Click on the link in any question to go straight to the answer, or you can scroll through all the questions and answers on this page.
1. What is good Café "netiquette"?
2. What is Motet?
3. Which browsers work well with Motet?
4. What are Forums, Topics, and Conferencing?
5. How do I use the Hotlist?
6. How do I post in a topic?
7. How do I use the Preview function?
8. What is the wrap function?
9. How do I post text that I do not want wrapped?
10. How do I avoid viewing a post after I click "Post"?
11. Why would I "hide" a posting?
12. How do I hide or unhide a posting?
13. How do I read a hidden posting?
14. How do I erase a posting?
15. Where is the real time chat and why am I not getting an answer?
16. How do I mark a posting so that I can return to it later?
17. How many postings can I see on a page? Can I change that?
18. How do I change the number of topics I see per page?
19. How do I ignore topics that I'm not interested in?
20. How do I un-ignore a topic?
21. How do I create a new topic?
22. How do I create a new Forum?
23. How do I create or edit my Personal Profile or change my email?
24. How can I change my password?
25. How can I change my name or Userid?
26. How do I switch between Novice and Expert mode?
27. How do I link to another Website in a post?
28. How do I link to an e-mail address in a posting?
29. How do I link to another Café forum, topic, or posting?
30. How do I search for a particular user?
31. How do I search for particular topics?
32. How do I search for a particular user's postings?
33. How do I ask a question that is not included in this FAQ?
34. How do I give feedback to the Café?
1. What is good Café "netiquette"?
We continue to define good Café Utne netiquette (Café etiquette) as we participate. We prefer guidelines to rules; however, Café management and hosts request civility, as outlined in our User Guidelines and will refuse access to users who violate the Café's definition of civility found there.
Some general guidelines include:
Do not use the Café only to pitch your product or service. Feel free to recommend products and services in the course of conversation, but do not offend Café members by coming in only to sell something.
Use restraint in creating new topics. Avoid creating a topic for a quick question, or creating many new topics in a short time period. Open a topic and let the discussion develop naturally before starting another topic. Topics that have been inactive are not considered "dead" unless in an archive sub-conference. Rejuvenating an existing topic with a new posting is a common and appreciated practice, and hosts may be requested to revive any archived topics.
Avoid mass erasing of your postings. Use the erase button for fixing errors or deleting a posting you regret. Mass erasing creates holes in the discussion for other users.
Consider moving extended personal conversations to e-mail. Many users lurk (read without posting). If you find yourself in an extended discussion with just one other user, consider moving the conversation to e-mail. Other users may feel negatively about joining into what amounts to a personal conversation.
For additional information, review:
Our Copyright policy
Our Host Guidelines
2. What is Motet?
Motet is the web conferencing software in use in the Café.
3. Which browsers work well with Motet?
Chances are, if you are reading this FAQ, your current browser works well with Motet. In general, Motet works well with: Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, and Lynx (a nongraphical Web browser).
TIP: Use Internet Explorer and Netscape with images enabled.
If you have only dial-up terminal access to the internet, you can use Lynx to participate in the Café. However, remember that Motet's context-sensitive help uses graphical bitmaps, so the Help function will be unavailable with Lynx.
4. What are Forums, Topics, and Conferencing?
Forums are broad subject areas or themes (e.g., Home) that contain multiple topics (e.g., Entertaining, Yardwork, Gardening).
Topics are devoted to a specific subject area, and contains the postings from individual users (e.g., "I love to entertain," "I am a master gardener.").
Postings appear chronologically in each topic as users discuss the topic with each other. Posting is the process of publishing your post text for all other users to read. Postings remain indefinitely for users to read.
Conferencing is the process of reading and posting in these Forum topics.
5. How do I use the Hotlist feature?
Use the Hotlist feature to select a group of Forums that you want to visit regularly.
