When we first started playing around with Ch@tables Zane offered to download the Yahoo PepsiStuff Messenger while I stayed with the std Yahoo Messenger Beta (v5001029)...he IM'd me saying that he was all ready to go... then switched to the Ch@table IMViroment and sent me a message. The Ch@table IMVironment showed up on my messenger almost instantly.. no waiting, no download notification... nothing.. one minute it wasn't there the next it was. I guess system specs have a bit to do with it.. as when we tried the same method of transfering it to others some did in fact get the downloading message and for some it took a few more IM's being sent back and forth for anything to show up at all. As I said for me it was a breeze... as soon as I received the messages I was able to use all the features supplied in the Ch@table IMVironment.. including the Will Smith Ch@table Characters.

You don't need to have the Yahoo! PepsiStuff Messenger installed to obtain or use the Ch@table IMV with the Will Smith Character set but if you want to use the other collections your going to have go along and grab the branded messenger. (see *update to this further down the page )
Now if your fortunate enough to get your hands on all 6 sets of Ch@table Character you'll see them listed under the headings Hi's & Bye's, Diss & Dats, Flirtin & Funny.. simply scroll up and down your IMV using the red arrows to choose from the list. There is no need to go searching for a place to switch between sets as all are combined and visible on the lists. The IMV is exactly the same it's just the character sets that change
Ch@table Collections available from PepsiStuff.com
collection 2 (.exe) 466kb download
collection 3 (.exe) 478kb download
collection 4 (.exe) 465kb download
collection 5 (.exe) 462kb (corrected) 617kb download (faulty)
collection 6 (.exe) 462kb (corrected) 607kb download (faulty)








when it comes to installing the Ch@table Collections it's quite straightforward.. smiley download, locate the exe and doubleclick. Read the notices..
the section we have circled clearly states the following...
Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this program or any portion of it may result in severe civil or criminal penalties, and will be prosecuted to the maximum extent possible under the law.


the TOS agreement that follows on the next screen has the rules and regulations too.. just like any other program once you hit the Accept button to begin installing you're agreeing the terms stated..

If you have messenger running at the time of installing you may get to see this...
if it doesn't appear dont worry.. not many people get the notice.. perhaps another system spec issue :-)

As I said I haven't downloaded the branded messenger.. so what happens when someone whose using it IM's me? well just about anything.. as I said before I have the Ch@table IMV and the Will Smith characters so using and viewing those isn't a problem.. but when someone uses a character from another set I'll see either the image above to the right or nothing!

Turning them inside out...
UPDATE: (02/11/01) email from David Prather thank you :-)
"they have now fixed collections 5 & 6 to run on the IMV correctly. Also if you have the newest verson of messenger you dont need the branded PEPSI messenger what you do need to do is get some pepsi points from caps of soada log into pepsistuff.com and sign in using the yahoo account. the go download the collections it very easily adds them to your list of chatables. now mind you you do have to do this for every person and every computer. It is not share ware. If you have not gotton the software once in a name then even if someone else has downloaded the new chatables you can not use them, you have to get them for all IDs on that computer."

So if you downloaded a "faulty" set of chatable characters then pop back to [PepsiStuff.com] log in and go to Account History (top righthand side of the page) and you'll be provided with the download link the sets you have obtained with your points (you can also do this if you have "lost" your exe file any chatable set that you have orderd), click on the set you wish to re-download and your away.. simply run the exe once the download is complete to install :-)

When you download the Pepsi branded messenger there's no need to go uninstalling your previous version of messenger as it goes quite nicely right over the top. The Ch@table IMV is installed in the IMVCache.. obviously ;-) (same with if you're running the Std Yahoo Messenger).. now when you go installing the additional Character sets you'll notice new folders appear, moreso when you install sets 5 and 6.. this appears to be where the problem lies with using both these sets.. check out the graphic below.. its an explorer view screenshot of the Yahoo! folder...
Notice the cbuttons and cbuttons1_1 folder and the swfs and swfs1_1 folders? This is where the character files are stored... Ch@table Characters Collections 1-4 are found inside cbuttons1_1 and swfs1_1 and Collections 5 and 6 are insde cbuttons and swfs ... this could be why people are unable to use the characters from collections 5 and 6.. if you have either of these sets installed and are using them problem free then please let us know :-)
The character .swf files install into their own folders.. apart from collection 1 (Will Smith) which sits directly inside the main swfs1_1 folder..


all the characters .gif files go into the cbuttons folders (shown to the left) so pop in the folders and have a look around to see what you've got and how they are constructed.. very cool!

Now not meaning to be a wet blanket here but the PepsiStuff Messenger, the Ch@table Character Collections and their respective sites do have clear rules and regulations governing the use of both product and images to take care to read the information provided.. here's some excerpts of interest.. now don't just go reading what we have posted.. get hold of the documents and read them for yourself! :-)

from [PepsiStuff Offical Rules]
23. USING ACCOUNTS.
"...Limit one Account per Yahoo! ID and a maximum five (5) Accounts per household. Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Sponsors reserve the right to limit one Account per Internet Protocol address and/or household at its sole discretion. All activity during any particular visit to the Web Site is linked to the Account associated with the Yahoo! ID and Password used upon log-in..."

36. ELIGIBILITY.
"...Only registered Pepsistuff.com Account holders can enter Codes, claim prizes and redeem Points for Offers. You must be a legal resident of the United States residing within the fifty (50) United States to be eligible..."

37. TERMINATION.
"...Promotion is scheduled to commence on or about 9 am PST on October 1, 2001 and end at 9:00 pm PST on January 31, 2002. The Pepsistuff.com promotional site will not be accessible as of January 31, 2002 at 9:00 pm PST.."

From install of additional Ch@table Character Collections portions of the TOS aggreement...

1. ACCEPTANCE OF TERMS
"..Welcome to Ch@tables. Ch@tables provides this product to you, subject to the following Terms of Usage ("Terms"), which may be updated by us from time to time without notice to you. BY CLICKING THE "I ACCEPT" BUTTON (NECESSARY IN ORDER TO INSTALL CH@tableS ON YOUR COMPUTER) YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THESE TERMS.."

"..Ch@tables grants you a personal, non-transferable and non-exclusive right and license to use the object code of the Software on a single computer; provided that you do not (and do not allow any third party to) copy, modify, create a derivative work of, reverse engineer, reverse assemble or otherwise attempt to discover any source code, sell, assign, sublicense, grant a security interest in or otherwise transfer any right in the Software. You agree not to modify the Software in any manner or form, or to use modified versions of the Software..."

for now this is it re the Ch@tables and PepsiStuff Section.. I need to get some work done and go earn a $ :-)

UPDATE: (02/11/01) email from David Prather thank you :-)
"they have now fixed collections 5 & 6 to run on the IMV correctly.

Links...
[Ch@tables] (Ch@tables Main Site)
[Ch@tables: Intro] (Ch@tables Site)
[Ch@tables: What the Heck is a Ch@table] (Ch@tables Site)
[Ch@tables: What's Coming Up] (Ch@tables Site)
[Preview Ch@tables] (Ch@tables Site)
[Ch@tables: Sign Me Up!] (Ch@tables Site)
[Ch@tables: Help] (Ch@tables Site)
[help@chatables.com] (Ch@tables Email Address for support)
[Ch@tables Terms Of Use] (Ch@tables Site)
[Ch@tables Privacy Policy] (Ch@tables Site)
[Yahoo! Messenger - IMVironments™] (Yahoo! Site)