General questions about FOOXX
Questions about using FOOXX
Questions about Toolbar installation
Questions about using the Toolbar
General questions about FOOXXWhat is FOOXX?
FOOXX is a platform for cooperative finding, sharing and exchanging of information on the internet. It is also the net's
first collective search engine.
 How does FOOXX work?
FOOXX rates results by evaluating the activities of its users. FOOXX pays attention to see if a user spends a long time
looking at a certain page, or if he simply clicks off it. If you use FOOXX or another search engine to look something up
and the information you want is on the third page of results, with future requests for similar information, the site in question will
be rated higher and often found on the first page of results.
Why use FOOXX?
FOOXX has made it it's aim to provide the best search results in the internet.
Therefore, we have developed a procedure whereby the relevance of an internet site is determined
by the users.
This exceeds other search engines such as Altavista and Google because they only rate the content
of a document.
At FOOXX users and their activities influence the search results.
As a member of FOOXX, you will profit from the research of other members when searching for information.
You will find information which has already been searched for and have access to sites which conventional
search engines have not yet acquired.
On top of this, you can recommend interesting sites to your friends and colleagues as well as receive recommendations yourself.
You are all on the same information platform and can work together effectively!
Why register?
FOOXX works as a personalised search engine. To profit from all the benefits of FOOXX
you have to register. The choice of knowledge community and your own activity on the site influences future results.
FOOXX does not require any personal data- only a profile name and email address.
What is a Toolbar used for?
The FOOXX Toolbar is a key element of our search technology.
The FOOXX Toolbar registers every site you go into and gives it an interaction value.
This influences your search profile. For future searches, as a priority you will get results which have been used
by people with a similar profile to yours.
Moreover, through the Toolbar you have comfortable access to the functions of FOOXX outside of the browser. You can:
- view your recommendations without manually registering.
- request results oustide of the browser.
- recommend interesting sites to your friends and colleagues and much more..
What role does Data Protection play?
Your privacy is a priority at FOOXX.
At FOOXX, you don't have to reveal your name or address.
We only require your email address so we can contact you for administration purposes or if we are carrying
out software maintainance. As a user, you remain fully anonymous.
FOOXX works soley for the satisfaction of its users. For the purpose of our ranking procedure (User-Rank) it is
neccessary to save data about your utilisation of websites.
This utilisation data will at no time be linked back to your profile name or email address, but will be dealt with
anonymously at all times.
Are there technical requirements?
To use FOOXX you need Internet Explorer (IE) from Version 4.5 on.
The Toolbar is compatible with the system software Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP and NT.
Are cookies used?
FOOXX makes use of cookies. Cookies are required to enable user identification in the Toolbar.
What happens to my interaction data?
Your interaction data is transmitted safely and is at no time linked back to your email
or profile name. In the option "favourites" you have the possibility of viewing or deleting your interaction data.
Questions about using FOOXXWhat is a profile?
With your (virtual) profile, you determine your "appearance" at FOOXX.
You decide which data should be made available to others (email address, name etc).
You should create different profiles for private use and work-related use.
What are communities/ knowledge communities?
Communities bring together users with similar interests.
FOOXX consists of over 800 knowledge communities.
What are personal favourites?
Personal favourites are all the sites you have recently visited. They are sorted by User Rank ie how intensively they are used
and which was visited most recently.
What are public favourites?
Public favourites are available to others as weblinks on your profile page.
What does 'public' mean?
By 'publicizing' you can make any sites available on your profile page. By doing this you have the opportunity to draw
other users' attention to the best sites.
What does 'blocking' a site mean?
By blocking a site, it will be deleted from your favourites and in the future, will no longer be shown on the results pages when you search.
In addition, your interaction data will be removed from these pages.
You have the option of blocking all the sites in a domain and can save
valuable time by getting rid of unhelpful sites.
What does nominate mean?
Through the 'nominate' option, you can add a community to the favourites. You can only nominate communities where you are a member and where
you don't have 'listener' status.
What are recommendations?
Recommendations are surfing tips from and for other users.
You can send recommendations to other users in your contact list. You do this by clicking on the "recommend" button on the browser window of the
site you want to recommend and choosing the destination.
What is a community profile?
The community profile shows the number of members and the status of your knowledge community.
At FOOXX, search results are ranked according to their usage in the communities. You are first given sites which are frequently used by users with a similar profile
to yours.
How can I influence my profile?
Your profile is influenced by the status of your membership in the knowledge communities and also by your surfing activity.
To maintain a 'valuable' profile you should carefully choose communities which you find interesting where you can really show your competence.
Differentiating between private use and work related use has a positive effect on the structure of your profiles. You should choose suitable communities for each profile.
The compact list of knowledge communities cannot be shown.
Viewing of the compact list of communities depends largely on the security settings of your computer . In the menu, click on Extras"/"Internet options"/"security" -> "Adjust".
Activate the following options:
" execute an AktiveX-OCX which is safe for scripting" or "Binary and script behaviour". These options may vary depending on the browser version.
Questions about Toolbar installationInstallation was not successful. What should I do?
Alter the security settings of the browser and try installation again.
Setting the security settings too high hinders the ActiveX- OCX. In order to install the FOOXX Toolbar, the ActiveX-OCX must be activated.
You will find instructions for altering the security settings .
Installation was successful, however the Toolbar cannot be shownA A fault in certain browser versions, prevents the Toolbar from being shown. Deactivate and then
reativate under the option/ Symbolists / "Fooxxbar". The Toolbar should then be shown.
B Make sure that the "Installation of browser enhancement" is activated. Activate under Extras /
Internet options / Enhance - "Activate Browser enhancement".
The installation was successful however it is not shown under -> Browser bar Fooxxbar
It is possible you have installed PlugIns from another manufacturer, Which prevents the Toolbar from being shown with the correct
heading. Common problems exist with the Google Toolbar. Deactivate all available headings, until the FOOXX-Toolbar is shown.
Why are safety warnings shown during installation
ActiveX-OCX is used for installing the Toolbar. ActiveX can also be misused to manipulate your computer.
Therefore, you have to agree to using ActiveX.
How can I uninstall the Toolbar?
Click in the Toolbar: FOOXX Menu -> Uninstall
How can I find out if my Toolbar is up to date?
Click in the Toolbar: FOOXX Menu -> "About Fooxxbar". The following window contains information about the version number of your Toolbar
and possible existing updates.
Questions about using the ToolbarHow can I deactivate the transmission of interaction data?
Left of the search box you can deactivate the transmission of interaction data at any time. The cross with the green point means 'activated'.
The crossed out symbol means 'deactivated'.
How can I remove profile names of other users?
Click in the FOOXX menu on "Options". At the bottom of the options page you can remove the profile names of other users.
No profiles are shown?
Make sure that the settings of your browser support cookies. Also, in Internet Explorer, click on "extras":
-> "Internet options" -> "Data Protection" -> "Edit". Finally, log in manually to FOOXX with your profile name and password.
How can I set the Toolbar to automatic log in without a password?
Click in the FOOXX menu of the Toolbar on "Options". You can decide if you are automatically logged in.
For reasons of convenience, we recommend automatic log in.
How can I determine which profile name the Toolbar registers with after starting up the Browser?
Click in the FOOXX menu on "Options". You can choose which user and profile name should be used for automatic log in.
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Frequently asked questions about FOOXX
