Getting Started on Ichat

Question

When I click on the Ichat icon, a new small box comes up, but instead of me being me, it says that I am someone else (the someone else is in my contacts list, but they don't have Ichat). I just don't understand why it thinks I'm someone else. Please can someone help me to be myself!

Answer 1

Hi,
When you have just one account in iChat (iChat Menu > Preferencs > Accounts) in addition to the Bonjour one that everyone gets you will get one Buddy List.
AT the top center of this Buddy List is the Name of Account
In the case of an AIM account it will say "AIM Buddy List"  (if there are two AIM logins it will list the Screen Name instead -  although that can be changed)
If there is one Jabber Login it will be called "Jabber Buddy List"
Slightly below this and to the Left is the "Name" or "Handle" of the person on the computer and/or signed in to iChat.
Whatever showing is a drop down
It will Offer "Handle"  This is the Screen Name or ID of that Buddy List.
It will offer "Name" and this will be the details of the My Card in the Address Book of the person Logged in to the computer.
So...
If you are not the person Logged in on the Computer but have set up your account in iChat the drop down will show your Screen Name when Handle is chosen but the name of the Mac User Account/Address Book Detail of the person Logged in.
If you are the person the is Logged in to the Mac but someone else has created and Account in iChat then the Buddy List will display their "Handle".
Errors
From time to time the Address Book can lose which is the My Card and select another entry
This can cause the iChat Buddy List to display "someone else" as the person's Name.
Picture option.
Where this pic displays "Main AIM Screen Name" can be set in the Description box in iChat Menu > Preferences> Accounts.
If you don't set this it will list "AIM Buddy List if there is only one AIM list, otherwise it will display the Screen name by default if there are more.
As you can see the Drop Down is set for View as Name and is Displaying my Name (This is what I have set in the My Card in My Address Book)
The View as Handle option will display the Screen name I use with this Buddy list.
9:18 PM      Thursday; June 7, 2012
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