Some questions about Messages

[mgartner0622]

Hello Everyone-
I just upgraded to 10.8 from 10.7 and I'd like a bit of help with the Messages app. I've tried and tried to find related answers, but the generic term "messages" helps provide so many unrelated items.

Anyways, I use iChat, now Messages, with Google Talk. I have about 40 people I talk to on a weekly basis. When I first opened Messages, I had one message, from a friend that had sent me it overnight. Now, for the life of me, apart from creating a new message and sending it to a friend, I can't seem to find a way to see if a person was online or not. iChat had a jabber list, in which like many chat clients it shows a list of online, idle, and offline people. However, I can't seem to find such a list in Messages. Does one exist, or is there a way I can get similar functionality from a Messages feature?

Thank you!

 

[PriapusZA]

Having a look on my Messages app - I don't see status for my contacts either.

However I can set my own online status - what's the point if people can't see them?

Maybe from MB to MB you can see online status - but mb to iPhone / iPad or iDevice to iDevice its not possible?

 

[Babyboi]

gartner, be sure to be signed in to your Google Talk, AIM, or whatever by going to your Messages Preferences, or hit Command + ,(comma).
Hit the + key to add your account. Once you've done that, go to Window and hit Buddies, or Command + 1.

Hope this helps!

 

[westonm]

I'm unsure how it applies to Jabber but for AIM buddies you can go "Window -> Buddies" (or cmd-1).

Edit: Beaten to the punch

 

[mgartner0622]

gartner, be sure to be signed in to your Google Talk, AIM, or whatever by going to your Messages Preferences, or hit Command + ,(comma).
Hit the + key to add your account. Once you've done that, go to Window and hit Buddies, or Command + 1.

Hope this helps!

Hooray, that fixed it!
Thank you so much for your help. Same to the poster below.

 

[Babyboi]

Hooray, that fixed it!
Thank you so much for your help. Same to the poster below.

no problem. why couldn't they just have it automatically appear, right?

 

[Billywiz1307]

Thanks also from me for the response but, is it just me or is anyone else puzzled by Apple's Messages. iChat was a doddle to use, FaceTime was slightly worse but Messages hides even simple things like buddies.

Go on, I expect a range of responses centering around, "I don't have a problem with Messages....."