Problem Checklist

If you are having trouble viewing, saving, copying, printing, or otherwise viewing or manipulating files you download; or if you are having problems seeing pages you view in your browser: the cause of your difficulties may be a permission assigned by the visitor who submitted them for publication.

• Learn more about permissions and their possible affect on your downloads at the section called Policies—Quality Assurance, Accuracy, And Access To Information. Read the section called About Computer Programs That Control Access To Published Information: click here.

registration

If you are unable to log in at Electricka's Email Center, the problem may be that you have failed to register. To register, click the text Enter Electricka's Email Center Now on the page called Electricka's Email Center and follow directions the page that opens.

Login

• To register and to log in automatically after you have registered, cookies and JavaScript must be enabled on your browser.
• After you have registered, if you log in to Electricka's Email Center using a computer that is not the one you used to log in last time, you may be asked to provide your email address and password again.

about Cookies

A cookie is a temporary note placed on your computer by an internet server. The Email Center automatically places a cookie on your computer when you enter the Center. This cookie:

• Makes login possible.
• Does no harm to your computer and takes up almost no space.
• Is removed from your computer as soon as it is not needed.

Your browser gives you the option to turn the cookies feature on or off. If OFF, cookies may not be placed on your computer until cookies are turned ON again.

Because login is essential, you must have cookies enabled on your browser before you can enter the Email Center; otherwise, you will not be able to enter the Email Center.

—note— turn cookies and javaScript on New browsers come with the cookies feature set to ON but you or someone else may have turned them OFF. If the cookies feature on your browser is set to OFF, set it to ON before you try to enter the Email Center or Electricka's Email Center. Consult your browser's HELP for more information.

Email and SPAM Blockers

SPAM blockers block your email from Electricka. If you use a SPAM blocker, you won't be able to activate your new Email Center membership or receive newsletters or other email notices you've signed up to automatically receive when they become available.

Problems with receiving email from Electricka's Email Center are rare and are usually easy to fix by adjusting settings. Here's how:

Like any other email sender, Electricka's Email Center uses a "from" email addresses to send you email when you register or when email is sent to you.

If you cannot receive email from Electricka's Email Center, the problem may be with the settings in your email program's SPAM blocker. If the email program on your computer or at your web email service is blocking email from Electricka's Email Center, you can easily remedy the situation by taking one of the following measures:

• Add the email address for Electricka's Email Center to your email program's Address Book, Safe Senders List, List of Allowed Receivers, or "white list." This will allow you to receive email specifically from Electricka's Email Center.
• Conversely, take the email address for Electricka's Email Center off your "black list."
• Add Electricka's domain name (i.e., web site name) to your email program's Address Book, Safe Senders List, List of Allowed Receivers, or "white list." This will allow you to receive all email sent from any of Electricka's email addresses.

—note— SPAM Blockers As described above, if you use a SPAM blocker be sure that the email address of Electricka's Email Center is on your list of accepted email addresses:   To receive email sent from Electricka's Email Center, place this email address on your list: EmailCenter@Electricka.com To receive email sent from any of Electricka's email addresses, place Electricka's domain name on your list: Electricka.com

registration

If you are unable to log in at Electricka's Forums, the problem may be that you have failed to register. To register, click the Register icon at the top of the page called Electricka's Forums and follow directions on the page that opens.

Login

• To register and to log in automatically after you have registered, cookies and JavaScript must be enabled on your browser.
• After you have registered, if you log in to Electricka's Forums using a computer that is not the one you used to log in last time, you may be asked to provide your email address and password again.

about Cookies

A cookie is a temporary note placed on your computer by an internet server. The Forums automatically places a cookie on your computer when you enter the Forums. This cookie:

• Makes login possible.
• Does no harm to your computer and takes up almost no space.
• Is removed from your computer as soon as it is not needed.

Your browser gives you the option to turn the cookies feature on or off. If OFF, cookies may not be placed on your computer until cookies are turned ON again.

Because login is essential, you must have cookies enabled on your browser before you can enter Electricka's Forums; otherwise, you will not be able to enter the Forums.

—note— turn cookies and javaScript on New browsers come with the cookies feature set to ON but you or someone else may have turned them OFF. If the cookies feature on your browser is set to OFF, set it to ON before you try to enter the Email Center or Electricka's Email Center. Consult your browser's HELP for more information.

Email, spam blockers, and Email Notices

SPAM blockers block your email from Electricka. If you use a SPAM blocker, you won't be able to activate your new Forums membership, receive notices when a member adds a new topic, comments on a topic, or sends you a private email.

Problems with receiving email from Electricka's Forums are rare and are usually easy to fix by adjusting settings. Here's how:

Like any other email sender, Electricka's Forums uses a "from" email addresses to send you email when you register at the Forums or when Forums email is sent to you.

