[Image:81903_22607_2.png]Book resources for a presentation Minimum version: FirstClass 8.3 Audience: Business professionals Experience: [Image:9203_22631_1.png] FirstClass applications used: [Image:9203_24337_3.png][ fcp://@fc.onlinehelp.com,%237600229/En/OnlineHelp/Client Help/Calendars ]Calendars [Image:9203_31709_1.png] Summary Looking for a simple way to organize the location and resources you need for your presentation? Consider using a FirstClass calendar. Instead of sending out printed memos and filling out request forms, you can use a group calendar in FirstClass to invite participants, reserve multimedia resources, and book locations. Here is a comparison of the conventional way you may book resources and how you would do it in FirstClass. [Image:92203_31828_0.png] [Image:9203_31709_1.png] Example Michael Green is vice president of Sales and Marketing at Husky Planes. Several times a year he showcases the company's newest products for his sales staff. His presentations usually consist of a promotional videotape from the Marketing department accompanied by a slide presentation. Michael schedules the presentation, invites members of the sales department, and books the boardroom and multimedia resources all at the same time. He doesn't have to leave his office to ensure that his presentation goes off without a hitch. Here are the steps he takes to handle the arrangements: STEP 1: Schedule presentation Michael schedules the presentation in the Sales Dept Calendar by creating a new event entitled New Product Promo. This is the new event he created. [Image:8102006_91145_0.png] STEP 2: Reserve venue Each resource or location Michael wishes to book has its own calendar. When he schedules an event, he simply enters the name of the resource calendar or location calendar on the Scheduling tab of the event he is booking. If there is a time conflict, it will show immediately and he can decide how to handle it. Michael reserves the company's mid-sized boardroom using the Scheduling tab. STEP 3: Reserve resources Michael also reserves a large screen television, a video cassette recorder, and a video projector. This is the Scheduling tab where he books the resources. [Image:882006_33623_2.png] When he entered his requests on the Resources tab for the New Products Promo event, a new event appeared in each item's calendar. Husky Planes' IT department monitors the resource and location calendars and ensures that requested equipment is ready for use when scheduled. This is the calendar for the video projector that John booked. [Image:882006_32721_0.png] STEP 4: Invite participants Michael invites the members of the sales department by entering their names on the Scheduling tab. From this screen, he sees who may have a time conflict. He adjusts the date and time as needed (the booked times for the resources and locations will also change automatically). The presentation will then appear in each of their personal calendars. This is the Scheduling tab where he invites participants. [Image:882006_33910_4.png] [Image:9203_31709_1.png] Variation If Michael has content he wishes to share before the presentation, he can attach it to the calendar event at the time of scheduling or type it in the text box on the event form. This is the event he created. He attached a file for review and included an agenda in the text area. [Image:882006_32224_4.png]

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Netiquette guidelines Netiquette can be defined as Internet manners; the etiquette guidelines for posting messages online. However, these rules can also be applied to conferences and all electronic communication. At the start of the school year set expectations for netiquette in the course syllabus. Users should also be made aware that FirstClass tracks the history of each message. Other users can view message history to see: •       who created the message •       when it was created •       who has read it and when •       whether it was forwarded to other e-mail addresses. Users are less likely to post inappropriate comments if they know their messages can be traced. Although message history should be reviewed when necessary, it should not be abused to the extent of curbing free-flowing discussion. Conferences are intended mainly for collaboration and students should be encouraged to speak their minds. Form You never know who may be privy to messages in your conferences. Although you may subscribe only certain users, these users could forward postings to outside recipients. In any case, e-mail and conference participants should always try to make a good impression. It is wise to encourage your students to make their online submissions look as professional as possible. Here are a few tips to pass on to your students: •       take pride in how you appear to others •       respect other people’s privacy •       be forgiving of other people’s mistakes •       direct a critique at the issue rather than at an individual •       take some time to thoughtfully compose submissions. It is also a good idea to describe the social rules of online conferencing: •       do not forward private mail without the creator’s consent •       messages in a conference belong to the group, and not necessarily to everyone in the school and on the Internet. The best advice to offer your students is to "read before you send". Tone One of the biggest drawbacks of communicating electronically is the difficulty of imparting emotions through text. All you see is a computer screen. You don’t have the opportunity to use facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice to convey your message. Another very important point is that international readers may have access to your conferences, or be on your mail lists. Due to cultural differences, these people may not be familiar with slang words and phrases, or colloquialisms. Here are a few tips for conveying the proper tone: •       avoid sarcasm •       avoid jargon •       use "emoticons" when expressing emotions, as in these examples: winking ;-) sad :-( joking :-) bored :-0 frowning :-< said with a smile :-D •       use capitals only for the start of a sentence and proper nouns •       use exclamation points rarely and only for emphasis. Finally, watch how you word potentially volatile submissions. Assume that what you say will be taken in the worst possible way; if someone is upset enough by it, it will come back to haunt you. Flaming Flames are violent written expressions of disapproval. Sometimes it’s all too tempting to tear someone apart for a poorly worded submission, or blatant display of ignorance. Teachers and moderators are the first line of defense against such bad behavior in a conference. However, your students should view online communication as an opportunity to improve their maturity and, thus, promote self control. Here are a few tips to pass on to your students: •       before sending a message, ask yourself if you would say that to a person’s face •       behave online as you would in person •       calm down before responding to what you deem as offensive submissions •       apologize and use consideration •       keep your subject clear and on track •       brevity is always useful, even in discussion conferences •       quote or rephrase when replying •       if you can’t suppress a response, kind advice in a helpful tone will definitely avoid a lot of flaming •       always give the benefit of the doubt, and be kind with criticism. You may want to post the above rules and guidelines on your server for all users to read. Examples of Acceptable Use Policies (AUP)