» FAQ
If you have a general, technical or trouble-shooting question please read our FAQs. This page addresses some of the general and technical issues you may have . Below is a list of questions.
These are the categories:- General
- Technical
- Troubleshooting
- Accessibility
- Site issues
GENERAL
Where
can I find information on the Canadian Broadcasting
Corporation?
Where
is the table of contents or site map?
How
do I make CBC.ca my start-up page?
How
do I search the CBC.ca site?
How does CBC.ca protect my privacy?
Where can I find information about your wireless content?
Where
can I find a frequency or channel guide for CBC Radio
One and Radio
Two?
TECHNICAL
What
software and plug-ins do I need to access the audio/video
material
on
your site?
Is live streaming and videos available on your site?
I'm
a MAC user. Is there anything special/different I
need to do before using
your
site?
TROUBLE-SHOOTING
Why
do I sometimes get outdated information?
How
do I clear the cache on my browser?
Do I need to have “cookies” turned on when I visit CBC.ca?
I
am having problems connecting to one of your pages.
When I do my
computer
locks up. What's going on?
Why do web pages not fit on my screen?
I'm
experiencing problems with my browser. Where can
I get information?
ACCESSIBILITY
I'm
visually impaired. How can I access the CBC web site?
SITE ISSUES
How
can I report site issues such as broken links, etc?
How do I contact the
CBC.ca
web masters?
GENERAL: |
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Where can I find information on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation?
Visit the " About CBC " web site and look under "Corporate Facts".
How do I use CBC.ca?
Check out the " How To " section
of the help page for information on navigating
the site, finding major content areas and looking for specific topics
using the
search function.
Where is the
table of contents or site map?
Check out our site map for
links to major content areas on CBC.ca.
How do I make CBC.ca my start-up
page?
When you start up any Internet browser, it opens a specific web page
that
has been designated as the browser's "default start-up page."
If you would like to select CBC.ca as your homepage page, please
follow the
instructions below.
Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.x, 5.x, 6.x
1.Open the Internet Explorer application.
2.In the Internet Explorer's menu bar; click and hold on View.
3.Select Internet Options... from the drop-down menu.
4.In the Options box, select the General index card tab.
5.In the Home Page section, type in "http://www.CBC.ca/" in the address
box.
6.Click the OK button at the bottom of the screen.
Your change takes effect immediately. You can test whether it
worked by
clicking on the "Home" button on your navigation tool bar. Your browser
should take you directly to CBC.ca.
Netscape Navigator 4.x, 5.x, 6.x
1.Open the Netscape Navigator.
2.Click and hold on Edit in the menu bar. Select Preferences.
3.In the Preferences: Category box, select Navigator from the tabs.
4.Click on Navigator; Go to the Navigator starts with section and click
on the button next to "Home Page."
5.In the Home Page section type "http://www.CBC.ca" in the text box next
to "Home Page Location."
6.Click OK.
Your change takes effect immediately. You can test whether it
worked by
clicking on the "Home" button on your navigation tool bar. Your browser
should take you directly to CBC.ca.
How do I search the CBC.ca
site?
CBC Search gives
you results that are smart, organized, and ranked to allow
you to find information quickly. Additional features include high quality
matches and one step searching.
Before clicking on the Search link
on the top navigation bar on CBC.ca, read
our suggestions below to learn more about the CBC Search function.
Check Spelling
Make sure your search terms are spelled correctly.
Use Multiple Words
The search results will return more refined results from
several words than from
a single word.
Use Appropriate Capitalization
Typing in lower case will return all documents with that word. If you
capitalize proper nouns, your returns will only contain documents with
that proper noun.
Use Exact Phrase Button
Use the Exact Phrase button for words that must appear adjacent to each
other.
For example, you would use this feature if you were searching
for stories on
the Bank of Montreal. Otherwise your search may turn up documents that
contain the words bank, of and Montreal anywhere within the document.
Use + or -
Use a + sign when your search term or phrase must be in the results and
a -
sign when you want a term or phrase excluded. For example, if you were
search for stories on the sport of surfing but did not want any returns
with references
to internet surfing, type the following in the field: +"surfing",-"internet" .
The
term or phrase must be contained within quotation marks and there should
be
no space between the plus or minus sign and the term. Also, this function
can only be used when the Any Word button is selected. Plus and minus
signs are ignored if the All Words or Exact Phrase buttons are selected.
Use asterisks as wildcards
You can use a single asterisk (*) to look for words that begin with the
same letters.
For example, typing key* will return documents with key, keys,
keying, keyhole,
keyboard, etc.
Where can I find information
about your wireless content?
CBC's top-quality news and information services are now available
on many
of Canada'sleading mobile browsers. For more information on CBC Wireless
Services, please visit: http://CBC.ca/wireless
How
does CBC.ca protect my privacy?
The CBC respects the privacy of its Internet users and
will protect that
privacy as vigorously as possible. CBC's policies and practices are available
online at http://www.CBC.ca/aboutcbc/discover/privacy.html .
Where can I find a frequency or channel
guide for CBC Radio One and Radio Two?
Visit the CBC
Radio Interactive Frequency Guide, an aid to help listeners locate
CBC Radio One and Radio Two anywhere in Canada.
TECHNICAL: |
||
What software and plug-ins do I
need to access the audio/video
material on your site?
You will need browser software (Netscape or Microsoft Internet Explorer)
to access CBC.ca and plug-ins (RealPlayer, QuickTime, Flash, etc.) to
view multimedia content.
Read the "Downloads" section
of the help page for more information on
software and plug-ins required for CBC.ca.
What
are plug-ins?
Plug-ins are software programs that extend the capabilities
of a browser in
a specific way - giving you, for example, the ability to play audio samples
or
view video movies from within your browser.
