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| Set Up & Switch Screen Names |
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Living On AOL August 2000 • Vol.8 Issue 8 Page(s) 93 in print issue |
Set Up & Switch Screen Names For Multiple Users Or Multiple Personalitiess | ||
 In the beginning, seven screen names might seem like a lot for your account. But as you become more familiar with the service, you'll understand why they're needed. With version 5.0, AOL has also lengthened its screen names up to 16 characters so you can incorporate a little more creativity into what you call yourself online. Even if you don't have enough users in your household to use all your screen names, you can use the names for different online purposes. For example, you can create one screen name for all your professional correspondence, one for when you enter chat rooms, one to participate in role-playing forums, and one for gaming services. Acquiring your two new screen names doesn't require any extra effort on your part, as long as you have the 5.0 software installed. You simply choose new names and passwords, and you are ready to go.  Creating More Names To create new screen names, click My AOL in the toolbar and select Screen Names. In the AOL Screen Names window, you'll see a list of your existing screen names with the primary account screen name followed by an asterisk. Click the Create A Screen Name option. Next, click Yes or No if the name is for a child. If you click No, continue to the next step. If the account is for a user under the age of 18, AOL will inform you of its policies regarding children's accounts. For example, AOL doesn't collect any personal information about children's accounts beyond their screen name. Click Continue. Click the Create Screen Name button at the bottom of the next window and then enter a username (between three and 16 characters) in the field provided in the following window. (NOTE: Don't use a child's name.) AOL might inform you that the name is already in use, so you'll need to select a new name. Once you've settled on a unique name, type a password in the field in the next window and verify it again. Entering the password twice ensures that you entered your password correctly. Click Continue. Now select what type of account this will be by clicking the checkbox next to the appropriate listing. This determines what kind of access the user has. General Access is for adult users, and it allows access to virtually any AOL feature. Mature Teen is for 16- or 17-year-old users who can access everything except for blocked newsgroups, Web sites with sexually explicit material, and premium services that include pay-per-use online games. Young Teen access is for 13- to 15-year-old users who are restricted to age-appropriate sites because this access level doesn't allow them to receive Instant Messages, enter private rooms for chatting, or use premium services. Kids Only access is for children under the age of 12. This level allows them to access only age-appropriate content through the Kids Only channel and its links to the Web. Click Continue. After you decide whether this account has "master" status to make account adjustments (may not be available for certain access levels), AOL will inform you that it added the account. Now you have two choices: You can click Accept Settings to add the account or click Customize Settings to make a few adjustments. Note that you need to restart the AOL software to add the new account. If you want to customize your account, click the box next to an option to open its customization window. For example, you can set exact online time limits for younger users or change access to the Web, e-mail, newsgroups, Instant Messages, or file downloading. If you decide to change personalities while you're online, sign off from the service, select the new screen name from the sign-on window, enter the password, and sign on to the service again. Or, if you want to switch to a new name without logging off the service, select Sign Off from the menu, then click Switch Screen Name. AOL will display your list of screen names for the account, as well as the type of access each screen name has. The envelope icon next to the screen name may appear orange if that screen name has unread e-mail. Click the screen name you want, then click Switch. When AOL informs you how long you were online with the previous screen name and about the pricing plan, click OK. Next, type the password for the other screen name in the field provided and click OK. (If you press Cancel, AOL will sign you off the service.) The next window you see is the Welcome screen for the new name. Take Control Once you've created screen names, you can always go back and delete one or add others. Remember, you can't ever delete your original, master screen name that you chose when you established the account. In addition, you can go back and reset access for each of the screen names. Click My AOL from the toolbar, select Screen Names, then click Edit Parental Controls Settings (for example). Click the box to the left of any option, such as E-mail Control, Download Control, or Premium Services, and make your changes.  by Cindy Krushenisky |
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