OurChart's Bloggers
Our Favorite Sites
Tips?
thehookup@ourchart.com
Below are some of your most frequently asked questions and our most
frequently given answers. If your particular issue is not covered here,
drop us a line. We'll do our darnedest to
respond in a timely fashion.
Q: I'm new here, and I don't know where to begin. Can anyone help?
A: Welcome! We're glad you're here. The first thing you'll probably want to do is go here to register for an account.
Once that's out of the way, you can create your profile, upload some photos, read OurBlogs or start your own, chat in OurForums, check out our original video series and exclusive L Word content, search for your friends or make some new ones.
Q: If I don't want to register, can I still check out the site?
A: Sure! Anonymous visitors can still look at OurBlogs, OurForums, and the rest of our content, but they can't look at member's profiles or charts and they can't post comments or notes.
Q: Who's this "OC Editor" lady, and what is she doing on my Chart?
A: OC Editor, aka Lisa Bang, aka The Best Friend You Didn't Know You Had, is everyone's starter friend. When she's not rescuing new members from the loneliness of an empty Chart, she keeps busy as one of the editors here at OC headquarters.
Q: I tried to register, but never received the email with my account password. How long does it take?
A: Account confirmation emails are sent out right after you submit the registration form, so if you don't receive an email with a link to your account within an hour, then it's possible your email provider is blocking automated mail as part of their spam protection. This is a particularly common issue for AOL users, so we recommend that those users consider registering for a second email address with a provider like Google's Gmail or Yahoo! Mail. Both are free services and will eliminate delivery problems from our site and many others. If you don't receive your registration confirmation, email contact@ourchart.com and a member of our customer support team will reset the password for you.
Q: I can't view the Chart. What am I doing wrong?
A: Most likely, you're using an older version of Flash. If you want the Chart to function properly, just upgrade to Flash 9, which you can get here.
Q: How do I find friends?
A: If you're looking for someone who you know is already registered with us, browse member profiles to track them down. If you know them but they aren't on the Chart yet, send an invitation to join!
If you just want to cruise the site and find new friends, a good place to start is with the commenters in OurForums. Just click on anyone's user name to go to their profile. Beneath every OurChart member's profile photo, you'll see a bunch of links that allow you to add them as friends (or friends plus!), send them a message, leave a note on their profile or view their Chart to check out their friends.
Browsing profiles and commenting in the blogs and forums are the best ways to get started on the site. And be sure to fill out your profile and upload a picture, so that other members can get to know you and add you to their Chart!
Q: What are friends plus?
A: OurChart connects you with more than just your friends. We've created friends plus for everyone who's more-than- just-a-friend: exes, one-night stands, long-term partners, and any other players in your own personal dyke drama. Ever been secretly in love with your best friend? Kept up an intense relationship with an ex? Found yourself in a group of girls who've all slept with each other? Been out with a girl but weren't sure you were on a date? So have we. All of these are your friends plus.
Q: How can I delete friends from my Chart?
A: Click on "My Friends" in the black navigation bar below the OurChart logo, and you'll see pictures of your friends. Click on their name and you'll see several options, including Remove From Friends.
Q: How can I tell if someone is online?
A: When you're viewing your friends list, a page of user search results, or a particular user's profile, you'll see an "online" badge on the user photo if that person has logged in within the past 15 minutes.
If you'd prefer to keep your online status private, go to your account settings, scroll down to the Online Settings section and uncheck the box to hide your online status. When your status is hidden, you won't be able to view other users' online status either.
Q: How do I get Kate, Leisha and Ilene on my Chart?
A: You can find their profiles here, here, and here. Just click the "add to my friends" link beneath their profile photos and they'll be added to your friends list and your Chart.
Q: How do I change my username?
A: Just email contact@ourchart.com with your old username and a couple of choices of what you'd like to change it to, and we'll take care of it for you.
Q: How do I change my password?