Which
browser is best to use?
For browsers, we recommend that you use either Netscape Navigator 5.0
(or higher) or Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 (or higher). These will
enable you to view tables, Java and JavaScript, among other features
widely used on our
site.
However, CBC.ca site does take advantage of new technologies available
in
the more recent versions of the above browsers. We suggest you download
the latest of either of these browsersat the Netscape site
or the Microsoft
site.
Is
live-streaming and videos available on your site?
Video is an essential component of this website. We continuously provide
video and live-streaming from our leading newscasts produced by CBC Newsworld,
including The National, presented in both RealVideo and
Quicktime. We also provide video on many of our program pages. Check
the CBC News Live web
page for details.
I'm a MAC user. Is there anything special/different
I need to do before using your site?
Mac users need browser software (Netscape or Microsoft Internet Explorer)
to access CBC.ca and plug-ins (RealPlayer, Flash, etc.) to view multimedia
content. When downloading the browser and plug-in, select Macintosh as
your operating system for optimum performance.
What is "cache" memory?
A "cache" temporarily stores, on your computer, the information from
web
pages you have visited. We suggest users "clear" their cache occasionally,
especially if a page is stuck with outdated material or information has
not
been refreshed. For information on how to clear your cache, see How do
I
clear the cache on my browser?
TROUBLE SHOOTING: |
||
I can't get the video or
audio on your site to play, even with the RealPlayer
and
QuickTime plug-ins. Is this a firewall problem?
RealNetworks provides
a technical support page where you'll find information about firewalls ,
as well as other helpful material.
The Quicktime support
site also includes information on firewalls ,
as well as
installation, updates and error messages.
I'm having problems installing or using the
Macromedia Flash Player and Shockwave
plug-ins? Where can I find help?
Macromedia provides
support for both Shockwave and Flash, not only for end user, but for
new media developers, as well.
Why do I sometimes get outdated information?
Most of CBC.ca is continuously updated. If you are receiving outdated
information, we advise you try any or all of the following:
Click on Reload/Refresh on you browser to clear your
cache quickly. This will force your browser to retrieve
the most recent version of the web page you
are on from its source on the network. For information on how to clear
your cache, see
Do
I need to have “cookies” turned
on when I visit CBC.ca?
Yes. In order to get the most out of the material offered on
CBC.ca, your browser needs to have cookies enabled. Once your
cookies are turned on, you can begin taking advantage of all
the local news and weather, e-mail newsletters and customized
schedule information that CBC.ca has to offer.
How do I clear the cache on my browser ?
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.
If none of these suggestions are 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 service provider to suggest that
they increase the
frequency with which they update their cache.
How do I clear the cache on my browser?
Please choose the instructions for the browser you use below:
Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.0 + -
To clear the cache in IE 4.0, you must
use the 'Internet Options' menu which can be accessed by clicking once
on
the 'View' selection found across the top of the IE 4.0 browser between
the
'Edit' and 'Go' drop down menus. Click once on the 'Internet Options'
selection
to display the menu.
By using the tab menus at the top, select the tab titled 'General Options'.
Click once on the 'Delete Files' button. You will be prompted with a
pop-up
box that asks if you wish to delete all temporary Internet files. Click
'OK'.
You have successfully cleared your cache.
Netscape 4.0 + -
To access the cache menu, click on 'Edit' on the top
tool
bar. Move your cursor down to the selection marked 'Preferences' and
select 'Network Preferences'. A menu with several selections will appear.
Double click
on the 'Category' marked 'Advanced', whichwill in turn display several
options,
one being for cache.
Select the 'Cache' option and click on both buttons, 'Disk Cache' and
'Memory Cache'. Make certain you click 'OK' when Netscape prompts you
with a message asking you if you want to remove disk/memory cache files.
After you clear both disk and memory cache you can exit
the 'Preferences' menu.
I am having problems connecting to one of your
pages. When I do my
computer locks up. What's going on?
There are several possibilities:
A browser error may have occurred. If this is the
case, close the browser,
reopen it, and try again. If other people can access the site, it may
be a
problem with your Web page cache. Clear your cache and then try reloading
the site again. For instructions on how to clear your cache, see How
do I
clear the cache on my browser? Your ISP (Internet Service Provider) may
have a problem with their servers. Try accessing other pages, and if
the
problem persists, contact your ISP.
Intermittently the server generating our pages goes
down. Please be patient.
We have system administrators on call at all times to resolve problems
such
as these.
Why do web pages not fit on my screen?
If you are experiencing problems viewing the CBC.ca website
within your screen
and you must scroll left and right, please follow these instructions
(for PC users):
1) Go to Desktop
2) Right click on your mouse
3) Click on Properties
4) Click on the Settings tab
5) Go to "Desktop Area" and move the slide to 800 X 600 pixels (or higher/more)
CBC.ca is best viewed with the resolution size of
800 X 600 pixels. This is the
standard that most sites use.
I'm experiencing problems with
my browser. Where can I get information?
Netscape has
a detailed help site with frequently asked questions as well
as useful suggestions about problems you may be experiencing.
Microsoft has
an extensive support area that includes installation
information
as well as an exhaustive list of questions and answers about the browser.
ACCESSIBILITY: |
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I'm visually impaired. How can I access the CBC web site?
Accessibility to people with differing abilities is important to the CBC, and to CBC.ca.
For more information on how to adjust your computer and your browser to suit your specific needs, visit the Microsoft Accessibility site, Apple's Disability Resources site, and the Netscape support site.
SITE ISSUES: |
||
Who I do report site issues such
as broken links etc., and how do I
contact CBC.ca web masters?
News and Business Online / letters@CBC.ca
General Feedback for CBC.ca : Contact
Us