Why is it so hard to get into Amanda's Table?
The Chat Center has become tremendously popular. On any day, twice as many people try to use Amanda's Table as the system can accommodate. The best way to assure easy access is to become a Member.

Why is Amanda's Table sometimes slow?
1. You or--more likely--your Internet Service Provider may not have enough bandwidth. Talk to your ISP.
2. You can try adjusting the speed setting in your Personal Profile. Turning off pictures provides even more speed.

Why are you charging now for KeepTalking/Amanda's Table?
Lots of users asked for a way to own their User Names, more access, and reserved rooms. This is the best way to provide those services. But, remember: there will always be some free channels set aside.

If I join as a member, will I still be able to talk to non-members?
Yes, you will, although non-members will have fewer channels available to them and may continue to get locked out when the system is at full capacity.

How do I get one of those neat pictures in my chat panel/profile?
Go to your personal profile and enter a URL for a picture (.GIF or .jpg) anywhere on the Internet. The URL is the address of the file. Please use only pictures that the owners don't mind you downloading. Note: if you are a Member, this URL along with the rest of your personal profile gets saved between sessions, so you don't have to enter it each time.

How do I change my picture?
1. Go to the Main Menu
2. Click "Change your user info"
3. In the area where it says "The URL of your picture", enter the URL* that points to the picture you want.
4. Click the "Submit Changes" button.
*A URL is an address on the Internet that points to something, like a web page or a picture. Pictures generally have URLs that end in ".GIF" or ".jpg".

For example, the following URL points to a picture of the album cover of Pink Floyd's "The Division Bell":
http://humper.student.princeton.edu/floyd/covers/bellfront.jpg
Please note that we do not keep directories of URLs; you'll have to find a URL that points to a picture you want. You can use any picture that is accessible via the World Wide Web, so you have most of the Internet at your disposal.


What's the deal with Membership in Amanda's Table?
You are assured priority entrance, you own your own user name, your Personal Profile is saved between sessions, and you can call customer service. For an additional charge, you can also own your own permanent private room.

How do Invitations work?
Invitations allow users to control access to rooms that they have created.
When an invite-only room has been created, the creator of that room is automatically extended an invitation to the room.
Once inside the room, the user can extend invitations to other users. When an invitation is extended to another user, the recipient will automatically be sent a private message, notifying the user of the invitation.
If you'd like an invitation to a room, you should send a private message to a user inside that room asking for an invitation. We've found that users are generally friendly enough to let you in, unless the users in the room are having a truly private conversation.

What are "Room Keys"?
A room key can be used to restrict access to a room. When a room is created, the creator has the option of setting a key (which is essentially a password) for the room.
In order to get into the room that requires a key for entry, you must know the key to the room and type it in the box provided. If you do not know the key, send a private message to one of the people in the room asking for the key. At their discretion, they can give you the key and let you in the room.



Why can't I log on with my usual name?
Sometimes, you may come to KeepTalking and find that you can't log on with your name, because the system reports that someone is already logged on with that name. Although this may happen if someone else is using the same name, it can also happen if you did not explicitly log off after a prior chat session.
KeepTalking does not maintain a persistent connection with users (unless the user is in a chat room), so if you don't explicitly log off (by clicking Logoff from the main menu), it must guess as to when you're really gone. If the server doesn't hear from you in a certain period of time (usually about 20 minutes), the server assumes you're gone, and logs you off. Until that happens, however, your name will still be logged on and you'll need to use a different name to log on.


How can I tell if my room is dead and what can I do about it?
Sometimes you may sit in a room for a period of time and notice that there is no activity for an extended period of time. If this is the case, your browser may have lost the connection to the server, and the connection may need to be reset.
You can tell if the browser has lost the connection by looking at the Netscape or IE icon in the upper-right-hand corner of your browser's window. If the icon is a still picture (as opposed to an animated graphic), then the connection has been lost.
To reconnect to the server, simply click the "Reload" or "Refresh" button on your browser.


What can I do about an abusive user?
Forget them. Click the FORGET button next to their name.
In the Private Message area, simply ignore their messages (or forget them).
In Rooms, ask the Room creator to ban them from the room.
Use key-only, members-only, or invite-only rooms.

If the problem persists:
* View the user's profile
* Copy the profile screen and send it to us
We will forward all complaints to the user's Internet Service Provider.
In the meantime, the best way to prevent continued harassment from other users is to simply ignore them. They are usually attention-starved adolescents who thrive on your replies to their messages. If you don't reply, they'll get bored with you and they'll probably go watch South Park.


I have WebTV. Will KeepTalking work with it?
Yes. But Due to limitations with WebTV, less options may be available.

Why do rooms disappear?
User-created rooms are set to disappear if they have been inactive for a certain period of time. The purpose of this is to clean up the chat system, which can easily get cluttered with rooms that are no longer in use. You can, for a small charge, rent a room that does not disappear.

Can I use html code in my messages?
No. Html code offers to much opportunity for abuse, so we've turned it off.

Why are some names bold and others plain?
In room lists, people with bold names are members while people with plain names are guests, people with Italics are room operators.

How can I be 'anonymous'?
Create an anonymous room and enter it and you'll appear in the user list as 'anonymous'--until you come out, that is.

How can I make my room panel a different color?
Set the color you want in your Profile.

Why can't I see the panel colors?
You aren't using Netscape 4 or later or Internet Explorer 4 or later. Earlier versions of these browsers don't support frame colors.

How do I make smiley faces (EmotIcons) show up?
Simply type :) or :( or :P or :O or :E for the correct icon, depending on your mood