The site is organised according to a main navigation bar and a submenu
system
The Main Navigation Bar is the purple horizontal
bar at the top of the screen with the words
Home
Pay Profile Search Messages
Options Help Clubs+Events Forums
This is your constant source of reference throughout loveandfriends
site. Each of these words is a hyperlink to a main section of the site.
When you click on one of these hyperlinks (e.g.
Home) You will be taken
to that section and the page title and submenu (in left hand margin of the
page) will change. To visit any of the subsections - just click on the
icon next to the text.
For example - the above picture shows you the Home page of the site. The
submenu options shown include
Contact Us. If you wanted to visit
the 'Contact Us' page you would need to press the icon next to the words
Contact Us
This is what the 'Contact Us' icon looks like
The site is designed so everything is no more than 2 clicks away. The
site is very easy to navigate if you think logically>>> FIRST
you choose the relevant hyperlink on the main navigation bar SECOND
you choose the relevant icon in the left hand margin. Simple - just 2
clicks! Say you wanted to send a message>>>
First think 'Message' Hmmm... that is probably on
Messages (from
Main Navigation Bar )
Second press
Send
Message
We suggest you have a cruise round he site
- clicking on all the items on the Main
Navigation Barr to see what
you can do on each page.
Is my Browser (e.g. AOL's browser)
compatible with the site?
The site is designed to run on Internet Explorer (v5 and higher) and
Netscape Navigator (v5 and higher). There may be issues with other
browsers (Opera, AOL's inbuilt browser) that means our site doesn't work
properly with other browsers. We're really sorry but we cannot guarantee
functionality with other browsers - it takes all our resources to keep
our Explorer/Navigator compatibility up to speed.
Explorer/Navigator account for 95% of the browser market and are free to
download.
We know that there are issues with AOL's inbuilt browser not storing
our cookies correctly that means AOL users need to use Internet Explorer
(or Navigator) instead. Of course you still connect to the net via AOL -
you just use Internet Explorer once you're connected.
Press
Search on the main menu and you will be
taken to the Speedy Search Page.
From the final option that says 'Show me' you can
choose whether to see mini profiles or just a one line descriptions. You
can also choose how many members per page you get to see. If you have a
slow connection to the internet then it will take a long time to display
25 mini-profiles on a single page - so bear this in mind when selecting
how to display your search results. With a slow connection viewing 10
single line descriptions should be quicker.
Each time you carry out a search the search page
automatically remembers what criteria values you entered. This means if
you leave the page and return to it later (even if you also leave our
site) you don't have to have to set up all the search criteria again.
I want to do a more detailed
search - what options are there?
To do a more detailed
search go to
Search (main menu) followed by either
Essential Match,
Desired Match
or Detailed Search
Detailed Search is good for
pinpointing an exact type of person
Go to 'Search' on the main menu then press the
Detailed Search icon. You
can now search for precise values on all searchable fields.
Detailed
search doesn't allow you to have as many combinations as a
Matching Search but it includes more fields to choose from and can be
quicker. If you want to look for a 6ft tall Buddhist with red hair living in
Wales...good luck!
Note the instructions on the page for Geographical searching.
...especially how the fields are 'ORed' together.
If you want someone just in Cambridgeshire
do not put anything else in any of the other location boxes i.e do not put
'UK' in the Country box or 'East' in the Region Box'
Yes, we know Cambridgeshire is yin the East of the UK
HOWEVER, this is the equivalent of telling the computer Cambridgeshire OR
UK OR East. i.e. any of the 3 are OK. So you will get everyone in the UK -
from Land's End to John O'Groats
Matching Search is good for
combinations of criteria
Your matching criteria can include
pretty much unlimited combinations of values on the most common searchable
fields. e.g. you can specify Occasional Smoker OR Non Smoker (thereby just
ruling out smokers) AND pHd OR Degree AND...etc., etc.
If you make your matching search too complex it will be slow - so please leave
categories set to 'Not bothered about this' where this is the case.
What's all
this about Matching Criteria?
These are powerful features and are set from
Search (main menu) then
'Essential Match' and 'Desired
Match'
Essential
Match defines your minimum requirement for a partner - so don't be too
picky with this. You can be a bit choosier with Desired Match. Once
you've set your criteria up other members can view these from your
profile. The idea of this is so that members don't waste time messaging
other members where there is some major incompatibility.
There are a few common mistakes made on these pages that mean your
criteria are not as you would want them...
Mistake1. Ticking the 'Use this Criteria' checkbox then ticking ALL the
checkboxes
NO!
>>>Including every combination is the same as saying
I'm not bothered about hair - however it gives our computer a hard time.
