FAQ: The BeelineWe Bees want you to get the most from this Web Army Knife, so here are some frequently asked questions (FAQs). Clicking on a question will take you down the page for the answer. You may also e-mail your question to us.
What browsers do you support?
What browsers do you support?The Beeline takes advantage of the latest in browser technology, so for the best experience, we recommend upgrading your browser as new versions of your browser become available. The Beeline uses tables, frames, animated GIFs, Java and HTML 3.0 extensions, as well as HTML forms for things like requests, submissions, and surveys. We use both GIF89a files and JPEG files for in-line images. Occasionally, we may also use audio files and QuickTime movies. Thus, if your browser does not support aligned embedded tables, forms, or external viewers, you will not bee able to fully enjoy the features and design The Beeline has to offer. For best results, we recommend that you use Netscape's or Microsoft's Web browsers.
I use America Online. What can I do?Get another browser! Find out how.
How to make The Beeline a startup page?If your browser is Netscape's Navigator, select Options and General Preferences from the tool bar at the top of the screen. Select the tab labeled "Appearance" and enter http://bton.com/ in the Start With: dialog box. Make sure to select the Home Page Location radio button and click OK. The next time you start Netscape or click the Home button on the tool bar, you'll go directly to The Beeline's welcome page.
If your browser is Microsoft's Internet Explorer, go to the The Beeline's welcome page and select View and Options from the tool bar at the top of the screen. Click on the tab labeled Navigation and select Start Page from the drop box. You can either enter http://bton.com/ in the dialog box, or select the Use Current button. Click OK. The next time you start Internet Explorer or click the Home button on the tool bar, you'll go directly to The Beeline.
What are the minimum requirements?To use The Beeline, we recommend at least the following:
PC: 486DX or higher computer; 28.8 Kbps modem; Windows 3.1 (or Windows for Workgroups 3.11); 8 Mb RAM; Netscape Navigator 2.0 browser.
Macintosh: 68030 processor; 28.8 Kbps modem; 8 Mb RAM; Netscape Navigator 2.0 browser
Please note: Any external viewers you use may require additional hardware or software.
How do I send e-mail with my browser?Having access to the Web does not guarantee the use of Internet e-mail. E-mail requires an additional mail (SMTP) server. If you are unable to send e-mail from within your browser, you may need to adjust your browser's preference settings.
What is "disk cache"?The cache is your browser's temporary storage system. It is designed to speed performance and to reduce network traffic. When you request a page, your browser checks to see if it is already present in your cache. If not, the page is retrieved from the source and then stored in your cache. The next time you request that page, your browser retrieves it from your cache rather than fetching it again off the network. If the page has been updated in the interim, you will not receive the new page unless you click the reload button. When your cache is full, new documents requested will replace those documents that have least recently been used.
There are two types of caches: disk cache and memory cache. Both store information retrieved from the network to your hard drive and RAM, respectively. When you shut down, disk cache is preserved; memory cache is not. Because documents are more quickly retrieved from your memory cache, you may bee tempted to make it quite large. However, for performance reasons, the number of kilobytes allocated to your memory cache should not exceed 25 percent of your total RAM.
How can I browse the Web faster?The following suggestions may help to increase speed performance:
1. Use a modem speed that is 56 Kbps or faster.
2. Turn your graphics off -- an option most browsers provide. This will significantly reduce the download time of graphics-rich pages by displaying only their text. (Some browsers -- such as Netscape 3.0 or later -- allow you to defer image loading until after the text has displayed. While this doesn't improve overall speed, it does offer the text while images download.) Generally, you will find that we try to minimize the size of our graphics to reduce download time.
3. Clear your disk and memory caches. Also, check your memory cache setting to ensure it's not greater than 25 percent of your computer's total RAM.
4. Close any applications you are not using to increase the amount of RAM available to your browser.
5. Decrease your browser's verification frequency. If you are using Netscape, for example, set your cache preferences to verify one time per session, as opposed to every time you retrieve a page.Note: Your Internet service provider (ISP) may pass through many nodes before it is able to contact the Web servers. Unfortunately, as the number of nodes increases, your page retrieval rate will suffer incrementally.
