· Why do I need to accept the terms and conditions?
· When I register, it won’t accept my username.
· It won’t accept my password.
· It won’t accept my phone number.
· Why do you need my postcode?
· I’ve forgotten/lost my password!
· How do I change my password?
· Do I need to sign out after using the site?
· What’s the go with the sms/emails?
· Make sure you check the Forums Code Of Conduct.
· So I want to say something, I just post a new topic right?
· So, can I say whatever I want?
· Someone said something really really stupid, can I tell them what I think?
· Can I post in all areas of the forum?
· What are these smiley things?
· I've got a great image I want to share to the world, can I post it?
· What does it mean when a topic is locked?
· Who are these admin and moderator people? What gives them the right to boss me around?
· Opposing opinion vs personal attack.
· There's another site that I'm involved with...can I tell people about it?
· Can I post articles which are relevant to the forum?
· I found an interesting topic, with heaps of messages! I'll just post my message at the end...
· If I want to post a spoiler, how do I do it?
· Can I tell people about sites where we can download show?
· A Moderator gave me a warning. What an idiot! I have to tell everyone how unfair it is.
· A Moderator removed this great topic. I'll just start it again.
· Bob sent me a personal message, it was so fantastic, I have to share it with everyone else.
· But what about if someone sent me a personal message that I think broke the rule?
· The shift key is so annoying, I'll just keep caps on and type in capitals.
· How is forum content organized?
· How do I create a thread or post a reply?
· How do I set my profile and view other user profiles?
· How can I format the text of my posts?
· How do I check the spelling of my messages?
· A Moderator did something and I reckon it was wrong.
· Come on, surely there has to be some flexibility?
· The competition says I need to be over 18 to enter but I am only 16, can I still enter?
· How can I find out if I won a competition?
· Do I need to be registered to enter a competition on the Australian Idol website?
· I want to enter lots of times but I can't. Is something wrong?
· My children and I are all members on the site. Can we all enter the competitions?
· Why do I need to accept the terms and conditions?
· I've forgotten/lost my password!
· How do I change my password?
· I have dial-up Internet. Why is the site so slow?
· I've got great Internet, but the site is still slow. What's up with that?
· How do I check that Cookies are enabled?
· How do I check that Javascript is supported/enabled?
· What is Macromedia Flash Player?
· What are the browser and settings required to view this website?
Video
· On a mac (Safari) I can't see the videos?
· I smirked at the last FAQ question. Does that make me a nerd?
· Why does the video keep lagging?
· I am trying to access with Linux browser & am unable to run video, can you help me?
· I haven't seen it before, what does it do?
You only need to register on the website if you want to post comments on the forums, send Fan Messages, to enter competitions or participate in Live Text Chats with the Idols. If you are not registered, you can not do these things.
Why do I need to accept the terms and conditions?
This is a legal requirement to ensure we agree on the conditions by which you access the site. If you don’t agree, that’s fine, but you can’t become a member. To read over the Term and Conditions please click here.
When I register, it won’t accept my username.
The username you are entering has already been taken. Try another username. It also has to be more than 6 and less than 20 characters.
The password you are entering is not long enough. Your password needs to be at least 6 characters.
It won’t accept my phone number.
The phone number you are entering is not long enough. Try entering your phone number with your area code included (10 digits in total, eg 02 1234 5678)
We want to know which parts of Australia our loyal members are from.
An avatar is a character that you can personalise and use when interacting with the TEN or Australian Idol forums.
No you don’t. If you would like one, head to your personal profile settings. Try to choose one that fits your personality.
Unfortunately you have to choose one of ours for copyright reasons. We hope to provide a wider range in the future.
Have you registered? Seriously, you must register in order to sign in. If you have registered and you still cannot log in then check and double-check your username and password. Usually this is the problem.
I’ve forgotten/lost my password!
Click on the Members tab in the top nav and then select the link under Members Login that says "Can't remember your username or password?". Enter your email address and we'll email your username and password out to you. NB: you must enter the email address that you used when you first registered.
First you need to sign in then click on the link in the Masthead that says "Change Password". A pop-up box will be displayed for you to type in your old and new password. When you hit Submit, your passord will be updated immediately.
Do I need to sign out after using the site?
