Help

I think you came here looking for 'Classic' Bolt. Your profile, tagbooks, boards and badges are exactly the way you left them at Bolt2.com. This Bolt is more than an upgrade ? it's an entirely new entity. Get used to thinking of Bolt and Bolt2 as independent of eachother. When you feel like graduating to big boy Bolt, we'll be happy to have you. 'Till then, take care.

We've been seeing this problem a lot with AOL users, and we're working hard to fix it. In the meantime, see if the information provided at this link below is helpful...

http://thepcyoubuy.com/AOLBrowser.htm

If you are still having problems, you can get around the issue by signing on to the internet with AOL and using a secondary browser such as IE or Firefox to register for Bolt. After that, the AOL browser should be OK.

Chances are someone else picked that Bolt Member name first. Looks like you'll have to come up with something even better.

No problem. Just click on the "forgot password" link on the Login Page. We will email you a link to where you can change your password.

First off, remember that your password is CASE SENSITIVE. Second, try refreshing your browser. If you are still having problems, please send us an email at bolthelp@boltinc.com

Make sure you are logged in. If you are not logged in and your content has been designated Private or Friends Only, then you will not be able to see it.

Make sure your content is marked as Public. When it's Private only you can see it in your profile, but you can still direct others to the content by linking to it or giving out the URL. When your content is marked Friends Only, it means just that. Only your Bolt Friends will be able to view your content. If your content is made Public then anyone can see it, even if they are not logged in. You can set your privacy settings on the permalink page to each piece of media.

Whether it's a Video, Photo, Music File, or Blog, every piece of content has a permalink page. The permalink is simply where you view and edit a piece of content. Permalink is short for "permanent link." The link to a piece of content is permanent so you can bookmark it, share it, email it, and anything else without worrying about it changing on you.

Log in to your Bolt account and click on SETTINGS under your member name in the upper right corner of the page or click EDIT next to your VITALS in your left profile. On the VITALS page, you have the option of changing either your password or your email address by clicking on the "Change Password" or "Change Email" fields. In the case of email, a confirmation message will be sent to your new email, and the account won't switch over until you verify that email.

Log in to your Bolt account and click on SETTINGS under your member name in the upper right of the page or click EDIT next to your VITALS in your left profile. Towards the bottom of the page, there is an option to BROWSE and find a new snapshot image. Once you have found the image you want to use as your snapshot click SAVE at the bottom of the page.

HTML can be used in the About Me section of your profile and to personalize your profile page by clicking EDIT CSS. By adding basic HTML you can change color, fonts, size, add images and more. Here are a few sample HTML tags:

<B>sample text<B/> will make what you are writing bold. sample text

<I>sample text</I> will make what you are writing italic. sample text

If you put <br> anywhere, it makes a line break.

If you are so inclined, you can add backgrounds, counters, graphics, questionnaires and more to your Profile. For everything you?ll need regarding HTML tutorials and profile editing visit CityOfCodes.com.

Remember, HTML is OK. Javascript is NOT allowed.

Your Bolt Profile is the first page people see when they click on your member name. It's like a tasting menu of all the content and info you've posted on Bolt. From the Profile page you can link to a member's complete collection of Video, Music, Photos or Blogs. From your own Profile page you can upload and update your media. It is also a place to describe yourself, keep track of Watch List and Favorites, manage messages to and from other users, link to RSS feeds (either pages you create, on sites like Flickr or Xanga, or site you visit frequently, like ESPN), and let other members leave 'Comments' for you. There is a lot of personal stuff hanging around so remember: you have the option to make any of this information, Public or Private.

Your Settings are broken into three categories: VITALS, BACKGROUND, and ABOUT ME. Vitals and Background display below your snapshot, in the left-hand column, on any of pages pertaining to you or your stuff (Profile, Permalinks, Albums etc.). Vitals and Background include static information: name, age, birthday, email address, gender, religion etc. You can also change your snapshot image in VITALS. You always have the option of hiding any information (though you might still enter it, making it easier for people to find you with Search). The ABOUT ME settings display at the top of your Profile page, and include more topical information: Bio, Interests, Favorite Music, Movies, Books, etc.

