explore a number of areas inside FirstClass

o View tutorials for using FirstClass

Icons You access FirstClass commands through buttons on toolbars or your desktop. Each page has its own set of buttons.

	Add to Contacts Folder		Add to Desktop
	Approve		Create Mail To
	Delete		Go to Final Page
	Go to First Page		Go to Next Page
	Go to Previous Page		Invite User to Chat