A: Once you've logged in, look for the gray box on the right-hand side of the homepage. Beneath your username, click on the "Account Settings" link. To change your current password, enter the new password in both fields, scroll to the bottom of the page and click "submit."
If you've forgotten your password, go here to enter the email address you signed up with, and we'll send a new one right out to you.
Q: It is okay if I create a few profiles, one for each personality?
A: Sorry, but multiple accounts are strictly forbidden! Registering for more than one account will result in the immediate termination of all of your accounts and your restriction from the site going forward. Please stick to one so it doesn't come to that.
Q: How do I delete my profile?
A: To cancel your OurChart account, just send an email with your username to contact@ourchart.com. Keep in mind that you do need to be logged in as a member to view profiles and charts, comment on blogs, and participate in forums. But if you're OK with missing out on all that, just say the word and we'll get right on it.
Q: How do I add a picture to my profile?
A: Click on My Photos in the black navigation bar above your username, then click "add a photo" beneath the OurChart logo.
Click on "browse" to find any photo on your hard drive to upload. If you want to use this photo as your profile picture, check the box below the browse field. Give your photo a title (required) and, if you'd like, a description (optional). Finally, scroll down to the "submit" button, click it, and your photo will be uploaded.
For more tips on using our photo tools, please refer to our Guidelines and Announcements forum here.
Q: I tried uploaded a new photo, so why isn't it showing up?
A: Try uploading the image again and then clear your cache to be sure you're viewing the most current version of the web page. If you're not sure how to do that, here are instructions for a variety of browsers.
Keep in mind that you can only upload pictures with a a maximum image size of 1600x1600 pixels, a maximum file size of 1024 kb, and a file format of .jpg, .gif or .png. Anything outside of those limitations won't show up.
Q: What happened to my profile photo? It didn't look like that when I uploaded it!
A: OurChart uses square profile images. Our software automatically crops and resizes any that aren't square, but if you want total control over how your picture looks, you may wish to square the image yourself (this is applicable to profile images only - your other images will not be cropped or resized). Please note that it may take up to 24 hours for changes to take effect.
Q: I don't want just anyone to see the 17 photos of my cat that I just posted. Can a girl get some privacy here?
A: Of course! When uploading a photo, you'll see your Photo Privacy Settings below the "browse" field. These allow you to set who can and cannot see the photo you are uploading. By default, photos are visible to everyone, but you can make them visible to your friends only by toggling this option.
Q: I noticed a photo on someone's profile that might be in violation of OurChart's User Agreement. Should I report them?
A: If you see an image that's not in keeping with our guidelines, click the "report this" link in the bottom left corner below the image in question, and one of our moderators will handle it from there. Only moderators see these reports, so even if you're not sure if an image is in violation, feel free to report it for our review. We never disclose this information to other users.
Q: I can't access my messages, what's going on?
A: You may have your profile set to block them. To change your status, visit your Account Settings. Scroll down to the "Private Message Settings" area and check the box that says "Allow private messages."
Q: Why do I see the "send a message" link on everyone's profile except mine?
A: We're all for self-love, but we'd rather you sent messages to your new OurChart friends than to yourself. You won't see an option to send messages when viewing your own profile, but rest assured, other members do see that link when they're checking you out — provided that your account is set up to accept private messages (see previous question).
Q: How do I leave comments?
A: "Comments" refers to your comments on the forums and on blogs - you can comment on any forum or blog by either (1) scrolling down to the bottom of the page and typing your comment in the box there, or (2) hitting "reply" to any comment and typing in the box that appears.
Q: Why do my comments have to be approved first? What about free speech?
A: If you're including images, links, or other HTML in your comments, then they may be sent to OurChart's team of site moderators for approval before publishing. This is an automated process that helps cut down on spam, so that all of our users have a better site experience. We're all for free speech, but spam slows down the conversation!
If you don't want to wait for your comments to go through moderation, we recommend posting simple text only. And if you do choose to include an image in your comment, please be sure to keep it under 500 pixels wide so it doesn't disturb the page layout.
