RootsChat.Com
General => Technical Help => Topic started by: nanny jan on Monday 12 November 07 23:19 GMT (UK)
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Help! Is anyone else seeing blue lines under some of the places mentioned on the profiles of the rootschatter? When I let the cursor hover a little ad appears.
It's not happening on all the postings.
Nanny Jan
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Hi Nanny Jan
Yes I am having the same problem. Seems to have been hi-jacked by advertisements everywhere. Even the mention of 'cursor' on your posting has an ad with it!
justmej
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see this link explaining it
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,267750.0.html
;D ;D ;D
Moderator comment: the link is broken due to problems we have been having today. I will post another shortly
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Yes - sorry - it's just me experimenting I'm afraid!
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Thanks for the explanation Trystan; thought I was seeing things!
Nanny Jan
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Hi Trystan
The link doesn't work, I get the message 'an error has occurred'
Are you still experimenting?
Personally I don't like the blue lines and the pop-ups.
Dawn
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Replacement link:
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,267892.0.html
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,267970.0.html
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,268142.0.html
kind regards, Arranroots ;)
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Hi Dawn,
There are no "pop-ups" - the blue lines are only activated if you hover over them.
Sarah :)
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tsk tsk Trystan!
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tsk tsk Trystan!
ehh ???
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;D ;D ;D
I could understand if they were Yellow Lines then we would have to pay if we stopped on them, but Blue Lines we dont ;)
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Hi Trystan,
Is the experiment going to last long, it is quite annoying. Will there be a vote on it?
Tom
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Hi tidybooks
think this thread will explain things
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,267892.90.html
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,267970.0.html
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,268714.0.html
ricky
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Haven't gone to the link - thought I'd post first and then check if I had the right idea.
When I first saw them yesterday, I hovered found a pop up ad. tried a few more to see if they were different and then thought - if this is going to remain FREE we/they need to generate income and I think it's a bl**** good idea.
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I'm quite fond of them but I do have to go out of my way to hover my mouse and get the pop ups, so I can't see any problems whatsoever.
I don't think Trystan has to take a vote on anything, Tom. Trystan and Sarah very kindly let us use their site for free.
Gadget
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I'm quite fond of them but I do have to go out of my way to hover my mouse and get the pop ups, so I can't see any problems whatsoever.
I don't think Trystan has to take a vote on anything, Tom. Trystan and Sarah very kindly let us use their site for free.
Gadget
Gadget
I totally agree with what you have said, we dont go to other sites on the web that have adverts or popups and ask if we can vote on it. ???
ricky
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Is there a technical reason for the links being underlined twice? they would not be quite so intrusive if it was just the name or words in blue.
Suey
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I agree with Gadget, we want it to remain free and Trystan has to do what he can to generate income. NO VOTE
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I agree with Suey. If the ads must stay would it be possible to lose the underlining? I would also prefer to see the words in a colour other than blue (perhaps green for go, or red for stop or danger ;)) so they are not mistaken for normal links. However I suspect the reason they are blue is so they DO look like links, and the underlining is so they look like important links.
Which is preferable revenue wise, a hover or a click? I haven't clicked yet I'm afraid as in the odd hover I haven't found anything relevant in the ads to entice me to click.
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Is the experiment going to last long, it is quite annoying.
I should think the fact that Trystan and Sarah are currently losing money on this site is rather more annoying to them than some blue underlining is to us!
They work full-time and manage rootschat in their limited spare time. let's support them rather than piling in with criticism.
Will there be a vote on it?
Since they own the site they are free to do what they wish. They are trying to find ways of at least breaking even. Currently the costs of running roots chat are more than triple what they are paying on their mortgage! http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,267970.msg1524076.html
Jennifer
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Jennifer
i think most of us are in agreement over this. We have a great site that is free. Trystan and Sarah pay for it, maintain it and generallly keep us all happy for the love of it. The Mods are also all volunteers.
I feel a wee bit angry and also sad about the criticisms that have been made over the past few days for what is a trial run of something that may help to keep us afloat. Many of the BIG sites that charge us £££s have far more infuriating adverts - do we hear them being asked to remove them?
To every one, please no more criticism. Let it rest and see what happens.
Regards
Gadget
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Hear hear Gadget!
I cannot believe we are even having this discussion bearing in mind we are not the ones paying for the site.
