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Frequently Asked Questions GENERAL QUESTIONS
My script was working, now it stopped. What's up?
Validation on scripts takes approximately 24 hours to complete. If you have copied your script incorrectly, are missing parts of it, or have modified it, then you will get an error message telling you that the script should be recopied. It is not unusual for a bad script to work for 24 hours, be scanned by our servers and then stop working. Simply recopy the code exactly the the way the server gave it to you and it will function properly. If there is still a problem, contact us -- we'd be happy to look at it for you.
I got an error on my toy, I recopied the script, but it's still not working.
This could be one of two things: either you think you have copied the script correctly but haven't, or the CoolWebToys server has not had enough time to rescan your page to verify that the script is in place. Make sure the script is copied exactly as it is presented, -- no extraneous <br />, foreign characters, spaces, etc. If you are using a WYSIWYG HTML editor, such as FrontPage, Dreamweaver, etc, make sure that editor is not adding spaces or extra html to your script. Give the server a little time to revalidate your script.
I use an HTML editor to build my pages. Can I use your toys?
Sure! Just be sure that your HTML editor doesn't insert any extra HTML, foreign characters, or spaces into your script. The best way is to copy your script through a text editor without using an HTML editor. Simply open your HTML file with a text editor, copy your script to where you want it to go, save the file and upload to your server.
How do your scripts work? Are they malicious in any way?
Our scripts use javascript to render the toy on your page, and to communicate with our servers. The server checks to make sure the script is working correctly on your site. There isn't anything malicious going on, or else we wouldn't be around for very long.
Do your toys work on MySpace?
Not currently, although we are working on solutions for this.
How may I advertise on your site?
You may contact us about advertising with us using our contact page.
You only have a handful of toys. Are you planning more?
Oh yes.
CHAT QUESTIONS
How long are the chat transcripts kept?
Only about 30 messages or so. After that they are deleted with each passing message.
I don't see any ads on your site. How do you make money?
Currently we are just doing this for fun. But at some point we may add advertising to some of our pages. There are ads in our chat, but they point back to our site and products.
Can I pay for the chat, so that I can remove the ads?
That option is not yet available, but we may explore this in the future.
How do I clear my message transcript?
You can log into CoolWebToys, go to your account, find your chat and click 'view control panel.' At the top there is a link for 'clear message history.' Clicking that will clear the database. The page will have to be refreshed in the browser before you see changes.
How do I change the topic? How do I add a link? How do I choose my name?
All these questions are answered in the 'help' section of your chat window. You can change the topic by typing '/topic' before the text of what you want the topic to be, like this:
/topic This is a new topic.
To add a link, you can just copy or type it into the message window. To choose your name, you have to register with an email. If you are already an anonymous user, log out, then log back in again and choose your name through 'options.'
What do these names mean? Why am I Goofy Cat, Smelly Tree, Sticky Rock, etc�?
The names are randomly generated from two lists of words. We thought it would be more fun than 'chatuser1,' 'chatuser2,' etc. You may choose your own name by registering with an email.
How can keep users from swearing in my chat?
You can 'apply bad word filter' from your chat's configuration. All expletives on the list will show up as random characters in the chat. Of course, not all misspellings can be accounted for.
Can I ban users?
Yes. You can ban users by going to your chat in the account section of our site. Login, select 'account,' and then find your chat. Select 'view control panel.' All users are listed there.
To silence a user, click on 'silence' next to their name. After 5 minutes they will be able to chat again. To 'unsilence' them, simply click 'unsilence.'
To permanently ban a user, click on the [x] next to their name. They will be banned along with their IP. To unban them, click on the [o] next to their name, or click 'remove' next to their name in the ban list.
TIP: you may see what the person has written while banned by placing your cursor over their name. Click "view control panel" again to refresh the page.
CHAT USER QUESTIONS
How do I register?
When you come to the chat, you will see a small form to enter your email and a password. That's all you'll need to become registered. From there you can edit your profile name, upload images and other cool stuff to your profile.
If you are already logged in as anonymous, you will first log out by clicking the 'log out' link at the top right of the chat. Then you may register as you normally would.
What's the difference between anonymous and registered user?
Registered users can select their own name, create a profile, upload an image, have a custom quote, and have a profile with friends on coolwebchat.com.
I try to type something, but it says "Naughty! You must remain silent for xx minutes."
This is typically used as a small warning when you are misbehaving in a chat. You might have said or did something that was against the policies set by the chat administrator. The administrator is able to silence you in the admin section of the chat from coolwebtoys.com. They can silence you as many times as they want; the silent duration is always 5 minutes. After the 5 minute time-out is over, you are able to resume chatting.
I try to type something, but it says "Sorry, you've been banned. If you feel this in error, please contact the site owner."
If you've done something against the policies of the site or chat, the administrator for that chat may feel the need to ban you permanently. A permanent ban can only be reversed by the chat administrator. You might want to consider roses and candy to get back into the site owner's good graces.
I'm running the "shared" chat from CoolWebToys. What are the policies set for this chat?
The 'shared' or demo chat is the open-source chat that we use to sell our product. We like to keep the showroom nice and tidy for new users coming in to try the chat for their own site, or to become chat users. Therefore, we have rules we'd like to maintain and will enforce by using our administrative tools to keep order. Here are those rules:
- Do not spam. Repeatedly posting a link to your site is extremely annoying. If you'd like to consider advertising your site on our site, please Contact us.
- Do not knowingly misspell expletives. The filter is on there for a reason; We have many younger folks who frequent our site. We'd like to keep this chat as family friendly as possible without taking away all the fun.
- Do not post links to adult content, illegal content, or any inappropriate content. See above: many kids come here, we will not tolerate the posting of such material in our chat.
- Do not harass or threaten others, such as picking fights or flaming for no reason.
- Do not try to circumvent the system with malicious scripting or other hacks.
- Do not put inappropriate content in your profile or your username. This includes indecent or profane images in your profile.
- Do keep a positive attitude about yourself, others, and this chat. No one wants to interact with a sourpuss.
- Respect the admin. If the administrator warns you to stop doing something, then stop. Otherwise we'll go straight to a ban.
- If you are banned, you may request to be let back on. No guarantees. It's not easy to anger us. We are cool Internet folk like you. But, we've been around long enough to know when someone is taking advantage of the system.
I lost my password, how do I find out what it is?
At the login screen, click 'forgot your password' and follow the steps. An email will be sent to the address you registered with.
POLL QUESTIONS
Can I change my poll question after I've started my poll?
Not after you've had someone vote in it. But you may change your question and reset the poll if you wish.
Can I edit an answer in the poll after I've started my poll?
Not after it's been voted in, as that would skew the results of your poll. You may change questions if you reset the poll, however.
How many possible answers can a poll contain?
A poll may contain 30 answers.
How come I can't see my vote or more info button?
This could be caused by one of two things: Either you've made your poll too short, or you don't have a current doctype installed.
If your poll is too short, it can be lengthened in your poll's configuration page by specifying a larger height.
If you've made your poll long enough, but it is still getting cut off, make sure you have an updated doctype specified on your page:
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.01 Transitional//EN">
How many polls can I put on a specified URL?
As many as you wish. But be careful, it's a lot of work for you to fix them if you don't copy the script properly.
OF THE DAY QUESTIONS
Will I have to change the content to make it change every day?
No, the content changes automatically everyday.
Can I add my own content to Word of the Day, Quote of the day, etc?
Not currently. But we have entertained the idea of allowing custom content.
Do I need to register to have an Of The Day toy on my page?
Nope, but it's better if you register it, as you can customize it later.
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