No but it is recommended. In any case when you close your browser you are automatically logged out.
What’s the go with the sms/emails?
Occasionally TEN and FremantleMedia Australia will send out sms/email messages regarding competitions and special offers. You can ask not to receive these, however it’s free and stuff that we think you’ll really enjoy. If you don't want to receive any of these messages, simply change your preferences in your account information.
Make sure you check the Forums Code Of Conduct.
Firstly sign in. It's simple, anyone can do it. Then click on "Forum" from the main nav bar right at the top of the page. You will then see a list of all the groups we have. Pick one that you’re interested in and click on it. Once you’re there, click "new topic", found on the left at both the top and bottom of the forum page. Come up with a subject, something that explains what you're talking about (not "hi guys" or anything like that), then type away. Click submit and you're done.
So I want to say something, I just post a new topic right?
No, absolutely not. If everyone posted a new topic for everything they wanted to say we’d have a massive collection of very boring conversations. If you want to say something, have a quick scan through the forum that it fits in and see if someone has already said something similar. For example, if you want to say something about a comment that Dicko made in a show, and there is already a topic about that comment, then put it in there. This can be done by just going to the end of the topic and clicking "add reply".
So, can I say whatever I want?
No, you can't. Like any social situation, there are simple rules that you should follow. Don't abuse people. Don't swear. Don't give out personal information. Don't discuss anything that is illegal. It's mostly common sense, but there are always bad apples. If you see them, make sure you report them by clicking "report abuse", that way they can be warned or banned, and the post can be removed.
Someone said something really really stupid, can I tell them what I think?
Only if you're going to be careful about what you say. Written text doesn't take into account tone of voice, so sometimes people take things out of context. If you disagree, say so, but under no circumstances may you attack the person. This will be dealt with swiftly by administrators and moderators, and if you see this activity happening ensure you report it ASAP.
No. Editing causes difficulty for our moderators and we can not allow editing.
Can I post in all areas of the forum?
At the moment yes, however it is possible for admin to create forums which do not allow users to create new topics, some also do not allow users reply to existing posts, and some even do not let users read the forum at all. This may or may not be used in the future, but be aware it is possible.
No. This is unfortunate, but due to copyright issues we cannot allow images be included in anyone's post, and the only way to do this is to disable html.
They are used to convey emotion. When you type a message, you don't see the person's mannerisms or tone of voice, meaning some messages can be misinterpreted. Smileys help avoid this to a certain extent. Click the button for the smiley that you want on the left of the screen and it will be inserted into your message.
I've got a great image I want to share to the world, can I post it?
Nope. Don't get me wrong, we'd love you to, but there are two problems. Firstly, the images may be inappropriate, and secondly even if they're completely fine and relevant, we will probably not own the copyright in the image. This may be alright for some websites, but for us unfortunately it isn't. If you really want to post an image, you can include a link to the site that image exists on, but it must be completely appropriate. Anything inappropriate will be deleted and you may receive a warning or even be banned. If you discover someone who has done this, please report them to us by clicking "report abuse".
What does it mean when a topic is locked?
It means it's been officially closed. No longer can anyone post anything in it anymore. This may be for a number of reasons, and when it occurs the reason will be posted by the administrator as the last post before it is closed.
Who are these admin and moderator people? What gives them the right to boss me around?
All communities have rules, and all rules need to be enforced. We certainly hope that you will hardly have to see any administrators or moderators, but unfortunately there will always be some bad eggs that spoil it for everyone. To make life easy,please abide by what the admin/moderators say.
Opposing opinion vs personal attack.
There is a big difference. If you disagree with someone, tell them, but do not attack them personally. Discussion is great, even if people start to get a little passionate, as long as only the issues are attacked and not the person.
There's another site that I'm involved with...can I tell people about it?
This is a fine line, and it will be up to the admin/moderators to decide. If another site is relevant to discussion then sure, post away, however anything that is seen as being an advertisement will be removed. Please use common sense and accept the decision of admin/mods.
Can I post articles which are relevant to the forum?
This is another copyright issue unfortunately. If you see an interesting article, simply post a link to it. Then once you've read it, head on back and discuss what you've read. You unfortunately can't post a whole or any part of an article on our forums.
