frequently asked questions about astrowire™

How much does this service cost?
Nothing! It is a completely free service and you'll get every penny's worth! :) [top]

Where does it need to go on my site?
We don't have any restrictions on where it can go. Front page, "news page", etc. is all just fine. The only restriction is that the HTML not be altered in any way.

Do I need to be a link owner to use it?
No, not at all. All websites are welcome to use it. We reserve the right to request that any site we deem unsavory, illegal, immoral, etc. remove our content immediately per our license agreement. However, most astronomy and space related websites don't seem to fall into this category.

How do you syndicate it?
astrowire™ uses two ways to deliver content. The first uses a JavaScript call placed on your website to pull the appropriate data from our site to yours, displaying the latest astronomy and space news in real-time.

Alternatively, you can copy/paste raw HTML from a specific URL that we provide and place that into your website. You can also create a script to download this HTML automatically, but we do not support or write these scripts. This latter method is much slower to update since it requires some manual input or timed downloads and isn't recommended if you're confident that most of your visitors will work fine with JavaScript (the vast majority do).

You can select either method when you fill out the submission form to host astrowire™ on your site. [top]

What browsers does it support?
We're comfortable making the claim that both Microsoft Internet Explorer and Mozilla Firefox display the code and are formatted correctly. Other browsers have been tested, such as Netscape Navigator, but we don't certify compatibility with them. In any case, we are not liable or responsible if the code is not working for you or isn't formatted properly regardless of what browser you're using. We did try hard to make it work for most people, but don't blame us if it doesn't for you. If that's you, please let us know. [top]

Don't some people turn JavaScipt off?
Yes, for security reasons, or just to avoid annoying pop-up banners, etc. some people turn JavaScript off in their browsers. However, as of June 06, 2005, a full 96% of website visitors to sites using The Counter had JavaScript turned on and were compatible with astrowire™. [top]

OK, but I still don't want to host a JavaScript function on my site. Now what?
You can alternatively access the raw HTML and copy/paste that into your own site as desired. We do NOT actively support this method, but it's there if you want to use it. The HTML MUST NOT BE ALTERED if you are using this method. [top]

Can I customize the appearance at all?
No, astrowire™ doesn't actively support customization at this time. A future version may allow for customization of colors, or size, etc. but that has not been implemented. This policy is in effect for all content, EVEN if you copy/paste the raw HTML as noted above. We do appreciate design suggestions! [top]

How often do you update it?
The service file usually gets updated twice on weekdays and once on weekends. This is NOT A GUARANTEE, just our benchmark. [top]

How can I get technical support?
You can request installation or any other astrowire™ assistance through the feedback form. [top]

If you have any other questions please don't hesitate to ask us and thank you for your interest in astrowire™!