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iChat, typical issue regarding users not showing up

I have two AIM accounts; I have one for Home/Friends etc and one for Work Friends & Co-workers to contact me at.
I put both AIM Names on either buddy list, recently they just stopped showing up on each others list on the same Mac running 10.5.8 and iChat 4

I did all the remove com.apple.ichat.aim or whatever plist files but it reverts to doing that ever so randomly.

it even happened under a different mac running snow leopard and that version of iChat. though that one seems to be abit more stable.

is there a fix or anything for it? atleast something solid..this is the first it has happened to me, just all of a sudden.....

thanks.

Mac OS X (10.5.8)

Posted on Feb 19, 2010 11:42 PM

54 replies

Mar 5, 2010 11:32 AM in response to Frank Einstein

It may be related to the Mobile Forwarding issue in this thread http://discussions.apple.com/thread.jspa?messageID=11177341#11177341

7:32 PM Friday; March 5, 2010

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

Mar 5, 2010 4:49 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

you know, I really wish it was AIM servers, but Im going with a iChat/Address Book conflict here.

because on my work machine running snow leopard, it worked fine.

First I started with setting up LoudspeakerMusic (main account), then a second AIM Name; LSMWork, and the third LSMStudio.

In my address book I added my name, contact info and all three aim names.
Loudspeakermusic
lsmstudio
lsmwork

all three buddy lists launch, each name shows up on each of the 3 buddy lists, address book recognizes them all online.
I adjust the spelling and letter capitalization but it doenst alter their online status.

but back onto my Macbookpro running 10.5.8

it doesnt show them online on either of the buddy lists, nor in address book.

so there is something more to this and its very very irritating; especially a long time after I compiled my entire address book and it was all working fine then out of nowhere this happened.

i simply dont get how/why it would act up like this?

Mar 5, 2010 5:01 PM in response to Frank Einstein

As I also made a temp 4th screen name, a random one (LSMTest99x99) in addition to my 3 current AIM names.

it shows all three of them on their buddy list, but once I add it to my address book contact card they all go offline its buddylist, but once i remove it, its all fine & normal.

Mar 5, 2010 5:54 PM in response to Frank Einstein

okay, sorry for triple post, but i foudn something peculiar;
so i created 2 other temp names, LdSpkrX123 LdSpkrX456 for example.

I created a NEW user account on my macbookpro 10.5.8
opened up address book; under my new account personal card i entered both names in the AIM field as LdSpkrX123 & LdSpkrX456 in that format.
launched ichat with both names...neither showed up, quit ichat, deleted them out of address book.
Restarted ichat & address book, both names show up on each others list...fine.

Created a new address book card, named it John Doe, added my names in there (LdSpkrX123 & LdSpeakerX456) launched iChat, they show up on each others list just fine.

so i shut off ichat, delete them out of address book.
I re-edit my personal card...add those two new names in there but make them all lower case (ldspkrx123 & ldspkrx456), relaunch ichat and viola they appear.

So apparently now, if they are in your PERSONAL address book card and not lower case they wont appear online on your other buddy lists, but if they are lower case, all is fine and well....though when following the same procedures under Snow Leopard 10.6.2, it doenst matter what their case sensitivity is...even though before when i synced my ipod touch & iphone with this address book they werent all lowercase and they showed up...so i dont know what is going on with AddressBook/iChat as its not AIM server related i can tell.

Mar 6, 2010 1:32 PM in response to Frank Einstein

Hi,

I say Ahhh !, all becomes clear.

Great detective work.

Back in the days of iChat 2 you could add your Own Screen name to the Buddy list.
(The days on one Screen Name and one Buddy List at a time logged in and only to AIM).
Some people made use of this and could Text Chat to their Home Computer from Work, say, and let their partners know when they were coming home.

In iChat 3 this changed but it was not clear how it was done.
I have never added second or third Screen Names to my own Address Card.
I just keep iChat with second and third screen names so I did not recognise the issue as I had not experienced it.

Notes:

AIM calls Buddies "Food"
Food is kept is Feedbags.
Feedbags are the lists we have of Buddies an their Screen Names and their Real Names.

On the whole the AIM system works on two main Feedbags. The Screen Name one at AIM and your Address Book which links the Display of First Name last Name stuff.
See this section http://www.ralphjohns.co.uk/page13.html#feedbag

Feedbag Error 10 is when you try to Add a Buddy in iChat adding the First Name, Last Name info in to the Text fields and iChat then checks the Address Book to Add them there but the Address Book stops you from adding a Contact twice (you have to add a number/Character if you happen to know two people called John Smith)

iChat 4 and 5 don't report Feedbag Error 10 they just don't add the Buddy to the Address Book or to iChat.

9:32 PM Saturday; March 6, 2010

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

Message was edited by: Ralph Johns (UK)

Mar 6, 2010 8:45 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

greetings Ralph,

have you personally tried that method yourself?

add 2 or more of your AIM screen names on your address book card in Upper & lower case (ie; RalphJohns instead of ralphjohns) and then add it in whatever size spelling you want in AIM and see if they show up when you add them address book with uppercase lettering iny our own address book profile card.

