How do I use chat?

[lugartrh5]

I go to monitor and see uploads, where one has smiley face i click on it cant chat, I get chat windows from other people, then I can, where do I go, what do I do to open my own chat window? (im on mac ox)

[foolofthehill]

Though LW comes with a chat function, you should not think that this feature is anywhere near the chat functions of Yahoo Messenger, Msn Messenger Live, or IRC chat.

To be able to chat you need first to enable chat in LW (go: LW>Tools>Options>Chat and click the "enable chat").
To chat with someone, it is necessary that both users are not firewalled and have the above function enabled.
But, even if all the requirements are fulfilled, it's still a question of luck whether you will be indeed able to chat........sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.