To set up and organize your Hotlist:
1. Click the Settings button.
2. Under Forums Hotlist, click Edit Your Forums Hotlist.
3. Follow the instructions on this window to add, delete, and organize your Hotlist.
To add a Forum as you read in the Cafe:
1. Click Add This Forum to My Hotlist in the upper left-hand of the Forum's home page.
Note: This option disappears from a Forum's home page if the Forum is already on your Hotlist.
-Or-
1. Click Settings.
2. Under Forum Hotlist, click Add [Name of Forum] to your hotlist.
6. How do I post in a topic?
To post in a topic:
1. Type your posting in the text box at the bottom of the topic you are reading.
TIP: Break up a long posting into short paragraphs with white space between to make it easier to read.
2. Click Post. Your text should wrap automatically. Your posting appears with a number in sequence with the postings other users have posted in that topic. Example: if you create the 6th posting in the Café Welcome Forum's 9th topic, your posting appears as Café Welcome.9.6.
3. If you would like to receive e-mail notification that a post has been made after yours in that topic, click to check the "Notify (your email address) of the posting following this one" BEFORE clicking "Post".
7. How do I use the Preview function?
You can use the Preview function to look at your posting before you post it.
Tip: This is especially useful if you are including HTML coding. Your posting will default to "preview" to allow for code checking.
To use the Preview function:
1. Select the Preview radio button underneath the posting text box.
2. Click Post.
3. Review your posting and make any changes to it.
4. Click Post (making sure the Preview radio button is not checked).
8. What is the Wrap function?
The Wrap function ensures that the text of postings appears in a column width that is easy to read. Your postings should wrap automatically when you post them.
If your posting text does not wrap automatically:
1. Ensure that the Turn Autowrap On option is selected underneath the posting text box.
2. If that option is selected, but your text is not wrapping, then click on the Settings button, and select Expert mode, not Novice mode.
3. If both these options are set correctly, and your postings still do not wrap automatically, your browser may not support the Autowrap function. In this situation, you can hit a hard return on your keyboard after each line as a last resort.
9. How do I post text that I do not want wrapped?
If you do not want your posting text to wrap (e.g., you are posting a long URL, or lines of poetry):
1. Click Turn Autowrap Off.
2. Type your posting in the posting text box.
3. Click Preview to view your posting.
4. Make any changes needed to your posting in the posting text box.
5. Click Post.
TIP: You can use the Preview function to view any posting before you post it.
10. How do I avoid viewing my posting after I click Post?
If you do not want to view your posting after you post it:
1. Click Settings.
2. Under Posting, select Move immediately to next topic or Forum.
Tip: If you choose this option, be sure you proofread carefully before each posting.
11. Why would I hide a posting?
Consider hiding a posting if it is:
- Very long, to allow users to skip it easily.
- An aside to a specific user that others would not be interested in reading.
- An HTML graphic, especially a large one.
TIP: If you find yourself exchanging multiple hidden postings with another user, or your posting is private, consider using e-mail to communicate instead.
12. How do I hide or unhide a posting?
To hide a posting:
1. Type in your posting.
2. Click on the box that says Hide This Posting above the posting box.
3. Your posting then appears in the topic as a single hotlinked word {Hidden}.
Tip: You may want to label your hidden post in the box to the left of your Userid.
Note: Only you and the Forum Host can hide or unhide your postings. A host occasionally hides a posting that is long, off-topic, or uncivil.
To unhide a posting, click Expose. Your posting is no longer hidden.
13. How do I read a hidden posting?
To read a hidden posting:
Any user can read a hidden posting by clicking the hotlinked word {Hidden}.
14. How do I erase a posting?
You can erase only your own postings. To erase your posting, click Erase.
TIP: Erased postings are gone permanently from the Café. Avoid erasing for a simple typo or two. Users accept some spelling errors.
15. Where is the real time chat and why am I not getting an answer?
The Café does not have real-time chat. After a user posts a posting in a Forum's topic, other users may respond immediately, in a few hours, or even weeks later.