Q: I just read a member comment that goes against everything in OurChart's Community Guidelines. What do I do?
A: When you see questionable comments left on our blogs, forums or photos, you can click the "report this" link in the bottom right corner of the comment and one of our moderators will handle it from there. Only moderators see these reports, so even if you're not sure about the content, feel free to report it for our review. We never disclose this information to other users. Please keep in mind that when you disagree with or take offense at another user's posts, it's out of line to flame them back. She (or he) is protected by the same terms that you are. That means no personal attacks, no matter how warranted you feel they may be. When in doubt, click "report this" and let a moderator handle the situation.
Q: What are notes?
A: "Notes" are public messages that you can post on any member's profile. Use notes to tell someone you love their new profile photo, ask them a burning question or just say hello.
Q: Can I view notes before they're posted on my profile?
A: Yes! By default, notes will be posted to your profile automatically. If that's okay with you, then you don't need to do anything. But if you want to read what people are saying about you before it all goes public, just visit your Account Settings and check the appropriate box in your notes section.
Q: Who writes for OurChart?
A: Click on any section from the BLOGS drop-down menu and you'll see a blogroll on the left column of the page. All of our fabulous contributors, including Managing Editor Grace Moon, are listed under "OurChart's Bloggers."
From both the BLOGS menu and the OurChart homepage, you can jump to any of our content areas. Visit Hook Up for blogs and site announcements from OurChart's editorial staff. You'll find music, arts, culture and entertainment blogs in our Feel Up section. Touch Up is home to all our lifestyle, beauty, fashion and health content. Wake Up is your source for politics, issues and activism. And Sex Up takes you from the sheets to the streets.
Q: I really like your content! How do I subscribe to it?
A: We publish our content in lots of ways. Of course you can use your browser and read everything directly from the website, but we also offer RSS feeds. Just use the handy feed icon
next to any writers' name on our blogroll, and that's that.
Q: How do I create my own blog?
A: On the black navigation bar next to My Profile, there's a link to My Blog - that's headquarters for your very own OurChart member blog. Just click "Post new blog entry" and you're on your way!
There is a ten word minimum for the body of your blog posts (That was 13 words right there! Easy). Limited HTML is allowed for formatting (bold, italic, etc.) and for image tags. Photos need to be hosted by an image hosting site (or your own) and should be less than 500 pixels wide.
Q: Who can read my blog?
A: Anyone, including anonymous users, can read your blog. However, only registered OurChart members can post comments to your blog (you can delete comments at your discretion). To read other member's blogs, click on the red "blog" tab on their profile pages. You can access all member blogs here. The five most recent member blogs show up on the right column of the OurChart homepage as well.
Q: Where do I find all The L Word stuff?
A: At the top of every page, to the right of the OurChart logo, is the VIDEO drop-down menu. From here, you can jump to our All Things L Word player and watch deleted scenes and sneak previews for each episode, check out "Questions, Anyone?" for cast interviews, tune into "The Secret Ingredient" for Ilene's behind-the-scenes account of the making of each episode and much, much more.
Q: Where can I watch new webseries?
A: From the VIDEO drop-down menu, select Original Series to view all of OurChart's exclusive, original video content. Get greased up with the girls of Fyke, find workout and nutrition tips in Leah Beckingham's Body Work, check out Angela Robinson's Girltrash! and Kate Moennig's My Address series — and stay tuned, because we've got a bunch of new series in the works.
Q: How do I participate in the Forums?
A: Anyone can read the Forums, but you must be logged in to join the discussion by commenting or creating your own Topics. Check out the Community Guidelines for a full introduction to OurForums and the comment policy.
Q: I love OurChart, but I'd love it even more if there were chat rooms/member videos/insert-your-favorite-feature-here. So how about it?
A: We're always working to improve the OurChart experience and we love reading your feedback. If you've got suggestions for how to make the site more fun, more usable, more whatever, we want to hear them! Post a topic in the Feature Requests forum and we'll add it to the wish list.
