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ArcaMax Publishing Games
How does your ArcaMax Games page work?
What if I need technical support for a game from the ArcaMax Games page?

General Questions

What is an ezine?
While the word "ezine" is unknown to many, it is commonly used on the Internet as an accurate way to define an online publication that is e-mailed. For a more detailed discription read our "What is an Ezine?" article.

What type of audience does ArcaMax provide content for?
ArcaMax takes pride in sending out content that promotes family activities and knowledge useful to a families and individuals (e.g. Parents, Recipes, Home, Travel). We also believe in having a little fun by sending out cartoons (e.g. Garfield and Doonesbury). Novelty information in the History, Trivia and Vocabulary ezines is clean content for the knowledge hounds.

Do I have to worry about my child reading an ArcaMax article and finding dirty content?
No, you do not. We do not print any sexually explicit material nor do we print any profanity. We provide clean content - we have families too!

Where does ArcaMax get its content?
ArcaMax gets its content from a variety of sources, depending on the ezine. For a majority of the ezines, ArcaMax Publishing chooses from a menu of stories that are also appearing in newspapers and other Web sites around the world. For several publications - such as Parents, Business Success and Recipes - ArcaMax receives content directly from the authors.

Can I reprint articles that appear in ArcaMax publications in other publications?
You must have written permission from ArcaMax in order to publish or distribute commercially an article the company has run. ArcaMax Publishing has to review these requests individually because ArcaMax does not own the copyrights to all articles it runs. If you are interested in publishing an article run by ArcaMax, please contact the editor here.

Can I send ArcaMax articles to a group of friends?
Yes you may, which is why ArcaMax Publishing recently added the "Forward this Story to a Friend" feature with every story we post on our website or send to our subscribers.

What do I do if I want to submit an article to ArcaMax?
ArcaMax does take requests for publication, however we make no guarantee that an article sent in will be published. If interested in submitting an article to ArcaMax, please contact the editor here.

How do I know that I can trust your company?
ArcaMax Publishing is proud to be a Participating Sender in IronPort's Bonded Sender Program™, Certified by TRUSTe™. The Bonded Sender Program helps ensure that legitimate messages get delivered by requiring email senders to adhere to a set of e-mail standards and post a financial bond to guarantee the integrity of their email. For more information, please see www.bondedsender.com.

What if advertisements or other objects on the page interfere with or cover what I am trying to read?
The most likely cause of advertisements or objects interfering with or covering portions of a page is that the browser being used is older and not supported by our site's design. The easiest way to correct this, and get the best online experience elsewhere as well, is to update your browser.

- To get the latest version of IE visit http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/default.mspx
- To get the latest version of Fire Fox visit http://www.mozilla.org/

Specific Ezine Questions

What if I am receiving more than one copy of the same ezine?
ArcaMax does not send multiple copies of any of our publications, however for our system to work efficiently, our mailer will some times send multiple copies if the e-mail server of the subscriber does not respond. Some e-mail servers don't respond, but then hold the messages (in this case, the same messages) and later deliver them to your e-mail box when it is running again. To make a long explanation short, for us to have an efficient overall system, this problem will occur every now and then depending on the receiving mail server.

Can I access individual articles that have been run in the ArcaMax ezines?
Yes. Use our Search News function in the top left corner of the ArcaMax home page at www.arcamax.com.

Can I access past issues of ezines?
Yes. You can access the ArcaMax ezine archive by visiting http://www.arcamax.com/news/arcapub/mainarchive. Links to ezine archive can also be found at the bottom of ezine pages.

Please note: Ezine archives will only contain stories for the previous 30 days because our news sources have restrictions on how long we may post their content.

What if I am not able to see images in my ezines?
If you are not able to see images in your ezine, it could be because you are trying to view your e-mail without being connected to the Internet. Even if you are connected, there could be a short delay for the images to load on your computer. You may always choose not to recieve images in your Inbox by managing your account to allow you to only receive "Text Only" versions of your e-mail. Although the publications are text only, there are usually links provided to access any images -- cartoons and the Cats and Dogs ezine are examples. If you are a text only subscriber and you want to see the images that are linked, you would need to copy and paste the link into an Internet Browser window or simply click on the link if the hyperlink function in your Inbox is enabled.