Thank you Trystan and Sarah for rootschat
Kerry
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Hear hear Gadget and Kerry B - the complainers should be penalised ;D ;D ;D ;D
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Hear hear Gadget and Kerry B - the complainers should be penalised ;D ;D ;D ;D
A fiver a moan ;D ;D ;D
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Hear, hear. We do not own this site. I'm confident that the owners will do their best for us.
meles
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I dont see why they are so adverse to a Subscription Service - or selling me shares ;D
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Newf
thats a dirty word on here subscriptions, last time I mentioned it on a thread I got shot down. ;D ;D ;D
Wouldnt be a bad idea though, people pay to use some other sites which are no where near as good as this one.
ricky
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My thoughts exactly !
As has been exhaustively pointed out, the site is owned by T&S, and theirs to do with what they will .... fully support that .... BUT, if the performance and data loss issues this year are down to budget constraints, it seems strange not to accept offers of help ?
Whilst astride this particular horse, I'd also point out that its the people who make the site - not just the resources ......
IMHO
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Newf
thing is if it was made a subscription site how many members would pay, I for one dont mind paying, and I think quite a few more might as well. Then we get down to the nitty gritty of how many people out of the 50,000 members who would pay, plus how many of the 50,000 actually use this site every day or week. It's nearly allways the same few day in day out or week in week out that use the site.
plus what happens to people who dont or carnt afford to pay for it. ???
ricky
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whats the horse got to do with it ;D ;D
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Good points Ricky - I guess it depends how commercial and business-oriented they want to be about taking the site to subscription status.
I'm sure we've had this discussion before !
If the costs are now ramping up beyond the capabilities of private individuals, then something has to be done - eg this latest advertising stuff. But people are resilient, and soon ignore it ....
Other options are available - like donations ... but if I'm effectively investing, then I want to know more about how things are run .....
At the end of the day, its a great site, and a really successfull concept ... but reaching the end of self-funding I'd hazard.
Decision time ....
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I've got so used to the blue lines now that when they don't appear straight away I wonder what is missing?
Liz
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Have you noticed if you have a family name the same as a place name you
get an ad for it.I have a Florence who could have had some cheap flights there...if she hadn't died 100 years ago. ;D
But this software is being used quite extensively now on many sites & you do get used to it,so if it keeps this site operational
& Trystan & Sarah out of the poorhouse I'll go with it.
Jim
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They're not in blue anymore - they're in brownish/red and with only a single underline!
This is infinitely better and makes the posts a LOT easier to read :D.
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Hi
I am a little a curious - I don't get blue lines or any other colour ??? Not that I am complaining. ;D Wonder why
Cheers
cando
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Is there a technical reason for the links being underlined twice? they would not be quite so intrusive if it was just the name or words in blue.
Suey
They're not in blue anymore - they're in brownish/red and with only a single underline!
This is infinitely better and makes the posts a LOT easier to read :D.
That has answered my question - and I agree with Ruskie.
I apologise if anyone thought I was moaning or complaining it wasn't my intention. I'm all for keeping RC free and if this is the way to go then so be it and I'll be happy to click and hover if it helps to make money ;D
i think most of us are in agreement over this. We have a great site that is free. Trystan and Sarah pay for it, maintain it and generallly keep us all happy for the love of it. The Mods are also all volunteers.
I feel a wee bit angry and also sad about the criticisms that have been made over the past few days for what is a trial run of something that may help to keep us afloat. Many of the BIG sites that charge us £££s have far more infuriating adverts - do we hear them being asked to remove them?
To every one, please no more criticism. Let it rest and see what happens.
Regards
Gadget
Hear hear Gadget!
I cannot believe we are even having this discussion bearing in mind we are not the ones paying for the site.
Thank you Trystan and Sarah for rootschat
Kerry
This is such a friendly site. Trystan and Sarah always keep us up to date with what's happening and they do listen to their members - they are not a faceless conglomerate like some of the BIG sites...and that's the reason I think that some of us feel that we can have a moan or a whinge or add some constructive critisism ;D
Suey
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They're not in blue anymore - they're in brownish/red and with only a single underline!
This is infinitely better and makes the posts a LOT easier to read :D.
I agree much less intrusive.
Rootschat has to be paid for.
I spend more time on this site than on others that I have to pay a considerable amount to use.
Paying a subscription (as others have suggested) would be going against all that Trystan and Sarah have always said.