Strictly speaking, Bolt accounts cannot be deleted. However, we can render an account inaccessible at your request. This will prevent you from being able to log in to your account in the future. To do this, please send an email request to CancelMyAccount@boltinc.com with your Bolt membername and password. Keep in mind your Bolt Membername may still appear on the site.

Popular is a term we use for content on the site that's been getting a lot of attention from our members. It's calculated through a complicated formula which takes into account the number of visits, number of comments, and number of 'favorites' a given video, music, photo or blog receives over a relatively short time frame. We could be more specific, but we're still figuring it out ourselves.

Due to the way we have built Bolt.com, spaces and underscores would slow and in some cases inhibit certain JavaScript queries. This might be addressed in the future, but in the meantime use a dash instead.

Whether it's Video, Photos, Music or your Blog, you can change the privacy settings on that content's permalink page, on the lower right-hand column, by clicking on the selector buttons for Public Private or Friends. Public is open to anyone who comes along. Private is only visible to you and those you've directed to the page (either by posting or giving out the URL). Content designated Friends Only is exclusively available to your Bolt Friends.

Whether it's Video, Photos, Music or your Blog, you can delete content on its permalink page, by clicking on the small trash can below the content viewer. You should get a verification message "Delete Video?" (or Music, or Photos), and when you click 'Yes' the content will be permanently deleted.

Whether it's Video, Photos, Music or your Blog, you can change the Title or Description on its permalink page. When you are logged in an looking at your own content, you can click on the existing text (or empty space if there is not text) and type into the field that appears. Finish titling or describing by clicking the 'Save' button below the field.

Whether it's Video, Photos, Music or your Blog, you can categorize your content to increase its searchability and exposure. On the permalink page, to the right of your content, you'll find a dropdown menu with a list of categories tailored to the media type you are working with. If for some reason the categories offered don't match your content perfectly, pick the closest one and refine your classification with Tags (see more on Tags below).

Underneath the viewer on the permalink page there is a gray box with a variety of posting options. Copy one of these codes into somewhere that accepts HTML such as another profile, a Myspace comment, or personal Blog, and your content can appear all over the internet! You have serious options as to how you post, so choose carefully.

You can copy one of the lines of code and paste in other sites. The HTML option will post a picture that links back to the content on Bolt, and the embed option will post a player that plays where it is posted. Take your pick!

• HTML - This code will post an a player that shows the Member name and Title underneath the a screen shot. When some body clicks on it, they'll be taken to the content's permalink page. This is good if you want somebody to check out more stuff in your profile because it brings them right in the middle of it.
• Embed - This code will put a player that plays the song or video wherever it's been posted it. When someone clicks the big play button, they can watch your video right on the site they found it. This option is handy for "pimping," as they say, your profile.
• URL - The plain and simple URL to the content's permalink. Perfect for sharing video where full out HTML isn't allowed, such as email or AIM.
• BBCode - The last line of code we give you is for Bulletin Boards and Forums. A lot of these places use their own, simplified, markup languages. This code is formatted to the current standard and will get you pretty far, but some boards still do their own thing.

You may need to update your computer's plug-ins.

• Go to http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download/ to update QuickTime player.
• Go to http://www.macromedia.com/software/flashplayer/ to update your Flash player.
• Go to http://www.microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/ to update your Windows Media player.

1. EXPORT (EXPORT, SAVE AS, MAKE MOVIE, SHARE) the video from your video editing software in an easy to find location on your computer.
2. Make sure to save your video file as one of the following file types: .mov, .mpg, .avi, .flv, .wmv
3. Make sure to set the resolution/window size at: 320x240 dpi, 240x180 dpi, or smaller
4. Keep in mind: file cannot exceed 100 MB. Larger files will not be accepted.

1. Log in to your Bolt account and select PORTFOLIO.
2. Click ADD VIDEO.
3. Choose the option to Find the video on your computer by clicking the BROWSE option.
4. Find and select your video file on your hard drive.
5. Once you have chosen your video click the option to make this video PUBLIC or PRIVATE.
6. Add TAGS so others can find your video. (Optional)
7. Finally, click UPLOAD to save your video in your Bolt Portfolio.

