WNBA.com Frequently Asked Questions
We want you to enjoy your visit to WNBA.com, so we've provided answers to some of our service's frequently asked questions.
WNBA and WNBA team trademarks, logos, identifications, statistics and game-action photographs, video and audio are the exclusive property of WNBA Enterprises, LLC and may not be used without the prior written consent of WNBA Enterprises, LLC. (c) 2002 WNBA Enterprises, LLC. All rights reserved.
WNBA.com takes advantage of the latest in browser technology, so for the best experience, we recommend upgrading your browser as new versions of your browser become available. WNBA.com uses tables, frames, animated GIFs, Java, and many HTML 3.0 extensions, as well as HTML forms for things like contests, polls, and surveys. We use both GIF files and JPEGs for in-line images. We also use audio and video clips extensively. Thus, if your browser does not support aligned imbedded tables, forms, or external viewers, you will not be able to fully enjoy the features and design WNBA.com has to offer. For best results, we recommend that you use a browser such as Netscape Navigator v. 4.78 or later or Microsoft Internet Explorer v. 5.5 or later.
How do I send e-mail with my browser?
Having access to the Web does not guarantee the use of Internet e-mail. E-mail requires an additional mail (SMTP) server. If you are unable to send e-mail from within your browser, you may need to alter your browser preferences.
How do I make WNBA.com the default home page on my browser?
If your browser is Netscape Navigator, select "Options" and "General Preferences" from the toolbar at the top of the screen. Select the tab labeled "Appearance" and enter "http://www.WNBA.com/" in the "Start With:" dialog box. Make sure to select the "Home Page Location" radio button and click "OK." The next time you start Netscape or click the "Home" button on the toolbar, you'll go directly to WNBA.com!
If your browser is Netscape Communicator, go to http://www.WNBA.com/. While on this page, select "Edit" and "Preferences" from the toolbar at the top of the screen. Toggle "Last Page Visited" and click on "OK". The next time you start Netscape Communicator or click the "Home" button on the toolbar, you'll go directly to WNBA.com!
If your browser is Microsoft Internet Explorer, go to the WNBA.com home page and select "View" and "Options" from the toolbar at the top of the screen. Click on the tab labeled "Navigation" and select "Start Page" from the drop box. You can either enter the WNBA.com URL (http://www.WNBA.com/) in the dialog box, or select the "Use Current" button. Click "OK." The next time you start Internet Explorer or click the "Home" button on the toolbar, you'll go directly to WNBA.com!
What is a "cache?" How much RAM should I allocate to my cache?
The cache is your browser's temporary storage system; it is designed to speed performance and reduce network traffic. When you request a page, your browser checks to see if it is already present in your cache. If not, the page is retrieved from the source and then stored in your cache. The next time you request that page, your browser retrieves it from your cache rather than fetching it again off the network. If the page has been updated in the interim, you will not receive the new page unless you click the reload button. When your cache is full, new documents requested will replace those documents that have least recently been used.
There are two types of caches: the disk cache and the memory cache. Both store information retrieved from the network--to your hard drive and RAM, respectively. When you shut down, your disk cache is preserved; your memory cache is not. Because documents are more quickly retrieved from your memory cache, you may be tempted to make it quite large. However, for performance reasons, the number of kilobytes allocated to your memory cache should not exceed 25 percent of your total RAM.
By following the steps below you can clear your memory cache on Netscape Navigator or Internet Explorer:
Netscape Navigator
- Select "Edit" then "Preferences" (Netscape 3.0 users, select "Options" then "Network Preferences")
- Netscape 4.0 users only: click on the "Advanced" tab, then click on "Cache"
- Click on "Clear Memory Cache", and hit "OK". Click on "Clear Disk Cache", and click on "Continue"
- Click on "OK", and you're done!
Internet Explorer
- Select "View" then "Options". Click on the "Advanced" tab to get to "Temporary Internet Files"
- Under "Temporary Internet Files", click on "Settings". Click on "Empty Folder"
- Click on "OK" to exit the settings menu, click on "OK" again and you're done!