GETTING STARTED
Q: I'm new here, and I don't know where to begin. Can anyone help?
A: Welcome! We're glad you're here. The first thing you'll probably want to do is go here to register for an account.
Once that's out of the way, you can create your profile, upload some photos, read OurBlogs or start your own, chat in OurForums, check out our original video series and exclusive L Word content, search for your friends or make some new ones.
Q: If I don't want to register, can I still check out the site?
A: Sure! Anonymous visitors can still look at OurBlogs, OurForums, and the rest of our content, but they can't look at member's profiles or charts and they can't post comments or notes.
Q: Who's this "OC Editor" lady, and what is she doing on my Chart?
A: OC Editor, aka Lisa Bang, aka The Best Friend You Didn't Know You Had, is everyone's starter friend. When she's not rescuing new members from the loneliness of an empty Chart, she keeps busy as one of the editors here at OC headquarters.
Q: I tried to register, but never received the email with my account password. How long does it take?
A: Account confirmation emails are sent out right after you submit the registration form, so if you don't receive an email with a link to your account within an hour, then it's possible your email provider is blocking automated mail as part of their spam protection. This is a particularly common issue for AOL users, so we recommend that those users consider registering for a second email address with a provider like Google's Gmail or Yahoo! Mail. Both are free services and will eliminate delivery problems from our site and many others. If you don't receive your registration confirmation, email contact@ourchart.com and a member of our customer support team will reset the password for you.
Q: I can't view the Chart. What am I doing wrong?
A: Most likely, you're using an older version of Flash. If you want the Chart to function properly, just upgrade to Flash 9, which you can get here.
MY FRIENDS
Q: How do I find friends?
A: If you're looking for someone who you know is already registered with us, browse member profiles to track them down. If you know them but they aren't on the Chart yet, send an invitation to join!
If you just want to cruise the site and find new friends, a good place to start is with the commenters in OurForums. Just click on anyone's user name to go to their profile. Beneath every OurChart member's profile photo, you'll see a bunch of links that allow you to add them as friends (or friends plus!), send them a message, leave a note on their profile or view their Chart to check out their friends.
Browsing profiles and commenting in the blogs and forums are the best ways to get started on the site. And be sure to fill out your profile and upload a picture, so that other members can get to know you and add you to their Chart!
Q: What are friends plus?
A: OurChart connects you with more than just your friends. We've created friends plus for everyone who's more-than- just-a-friend: exes, one-night stands, long-term partners, and any other players in your own personal dyke drama. Ever been secretly in love with your best friend? Kept up an intense relationship with an ex? Found yourself in a group of girls who've all slept with each other? Been out with a girl but weren't sure you were on a date? So have we. All of these are your friends plus.
Q: How can I delete friends from my Chart?
A: Click on "My Friends" in the black navigation bar below the OurChart logo, and you'll see pictures of your friends. Click on their name and you'll see several options, including Remove From Friends.
Q: How can I tell if someone is online?
A: When you're viewing your friends list, a page of user search results, or a particular user's profile, you'll see an "online" badge on the user photo if that person has logged in within the past 15 minutes.
If you'd prefer to keep your online status private, go to your account settings, scroll down to the Online Settings section and uncheck the box to hide your online status. When your status is hidden, you won't be able to view other users' online status either.
Q: How do I get Kate, Leisha and Ilene on my Chart?
A: You can find their profiles here, here, and here. Just click the "add to my friends" link beneath their profile photos and they'll be added to your friends list and your Chart.
MY PROFILE
Q: How do I change my username?
A: Just email contact@ourchart.com with your old username and a couple of choices of what you'd like to change it to, and we'll take care of it for you.
Q: How do I change my password?
A: Once you've logged in, look for the gray box on the right-hand side of the homepage. Beneath your username, click on the "Account Settings" link. To change your current password, enter the new password in both fields, scroll to the bottom of the page and click "submit."
