g-talk tricks
        
F9: Open Gmail to send an email to your friend 

F11: Start a call with your friend 

F12: Stop the current call 

ESC: Close the current window 

ALT + ESC: Minimize the current window 

TAB: Switch between multiple chat windows 

CTRL + I: Same as TAB 

SHIFT + TAB: Same as TAB but in reverse order 

CTRL + TAB: Same as SHIFT + TAB Windows + ESC: Open Google Talk (if it's minimized, or in the tray)
Conversation Text

A message can be 32767 characters long.
Certain smileys are recognized by Google Talk and will be shown in blue.
:-| :-O :-x :-P :-D :-( :| :O :x ;-| ;-O ;-x ;-P ;-D ;-( ;| ;O ;x ;P ;D ;( B-| B-O B-x B-P B-D B-) B-( B'( BO Bx BD B) B( B) And you can put a ' between the characters to get another one shown in blue. 

To write text in bold, put it between *asteriks* 

To write text in italic, put it between _underscores_ 

You can insert special characters like with 'Start / Programs / Accessories / System Tools / Character Maps'. 

Conversation Window

Drag a conversation window on top of another and they will dock together.
Drag a file onto the chat history and you'll send the file to the selected contact.
When you see a message notification, you can right click it to close it without focusing the conversation window.
Conference Calls.

What you need to do to have conference calls: Open up a copy of Google Talk on all computers with which you wish to conference. After one copy is opened make a new shortcut for Google Talk but at the end of it add /nomutex. If you installed it to the default folder then your shortcut should read "C:Program FilesGoogleGoogle Talkgoogletalk.exe" /nomutex. Open 2 instances of the software on every user's computer. After this start a chain: User 1 should connect on one instance to user 2. User 2 will connect on his second instance to user 3. User 3 will connect using his second instance back to user 1. With this chain everyone is connected to everyone.
Nickname & Status Message

You can change your name in the Google Account page.
or To change the nickname need to go to your Gmail account and change the name there. Choose Settings, Accounts, and then Edit info. Click on the second radio button, and enter your custom name.
As a result all of your emails will have that nick as well, there is no way to seperate the two.
You can add a website in your custom message, it will be clickable when someone opens a conversation window with you.
Contacts

You don’t need to say Yes or No when someone wants to add you as a friend; you can simply ignore it, the request will go away. (On the other hand, someone with whom you chat often will automatically turn to be your friend, unless you disable this).
The Gmail account 'user@gmail.com' can't be invited as your friend.