Make sure your video settings are correct:

• Accepted Video Files: .flv, .mov, .wmv, .avi, .mpg, .mpeg, .mp4, .3gp, .3g2
• Resolution/Pixel Dimensions: 320x240 or 240x180
• Maximum File Size: 100 MB

• .flv - Flash Video
• .mov - Quicktime Movie
• .wmv - Windows Media Audio/Video file
• .avi - Audio-Video Interleaved
• .mpg - MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group) movie
• .mpeg - MPEG (Moving Pictures Experts Group) movie
• .mp4 - MPEG-4 (Moving Pictures Experts Group) movie
• .3gp - (3rd Generation Partnership) Mobile Phone Movie
• .3g2 - (3rd Generation Partnership Project 2) Mobile Phone Movie

How do I make a video by recording directly from my webcam?

1. Make sure your webcam is properly installed.
2. Log in to your Bolt account and select UPLOAD VIDEO.
3. Click the START RECORDING button in the webcam controller window; a message will appear asking to access your camera.
4. Click ALLOW, You are now recording!
5. You can record up to 3 minutes. Or, click STOP RECORDING.
6. Click PREVIEW to see what you just recorded. Or, click SAVE to save your video into your Profile.
7. Fill out the appropriate fields to add a TITLE, DESCRIPTION and TAGS to your video so other members can find your video. (Optional)
8. Choose to make it PUBLIC, PRIVATE, or FRIENDS ONLY. (Optional)
9. Choose an ALBUM or create a new ALBUM. (Optional)
10. Finally, click SAVE INFO to save your webcam video into your Bolt Profile.

Try right-clicking near the big red recording dot in the webcam controller window and go to Settings. Click through each tab in the mini popup to make sure:

1. Your privacy settings are set to 'Allow,'
2. The right microphone is selected
3. Your record volume is set to a decent level
4. The correct webcam is specified.

If you're still having difficulties, make sure your webcam is properly installed and you have the most up-to-date drivers for the device. See your camera's user manual or the manufacturer's website for additional help on installing your webcam.

Sorry to say that the thumbnails for videos are automatically generated and not yet customizable. Here's something to keep in mind: the snapshot is taken 2 seconds into the clip. The only thing I can recommend is to take your video back to editing and make sure that at 2 seconds in there is something that will make a decent screen shot. That's your best bet for now, but stay tuned for an update.

Lighting - By lighting what you are filming you can decrease the amount of graininess and improve the clarity of your video.
Steadying the camera - Try using a tripod to reduce camera shake or support the camera against your body to keep it steady.
Check out the Feedback section of Bolt to see what advice members have posted about creating better videos.

When you upload a video to Bolt, we attempt to convert the video to Flash. This way other Bolt members can view your video with one plug-in regardless of the original video type. If you receive a message that your video could not load it may be there were errors during the upload or conversion process. You may want to try converting your video to a more common video format and uploading it to Bolt again. Also, you should delete the video that could not load by clicking on the trash can on the permalink page.

When you upload a video to Bolt, we attempt to convert the video to Flash. This way other Bolt members can view your video with one plug-in regardless of the original video type. This process may take a few minutes. You will not see your video appear in your portfolio until the Flash conversion process is complete. But, rest assured we have your video.

1. Log in to your Bolt account and click UPLOAD PHOTOS.
2. Click BROWSE next to an empty field.
3. Find and select the Photo you want to upload.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 to upload multiple Photos.
5. Once you have chosen your Photo(s), you have option to make them all PUBLIC, PRIVATE, or FRIENDS ONLY. (you can specify individually later)
6. Add TAGS so others can find your photos in Bolt searches.
7. Click UPLOAD to save your Photo(s) in your Profile.
8. The next page is for adding titles, categories, descriptions, and more specific Tags to your photos. Add your newly uploaded photos to an exiting Album or create a new one just for them! -But don't forget to click 'Save' when you are done.

Make sure your image settings are correct.

• Accepted Audio Files: .jpg, .gif
• Maximum File Size: 100 MB (go nuts)

1. In your Profile, click on WRITE BLOG.
2. Give your entry a Title and type in your new Blog.
3. Click the option to make this Blog PUBLIC, PRIVATE, or FRIENDS ONLY.
4. Add TAGS so others can find your Blog.
5. Finally, click ADD to save your Blog in your Bolt Profile.