To view postings from users responding to your posting, you must first exit the topic (as you would while checking other topics and Forums), and then return to it.
To read other topics before returning to the topic you posted in:
1. Click Next Topic to exit the topic and proceed to the next topic in the Forum.
2. After reading all the topics, click Forum Home. A list of all the topics appears that indicates any postings since yours.
To read the next Forum after the Forum you posted in:
1. Click Next Forum to exit the Forum and proceed to the next Forum.
2. After reading the next Forum, return to the Forum where you posted to view the list of topics that indicates any postings since yours.
To return directly to the list of topics:
1. Click Forum Home or Topic Home to view the topic list that indicates any postings since yours.
Note: You can also click Forums to display your Hotlist and a list of all other Forums. Your Hotlist will indicate any postings since yours.
You can also select Notify [your e-mail address] of the posting following this one before you post your posting. The Café will automatically notify you by e-mail of postings after yours in that topic.
16. How do I mark a posting so that I can return to it later?
You can use either of two options to mark a posting for later reading:
- Dog Ear: When you Dog Ear a posting, it is like bending the edge of a page in a book to mark your place.
- Bookmark: When you Bookmark a posting, it is like tearing the page out of the book and filing it.
Dog Ear: If you go to a new topic with many postings, and only have time to read a few, you can Dog Ear the last posting you read, and Motet will "save" the remaining postings for when you return.
To Dog Ear a posting: Click the Dog Ear button. A confirmation message appears: Dog-eared. Motet will show you new postings in this topic next time beginning with posting [#]."
Note: Dog Ear works only once. If you return to the topic and want to retain your place, you must click Dog Ear again.
Bookmark: To add a particular posting to your browser's Favorites/Bookmarks:
Click the Forum name, number, and posting hyperlink (e.g. {Feedback.6.56}) at the beginning of the posting. The URL for just that posting displays. Follow your browser's directions for adding a URL to your Favorites/Bookmarks.
Note: Unlike Dog-ear, Bookmark does not effect how postings are tracked.
17. How many postings can I see on a page? Can I change the number of postings I see on a page?
The Café default is set to show new users 25 postings per page. This setting helps prevent possibly overloading your browser. If the topic has more than 25 new postings in a topic, you need to click Next Page to view the remaining postings and get to the posting text box.
If you want to change this default:
1. Click Settings.
2. Click Appearance.
3. Click Paging. Select the number of postings you wish to see on a page, either by selecting All on One Page or typing in the specific number you wish to view per page.
4. Click Change.
? 18. How do I change the number of topics I see per page?
To change the number of topics you see per page:
1. Click Settings.
2. Click Appearance.
3. Click Paging. Select the number of topics you wish to see on a page, either by selecting All on One Page or typing in the specific number you wish to view per page.
4. Click Change.
? 19. How do I ignore topics I'm not interested in?
You can ignore topics as you read the Forum, or by using the Topics List. Using the Topics List requires that you be in Expert Mode (see Question 26).
To ignore a topic while you participate in the Café, simply select "Ignore this topic from now on" at the bottom of the topic's page.
To ignore a topic using the Topics List:
1. Access the Topics List by selecting List All Topics on the Forum Home Page or click Topics. A complete list of topics appears.
2. Click the check box next to each topic you want to ignore. An X appears in each selected check box.
3. Click Ignore selected topics.
Note: Once you have Ignored a topic, the message "Ignored by you" appears with the topic information. If you do not want Ignored topics to appear in the Topics List, you can click on Settings, then Appearance, then Topic Lists to set the parameters you desire for including Ignored topics.
? 20. How do I un-ignore a topic?
If you have ignored a topic, you can later add it back to the topics that you read regularly.