Please note: if your ISP dial-up connection is very slow, you may always choose not to receive images in your Inbox by managing your account to allow you to only receive "Text Only" versions of your e-mail. Although the publications are text only, there are usually links provided to access any images -- cartoons and the Cats and Dogs ezine are examples. If you are a text only subscriber and you want to see the images that are linked, you would need to copy and paste the link into an Internet Browser window or simply click on the link if the hyperlink function in your Inbox is enabled.

How do I get in touch with Dear Abby?
Dear Abby is written by Abigail Van Buren, also known as Jeanne Phillips, and was founded by her mother, Pauline Phillips. Write Dear Abby by using this Web address: http://www.uexpress.com/dearabby/dearabby_form.html or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069.

How do I ask a Gardentips question?
You will have to contact our content provider, the National Gardening Association. Similar to many of our other ezines, ArcaMax simply brings the content to our readers for free - we do not create the content. The National Gardening Association's website can be found at www.garden.org.

What happens if I have subscribed but I am not receiving my ezine(s)?
Check your account to determine if you are still subscribed to the ezines in question https://www.arcamax.com/cgi-bin/custacct. If you are subscribed, we are attempting to send you your ezines. Below are suggestions to follow that may help you in receiving your ezines and if none of them are successful for you, please contact your e-mail provider to inquire why ArcaMax mail is not making it to your Inbox.

Suggestions:
- Add ezines@arcamax.com to your e-mail address book.
- Hotmail users, please select "Options", then under "Mail Handling" click "Safe List" and type in "arcamax.com" -- then click "OK."
- If you use Yahoo and find your ezine in the "bulk" folder, please open the message and click the "Not Spam" button.
- Commercial Spam Filtering Programs typically allow domains to be added to the filter's "white list" -- follow your program's instructions for adding "arcamax.com."
- Does your Internet Service Provider (ISP) have a favored mailer or "White list"? If so, please follow their procedures to make sure that "arcamax.com" is added to it.
- Has your ISP designated our mail to be sent to a "junk mail" or "bulk mail" folder, or simply blocked us altogether? Again, please contact your ISP and let them know the mail from ezines@arcamax.com is content you have requested.

Subscriptions

What is a double opt-in process and why does ArcaMax use this?
When you sign up for an ezine on www.arcamax.com, you will receive a confirmation email sent asking you to confirm that you want to receive the publication. We want to be sure to only send e-mail to people who want to receive it.

How do I know which ezines I am subscribed to?
Access the My Account feature https://www.arcamax.com/cgi-bin/custacct in either your ezines or at the ArcaMax home page on the left side of the page. This feature has a menu option where you can view the ezines you are subscribed to. You may also subscribe or unsubscribe to and from any of the ArcaMax ezines from the My Account page.

If I decide to unsubscribe, how long does it take?
We process your request immediately and you will receive no further e-mail on that subscription. Please note that you will receive e-mail on any other subscription(s) you may still have active with us. You will be able to see these other subscriptions (if you have any) on the unsubscribe page. Every e-mail that we send you will have an active unsubscribe link on it.

Advertising

Since ArcaMax gives away its content for free, how does ArcaMax make money as a business?
The company is supported by advertising, much like a newspaper.

Once a subscriber signs up for an ezine, will he or she receive other types of commercial e-mail (e.g. offers, special promotions)?
As you confirm your ArcaMax Publishing ezine subscription on our registration page, you will have the opportunity to receive special third party offers on a periodic basis, directly from ArcaMax Publishing. These offers are always carefully matched with the interests of ArcaMax Publishing subscribers. If you prefer not to receive these offers, simply make sure that the check-box marked "Offers" is unchecked before confirming your ezine subscription. If at any time you wish to stop receiving "ArcaMax Publishing Offers" (or any ArcaMax Publishing ezine), you may always unsubscribe at: http://www.arcamax.com/cgi-bin/unsub

On our registration page, you will see several other offer check-boxes displaying services and products that other ArcaMax Publishing subscribers have enjoyed. You are free to check as many, as few, or none at all of these boxes - there is never a requirement to check "at least one offer," as you may have seen on some other sites. When you check one of these offer boxes, we will make sure that you receive follow-up information about the offer(s) you've selected, but there is never an obligation to take part--we simply make sure you receive the offer details, and then you decide how you'd like to proceed.