1. Log in to your Bolt account and click UPLOAD MUSIC.
2. Click BROWSE next to the empty field where it says Upload an Audio File.
3. Find and select an audio file on your computer.
4. Once you have chosen an audio file click the option to make it PUBLIC, PRIVATE, or FRIENDS ONLY.
5. Add TAGS so others can find your audio file in Bolt searches.
6. Finally, click UPLOAD to save your audio in your Bolt Profile.

1. Make sure your webcam is properly installed.
2. Log in to your Bolt account and click UPLOAD MUSIC.
3. Click the START RECORDING button in the webcam controller window; a message will appear asking to access your camera and microphone.
4. Click ALLOW, You are now recording!
5. You can record up to 3 minutes. Or, click STOP RECORDING.
6. You can preview your recording by clicking the PREVIEW button
7. Save your recording to your Profile by clicking SAVE.
8. Fill out the appropriate fields to add a TITLE, DESCRIPTION and TAGS to your audio file so other members can find your audio file in Bolt searches.
9. Choose to make your audio PUBLIC, PRIVATE, or FRIENDS ONLY.
10. Select CHOOSE AN ALBUM to create a new Album or add your audio to an existing Album.
11. Finally, click SAVE to save your audio in your Bolt Profile.

Make sure your audio settings are correct.

• Accepted Audio Files: .mp3
• Maximum File Size: 10 MB

If you still can't upload audio, please e-mail us at bolthelp@boltinc.com and make sure to include your Bolt Member name.

The reason for this is that the Flash player has a hard time dealing with files that are encoded at a rate that is not a multiple of 11.025 kHz. The result is what we call the "chipmunk" effect. To avoid being chipmunked, encode all MP3's at 11.025 22.05 or 44.1 kHz.

1. Go to Edit > Preferences
2. Select Import Using MP3 Encoder
3. Select Setting > Custom
• Set the Stereo Bit Rate to: 96 kbps
• Set Sample Rate to: 44.100 kHz
4. Right click on a song in the list
5. Select 'Convert Selection to MP3'

1. Right click on song file > 'Show Song File'
2. Window pops up showing location of song file

In the Music section of your Profile, click on the permalink of audio file you wish to delete. To delete it click the small trash can under the audio file player.

Watch List is a list of people you keeping an eye on because you like the content they are making and collecting.

Go to the person's profile and click "Add to Watch List" under their snapshot. They will be sent an email or a message notifying them that you added them to your Watch List.

Aside from the initial notification, they have no idea, not yet at least. Later we'll have a "reverse watch" list so you can see who's added you to Watch List.

A Friend is a two-way relationship - if someone makes you a Friend and you accept, they are automatically your Friend too, and vise versa. A Friend of yours has special privileges so that they may see media content that you designate for only your Friends to see.

Go to the person's profile and click "Add friend" under their snapshot. They will be sent an email so they can verify that they are a friend of yours. After they click the link in the email they will be on your official Friends list and you will be on theirs.

Go to your Profile and click Watch List. Find the person. Under their picture click "Make Friend". They will be sent an email so they can verify that they are a friend of yours. After they click the link in the email they will be on your official Friends list and you will be on theirs.

Send another friend-verification email by going to your Profile > Watch List page and clicking "Make Friend" under their picture. If after a day or so they do not show up on your Friend list that means they did not click on the link in the email we sent them to approve your friendship. Email them personally and tell them they have to click on the link in the email in order to get onto your Friend list.

Go to your Profile and click Friends or Watch List. Find the person you wish to Delete. Under this person's snapshot there is a small [x]. Click it, a pop-up will ask you to confirm, and then they're gone. (good riddance)

If you would like to report a serious issue that is making you feel unsafe at Bolt, email us at bolthelp@boltinc.com.

Tags are like keywords or labels that you can add to any content on Bolt to make it easier to find later. You can tag video, music, photos or blog with tags like "figments band music concert" and then later on if you are looking for content relating to Figments you can just click on that tag and get all media that have been tagged that way. When you enter tags, separate them with spaces (not commas).

You can add a Tag to a Video, Photo, Music, or a Blog when you upload it to your Bolt Profile. Once the media is already uploaded, click on the permalink for the media you want to Tag, and create a new Tag or choose one of your existing Tags from the drop down menu on the right.