So you should just leave the 'hair' option looking like the following (to
do this uncheck the 'Use this criteria' box next to 'Hair Colour')
YES!
...better!
Mistake2. Ticking the 'Use this Criteria'
checkbox then ticking NONE of the checkboxes
NO!
>>>This will eliminate everyone from the results!
Mistake3. ONLY checking the 'Not Relevant' checkbox is nearly always a bad
idea.
NO!
>>>You are not saying in the above example that hair
isn't relevant for you. You are saying that you are only
interested in people who have answered the hair question as 'Not
Relevant'. Most people are happy to state what sort of hair they have.
Only a minority refuse to do this and state 'Not relevant'. Specifying the
above means you rule out all the blonde, brown, black, auburn etc. people
who have stated their hair colour (this amounts to most people!)
This is what your search should look like if you
aren't bothered about hair >>>
YES!
This is what your search should look like if you
just don't want to meet bald people (not that we're encouraging this
discrimination) but otherwise aren't bothered >>> YES!
4. Age and Height Mistakes
If you tick either of these criteria make sure you set sensible values
(do not leave as default values). There is no point saying 'Use this
criteria' (for age or height) then not setting values as below>>>
NO!
Much better is one of the following>>>
YES!
...if you're not bothered
YES!
...if you are bothered (and want to meet 27-37 year
olds)
What
is my 'Favourite' search?
This is a special search that is saved in our
database's memory. You can save a 'Favourite Search' by pressing the
button on
the Detailed Search page. You can then
retrieve this search criteria by pressing the 'Load' button on the
Detailed Search
page.
MESSAGES
How do I know if someone has sent me a
message?
The message will be forwarded to the email address you
gave when you filled in your profile. Don't worry, the person who sent the
message can't see this address! Also when you log in you can check
your
Messages received
from the Messages page.
You can change the address to which email is
forwarded on page 1 of your profile. See "How do I edit my own
profile?"
How do I send someone a message?
Press 'Messages' on the main menu then press the
Review and Send icon or
Simple Send (Free members). Now enter the
Username of the person to whom you want to send a message, a title for the
message and the message text.
Alternatively, you can press a shortcut button from
the person's profile or mini-profile and you will be automatically taken
to the 'Send Message' page.
How do I know if my message has been sent?
When you send someone a message it is logged in our
system and we try to send a notification email straight away. You should
see a confirmation message telling you that the message has been logged
and an email sent. If you do not wait for the confirmation message e.g. if
you are impatient and decide to go to another part of the site - then you
can't be sure that your message has been correctly processed!
If it takes a long time to display your message
confirmation then this usually means we are having problems with the
member's mailserver.
Occasionally problems with the member's
mailserver mean we can't deliver the notification email at that point in
time. Your confirmation message will tell you this. In this case the
message is still logged on our system and we try to deliver the email
later. So don't keep pressing 'Back' on your browser and sending it again
as this will queue up many copies of the same message.
If you go to
Messages (main menu) then
Messages Sent
and you can
see your message it has been logged OK and the recipient can also access
it. There is no need to send the message again.
How do I know if someone has read
my message?
Use our "Read Receipt" feature on the
Send Message
page. This sends an email alert to the person but not your message itself,
thereby forcing them to visit the site to read your message. Once they do
this you'll see a tick next to the message on your
Messages Received
Page.
You should also be sent an email telling you of this.
Of course not sending a copy of your message via email is less
convenient for the recipient - so use this feature with discretion.
How do I verify my email address?
When you first joined our computer automatically emailed you a
registration email. You simply click on the email validation link and you
should be taken to our site and all this sorted automatically.
If this doesn't work note the validation code given on your
registration email and go to 'Options' (main menu) then
Email Settings
(side menu) where you can enter it manually.
If the email never arrived go to
Profile (main menu) then '1.Private
Info' where you can request another registration email to be sent or
correct your email address if you entered it incorrectly.
PROFILE
How do I look up someone's profile?
Press
Search on the main menu then press the '
Search
by Username' button. Now enter the Username of the person whose details
you would like to see.
What do the badges on top of members' profiles
mean?
These are the member's 'Credentials': 'Email OK'
Badge = member has verified their email address - so you can
be assured any messages you send will be received by them via their email.
'Full Member' Badge = member is a Full
member. Full members (having paid something) are often more likely to take
the site seriously (respond to emails) than free members.
'ID Checked' Badge = member has been in to
see us for an ID check - so we've seen some proof they are who they say
they are and where they live. ID checked members are likely to be more
reliable/genuine.
How do I edit my own
profile?