If you've forgotten your password, go here to enter the email address you signed up with, and we'll send a new one right out to you.
Q: It is okay if I create a few profiles, one for each personality?
A: Sorry, but multiple accounts are strictly forbidden! Registering for more than one account will result in the immediate termination of all of your accounts and your restriction from the site going forward. Please stick to one so it doesn't come to that.
Q: How do I delete my profile?
A: To cancel your OurChart account, just send an email with your username to contact@ourchart.com. Keep in mind that you do need to be logged in as a member to view profiles and charts, comment on blogs, and participate in forums. But if you're OK with missing out on all that, just say the word and we'll get right on it.
PHOTOS
Q: How do I add a picture to my profile?
A: Click on My Photos in the black navigation bar above your username, then click "add a photo" beneath the OurChart logo.
Click on "browse" to find any photo on your hard drive to upload. If you want to use this photo as your profile picture, check the box below the browse field. Give your photo a title (required) and, if you'd like, a description (optional). Finally, scroll down to the "submit" button, click it, and your photo will be uploaded.
For more tips on using our photo tools, please refer to our Guidelines and Announcements forum here.
Q: I tried uploaded a new photo, so why isn't it showing up?
A: Try uploading the image again and then clear your cache to be sure you're viewing the most current version of the web page. If you're not sure how to do that, here are instructions for a variety of browsers.
Keep in mind that you can only upload pictures with a a maximum image size of 1600x1600 pixels, a maximum file size of 1024 kb, and a file format of .jpg, .gif or .png. Anything outside of those limitations won't show up.
Q: What happened to my profile photo? It didn't look like that when I uploaded it!
A: OurChart uses square profile images. Our software automatically crops and resizes any that aren't square, but if you want total control over how your picture looks, you may wish to square the image yourself (this is applicable to profile images only - your other images will not be cropped or resized). Please note that it may take up to 24 hours for changes to take effect.
Q: I don't want just anyone to see the 17 photos of my cat that I just posted. Can a girl get some privacy here?
A: Of course! When uploading a photo, you'll see your Photo Privacy Settings below the "browse" field. These allow you to set who can and cannot see the photo you are uploading. By default, photos are visible to everyone, but you can make them visible to your friends only by toggling this option.
Q: I noticed a photo on someone's profile that might be in violation of OurChart's User Agreement. Should I report them?
A: If you see an image that's not in keeping with our guidelines, click the "report this" link in the bottom left corner below the image in question, and one of our moderators will handle it from there. Only moderators see these reports, so even if you're not sure if an image is in violation, feel free to report it for our review. We never disclose this information to other users.
MESSAGES
Q: I can't access my messages, what's going on?
A: You may have your profile set to block them. To change your status, visit your Account Settings. Scroll down to the "Private Message Settings" area and check the box that says "Allow private messages."
Q: Why do I see the "send a message" link on everyone's profile except mine?
A: We're all for self-love, but we'd rather you sent messages to your new OurChart friends than to yourself. You won't see an option to send messages when viewing your own profile, but rest assured, other members do see that link when they're checking you out — provided that your account is set up to accept private messages (see previous question).
COMMENTS
Q: How do I leave comments?
A: "Comments" refers to your comments on the forums and on blogs - you can comment on any forum or blog by either (1) scrolling down to the bottom of the page and typing your comment in the box there, or (2) hitting "reply" to any comment and typing in the box that appears.
Q: Why do my comments have to be approved first? What about free speech?
A: If you're including images, links, or other HTML in your comments, then they may be sent to OurChart's team of site moderators for approval before publishing. This is an automated process that helps cut down on spam, so that all of our users have a better site experience. We're all for free speech, but spam slows down the conversation!
If you don't want to wait for your comments to go through moderation, we recommend posting simple text only. And if you do choose to include an image in your comment, please be sure to keep it under 500 pixels wide so it doesn't disturb the page layout.
Q: I just read a member comment that goes against everything in OurChart's Community Guidelines. What do I do?