Ifound an interesting topic, with heaps of messages! I'll just post my message at the end...
Wrong! If you do this, often the discussion has moved on, and you may look silly as a result. Make sure you read everything that was posted recently so that you are up to date with the conversation.
A spoiler is information that gives away something that happens in an episode of a TV program that hasn't been shown in Australia yet, or some other media that has not yet been published in Australia. Most people don't want to know what’s happening in future episodes or releases, but prefer to see it as it happens. You have to be very careful about posting spoilers, see below.
If I want to post a spoiler, how do I do it?
Spoilers are fine, so long as they are posted in a topic that has the word SPOILER in capital letters in the topic title. Do not under any circumstances post a spoiler in any other topic. If you do, you will be warned or even banned and the post will be removed.
Can I tell people about sites where we can download show?
No. As this is illegal activity, we cannot allow people to tell other people how or where to obtain pirated copies of movies/shows/games etc.
A Moderator gave me a warning. What an idiot! I have to tell everyone how unfair it is.
No he/she's not, and no you won't. It is a fundamental rule of the forums that all communication between you and moderators are not to be discussed on forums.
A Moderator removed this great topic. I'll just start it again.
The topic was removed for a reason. If you do this, not only will it be quickly removed again, you will also receive the wrath of the moderators.
The only exception to this is if the topic started off by following the rules, but then went off on a tangent and became a problem topic. If this is the case, you can start a similar topic with a similar subject however be very careful that it doesn't go down the same path as before.
Bob sent me a personal message, it was so fantastic, I have to share it with everyone else.
No you can't. Like communication with moderators, any communication between two members of the forum via the personal messaging system is not to be made public.
But what about if someone sent me a personal message that I think broke the rule?
If this is the case, send a moderator a personal message explaining what was said and they'll deal with it.
The shift key is so annoying, I'll just keep caps on and type in capitals.
In the wonderful world of the world wide web, capitals is seen as shouting. To see the effect this will have, print your post, find the nearest person and read it out while shouting.
Discussion forums allow you to share ideas, opinions and information quickly and easily. Organized by threads in an easy-to-follow format,discussion forums are designed so you can quickly locate information, find other knowledgeable users and participate in conversations.
How is forum content organized?
The content in the forums is structured as follows:
Forum Categories: Categories represent a collection of forums as well as
other categories. Often, categories are used to organize forums into a
tree structure so members can find the right discussions more easily.
Forums: Forums are the areas where individual discussions take place as
a listing of threads.
Threads: Threads are the discussions that consist of one or more
messages displayed as a list, or in a tree structure of messages and
their replies.
Messages: Messages are the individual discussion posts made by community
members.
Replies: Message replies are posts in response to other messages and are
organized in a flat or threaded mode.
How do I create a thread or post a reply?
To start a new thread, choose the appropriate forum and select Post New Thread. Type your thread header in the subject line and type a message in the message box. Before you are about to post, you can spell check your message by clicking on Spell Check. You can also choose to watch the thread (which will add it to you watch list, and allow you to receive email notifications when new posts are made) by clicking the Watch This Thread box.
When you are satisfied with your message, you can preview your message to see how it will appear when posted by clicking on Preview. Or you can post your message without previewing it by clicking Post Message.
To post a reply to a thread, select the reply icon next to the message you would like to reply to. If you want to respond to specific text from the original message, click on Quote Original, and that will add the text from the original post in your message.
How do I set my profile and view other user profiles?
To create or update your profile, click on Your Control Panel. Your profile, forums preferences and watch settings may be set from here. To edit these settings, fill in your updated information, then click Save.
To view the profile for any user who has posted to the forums, click on their username wherever you see it as a link. You can also search for their username or ID using the search feature.
From the main page of the discussion forums, type your term(s) into the search box, select which forum(s) you want to search, and click the Go icon.
When you are in a Forum page, you can click on Search Forum to use an advanced search page where you can narrow your search by specifying a date range or filtering by username.
A watch notifies you by email if the thread you are interested in has been updated.
To add a thread to your watch list, click on the "Watch This Thread" link at the top of the thread page. Click on Stop Watching Thread to end the email notifications. After 30 days, inactive watches automatically expire. You can also watch forums, categories and users. For example, when a new message is posted in a forum you're watching then you'll be notified by email.