If you cannot receive email from Electricka's Forums, the problem may be with the settings in your email program's SPAM blocker. If the email program on your computer or at your web email service is blocking email from Electricka's Forums, you can easily remedy the situation by taking one of the following measures:

• Add the email address for Electricka's Forums to your email program's Address Book, Safe Senders List, List of Allowed Receivers, or "white list." This will allow you to receive email specifically from Electricka's forums.
• Conversely, take the email address for Electricka's Forums off your "black list."
• Add Electricka's domain name (i.e., web site name) to your email program's Address Book, Safe Senders List, List of Allowed Receivers, or "white list." This will allow you to receive all email sent from any of Electricka's email addresses.

—note— SPAM Blockers As described above, if you use a SPAM blocker be sure that the email address of Electricka's Forums is on your list of accepted email addresses:   To receive email sent from Electricka's Forums, place this email address on your list: Forums@Electricka.com To receive email sent from any of Electricka's email addresses, place Electricka's domain name on your list: Electricka.com

About The Forums

more about Electricka's forums

Electricka's Forums has its own HELP facility. You can access this facility before or after you are registered to use the Forums. Visit the About Electricka's Forums page for additional HELP with registration and participation.

• Click the Forum image at the left to access Electricka's Forums.
• Click the text About Electricka's Forums under the Forums image at the left to learn more about Electricka's Forums.

spam blockers

Like any other email sender, the email you receive from Electricka bears a "from" email addresses. Since Electricka can send you email from numerous email addresses, her "from" email address will vary depending on the feature at Electricka's web site that generates the email. The information below applies generally  to email you receive from Electricka regardless of the "from" address it bears.

Email problems usually occur because of spam blockers that are not properly set. SPAM blockers block your email from Electricka. If you use a SPAM blocker, you won't be able to receive any of Electricka's email messages. Setting a spam blocker to receive email is easy. Here's how:

Like any other email sender, Electricka's email bears a "from" email addresses.

If you cannot receive Electricka's email, the problem may be with the settings in your email program's SPAM blocker. If the email program on your computer or at your web email service is blocking email from Electricka's Forums, you can easily remedy the situation by taking one of the following measures:

• Add the appropriate "from" email address email address for Electricka's Forums to your email program's Address Book, Safe Senders List, List of Allowed Receivers, or "white list."
• Conversely, remove the appropriate "from" email address from your "black list."
• Add Electricka's domain name (i.e., web site name) to your email program's Address Book, Safe Senders List, List of Allowed Receivers, or "white list." This will allow you to receive all email sent from any of Electricka's email addresses.

—note— SPAM Blockers As described above, if you use a SPAM blocker be sure that Electricka's "from" email addresses are on your list of accepted email addresses. Do this for all of Electricka's email addresses that send you email:   To receive email sent from a specific Electricka email address, place the appropriate "from" email address on your list. To receive email sent from any and all of Electricka's email addresses, place Electricka's domain name on your list. Electricka's domain name is Electricka.com.

Electricka plays file types that are made with these protocols:

• .wmv (Windows Media Player for streaming compressed video and audio, i.e., multimedia).
• .avi for DV quality movies.
• .wav for audio.
• .mp3 and wma for compressed audio.
• .swf for FLASH movies.
• .mpg for MPEG movies
• .mov for movies (Apple^© QuickTime^© movie player for streaming compressed multimedia)
• .flv for Real Player videos.

—note— the "music your are now hearing" feature does not work When a page opens and the text on the page mentions "the music you are now hearing..." but there is no music, check the following:   Chances are that your browser is set to use a media player other than the Windows Media Player. Reset your browser option for media player so that the Windows Media Player is selected. Music will only play when a page opens if you are using the Windows Medial Player and Internet Explorer with the option to play music with IE checked.

When your browser shows you the name of a file it's going to play and it gives you trouble, check the file type:

• You can tell its file type by inspecting its file extension. A file's extension is denoted by the three or four characters that follow the last period in it's name (.wmv, .avi., etc.) If it's extension denotes one of the file types Electricka plays and you see or hear nothing, chances are your browser needs upgrading.
• For audio or video problems, try installing the latest version of the Microsoft Media Player.
• If more than one media player is installed on your computer, switch to the latest Microsoft version before you visit ETAF.
• Other media players may work equally well: the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
• FLASH:

  The movie player that displays this image at the top of Electricka's home page is a FLASH movie:

  
   

• Macromedia Flash ^® must be installed on (added-in) your browser for FLASH animations (movies) to appear on your screen and play correctly.
• The latest version of Flash should be added to your browser.
• Flash is free. Just visit the Macromedia site for downloading and installation directions.
   
  • Visit Macromedia and download the latest version of FLASH: click here.

Some Electricka pages automatically play sounds when you open them, especially pages on the subject of music. If you can't hear the sounds, it may be that you're using a browser that doesn't support this feature. Try using Internet Explorer; any release should work.