Press
Profile on the main menu then choose which page of your
profile you would like to edit. Make sure you press 'Save and Proceed' to
save changes.
How do I change my email
address?
Press 'Profile' on the main menu then press '1. Private Info'
How do I change my
password?
Press
Profile on the main menu then press '1. Private Info'
How do I change my Username?
Press
Profile on the main menu then the 'Change Username' icon on the
side menu. Only for full members!
PHOTOSHow do I add my photo?
Members have the facility to upload your own photos to our
website. Press
Profile from the main menu then press the
Upload
Photo icon where full instructions are given.
Paying members can email or snailmail (post) a photo
in to us and we'll sort it out for you - details are given on the
MY MAIN
PHOTO page.
What else can
I do with Photos?
Members can upload more than one photo - press
Profile (on the main
menu) then
Upload New Photo.
Members can show, hide or delete
your own photos and add captions to them.
Your main photo is administered from Profile then
MY MAIN PHOTO
Your other photos are administered from
Profile then
All my
Photos
Full instructions are given on these pages.
FULL members have loads of extra facilities to do with Photos that Free
members don't have, they can:
display all their photos to
everyone
instantly
publish their photos (Free members have to wait for their photo to be
approved by a member of staff which can take a week or so in busy times)
upload a greater number of photos
email in photos and get our staff to convert, crop and upload them
have a photo that is not on public view that can be sent to other
members
Can I send someone my photo without having to
display it publicly?
Yes! First upload your photo as explained in 'How do I add my Photo?'.
Next hide your photo. Go to
Profile then
All my Photos
and tick the relevant 'hide photo' checkbox then press 'Action'. Now
although you can still see your photo it is not displayed on your profile
or in searches - i.e. it is hidden.
Then when you want to show
someone your 'hidden' photo you should tick the 'Include my pic'
checkbox when sending a message to that person (Messages then
Review and
Send). If you've uploaded more than one pic you can select which one to
send.
FULL V FREE MEMBERSHIP
Why bother upgrading?
Full members have unlimited messaging - messaging for free
members is restricted
Full members have access to a load of
features that free members don't.
Full members keep us in a job - so we orientate the whole site for them.
Our motto is 'Full members have more dates an more fun'. Whilst we cannot
guarantee you more dates we do everything possible to bring this about -
promoting full members in Search results, etc.
Checkout the
Pay page for full details
of this - go on!
Will my free membership expire and my profile be
deleted??
Don't worry - we've no plans to do this!.
The loveandfriends profile is one of the most powerful/comprehensive in
the business and takes quite a while to fill out so it wouldn't be fair to
get you to do this then delete you after a short while.
However, If you don't use our site for absolutely ages (several months)
then we may archive and eventually delete your details to save space. We'd
try to email you notification and give you plenty of time to reactivate
your account before this happened, though.
I'm a free member - will you sell on my email
to other companies?
There are 3 answers to this. No, no and no! We hate spam mail too. Even
if you are too poor/mean/whatever to pay up and become a Full member we
will treat your private details (e.g. email) with the same respect.
MEMBERSHIP
OPTIONS
I need a break - how can I put stop appearing on the site
for a while?
Go 'on hold' - see below...
How do I put my membership on hold?
Whilst 'on hold' you will not show up in search
results and members cannot look at your profile. You can stay on hold for
as long as you like. Members typically go on hold if they are busy, going
on a long holiday or have met someone who they like and don't want any new
introductions.
Press
Options on the main menu then press the
Suspend/Reactivate/Terminate button. Now choose what you wish to do. If you have
good news or feedback - we'd love to hear it and a form is provided on
this page.
It's up to you whether you still wish to keep email
forwarding open. You may wish to do this if you are expecting email from
people you have previously made contact with. If you decide to block email
then anyone that tries to send a message will be notified that you are on
hold and are not receiving emails
How do I opt
out of email newsletter and other emailings?
Log in, press
Options on the main menu then press the
Email
Settings
button. There is an option to opt out of our email newsletter
and other emailings on this page.
This is easy to do, so we expect members to do this rather than
emailing us saying 'UNSUBSCRIBE' (or similar) and expect us to sort this
out. Loveandfriends is a self service system! Also, you need your password
to log in to loveandfriends, which gives you a safeguard against people
tampering with your account. If you can't log in then please explain on an
email to us why this is and we'll happily go to the trouble of sorting
this out and stopping any unwanted emails.
How do I
permanently terminate my membership?
Firstly, are you sure it wouldn't be
better to just go 'on hold'?
If you're on hold then people can't see your
details or send you email. However, you can re-activate whenever you wish.
If you terminate your membership then all your profile details are
permanently erased.