Can we send donations? If so, who do we make cheques payable to?
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Do we need to click on the now brownish/red lines to make money for Trystan and Sarah? I've done it a few times, some of the holiday ads were quite interesting, I particularly liked one which showed how long the flights take from UK to various destinations.
Liz
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Hi Lizzie
Apparently the more clicks we make the more money it makes!
Get clicking!
Kerry ;D
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Well ;D
I agree that the brown links with a single underline look infinitely better and more tasteful than the previous blue ones.
I had been using that colour scheme in my own posts for highlighting particular words for a long time.
I might start giving out style and fashion tips soon (after I have selected a new highlighting colour).
DS ;)
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In one of his replies in one of the other posts on the same subject earlier in the week, Trystan said he was not allowed to ask us to click on the links. Can't find the quote now that I want it...
Is is rootschat that gets the money if we click, or is it the company advertising the link, or a bit of both? I've asked the question about clicks before, but have had no answer. How many clicks do RC actually need to get per day/week?
If we know these things then maybe we can help, but I suspect Trystan will not be allowed to tell us or RC be accused of "fixing" or some such thing.
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No, please do not click on adverts just for the sake of trying to help us. Only click on adverts that are of interest to you.
On the G****e adverts, publishers (like us) get a credit if somebody clicks on a link.
On the Ancestry type adverts (which are not in the G****e box), we get nothing for a click, but get a credit if somebody subsequently makes some sort of purchase over there.
On the new "hover-ads" we get a credit if somebody clicks on the link (not just allowing the hover-ad to appear)
So, we get nothing at all for showing adverts in themselves. I repeat again:
No, please do not click on adverts just for the sake of trying to help us. Only click on adverts that are of interest to you. Anything different to this is fraud, and is robbing money off the advertisers.
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shouldnt this info be 'stickied' up somewhere ?
Is there a NoticeBoard Facility on the site :)
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Hi ,
I have looked at the new brown lines and it is much better that colour than the blue, I felt the blue interrupted the reading too much, and the single underline, much less obtrusive, thanks.
I do use the site a lot, and would be willing to pay some sort of fee, to help defray expenses and to ensure site continues. That would be my vote, if one was taken.
Tom
PS I understand others wanting to keep site free as the founders obviously do to. Just my tuppence worth, thanks. Not to offend anyone.
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Thanks for clearing that up for me Trystan.
That will encourage anyone wishing to purchase an Ancestry subscription to do so via RC. I use ebay regularly and will try going to the site via RC. I will also take a closer look at the nice "brown" words in case there is anything of interest to me.
I too would be happy to pay a fee to use the site. Alternatively some sites ask for a donation which may be an option that would help RC out. The site could still be free with an optional donation. You could even suggest sums for the donation (like some charities do) eg with the minimum being £5, then 10, 20, 40, and beyond ..... or a sum of the donors choice.
This may open up a can of worms though as it would need to be easy for overseas members to donate, so the financial side of things will need to be put in place (more time and money ???) - and consideration given to any knock on effects of being a charity.
Just some random thoughts ..... this site is fantastic and I would hate to lose it. We are all very grateful for the sacrifices you make to keep it running.
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Hi
I'd prefer a voluntary donation scheme - like wikipedia.
I think the hyperlinking of place names is misleading for a site that is primarily visited to discover information.
However, I'll accept whatever it takes to keep the best resource for genealogy going.
Cheers
Ian
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I presume Trystan is still experimenting with the style of these CONTENT LINKS and today's colour is blue. I think that this is now very confusing as that is the same colour as a shrunken hyperlink.
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Theres now 2 flavours - the original, 'lets see if theres a tenuous link here' ....... and the new blue, which is to Amazon.
Oh and a 'shop' in the top line of buttons, which is also Amazon ....
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Found in the shop:
http://astore.amazon.co.uk/root-21/detail/0764130714/203-9262510-0644733
;D ;D ;D
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Found in the shop:
http://astore.amazon.co.uk/root-21/detail/0764130714/203-9262510-0644733
;D ;D ;D
I don't understand that link? ???