To un-ignore a topic:
1. On the Topics List, check the box (just above the topic list) that says "Show ignored topics".
2. Click in the check box to the left of each topic you want to un-ignore.
3. Click "Include selected topics" near the bottom of the page.
21. How do I create a new topic?
Before creating a new topic, review Café Netiquette, Question 1. Once you have determined that no topic exists that is suitable for your discussion, you may create a new topic.
To create a new topic:
1. Go to the Forum home page.
2. Click Start a new topic. A window appears that contains fields that let you create the topic.
3. In the Topic Title field, type in the topic's name.
Tips: Use a short, direct topic name. Consider keywords that other users might search for. Do not use all capital letters. Once you create the topic, you cannot change the title, but the Forum's host can (if necessary).
4. In the posting text box, type your opening posting.
Tip: Describe how you see the topic being discussed. Other users will refer to this posting to understand the topic's premise maybe hundreds of postings and many months later.
5. Click the Start topic button.
22. How do I create a new Forum?
Users cannot create new Forums. Consider creating a new topic within an existing Forum. Refer to Question 21 for information about creating a new topic.
23. How do I create or edit my Personal Profile or change my email?
You (or anyone) can view your Personal Profile (a short biography, personal statement, or self-description) when you (or anyone) click on your blue userid.
To create or edit your Personal Profile:
1. Click Settings
2. Click Personal Profile. A window appears that contains a text box for your profile information.
3. Type your profile in the text box or edit the text already there.
Tips: If you are uncertain about what to put in your Personal Profile, review some written by other members. Personal Profiles range from short and sweet to "I was born on a dark and stormy night". You can use plain text or HTML in your Personal Profile.
Tip: If you do not want your e-mail visible to other users, check the Unlisted check box.
4. On this page you can also change your email address by typing your new address into the box containing your old address (be sure to delete the old address first!) If you change your e-mail address, the Café will verify your new address by generating a new password and e-mailing it to you at that address. Be sure the new address is correct. You will be unable to access the Café again until you receive your new password, which can take up to 48 hours.
5. Click the Change button under the text field to post your Personal Profile.
24. How can I change my password?
To change your password:
1. Click Settings.
2. Click Personal Profile. A window with your Personal Profile appears.
3. Click Password. Type in your old password, then your new password (two times) in the text boxes.
4. Click Change.
25. How can I change my name? How can I change my userid?
Your name, as well as your userid, appear in your Personal Profile page and above each of your postings as you typed them in when you registered.
You cannot change your userid. If you want a different userid, you'll need to re-register. To re-register, e-mail Café Administrator to delete your old account before you re-register. Users are limited to one Userid per person and attempting to register with two different names is grounds for expulsion.
In order to change your real name as it is displayed in your Personal Profile, you must e-mail the Café Administrator. Give your userid and then your name as you would like it to appear in the real name field on your Personal Profile and in Café postings.
To change the name that appears directly above only a single posting:
1. Backspace over your name where it precedes your userid.
2. Type in the name you wish to have appear over that posting.
Tip: This function is useful when you are hiding a posting, so that you can type in "For Bob" or "Large graphic."
To change your name for all postings in a Forum:
1. Click Settings.
2. Type your name in the text field near the Change your name in this Forum to "__".
3. Click the arrow button.
26. How do I switch between Expert and Novice mode?
Expert mode and Novice mode are two different interfaces for using the Café.
To switch between them:
1. Click Settings.
2. Click Global Settings.
3. Click Novice/expert mode or scroll to the Novice/Expert mode area.
4. Select the Novice radio button or the Expert radio button.
5. Click Change.
27. How do I link to another Web site in a posting?
To provide a link to a Web site, type in the site's URL. The Café's Motet software automatically detects hyperlinks and knows that the set of characters that follow are a URL. Do not include any spaces in the URL, because Motet will only include the characters up to the first space.
If the URL is longer than one autowrapped line, the link will "break" and not work. To avoid this:
1. Type text of your posting.
2. Click Turn autowrap off.
3. Type in the URL.
Tip: You must correct the "break" with a backspace or delete. The URL will then "run off" the side of the posting box.