What are the minimum hardware and software requirements to use your service?
For the best experience using our service, we recommend at least the following:
PC: 486dx or higher computer; 28.8 bps modem; Windows 3.1 (TM) or Windows for Workgroups 3.11 (TM); 8 MB RAM; Netscape Navigator (TM) browser (for full functionality and best graphic resentation).
Macintosh: 68030 processor; 28.8 bps modem; 8 MB RAM; Netscape Navigator (TM) browser
Please note, any external viewers you use may require additional hardware or software.
What can I do to improve the speed with which I access WNBA.com?
The following suggestions may help to enhance the performance of our service:
- Check your modem to ensure it is at least 14.4bps, our minimum requirement.
- Turn your graphics off--an option most browsers provide. This will significantly reduce the download time of graphics-rich pages by displaying only their text. (Some browsers--such as Netscape 1.1 or above--allow you to defer image loading until after the text has displayed. While this doesn't improve overall speed, it does offer the text while images download.) Generally, you will find that we try to minimize the size of our graphics to reduce download time.
- Clear your disk and memory caches. Also, check your memory cache setting to ensure it's no greater than 25 percent of your computer's total RAM.
- Close any applications you are not using to increase the amount of RAM available to your browser.
- Decrease your browser's verification frequency. If using Netscape, for example, set your cache preferences to verify one time per session, as opposed to every time you retrieve a page.
Note: Your Internet access provider may pass through many nodes before it is able to contact the servers. Unfortunately, as the number of nodes increases, your page retrieval rate will suffer incrementally.
How timely is WNBA.com? Why do I sometimes get outdated information?
Most of WNBA.com is continuously updated.
If you are receiving outdated information, try any or all of the following:
- Click Reload
- Empty your cache. This will force your browser to retrieve the most recent version of that document from its source on the network. In general, the cache is found under your browser's Preferences or Options menu. When given the option, clear both the memory and the disk caches.
- Increase your browser's document verification frequency. For example, if you are using Netscape, select Verify Documents Every Time in Cache and Network Preferences. Please note that this may affect your navigation speed.
Note: If none of these suggestions is effective, your Internet access provider may be caching documents on its own server. In this case, you may not receive an updated document until the next time your Internet provider clears its cache. Documents that have not been accessed since the last time the cache was emptied will be current. You can call or email your Internet access provider to suggest that they increase the frequency with which it updates its cache.
I bookmarked to a page within your service and now it doesn't work. Why?
The page you bookmarked may have moved. Our service is always growing and improving. That means that while we work very hard to maintain consistency in the basic structure, there are times when the address to a particular page must change. Also, some pages are seasonally driven and might change or be removed when the season ends.
WNBA.com is organized into sections. We recommend that you bookmark as high up in the desired section's hierarchy as you can. This will help ensure that your bookmark always works.
Why can't I access Internet Usenet newsgroups or use e-mail?
Having access to the Web does not guarantee the use of Internet newsgroups or e-mail. Newsgroups and e-mail require two additional servers, a news server (NNTP) and mail server (SMTP), respectively.
If you are having trouble connecting to newsgroups or are unable to send e-mail from within your browser, you may need to alter your browser preferences. Enter the name of your NNTP and SMTP servers as well as any other information your browser requires, such as your e-mail address, in the appropriate fields (Found by clicking on "View" then "Options" then "Programs" in Internet Explorer. For Netscape, click on "Communicator" then "Messenger Mailbox"). If you don't know the name of your news or mail servers, contact your system administrator or Internet access provider.
How do I use WNBA.com's audio and video clips?
WNBA.com publishes audio and video files in the following formats:
- Audio: WAV (TM) (.wav) and RealAudio (TM) (.ra)
- Video: Video for Windows (TM) (.avi) and QuickTime (TM) (.mov)
Your Web browser may support some or none of these file types. (The Prodigy browser, for example, has built-in support for WAV files.) Generally, you will need to use an external viewer in order to play these files. The list below, organized by operating system, should help you to locate the appropriate applications.