Then try making them all lower case in address book. see if it makes any difference on yours.
(if you are using 10.5.8 or using Leopard)

let me know if its the same for you.

thanks!

Mar 7, 2010 12:30 PM in response to Frank Einstein

Hi,

When I tried yesterday I could not get a Second screen name to show in the first Buddy list if it was added the the Address Book.

Today I added two extra Screen Names to my own card in the Address Book then tried to add Upper case letters here and there.

I had no problem with this.
I still can not add my main Screen Name to my Main Buddy list but the other two can be added to the Buddy list.

I noticed something else as well which my be pertinent.
One of the Screen Names has a Address Card all of it's own and My Card will override that second card in identifying that Screen Name in the Buddy List.
I have the Buddy List set to display My Name (rather than Handle) at the top of the Buddy List and all show as the Name in the Buddy List and I have to mouse over them to make sure they are the Screen Name I think they are.

Yesterday I was so sure it was as I suggested an issue about adding yourself to your Own Buddy List but today's test prove that this is not so.

I had no differences when I changed anything to upper case in the Screen Name in the Address Book at all.

I am on Leopard (10.5.8) on the computer I tested this on.

8:30 PM Sunday; March 7, 2010

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

Mar 7, 2010 12:54 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

this is so strange.

i tested it out on my friends mac running 10.5.8 on a separate user account using newly created names and if there were uppercasing letters in the name entered in address book it would not show up on their other AIM Buddy List, until it was in lowercase.
but if you make a non-personal card the case setting does not matter.

hm. in Snow Leopard, as mentioned it doesnt matter if its LiKe ThIs or likethis etc etc.

i guess now as long as its functional in some form. ill digress a bit, but definitely something alittle perplexing after digging into it.

Mar 7, 2010 1:21 PM in response to Frank Einstein

Hi,

I will test again in Snow Leopard tomorrow.

9:21 PM Sunday; March 7, 2010

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

arilo76

Level 1

0 points

Mar 8, 2010 12:49 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi i am not to sure if i am having the same issue here, any way i have 2 accounts a mac.com and me.com.

I have a friend which is in both accounts in my Buddies and in one he is on line ( mac.com) and in the other is off line (me.com).

Any suggestions?

Thanks

Mar 8, 2010 12:58 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Hi,

In Snow Leopard I added my second and third Screen Names to my My Card in the Address Book.

I added the third Screen Name to the Buddy List only to realise that it was already there linked to another Address Card

In Snow Leopard the My Card does not seem to override any other card, like in did in Leopard.

I deleted the screen Name from the second Address Card.
This did change my Buddy List display of this Screen Name from the "Real Name" used on the second Card to the "Real Name" on the My Card.

I then went to the iChat View Menu and changed the display to show Screen Names (Handles).

The third Screen Name showed as it should.

I then went back to the My Address Card and changed some letters in the third Screen Name and it remained in the Buddy list.

Changing things back to the way they were as to Screen Names and Address Cards, I then tried changing to using Upper case characters in that Address Card for the Screen Name, and again it remained in the Buddy List.

Either I have missed a step, misunderstood what was being said or I can not replicate this issue.

8:58 PM Monday; March 8, 2010

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

Mar 8, 2010 1:05 PM in response to arilo76

Hi,

If you have two Screen Names and therefore two Buddy Lists and have added a Buddy to both of those Buddy Lists then there are several possibles:-

1) You entered both manually and mistyped one.
2a) The Buddy only knows of one of your Screen Names and has Allow Buddy List Only set in iChat menu > Preferences > Accounts > Security so that only one of your Screen Names can "See" him as On-line
2b) You Buddy has your Second Screen Name Blocked.
3a) Linked to above but you have not added his second name to the Allow Specific People at you end.
3b) You have this second Screen Name blocked.

Basically it's about the settings in iChat > Preferences > Accounts > Security across both computers or a misspelling

9:05 PM Monday; March 8, 2010

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

arilo76

Level 1

0 points

Mar 8, 2010 1:16 PM in response to Ralph-Johns-UK

Wow that was a quick reply!!

Thanks for your info i check settings as you suggested in answer to the points:
1 I entered both using add a buddy
2a) i have to check with my mate regarding this 🙂
2b) i have to check with my mate regarding this 🙂
3a) all is allowed and the Security setting are both the same
3b) i quite sure nothing is blocked form my end.

Thanks for your help i will keep you in the loop and let you know thanks

arilo76

Level 1

0 points

Mar 8, 2010 1:21 PM in response to arilo76

You were bang on my friend block me by mistake.

Thanks for your suggestion!

Mar 8, 2010 1:26 PM in response to arilo76

No Problem.

And yes it is and different issue to the one the poster has in this thread.

EDIT:

Good job it was not your wife 🙂

9:21 PM Monday; March 8, 2010

Please, if posting Logs, do not post any Log info after the line "Binary Images for iChat"

Message was edited by: Ralph Johns (UK)

iChat, typical issue regarding users not showing up