Well - I do understand it .. before anyone tells me different .. what I mean is the Dog connection? :D
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That's what I was flagging, Pels. It's tucked in with the Genealogy books ::)
Gadget
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By jove .. it's a little cottage industry! :o
http://astore.amazon.co.uk/root-21
Maybe not quite so little either .. added as an after thought! :D
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It's great - any queries now about handwriting, Scottish ancestry, Computing for genealogists, etc., etc,. we can just send people to the shop ;D ;D
Gadget
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What a good idea though! :)
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And I for one love buying books from Amazon ;D ;D ;D
Kerry
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Help! Is the shop still there ??? duh! I cannot see it, can someone point me please Also is there a link for Ebay?
Not many links today is Trystan still setting it up, if it helps RC, I will defo use the links, 'only the ones that interest me of course' and possibly maybe some that don't.... that I might find interesting anyway.
I wanna seeeee the shop :'(
Cas
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http://astore.amazon.co.uk/root-21
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Cas .. if you click on my link it should be there .. I can still see it? :)
Sorry Newf! ;D
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:D
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CAS - can you see the SEARCH ROOTSCHAT button ?
The Shop is the smaller button to its left ....
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Yeahhh Got it! next to the help button, duh me! ;D
Thanks Cas :)
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I've found masses of books that I want :)
It's so much easier than going direct to Amazon and then searching.
Question - if I already have an Amazon account, does anything I buy via the Roots shop route give Roots a credit?
Gadget
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I think the ideal would be if there was a distinction (colour? underlining?) between links which people include in their posts and the advertising ones.
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I've found masses of books that I want :)
It's so much easier than going direct to Amazon and then searching.
Question - if I already have an Amazon account, does anything I buy via the Roots shop route give Roots a credit?
Gadget
Yes! If you buy via the RootsChat shop then we get credit for that, even if you already use Amazon - so please fill up your online baskets!
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:D
Will do, Trystan - I love books!
Great!
Gadget
PS - Amazon also sell Computer hardware and software - another line for the shop ;)
PPs - i see some software is already on offer :D
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Just a point to mention - we get nothing for showing the Amazon adverts in themselves, or in people clicking on those particular links - but only if you make a purchase on Amazon after going through one of the links. The more you buy the more we get!
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There have been more improvements to the click links!
No underlines at all - extremely good!
Very relevant geneaology links - extremely good too! In fact very interesting. Earlier today the words parish register
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][/color]
ErrorSPAM
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][/color]
ErrorSPAM
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][/color]were highlighted and there was an ad for Phillimores.
I agree with downside ( :D) and Aulus though, that the ad links should be in a different colour (not blue) - personally, I like yesterday's brown.
Maybe the colours will change to keep us on our toes ;).
100% better!
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I agree with Aulus though, that the ad links should be in a different colour (not blue
???
Hmmm.
downside having an invisible moment. :)
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I don't seem to have any links today, and where did you find the Amazon link? Do we need to access it via Rootschat, or can I find it if I go direct to Amazon? I buy loads of books so will definitely be using it.
Liz
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I don't know what went wrong. I just clicked on an e-mail link I had received and it took me to the previous page of this topic, which is why I sent my previous reply.
Now I know how it works, I'll definitely be clicking on that very often, especially with Christmas coming up.
Liz
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Liz,
You can click on the shop button: (http://www.rootschat.com/forum/Themes/history/images/english/shop.gif) (http://astore.amazon.co.uk/root-21) up there with the other buttons and it will take you into the little RootsChat Amazon shop.
Have fun! Hope you spend lots on some great books!
Trystan
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Just been looking at the books, I'm spoilt for choice.
Liz
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I have to say that for the most part the Amazon links that pop up are fairly relevant and because of that much less irritating. Unlike the general advertising that was here a couple of days ago.
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If the links help to fund this site I certainly would have no objections. Would prefer to see them in another colour though, red or green, anything but blue ;D
Sorry for my query PMs but I have just got back to Oz from the UK, when these adds popped up yesterday I thought some hacker had got into the site, although it puzzled me that a reputable company like Amazon was involved :-[
Regards.
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For what it's worth, I don't object to the ads but I'd also prefer them in another colour.
Mike.
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Trystan
Just bought a couple of books from Roots shop, plus some other stuff from the Amazon site. Hope you get something out of it.
Liz
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I can find the shop, but where are these other clicky links? I have not seen any.
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They vary, some posts have them, some don't.
Liz
ps. Try this topic
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php?topic=267238.new;topicseen#new
there are a few on there.
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I have found the odd one now - I thought my pop-up blocker might be interfering.