A: When you see questionable comments left on our blogs, forums or photos, you can click the "report this" link in the bottom right corner of the comment and one of our moderators will handle it from there. Only moderators see these reports, so even if you're not sure about the content, feel free to report it for our review. We never disclose this information to other users. Please keep in mind that when you disagree with or take offense at another user's posts, it's out of line to flame them back. She (or he) is protected by the same terms that you are. That means no personal attacks, no matter how warranted you feel they may be. When in doubt, click "report this" and let a moderator handle the situation.
NOTES
Q: What are notes?
A: "Notes" are public messages that you can post on any member's profile. Use notes to tell someone you love their new profile photo, ask them a burning question or just say hello.
Q: Can I view notes before they're posted on my profile?
A: Yes! By default, notes will be posted to your profile automatically. If that's okay with you, then you don't need to do anything. But if you want to read what people are saying about you before it all goes public, just visit your Account Settings and check the appropriate box in your notes section.
BLOGS
Q: Who writes for OurChart?
A: Click on any section from the BLOGS drop-down menu and you'll see a blogroll on the left column of the page. All of our fabulous contributors, including Managing Editor Grace Moon, are listed under "OurChart's Bloggers."
From both the BLOGS menu and the OurChart homepage, you can jump to any of our content areas. Visit Hook Up for blogs and site announcements from OurChart's editorial staff. You'll find music, arts, culture and entertainment blogs in our Feel Up section. Touch Up is home to all our lifestyle, beauty, fashion and health content. Wake Up is your source for politics, issues and activism. And Sex Up takes you from the sheets to the streets.
Q: I really like your content! How do I subscribe to it?
A: We publish our content in lots of ways. Of course you can use your browser and read everything directly from the website, but we also offer RSS feeds. Just use the handy feed icon
next to any writers' name on our blogroll, and that's that.
Q: How do I create my own blog?
A: On the black navigation bar next to My Profile, there's a link to My Blog - that's headquarters for your very own OurChart member blog. Just click "Post new blog entry" and you're on your way!
There is a ten word minimum for the body of your blog posts (That was 13 words right there! Easy). Limited HTML is allowed for formatting (bold, italic, etc.) and for image tags. Photos need to be hosted by an image hosting site (or your own) and should be less than 500 pixels wide.
Q: Who can read my blog?
A: Anyone, including anonymous users, can read your blog. However, only registered OurChart members can post comments to your blog (you can delete comments at your discretion). To read other member's blogs, click on the red "blog" tab on their profile pages. You can access all member blogs here. The five most recent member blogs show up on the right column of the OurChart homepage as well.
VIDEO
Q: Where do I find all The L Word stuff?
A: At the top of every page, to the right of the OurChart logo, is the VIDEO drop-down menu. From here, you can jump to our All Things L Word player and watch deleted scenes and sneak previews for each episode, check out "Questions, Anyone?" for cast interviews, tune into "The Secret Ingredient" for Ilene's behind-the-scenes account of the making of each episode and much, much more.
Q: Where can I watch new webseries?
A: From the VIDEO drop-down menu, select Original Series to view all of OurChart's exclusive, original video content. Get greased up with the girls of Fyke, find workout and nutrition tips in Leah Beckingham's Body Work, check out Angela Robinson's Girltrash! and Kate Moennig's My Address series — and stay tuned, because we've got a bunch of new series in the works.
EVERYTHING ELSE
Q: How do I participate in the Forums?
A: Anyone can read the Forums, but you must be logged in to join the discussion by commenting or creating your own Topics. Check out the Community Guidelines for a full introduction to OurForums and the comment policy.
Q: I love OurChart, but I'd love it even more if there were chat rooms/member videos/insert-your-favorite-feature-here. So how about it?
A: We're always working to improve the OurChart experience and we love reading your feedback. If you've got suggestions for how to make the site more fun, more usable, more whatever, we want to hear them! Post a topic in the Feature Requests forum and we'll add it to the wish list.
