| 13/04/2009 |
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Guest Post By Shankar Ganesh
Google Talk is the messenger of choice for Gmail users. Although the desktop client hasn’t been improved for a long time, many people use it as their primary instant messenger just because they are loyal Gmail users and many of their friends are. Unlike most other IM clients, Google Talk is also very minimalist and doesn’t intimidate you with ads and the like, so people are just sticking to it.
Here are five tips and tricks that every Google Talk user should know. Make sure you bookmark this page because you never know when they’ll come handy.
1. Desktop Shortcuts to Contacts
This is probably the quickest way to initiate a chat with a Google Talk buddy. Using this method, you can create a desktop icon. When clicked, this icon will directly open a chat window where you can chat with your friend.
To create a desktop shortcut to quickly chat with your GTalk friend, just right click on your desktop and go to New > Shortcut and type gtalk:chat?jid=username@gmail.com. To initiate a quick call, use the shortcut gtalk:call?jid=username@gmail.com where username should be replaced by your buddy’s GTalk ID. This method doesn’t work on Windows Vista, but only on XP.
2. Running Multiple Instances Simultaneously
Google Talk, by default, doesn’t provide a way to log in to multiple accounts at once. However, you can achieve that by a workaround.
Just edit your existing desktop shortcut to Google Talk by right clicking on the desktop icon, going to properties and then appending the parameter /nomutex to the target, like this: C:Program FilesGoogleGoogle Talk.exe /nomutex. You can use this shortcut to launch multiple instances of Google Talk, thereby allowing you to login to multiple Google Talk accounts simultaneously.
3. Making the Status Always Idle
There’s no way to control you can control your Idle Status on Google Talk. But, if you can install gAlwaysIdle, you can choose to remain either ‘Always Idle’ or ‘Never Idle’. Just by right clicking on the Google Talk system tray icon, you can make use of these idle options.
4. Formatting Text in the Chat Window
Did you know that you can format text on Google Talk even though there are no visible buttons present for that purpose. You can do basic formatting in Google Talk like making the text bold, italic and underline. To make the text bold, just enclose it within *asterisks* and to make it italic, just enclose it within _underscores_
5. Learn the Keyboard Shortcuts
Google Talk provides plenty of keyboard shortcuts that you can use to perform a variety of actions. Their documentation doesn’t seem to be listing the shortcuts though, so here’s a list of many user discovered shortcuts. Learn them once, and you’ll find them indispensable forever.
Here’s the list, as listed on Sizzled Core:
1. CTRL + Mousewheel up/down: It will change the font size in a conversation window.
2. CTRL + E: Center text
3. CTRL + R: Right justify text
4. CTRL + L: Left justify text
5. F11: Start a call
6. F12: Stop the call
7. ESC: Close the current window
That’s pretty much it. If you know of any other tricks or tips that you think will be useful for Google Talk users, please share them in the comments.
Guest blogger Shankar Ganesh writes on Killer Tech Tips on general tech tips ranging from most useful Firefox addons to how to make Windows run faster. You can also write a guest article on QOT and share your tricks.
See AlsoTags: #Computers #Google #Guest Posts #Tips #Tools #Popular
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Personally, I prefer to use another client when I need to use multiple gmail accounts, like digsby.
Good tricks – I particularly liked Always Idle and shortcuts to contacts.
When I was on Windows, I wouldn’t touch anything other than GTalk (except Skype) because of its simplicity and lack of bloat.
Stumbled.
I have used gIdle quite a lot and without it I am bombarded with multiple chat windows, so I would recommend that tool to any user who gets too many IMs in Gtalk
Never knew you could run multiple gtalk instances – thanks for the tip!
Never knew you could run multiple gtalk instances – thanks for the tip!
P.S. – Sorry, forgot to tell you great post!
Nice tricks. But, I rarely use gtalk. However, ym is getting worst form day by day. Maybe I’ll use gtalk later. Thanks!
great article for gtalk users. learned some new tricks from here.
You didn’t mention how to make text underline ?
Thanks guys for the feedback! I’m glad you found this article useful.
@Simran: I haven’t found a way to underline text in GTalk. If anyone knows the trick, do let me know. Thanks!
This article is very good,TKS.
Really Great Compilation…!!!
Thanks…!!!
Nice tips, but for Mac, Adium does everything and more :)
Great stuff! I am wondering if you’ve ever heard of this issue: only when in gmail or google hat, I get serious keyboard issues – it will skip keys and you have to pound the keyboard. every other app is working fine. using vista unfortunately. and did not used to have this issue. also not having it on another vista computer.
Thanks!!
I have the same problem. Have you found any solutions?
There IS a solution; I had this problem and changed a setting and it was fixed. Which was a relief, because it almost made me give up gmail. Of course, it was so long ago, I can’t remember what it was. Try some google-fu and good luck!
The best part was the running multiple account ….
I needed that badly, but was lazy enough to search for that.
Tnx I got it now
I knew those all, except that ‘making text Italic’, but Shankar you forgot to write how to make text underlined in gTalk..
about the first tip:
I just type gtalk:chat?jid=username@gmail.com but the window said that can not find the profile.(username have be replaced by my buddy’s GTalk ID)
Is it not work in China?
You have to install the mythical dragon patch to make that work in china.
ROFL
One point you missed that’s with Google Labs setting we can make our status invisible can’t be done in normal way right now.
Is there any way I can stay invisible on Gtalk? It is possible to stay invisible in Gmail inbuilt chat but not in gtalk.
Cool tricks.
it very nice tricks.
@Hami
You can have underlined text putting it between – hyphens -
;)
Even though Gmail messenger getting popluar but most people like me still stock/loyal to msn and yahoo messenger i guess its because the years we used it for!
Thanks
puting text in between – hyphens -, doesn’t underline, it’s strikes out the text instead…
nice tricks,
if anymore plz send me
- hyphens doesn’t work.
I think he is trying to fool us
They wrote it wrong. You strikeout text by typing -text- there should not be spaces between the text and the hyphens.
not hyphens, but underscores (shift+hyphen): _text_
no….
*asterisks* make it bold
_underscores_ make it underlined
-hypens- make it struck out
sorry.
i meant _underscores_ made it italics. all the rest are correct.
Hi, In vista 64 bits the multiple session trick doesnt work. I am unable to proceed even a step with this trick. Is there a way to do it in Vista? I tried with slashes and without but no luck.
I amazed and literate my gtalk buddies with this…great post indeed!
The gtalk always idle and the shortcuts didnt works for me :(
does Gtalkidle works with Windows 7?? i have got trouble installing it
2. Running Multiple Instances Simultaneously
It doesn’t work anymore with this text : C:Program FilesGoogleGoogle Talk.exe /nomutex . Could you plz teach me more? Plz do reply to my mail.!
its hyphens for a strike out and underscore for italics ppl nebody wid the underline shortcut
@tin dee: it does. try again type it in the target field.
RT @gochati google talk trik