Assuming that content has been made Public, Anyone who visits your Profile can see your Tags. They can also see them on the TAGS page if they click on a tag you have used.

There is no limit to the number of tags you can put on a piece of media content. Happy tagging!

You can delete a tag from the permalink page by clicking the small [x] just to right of it. Comes in handy for the occasional misspell.

Tagging helps you organize your own Profile by subject, and helps all members more easily find stuff they think is cool.

Albums are a way of organizing your media content. They act like an actual photo album for a wedding, birthday, or vacation, holding specific pieces of media you choose to group together. You could group all your webcam videos together, all your camera phone photos, your vacation movies, or any other content you upload to your Bolt Portfolio. You can also edit your Albums once they've been created. You can choose a new cover image for your set, add, delete and move around your set's content.

You can add Video, Photos, Music, or a Blog to an album when you upload it to your Bolt Profile. If it?s already been uploaded you can create a new Album or choose one of your existing Albums from the drop down menu in the top right of the permalink page.

We understand that as you develop your albums they?ll have to be flexible. We?ve provided tools for you to easily choose a new cover image, add, delete, and reorder your content.

1. In your Profile, scroll down and click the type of Album you want to edit (Video, Photo, Music, or Blog).
2. Click on the Album you want to edit.
3. This is your Album, nice work! From here you can change the TITLE and DESCRIPTION.
4. To the right of the Description form click EDIT SET.
5. REORDER the photos by dragging and dropping them in the place you want.
6. DELETE a photo from the Album by dragging and dropping it into the trash can.
7. Choose a NEW COVER IMAGE by dragging an image from the Album over the existing cover image.
8. Remember to click SAVE CHANGES before you leave the page.

You can delete any content from an Album by going to its permalink and clicking the small [x] next to the Album you wish to remove it from. To delete an entire Album, go to the one in question and next to Edit Set click the small [x]. You?ll be prompted to confirm. Remember, this only deletes the Album and not the content within.

Think of an RSS Feed as a subscription. RSS Feeds send content (articles, news, pictures, stats) from other sites directly to your Bolt profile, so it's all right there just for you. It stands for "Really Simple Syndication." The idea is to collect RSS Feeds from the regularly updated sites you visit. Now, via your feeds, these updates come to you rather than the other way around. It's as easy as finding the RSS Feed from a website. (a URL typically ending in ".xml").

Go to a website with the RSS Feed you're looking for and select its link: Look for RSS Feed icons in the page's menus or at the bottom of the page.

Most RSS Feed icons look like this.

Icons vary in appearance and some pages provide text-links labeled "Syndicate this site." Click on the link and it will bring you to a page where you can find and copy the RSS URL/Web address you are looking for.

For efficiency and organization. RSS Feeds allow you to receive content from multiple sources without having to visit each site individually. Now you can get content from all over the Internet in one place without all that messy surfing. Some websites have multiple RSS Feeds for different sections like headlines for each section of a newspaper (Ex: CNN.com's XML link at the bottom of their home page takes you to the RSS Feed page where you can select which sections to add to your Feeds.)

1. Find an RSS Feed on the web by selecting on an icon like this: Copy the RSS Feed URL/Web address (ex: http://www.sciam.com/xml/sciam.xml)
   • Note: Don't copy/paste the text of the RSS document!
2. Log in to your Bolt account and select Profile
3. Click on Feeds
4. Type/Paste the RSS URL/Web address into the blank ADD Feed field and click SUBMIT

1. Go to your Bolt Portfolio and select the RSS Feed icon for the content you want to syndicate.
2. Copy the RSS Feed URL/Web address (ex. http://www.bolt.com/portfolio/video/?membername.XML)
   • Note: Don't copy/paste the text of the RSS document!
3. Type/Paste the RSS URL/Web address into in your non-Bolt RSS aggregator

First, refresh your browser and try doing the same action again. If the bug persists please let us know by sending an email to bolthelp@boltinc.com. Be as specific as possible in describing the problem, including your computer type, operating system, web browser, and exactly what you were doing before you came across the bug. If your report helps us fix the problem there's a badge in it for you. Thanks!