Please note, the WNBA neither endorses nor provides technical support for any of these viewers. You must abide by the licensing provisions of each application and seek technical assistance from the software source. In addition, please be aware that most of the applications you download will be in a compressed file format.
Windows
- RealAudio: RealAudio files can only be played with the RealAudio player. To download the player, go to http://www.realaudio.com/.
- WAV: The Windows operating system includes two WAV file players -- mplayer.exe and soundrec.exe. Additional players can be found at ftp://ftp.monash.edu.au/pub/win3/sounds/.
- Video for Windows: The native Windows application, Media Player TM (mplayer.exe), supports the .avi file format. This player should be located in your local Windows directory.
- QuickTime: Applications for playing QuickTime movies on the PC can be found at http://www-dsed.llnl.gov/documents/tests/qt.html. The software found at this location will not run under Windows NT.
Macintosh (TM)
- RealAudio: RealAudio files can only be played with the RealAudio player. To download the player, go to http://www.realaudio.com/.
- WAV: Freeware SoundAppT 1.5.1 supports .wav files and can be found at http://wwwhost.ots.utexas.edu/
mac/pub-mac-sound.html#soundapp-151.
- QuickTime: The Macintosh operating system includes a QuickTime movie player.
- Other players can be found at
http://www-dsed.llnl.gov/documents/tests/qt.html and http://wwwhost.ots.utexas.edu/mac/pub-mac-graphics.html.
What is an external viewer or "helper application" and how do I use one?
"Viewer" and "helper application" are terms to describe an auxiliary application used to support MIME (Multipurpose Internet Mail Extension) types or file formats which your Web browser does not support automatically. For example, most Web browsers are not equipped to play sound files. Therefore, you must tell or "configure" your browser to launch a second piece of software which can play a sound file when you download one.
The way in which you specify a viewer for each given file format varies across browsers. Generally, these assignments are made in the "Options" or "Preferences" area of your browser. Please note, not all Web browsers support the use of external viewers -- the NetCruiser (TM) Browser, for example, does not.
I am having trouble printing with Netscape/Internet Explorer: what can I do?
To a large degree, your printing problems are not something that you can remedy through your browser. While printing problems may be caused by dozens of things, here are a few simple things you can try when troubleshooting. These tips apply to Netscape and Internet Explorer users only.
The first thing you should do is confirm that you have your printer properly installed. If you can print from other applications, then you can assume that your printer is properly installed.
The second thing that you need to do is click on File/Page Setup. This will bring you to the browser's printing options menu.
If you are using Netscape Navigator, make sure that you have the "black text" option selected. Click "OK" and resume efforts to print.
With the Internet Explorer browser, confirm that you have the "portrait" option selected. Additionally, make sure that you have the proper paper size selected. If you are unsure about paper size, select "auto."
I use a Macintosh: which browser will give me access to all of the features on WNBA.com?
Microsoft has released a version of their Internet Explorer browser that brings JAVA support and advanced table/layout capabilities to the Macintosh platform.
This new version can be downloaded from Microsoft by following the directions located here.
What are "cookies" and how do I disable them?
A cookie is a short sequence of letters and numbers installed on your hard drive that helps us create a more interesting service by allowing us to keep track of the pages that you have visited. We keep this information confidential and do not share it with sponsors. You may disable cookies if you like, though many of the best web applications depend on cookies and therefore disabling them may make your web browsing experience less enjoyable. If you would like to disable cookies from all web sites, take the following steps:
If your browser is Netscape Navigator: Select "Edit" or "Options" and then "Preferences" from the tool bar at the top of the browser. Select the tab labeled "Advanced" and click the check box next to "Show an Alert Before: Accepting a Cookie." Click "OK."
If your browser is Microsoft Internet Explorer: Select "View" and then "Options" from the tool bar at the top of the browser. Select the tab labeled "Advanced" and click the check box next to "Warn before accepting 'Cookies'." Click "OK."