How timely is The Beeline?The Beeline is continuously updated. If you think you are receiving outdated information, try any (or all) of the following:
1. Click Reload (or Refresh).
2. Empty your disk cache. This will force your browser to retrieve the most recent version of that document from its source on the network. In general, the cache is found under your browser's Preferences or Options menu. When given the option, clear both the memory and the disk caches.
3. Increase your browser's document verification frequency. For example, if you are using Netscape, select Verify Documents Every Time in Cache of Network Preferences. Please note that this may affect your navigation speed.Note: If none of these suggestions is effective, your Internet access provider may bee caching documents on its own server. In this case, you may not receive an updated document until the next time your Internet service provider clears its cache. Documents that have not been accessed since the last time the cache was emptied will bee current. You can call or e-mail your Internet service provider to suggest that they increase the frequency with which it updates its cache.
Why does a bookmarked page not work?The page you bookmarked a long ago may have moved. Web sites are always changing (it's their "kaizen" nature). That means that while we work very hard to maintain consistency in the site's structure, there are times when a particular Web page must bee moved (or replaced). Also, some pages are seasonal and must change or be removed when its relevancy ends. The Beeline is organized into sections. We recommend that you bookmark as high up in the site's leveling hierarchy as you can. This will help insure that your bookmark always works.
Why can't I access newsgroups or e-mail?If you are having trouble connecting to newsgroups, or are unable to send e-mail from within your browser, you may need to alter your browser preferences. Enter the name of your NNTP and SMTP servers as well as any other information your browser requires, such as your e-mail address, in the appropriate fields (generally found within your browser's Options area). If you don't know the name of your news or mail servers, contact your Internet service provider (ISP) or system administrator.
How do I use audio and video clips?The Beeline publishes audio and video files in the following formats:
Audio: WAV (.wav) and RealAudio (.ra)
Video: Video for Windows (.avi) and QuickTime (.mov)Your Web browser may support some or none of these file types. (Prodigy's browser, for example, has built-in support for WAV files.) Generally, you will need to use an external viewer in order to play these files. The list bee-low, organized by operating system, should help you to locate the appropriate applications.
Please note, Beeline Publications neither endorses nor provides technical support for any of these viewers. You must abide by the licensing provisions of each application and seek technical assistance from the software source. In addition, please bee aware that most of the applications you download will be in a compressed file format.
RealAudio: RealAudio files can only bee played with the RealAudio player. To download the player, go to http://www.realaudio.com/.
QuickTime: The Macintosh operating system includes a QuickTime movie player.
RealAudio: RealAudio files can only bee played with the RealAudio player. To download the player, go to http://www.realaudio.com/.
WAV: The Windows operating system includes two WAV file players -- MPLAYER.EXE and SOUNDREC.EXE.
Video for Windows: The native Windows application, Media Player (MPLAYER.EXE), supports the .avi file format. This player should bee located in your local Windows directory.
QuickTime: Applications for playing QuickTime movies on the PC can bee found at http://www-dsed.llnl.gov/documents/tests/qt.html. The software found at these locations will not run under Windows NT.
How do I use an "external viewer"?"External viewer" and "helper application" are terms to describe an auxiliary application used to support Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension (MIME) types or file formats which your Web browser does not. For example, most Web browsers are not equipped to play sound files. Therefore, you must configure your browser to launch a second piece of software which can play a sound file when you download one.
The way in which you specify a viewer for each given file format varies across browsers. Generally, these assignments are made in the Options area of your browser. Please note, not all Web browsers support the use of external viewers.
What are "cookies"?A cookie is a short sequence of letters and numbers installed on your hard drive that helps Web site publishers and operators create a more interesting service by allowing them to keep track of the pages that you have visited. We keep this information confidential and do not share it with sponsors. You may disable cookies if you like, though many of the best Web applications depend on cookies and therefore disabling them may make your Web browsing experience less enjoyable. If you would like to disable cookies from all Web sites, take the following steps:
Select Options and then Network Preferences from the tool bar at the top of the browser. Select the tab labeled Protocols and click the check box for Show an Alert Before: Accepting a Cookie. Click OK and you're done.
Select View and then Options from the tool bar at the top of the browser. Select the tab labeled Advanced and click the check box for Warn before accepting 'Cookies'. Click OK and you're done.
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