What kinds of advertising do you send to your subscribers?
Because we value your support - and your trust - we subscribe to the following practices when evaluating potential advertising offers to our subscribers:
- We will not run any ads that promote violent, pornographic, or otherwise harmful products.
- We will not run any ads that make claims that are obviously false or promise questionable results from their product or service.
- We will discontinue ads that receive an inordinate number of unresolved complaints from subscribers responding to the advertisement.

If I respond to one of your advertisements and have trouble, will you help me?
Ads are placed by third parties. In many cases, we receive the advertisements through ad agencies and networks and do not work with the advertisers directly. As we note above, we will discontinue ads that receive an inordinate number of unresolved complaints from subscribers responding to the advertisement. We will certainly provide whatever contact information we have available if you need it to reach the advertiser. Click here to search our Directory of Advertisers.

Click here for consumer information that can help you make informed buying decisions online. We recommend that you always use a credit card when buying so that you have recourse with the credit card company, if necessary. Also, you may consider using an alternate e-mail address if you are interested in signing up for information from a third-party advertiser.

When ordering on the net, the best practice is to print out the order form when you place the order and save a copy. Contact information such as customer service email address, company address, phone and fax are usually contained on the order confirmation page. Another good idea is to email a copy of that page back to your personal email account. That way, you have an electronic copy as well. In your browser window, just click on File -> Send -> Page by email.

Does ArcaMax sell its subscribers' e-mail addresses to other companies?
No. We have a strict confidentiality policy against selling or giving away the e-mail addresses of subscribers. The company is in accordance with CAN-SPAM regulation and our email practices have been certified by TRUSTe™.

How do I get info on your advertising rates and availability?
Please go to our Advertising information page , or request info by email here.

ArcaMax Publishing Games

How does your ArcaMax Games page work?
We have partnered with Oberon Media, the leader in online gaming to bring you the very best games available. Some games can be played online for free; others offer a free trial download with sixty minutes of playtime. If you enjoy the game, you can purchase the full version of the game.

Please be assured that we monitor the content of the games very carefully to make sure they're tasteful and appropriate for our readers. Click here to go the ArcaMax Games page.

What if I need technical support for a game from the ArcaMax Games page?
For technical support details, please click here

"Advertising-Free" Ezines

What do you mean by "advertising-free" ezines?
ArcaMax Publishing now offers our readers the opportunity to receive their ArcaMax newsletters without any advertising. We simply ask readers to contribute whatever amount of money they think is reasonable for their ezines from us. We will in turn send the contributors their subscriptions without any advertising for the next year.

After that year, the subscriptions will revert to the standard advertising-supported versions unless the reader decides to contribute again for the following year.

To take advantage of this option, please go here.

How do I contribute?
We are able to securely accept your credit card contribution using PayPal.

What if I have customer service issues regarding the credit card transaction?
Please contact PayPal's customer service department here http://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_contact_us

What happens after the first year?
You will be notified in advance so that you may contribute again if you choose. Otherwise you will receive the standard advertising-supported versions of your subscriptions.

How many subscriptions does my contribution cover?
As many as you'd like! Please note that subscriptions to New Yorker cartoons are not included in this program at this time.

What if I change my email address?
Just make the change in the 'My Account' section of our website (link here). The change must be made this way so that we can maintain the same account in our records and properly apply credit from your contribution.

I registered for an ad-free account while ArcaMax was donating 20 percent to charity. Can I get a receipt that reflects my charitable donation?
No. You may make a charitable donation directly to Reading Is Fundamental if you would like to make a contribution and receive a receipt.

Reader Submitted Photos System

How do I submit a photo?
Click on any "submit your photo" link and follow the directions on the form. You will be asked to select a photo from your computer and include a brief description.

Are there certain types of photo formats that won't work in the ArcaMax galleries?
Yes - there are. Photos with any sort of animation or border will likely not show up correctly. The most reliable photo formats with our system are jpeg and gif files.

