IM Special Instructions
Configuring privacy settings
In order to receive an IM from VT Alerts, you must configure your privacy settings in your IM service tool. The three IM services covered by VT Alerts -- AOL, MSN, and Yahoo -- all enable a user of their product to block the receipt of messages from unknown contacts.
The instructions below demonstrate how you must configure your IM privacy settings to receive a VT Alerts message. If you do not execute the steps below, or if you proactively block all unknown contacts, then you will not receive IM notifications from VT Alerts.
These steps were defined by our VT Alerts vendor, 3n (National Notification Network), the company that delivers messages for VT Alerts. We realize that these steps may contradict the university's security best practices. Until 3n can identify a better approach to ensuring IM delivery, we recommend that you add other contact methods to your VT Alerts account to improve our ability to reach you during an urgent situation.
- Microsoft Windows Live Messenger
- Yahoo Messenger
- AOL Instant Messenger Express (AIMX)
- AOL Instant Messenger (AIM)
Microsoft Windows Live Messenger
The instructions below are for Windows Live Messenger version 8.1.
| Step |
Action |
|
|---|---|---|
1 |
Click on menu icon |
|
2 |
Select Tools |
|
3 |
Select Options |
|
4 |
Select Privacy option |
|
5 |
Enable “All Others” |
Ensure “All others” is listed under “Allow List” as illustrated above. |
6 |
Save settings |
Click on OK to save settings. |
Yahoo Messenger
The instructions below are for Yahoo Messenger version 8.1
| Step |
Action |
|
|---|---|---|
1 |
Click on Messenger menu option Select Preferences |
|
2 |
Select Ignore List from the list of categories Click on the radio button “Ignore only the people below:” |
|
3 |
Save Settings |
Click on OK in the above image. |
AOL Instant Messenger Express (AIMX)
| Step |
Action |
|
|---|---|---|
1 |
Disable Pop-up Blocker if using IE 6.0 or 7.0 |
|
2 |
Select Services, AIM Express, and Launch AIM Express |
|
3 |
AIM Messenger pop-up enabled |
|
4 |
Select Edit from menu Select Settings |
|
5 |
Select Privacy from side bar menu Click on radio button labeled “Allow all users to contact me” |
|
6 |
Save Settings |
Click on Save |
AOL Instant Messenger (AIM)
The instructions below are for AIM version 6.1
| Step |
Action |
|
|---|---|---|
1 |
Click on menu icon Select Edit |
|
2 |
Select Settings |
|
3 |
Select Privacy option |
|
4 |
Click on radio button labeled “Allow all users to contact me” under “Who can contact me” |
|
5 |
Save settings |
Click on Save |