• If you are a heavy Internet user, sometimes there's just not enough communications capacity to handle the large amount of data that passes between your browser and your network provider. If your current network provider offers a faster browsing service option for your current network connection speed, think about changing to it. If your service provider doesn't offer a faster browsing service, think about upgrading to a faster network connection speed.
• If the delays you experience fluctuate in a regular fashion at certain times of the day or at certain days of the week, the fluctuations may be due to heavy network traffic between your network provider and the rest of the Internet. Think about using the Internet at a different time or a different day; or consider switching to another network provider.
• If you're using a slow modem (below 56 kbps), try upgrading to a higher speed model.
• No  matter how fast the rated speed of your modem, a "bad" (error prone) dial up connection or faulty full period telephone line can cause transmission throughput rates to deteriorate due to noise or line hits. Use your modem software, network vendor software, or operating system software to determine actual throughput rates while sending/receiving, and if they consistently fall far below the rated modem speed, contact your telephone company.
• If you're using a high speed network connection like DSL, cable modem, or ISDN, check to see if the modem or network interface provides an error indicator such as a flashing LED; check to see if the vendor has software for your computer that will detect errors. Report your problem to your network vendor.

• Music or video can take a very long time to reach your browser, especially if the music or video is designed to play a long time or if it reaches you over a telephone line. A page containing music or video may appear on your screen long before the music or video that it contains starts to play. Delay can be especially exasperating if you're reading a page and waiting to hear or see something that the page is talking about. Here's what to do:
  • You may want to try waiting for the music or video to finish downloading before you start reading.
  • Visit another page and return. The next time you open the page, you won't have to send the music or video again because they'll already be on your computer.
  • There are only two cures for this problem: 1) patience, or 2) a high speed network connection.
• If a page takes a long time to appear after you ask to see it, check to see if it contains animations or a complex page layout such as expand/contract. If pages with animations or complex layouts consistently take much longer to appear than pages with no animations or simple layouts, you may need a faster computer.
• It takes time for your network provider to deliver large amounts of information to your door. If you consistently experience long delays when you download a large file, such as a file containing a significant amount of data, a major computer program, or a video or audio program that plays for more than a minute after being received on a telephone line, you may want to consider upgrading your network connection speed. (You probably won't have this problem if you subscribe to a high speed network service.)

Often a page can seem to take too long to appear the first time you try to open it, but the next time you try to open it it's fine. For technical reasons, there may be nothing wrong with the page, network service, or your computer. Be patient; try to open a page more than once before you decide that there's a problem.

If you still have problems after taking the above steps, there may be an error in the page itself. Let us know about it.

Case #1

Excessive delays might well be explained by:

• Random factors such as network congestion or a temporary server work overload.
• Random factors such as a temporary network or server outage.

Your best solution is to accept the delay and try again in a few seconds, minutes, or hours, depending on the probable cause of the delay.

The page will probably download fast enough on subsequent visits.

Case #2

In Electricka's domain, busy visitors accustomed to rapid service can easily grow impatient in situations where they are rapidly searching through many pages at a site, one after the other, or surfing rapidly from site to site. Under some circumstances, waiting for a page load can be like waiting for an elevator in a skyscraper during rush hour. Visitors are tempted to "punch the button" over and over even when they know that punching can't help.

In such cases, it pays to cultivate an enlightened patience. Try to remember that a page can take a long time to open simply because it contains a lot of "stuff" that has to be transferred to your computer before it's ready to display.

Case #3

On the other hand, sometimes a given page can take so long to appear it's a good bet there's a systemic problem gumming up the works, especially if abnormal delays occur to the same page repeatedly after several attempts to access it.

If this happens to you, here are three suggestions that may help you decide whether there's a systemic problem:

Suggestion#1

• Be patient the first time you try to visit a page that opens slowly; wait until the page finishes downloading and opens fully.
• Next, refresh the page. It should open much faster.

Suggestion #2

• After visiting a "slow" page for the first time, visit another page, one that experience tells you should open promptly. It can be another ETAF page or a page at another site that you have visited on a previous occasion.
• Next, visit the slow page again and see if it opens faster this time.

Suggestion #3

• Compare the time it takes to open a "slow" page with the time it takes to open a page that you are confident should open promptly. The times should be approximately the same.
• Any significant difference between the time it takes to open the two pages may be legitimate if the slower page holds much more content. Other possible legitimate causes for significant differences in time delay may be due to animation, special effects, audio, or video on the slow page. Each of these features loads a page with a great deal of extra content, much as the rush hour passengers in our example load and slow the skyscraper elevator.

If the "slow" page seems to behave properly after taking the above steps, there may not have been a "real" problem at all!

Problems with Electricka's donation process are rare. If you have a problem reaching the PayPal web site from Electricka's web site, chances are the problem does not lie with Electricka.

PayPal is your first line of defense for all problems you experience once you click on the link on Electricka's page that takes you to the PayPal web site and Electricka's page closes. Contact PayPal for help with any Internet problem that occurs.

Note: ETAF participation in your donation is limited. ETAF never gets involved in PayPal payments disputes or in resolving problems with a payment. Your complaint should be addressed to PayPal.

Policy

—policy— payPal payments When you make a donation to ETAF, you are making a payment to PayPal. PayPal is a payments service you have chosen. ETAF is not a party to this transaction. ETAF is not responsible for financial or other errors made by PayPal. Any payment problems you may have are problems between you and PayPal. ETAF never gets involved. Please place requests for problem assistance or address complaints to PayPal.

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