How do I find a photo I've submitted when there are so many galleries to search through?
Simply enter the email address you used to submit the photo with and any photos that match the address will show up.

Why do I have to submit my email address when I submit a photo?
ArcaMax may send you an email telling you your photo was submitted successfully and explain other features such as photo contests. We will not give your email address to anyone else, nor will we use your email address for any purposes other than the ArcaMax photo galleries and related features. Most importantly, your email address will help you find your photo in the search function.

How is my photo selected for a gallery?
Your photo will be automatically included into a gallery for the applicable channel once all steps of the submission process are completed.

How does the voting system work?
Each photo is eligible to receive votes from other ArcaMax readers. To vote, click on the individual photo and then click on the "Vote Now" button.

How long of a time period do the votes accumulate?
Each month, each photo in every gallery will have their votes cleared and the voting will resume for the next month with all pictures starting at zero votes.

How do I tell the ArcaMax editors about inappropriate photos?
Click on the individual photo and click on the "Alert the Editors" button.

What constitutes an inappropriate photo and should be reported?
An inappropriate photo is a photo that does not meet family-friendly standards. Any photo that depicts violence or is lewd in any manner is considered inappropriate and should be reported.

Comment FAQ's

What is comment posting?
Comment posting is the ability for users to submit comments on any content that includes a comment form below the content. On any page where comment posting is available, there will be a field below the content where a comment can be inserted.

As long as user-submitted comments meet family-friendly guidelines, the comments will be available for other readers to see.

Why and when should readers post comments?
Readers are encouraged to post helpful, interesting and family-friendly comments.

The ArcaMax team believes comment posting enhances the user experience in several ways. It allows users to instantly post a response to a story, discuss content with other readers, or simply offer related information.

What comments will not be allowed?
Any comments that may cause harm to other individuals will not be allowed. Any comments with offensive language will be instantly rejected. Any attempts at advertising a product on the ArcaMax site will be removed.

What are reasons for my comments not appearing?
There could be several reasons. Most likely, the comment you submitted included potentially offensive language or a link to another site (see FAQ on including links below).

The ArcaMax team has attempted to set up a system that allows nearly all comment posts that meet family-friendly guidelines -- but we cannot ensure that our filtering mechanisms are perfect. In other words, if in the rare case your comment is not posted and you're absolutely sure that your comment is family-friendly, it could mean that our system was overly strict. But we would rather be overly strict, than allow offensive language on the ArcaMax site. The editors will monitor questionable comments and approve them as necessary.

Can I include links to other sites in comments?
ArcaMax will not allow any links to be automatically posted in comments. This is prohibited because comment posting spammers and illegitimate advertisers are constantly attempting to draw traffic and gather email addresses of other users.

Should I include personal information with comments?
ArcaMax encourages all users to keep their email address and other personal information private.

How are users able to moderate content using the Report Offensive Comment links?
We encourage users to report only comments that include offensive remarks. With every comment posted, there are "Report Offensive Comment" links. Please only use this link if you see a comment that may be derogatory toward another individual's race, religion, or personal beliefs.

Please do not use the report comment links if you simply don't like another person's comment. ArcaMax wants comment posting to be a means of free speech, but we also want users to be cordial. Comment posting should not be a means for mad rants with name-calling and other blatantly rude remarks.

Toolbar

What is the ArcaMax Publishing toolbar?
The toolbar makes it easy to get your ArcaMax news and features when you're online. The toolbar is a piece of software that you download and appears at the top of your browser window. It offers a number of handy tools and features, such as scrolling headlines, a pop-up blocker, and a variety of useful links.

Is the toolbar adware or spyware?
No! There is absolutely no adware or spyware in the toolbar.

Can I customize it?
Yes. Click on the down arrow to the right of the scrolling headlines and choose the headlines you would like.

How do I uninstall the toolbar?
Click the down arrow on the far left then click "uninstall toolbar".

How can I get technical support for the toolbar?
Send your question to: support@enhancedsearch.com.

What browser do I need?
The toolbar currently only works with Internet Explorer.

Have more questions? Contact Customer Service or the Editor