Thanks Sean, that is the sort of thing I need to know (what if anything is going wrong).

Easiest point first, ICQ has not got it arranged as a one or other, Acitive list is an additional feature and my hope is that it will prove usefull where a number of people want to get together for events like the MCR.

The flashing light is more difficult. I am aware that if you are invisible and try to connect to the list sometimes it can take a long while before you are informed that you are not authorised to join the list.

One problem with the Active list is that it requires somebody to run the server on thier computer. Most of the while, I have been that person. I am subject to a 3 hour ISP cut of time and am therefore not in the ideal situation to try to host it but am trying to prove that it works. I have not waited as long as you but a situation has occured after I have been disconneted where the flashing light follows without reconnection. I think the problem is ultimately one with ICQ but in my experiene it can be resolved by disonnecting from ICQ and reconnecting.

Alison and Jeri (briefly) have also tried to run the server but to the best of my knowledge have not been able to reach a point where anybody else has been able to log in and I can't answer why that should be but during those times, the flashing light would be all you get.

I know that this is not the ideal situation but I still believe that the AL even as it stands does solve a lot of the visibility (eg this week half the chat couldn't see the other half on IQ) problems, remove the need for somebody to keep on having to invite others (I lost a whole MCR to doing that 2 weeks ago) and cure a lot of the problems involving people getting booted for no apparent reason. I do think that is worth persuing for the "communal" events and my ultimate hope is that somebody with a permanent internet connection will take over.

Jon