Does VIM support Firewalls & Proxies?

VIM does not incorporate Firewall/Proxy Server support natively at this time. If you are behind a Firewall/Proxy server you "should" have a "Firewall/Proxy client" application available to you. If you do then you only need to setup your client to allow any number of programs to go through your Firewall/Proxy server.

If you are running MS ISA Firewall/Proxy server you can find more info on it at the following link:

http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/library/en-us/isa/isaabout_4u7n.asp

If you are using another version of Firewall/Proxy server then consult your vendor for more details.

Is VIM re-sizable?

At present only the "Instant Message" page is re-sizable This is largely due to the fact that VIM incorporates many advanced features and it quite complex. With the background processing, use of page frames, etc., it is not easy to add all of the "Bells & Whistles" normally found in software. And since VIM is a "free" program, the time required to make VIM fully re-sizable cannot be justified. But for now VIM is at a convenient size that should fit most desktops adequately.

What do you mean by "Full Version" of VIM?

VIM was released in stages. First was the Forum section, then Instant Messaging and finally Buddy Lists and Buddy Messages. These features make up the bulk of the "Full Version" of VIM. We do not plan on expanding past these features in VIM. If VFUG.Org decides to add more functionality for it's site it may be in the form of an entirely new application. Stay tuned, we have some really kool ideas brewing...

Yes, you may send e-mail (SMTP) to members currently online in the Instant Messenger section, or to members who are currently Off-line in the Buddy Message section. At this time VIM does not support receiving e-mail. Please Note: Because of security concerns, we have ruled against incorporating file attachments & sending to more then 1 person at a time. We feel it is better to protect the VFUG membership with these limitations then to add more power at the price of big headaches.

Can I save VIM Contents locally?

Yes, there are several ways:

1. Forum Section -- The only way to save message contents in this section is to right click on the message, select "Select All" from the short cut menu and the "Copy". You can then "Paste" the message to a local text file. But that defeats 1/2 the purpose of the Forum & VIM. The Forum is fully searchable so why keep contents locally?

2. Instant Message -- There is a "IM Save" command button that you can click on. The contents of the received portion of the screen will be saved to disk. VIM will display the name of the created file in the status line after saving to a file.

3. Buddy List -- You have a complete "Address Book" to save info on selected VFUG members you selected. This "Address Book" is located on your local disk.

4. Buddy Message -- There are 2 modes supported here; Online Messages & Off-line Messages. "Online Messages" are stored on the server for access at any time (up to 30 days max -- but this could change) from any PC capable of running VIM. "Off-line Messages" are the Online Messages you chose to store on your local disk. These messages are obviously available to you at any time.

Can I respond to VFUG Forum Messages using VIM's "Buddy Message" system?

YES! VIM now has the ability, under the "Buddy Msg" (BM) tab, to easily read VFUG Forum Messages in an "EMail like" format. This makes catching up on new messages and responding to them "much" easier and faster to do. Just make sure the "BM Forum Msg" checkbox is selected. This will enable Forum messages to be saved in an online message store for retrieval as a "Buddy Message" by VIM.

Once in a while when I start VIM and try to Log On at the main page it pauses for about 30 seconds and then errors out. What should I do?

Once in a while the VIM subsystem does not initialize all the resources it needs correctly. The best way to solve this problem is to just completely quit the application and then restart it. Restarting usually fixes this problem in most cases and then all should function normally.

Will VIM work on slow connections like mobile connections?

YES! Many mobile connections (i.e.: Using a cell phone as a "modem" to connect a laptop to the Internet) are generally ~14kbps or less in bandwidth. This can make for some slow computing when on the road. Since VIM uses a local Graphical User Interface (GUI), all that usually needs to be transferred from the server is just a fraction of what a web page requires. So this makes VIM especially good for "Road Warriors". Starting with VIM v.2002.10.280 the critical timing loops have been increased by 10 fold! This should make VIM more tolerant of these types of slow connections and more reliable in retrieving data the first time around. But please note your results will also depends on the quality of your current connection. If you feel results did not display correctly then simply retry the previous operation. As we all know cell phones, even with voice, is not great in many circumstances. All this is taken under consideration in the design of VIM but we have no control over your wireless provider and the quality of their service. But VIM has been fully tested over such connections and has proven to be quite robust under these circumstances.