To see the current list of watches, click on "Your Control Panel" then "Watches". From this screen you can choose to receive email
notifications when new posts are made. Just click on Add Email Notification next to the thread for which you want to be notified.
How can I format the text of my posts?
To format your message text, there are three buttons for Bold, Italics and Underline. Clicking on these buttons will add tags to the message field.
For example, typing: "This is [b]bold[/b] text, and this is [i]italicized[/i] text" will appear as "This is bold text, and this is
italicized text" once you post the message
How do I check the spelling of my messages?
To check the text of your message for proper spelling, just click Spell Check on the post screen.
If our spell check dictionary doesn't recognize a word in your message, it will appear in a box. You can correct it yourself by simply typing over what is displayed. If the dictionary has any suggestions, you will be able to see them in the suggestion box.
To choose one of the suggestions, simply select the suggestion you'd like to use and click on the Change button for each of the words you would like changed.
When you are finished checking your entire message, click on Post Message to save your changes and post the message with your spelling corrections. If you want to continue editing your message, hit Go Back or Edit to return to the post message area.
In order to filter through the general discussion "noise", users have the option to flag their post as a question. This provides the community
a visual clue to the fact that the poster is wanting an answer to their question. The poster is able to see their open & resolved questions
through their profile.
When a community member posts a questions, other members are able to post an answer. In some cases, the answer is just some hints, or helpful information to aid the poster in resolving this issue. This is classified as a "Helpful" post. In other cases, a community member will post the specific answer to the original questions. This is classified as a "Correct" post. The originator of the post will be able to flag
each response as either "Helpful" or "Correct", or not to flag a response at all. The originator of the post will also be able to "close
the loop" on the question by flagging the entire post as answered, which provides a visual clue to the community members.
A Moderator did something and I reckon it was wrong.
They are right. you are wrong.
Ah! They are right. you are wrong.
Come on, surely there has to be some flexibility?
Nope.
The competition says I need to be over 18 to enter but I am only 16, can I still enter?
No, an age limit has been set for a reason, most likely to do with redeeming the prize. Ask your parents to enter instead!
How can I find out if I won a competition?
If you are a major winner you will be contacted by phone and/or mail. We will also advertise major competition winners on the website after the draw so check back regularly for winner announcements. Also winners of prizes over $100 are published in The Australian Newspaper within 14 days of the draw. Check the individual T&C for the exact publication date.
Do I need to be registered to enter a competition on the Australian Idol website?
Yes you do. All of the competitions on the Idol website are exclusively open to our members only. To enter, simply register with the website and log on to access the competition entry button
I want to enter lots of times but I can't. Is something wrong?
No, all of our competitions have set Terms and Conditions which state the number of times a member can enter on any given day. You might have just reached your daily limit so come back tomorrow and enter again!
My children and I are all members on the site. Can we all enter the competitions?
Yes you can all enter but in some cases there may only be one prize allowed per household. Check the individual T&C for more details.
Why do I need to accept the terms and conditions?
This is a legal requirement to ensure we agree on the conditions by which you access the site. If you don’t agree, that’s fine, but you can’t become a member.
To read over the Term and Conditions please click here.
Have you registered? Seriously, you must register in order to sign in. If you have registered and you still cannot log in then check and double-check your username and password. Usually this is the problem
I've forgotten/lost my password!
Go to the Forgotten Password page on the web site and enter your email details to get a new password sent to your inbox.
First you need to sign in. Go to the Change Password page and type in your old and new password.
I have dial-up Internet. Why is the site so slow?
Firstly, congratulations on making it this far. Due to the large amount of video and high-resolution images we're providing on the site, we recommend you have some form of broadband Internet to use the site as intended. If you have a slow connection but are committed, you can still use the site but you will have to have some patience.
Click tools -> internet options, then click on the advanced tab, scroll down to multimedia, and untick "show pictures". This way it will be a little quicker, but it will also mean you don’t get to see images.
I've got great Internet, but the site is still slow. What's up with that?
There are many other reasons why this might be the case. The site may be experiencing excessive demand or the servers may be having issues. It may also be a problem with your Internet connection. Whatever the case, if the problem is at our end we will no doubt be fixing it as best we can, however if it is a recurring problem then pop it into the feedback topic in the contact us forum and we'll do our best..