To terminate your membership press
Options
on the main menu then press the
Suspend/Reactivate/Terminate
button. Now confirm in the text box that you want your membership
terminated and press the button at the bottom of the screen.
This is easy to do, so we expect members to do this
rather than emailing us saying 'Stop my membership' (or similar) and
expect us to sort this out. Loveandfriends is a self service system! Also,
you need your password to log in to loveandfriends, which gives you a
safeguard against people deleting your account by simply sending a bogus
email to us. If you can't log in then please explain on an email to us why
this is and we'll happily go to the trouble of sorting this out.
How do I adjust other settings
of my account? e.g. Privacy, Email stuff, etc.
Go to
Options on the main menu and have a look
round. We've included lots of options so you can fine tune your account to
how you want it to work. For example you can decide if it's:
OK to receive HTML email
OK to receive members' messages via email
OK to receive messages from matchmaking consultants
Email Newsletter:
OK to receive Newsletter
OK for non members to see my profile
OK for members to send my mini profile to friends
What
are 'Favourite' members?
These are members who you have tagged whilst looking
at their profiles. We include this facility because it's useful to browse
through search results and mark members you are interested in then easily
revisit these members' details later.
To add someone to you 'Favourites' list simply press
the 'add to favourites' button on their profile.
To review your favourites press the
View Favourites
button on the Home page. From your Favourites list you can easily send
messages to selected members or delete them from your list.
TROUBLESHOOTING
I've Forgotten my password
On the login screen press the link for "Forgotten your password?" and
you can have your password reminder displayed or your password emailed to
you. Make sure you haven't accidentally put CAPS LOCK on. If there is
still a problem then email us from the email address that you specified
when you joined up with loveandfriends quoting your username.
The site doesn't work/ I can't log in
Over 90% or people that report that our site "is not working" turn out
to have a problem with their ISP or with their browser. So,
1. Make sure that you can access other Internet sites OK. Go to Google
and do a search - if it works your Internet Connection is OK.
2.
Make sure your browser accepts 'cookies' - these are an essential part of
the security of our site. On Internet Explorer you set cookies by going to
'Tools' menu, then 'Options' then the 'Privacy' Tab. We suggest you
specify 'www.loveandfriends.com' as a 'trusted' site. Alternatively,
decrease the 'privacy' setting to the minimum and all cookies will be
accepted. Note 'Privacy' is different to 'Security' - we do
not recommend you decrease your 'Security Settings'
3. Make sure you have a relatively up to date browser (e.g. Internet
Explorer). You can download new versions for free from
www.microsoft.com or
www.netscape.com.
If still a problem then remember to state explicitly
on your email exactly what happens when you try to log in
and exactly
what the error message is
I'm a FULL member - but still showing as a Free
member - Why?!!
This can occasionally happen to people that have a problem with their
browser. Usually it's a 'caching' issue whereby your browser is -
incorrectly - retrieving some old pages from your local computer's
hard drive that you once viewed when a free member as opposed to going to
our site for fresh pages every time as it should.
To fix this on Internet Explorer so that your browser always checks for
new pages as it should:
Go to the 'Tools' menu of Internet Explorer* then select 'Internet
Options'
In the middle of the dialog box that pops up there is a section for
'Temporary Internet Files' - select the button for 'Settings' and a
sub-dialog box opens
Your browser is now purged of all old pages and will definitely check
for new pages when you visit the site. Browsers should 'automatically' do
this anyway but automatic detection of new pages doesn't always work in
practice for everyone.
Make sure you next log in from the main entrance to the site
http://www.loveandfriends.com/q.aspNOT from any other links on
emails or your favourites. This may have contributed to the problem in the
first place.
*If you've an older version of Internet Explorer then look for
something called 'Options' as opposed to 'Internet Options'. If you're on
Netscape Navigator look for 'Preferences' then the setting for 'Temporary
Internet Files'.
If this doesn't work it may be that your browser is corrupted/flaky. We
suggest you reinstall/upgrade it. Don't worry - browsers are free:
When you retrieve a page from the Internet your
browser usually checks your hard drive to see if you've loaded this page
before. If so it retrieves the page from your hard drive because it's
quicker than getting a fresh copy from the Internet.
The problem with caching is if the page has changed
since the last time you viewed it - you may end up being shown an outdated
page from your hard drive if your browser does not check for updates. Your
browser may be setup not to check for updates - to establish this on
Internet Explorer...
'Tools' menu, select 'Internet Options' then in the
Temporary Internet Files section select 'Settings' and make sure it is set
to 'Automatic' or 'Every visit to a page'
NO!
YES!
NO!
NO!
YES!
NO!
YES!
YES!