4. Click Post.
Tip: You may wish to Preview your posting to check the link before posting. For instructions on using the Preview function see Question 7.
28. How do I link to someone's e-mail address in a posting?
Most browsers support the "mailto" link, which causes the next set of characters to be interpreted as an e-mail address. In the Café, you do not even need the "mailto" string. Just type in an e-mail address, such as "[email protected]" and Motet creates the link automatically.
29. How do I link to another Café Forum, topic, or posting?
Use the formatting below to link to another Forum, topic, or posting.
You can copy and paste the curly brackets and text at the front of any posting to make a link. You can also use the short cuts below.
Personal Profile- {user name} example: {chiles}
Forum- {Forum name} example: {CafeWelcome}
Topic in this Forum- {topic #.} example: {14.}
Posting in this Forum- {topic #.posting #} example: {14.324}
Posting in this topic- {#} example: {324}
Topic in another Forum- {Forum name.topic #} example: {CafeWelcome.16}
Posting in another Forum- {Forum name.topic #.posting #} example: {CafeWelcome.14.324}
Tip: Topic links end in a dot to distinguish them from postings.
To link to a range of postings, include beginning and ending posting numbers separated by a dash (use the complete numbers e.g. 2245-2255, NOT 2245-55).
To link to all the postings including and after a certain number, simply add a dash after the appropriate posting number.
30. How do I search for a particular user?
To search for a particular user:
1. Click on the Search button. The Search screen appears.
2. Click on Find Users or scroll down to the Find Users section.
3. Select either userid, e-mail address, or Real Name.
4. In the "Search For" text box, type in the information.
5. Select Exact Match or Any Part.
6. Click Search. A listing of users that match your search criteria appears. The users' userids appear with links to their Personal Profiles.
31. How do I search for particular topics?
You can search just the Forum you are in, or the entire Café's topic title list.
To search for a topic:
1. Click on the Search button. The Search screen appears.
2. Click on the Find Topic option, or scroll down to find the Find Topics section.
3. Select the "List Detail" option if you want detailed information about the topic to display.
4. Click "All on One Page" if you want your search results to display on a single page.
5. Type in some descriptive text (e.g. politics, democrat, election) in the Keyword(s) text box.
Tip: Leave out articles and conjunctions in your keyword(s) entry --you could dredge up every title with the word "the." Separate by spaces only, no punctuation.
6. Click the List Topics button. A list of Forums with matching topics appears.
7. Click on the hyperlinked Forum name to go to the Forum with the topic you wish to read.
Remember that sometimes titles do not contain words that you would think to use in a search. A topic may exist on cats called "furry house critters" that would not show up when using "cat" or "feline" in a search.
For additional help in finding a topic in this situation, go to the Introductions topic of one or more Forums you think likely to contain a cat discussion (e.g. Pets, Nature, Home) and ask the Hosts and regular posters for pointers to topics or Forums you might be missing.
32. How do I search for a particular user's postings?
You may not search postings for a particular user, however, you may use your browser's Find feature to locate a specific name in a page of postings. Refer to your Browser's instructions.
33. How do I ask a question that isn't included in this FAQ?
The Café encourages users to ask questions.
For general questions, visit the general Questions and Answers topic in {CafeWelcome.4}. In that topic, you can ask technology questions, netiquette questions, or seek clarification on any aspect of participating in the Café. Newbies and old hands alike post there, so don't hesitate to ask a question!
For specific Motet questions, visit the HelpMotet Forum.
For HTML questions, visit the HTML Forum.
34. How do I give feedback to the Café?
The Café welcomes and encourages users to provide their feedback.
To offer suggestions, discuss your thoughts on the Café, the Utne Reader, or Utne Lens, visit the Feedback Forum.
To report a bug with Motet software, visit the Feedback.Motet Forum.