Cookies are small text files used by your web browser that store information that allows your computer to recognize you and keep track of which sites you visit. It has also been referred to as a computer installed memory system. While they don't hold any personal information or registration details, they can assist you in filling out subsequent registrations and membership applications.
How do I check that Cookies are enabled?
In Internet Explorer:
-Select tools in your browser menu
-Choose Internet options
-Select the security tab
-Select custom level
-Under cookies, make sure the 'Enable Radio' button is checked
In Firefox:
-Select tools
-Select options
-Choose privacy
-Make sure the box 'Accept Cookies from Sites' is selected
JavaScript is a scripting language developed by Netscape that works in all major browsers that are version 3.0 or higher. JavaScript allows a Web page to interact with your actions. For example: navigation links can become bold or highlighted when you move your mouse over them.
How do I check that Javascript is supported/enabled?
In Internet Explorer:
-Select tools in your browser menu
-Choose Internet options
-Select the security tab
-Select custom level
-Under Scripting, make that the 'Enable Radio' button is checked
In Firefox:
-Under the tools menu select options.
-In the options window select the 'content tab' (It has a globe icon associated with it)
-Make sure 'Enable Javascript' has been selected
What is Macromedia Flash Player?
Macromedia Flash Player allows you to view content such as movies, animations and other Web experiences created with Macromedia Flash.
What are the browser and settings required to view this website?
-Internet Explorer 6.0 or Internet Explorer 7.0, Firefox 2.0
-Cookies must be enabled.
-Javascript must be supported/ enabled.
-Flash must be installed
We also recommend a broadband service such as ADSL/Cable Internet/Wireless Internet due to the volume of video content on the site. If using a dial-up Internet service, we recommend you get sound advice from a professional or the computer geek kid next door.
Video is available by clicking "Video" in the nav bar. You can choose between the two formats available by clicking on the Settings tab under the screen.
You can choose either Windows Media Player or Flash Media. You can also choose between the quality of 300K or 700K, depending on your Internet connection. Once selected, your browser will remember your preference.
On a mac (Safari) I can't see the videos?
We've noticed that under Safari, users can see the website reloading in the place where you'd expect to see the videos. The issue is with the hyper-paranoid/secure way that Safari deals with what's referred to as 3rd party cookies. As you navigate to http://www.australianidol.com.au; Safari's default setting allows the cookie to be set for that site, but as the video is served from outside this domain it won't allow the credentials to be passed across.
To fix this you need to set Safari to allow cookies - which is seen as a definite risk on all PC based systems; but in a Mac world (where there are almost no viruses/malware) accepting the cookies is not such a significant risk.
The setting is under the Safari Menu -> Preferences (mac key+,) then under the Security Tab, Set accept cookies to "Always Allow" to be able to watch the videos.
The default setting "Only on sites I navigate to" is what causes this behaviour as the video hosting is published via a third party application. Unfortunately, there is no other workaround as this is by design behaviour on a mac.
Why does the video keep lagging?
Video requires very high bandwidth, so unfortunately even with broadband this can happen sometimes. An idea might be to let it play and leave it minimised for a while, then later on come back to it. By this time it should have downloaded and you can watch it all without it jumping and loading all the time
I am trying to access with Linux browser & am unable to run video, can you help me?
No. No one can help you.
The pause button is there if you need to take a break when watching the clip. Please note that the clip will continue to download should you press pause. This can be a good thing if you're experiencing some lag when viewing the Idol content.
If you've enjoyed watching the clip be sure to click the "I like it" icon. You must be signed in for your vote to be registered. Please read the "I Like It" section below if you are unsure about what this functionality means.
Share this enables you to share the clip with your friends and the general public. You can either email it to a friend, post it on your facebook page, get the link to store or mark it in Digg or Delicious. Click on the icon that corresponds with the social networking tool that you wish to use to share this clip.
I haven't seen this before - What does it do?
This button allows you to mark a video clip or article as something you'd recommend to other users of the site. The more votes a video or article has, the more popular it is.
You will see "Most Popular" containers around the site. These containers surface the most popular items that you guys have voted for via "I Like It". Please note that you must be registered and signed in to be able to vote.
