System requirements FAQ Release Notes

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are some questions we seem to get. Please contact us if you have other questions!

Yeah, we generally dislike toolbars too. Our feeling is that a toolbar has to offer value that a Web site can't. A Web site can't show you people relevant to every other page you go to (every Google search, etc.), connect you by IM with people on other pages, nor automatically improve your profile as you use the Web. We know the Others Online toolbar has to earn that space in your browser window, and we sincerely hope to provide sufficient value in the form of interesting people and targeted traffic to your personal Web site.

Are you yet another social network?

No, we're not a social network -- there are plenty of them already. Instead, we're positioning our service as a people directory which any user or established Web site community can use as they wish. We will partner with social networks because we believe we can help them reinforce the value of their communities to their user base, wherever they are on the Web.

Do I have to invite a bunch of people, or build out a network of friends to get any value?

Nope. You just register, download the toolbar and use the Web just as you normally do. We take care of everything else.

If Others Online is free, how do you make money?

Others Online is advertising supported. Whenever you view a list of relevant profiles, we'll show you 1 text ad (within that list) which we hope is also relevant to your interests. Please click on it?

Do you show popup or popunder advertising?

No, we don't think users like that sort of thing.

I don't see any toolbar after I installed!

If you don't see the toolbar within Internet Explorer after you've installed Others Online, click View, Toolbars, then Others Online within the IE menu bar. That should do it!

Do I have to install yet another instant messenger application?

No, Others Online uses an open source Web-based instant messaging application that doesn't require an installation.

Do you install any other software with yours, like spyware/adware?

Absolutely not. Ick.

Will you ever install other software without my explicit consent?

No, we will not install any 3rd party software without your explicit consent.

Do you automatically update your toolbar application?

Yes and no. We do automatically update the client-side keyword black list, but we don't automatically update the client application. We notify you that an update is available and offer you the option to update.

How do I uninstall Others Online?

Others Online can be removed from your computer by using the Add/Remove Programs feature within your Control Panel.

How do you match people with me?

For each user, we store a set of keywords/phrases that represent their interests. Those interests are entered by the users, and may also consist of temporary keywords that pertain to their current browsing session -- if you're searching the web for "Xbox 360", we associate that interest to you temporarily. If you continue to show an interest in "Xbox 360" (over multiple sessions) and/or write about it in your blog, we'll continue to associate it to you. In any event, when you're signed in, we simply match your keyword list with others and show you the people who share the most interests with you. So that you don't see the same people over and over again, our objective is to show you those profiles that first relate to your current browsing (such as your "Xbox 360" search) and then filter that list to show those people who share other interests. You can always see HOW you're matched with others, because we show you the keywords which connect you.

Can people be matched on inappropriate or dirty words?

No, we use a filter on the toolbar to bypass common, inappropriate and dirty words. Furthermore, we apply a 2nd filter on the server to make sure we're connecting people around community words (not meaningless words).

Can I turn Others Online off?

Sure, just sign out. We'll no longer analyze the Web pages you browse to for relevant keywords, nor will we even request profiles to show you. In fact, when you sign out our application is turned off, you're marked as offline, and no one can IM you.

What happens if I go to a Web page that has sensitive keywords on it, such as "herpes" or "sex"?

We employ a blacklist on the client to filter out many words -- "sex" for instance is filtered out. We further filter connection keywords and phrases on our server. In order for 2 or more people to be connected by a certain keyword or phrase, we have to explicitly indicate it as a "valid" keyword (meaning we believe it can be used appropriately to connect people to each other). That said, if you are that concerned, simply sign out and you won't be connected to others at all.

Can I control who sees me and when?

Absolutely. The key influencing factors are: (1) profile quality -- we favor showing users with more complete profiles, (2) online status -- we favor users who are online (using the toolbar), and (3) interest tags -- you're only going to be viewable by those who have one or more similar interests. These interests are derived from you (what you type into your profile), but even moreso by the interests you convey within your blog and/or browsing behavior. All of these interest tags may be managed within your profile.

What if I want to see others but I don't want to be seen or contacted?

If you don't confirm your email, you won't be seen at all but you can still use the toolbar. If your profile stinks (no links, no picture, no details), then you'll *probably* not be seen at all, but there's a small chance. You could always sign in and mark your online status as "offline" or "busy" (under the Options menu).

What if I see profiles that are naughty or offensive?

The Others Online Terms of Service makes it very clear that users are not to include content within their profile that is pornographic or offensive. We also do our best to make sure users cannot be connected around offensive words. If you should discover any of these activites, please email techsupport AT othersonline. That said, we cannot control others' personal Web sites which may be linked to from within their profile. We simply ask those users with adult Web site content to mark their profile as Adult, so that their profile only shows up to users 18 and older who have enabled the Adult tab.

What if I WANT to see profiles that are naughty or offensive?

Hey whatever, it's not our place to judge. If you're 18 or older, then you may enable the Adult tab on your toolbar by going to the User Options menu item. The Adult tab shows all users who are linking to naughty or offensive content. Please see our policies on Adult content.

Does your IM work with others like MSN, AOL, Yahoo, etc?

No, we thought about it but felt this would have hindered users' privacy. Since Others Online is about discovering people (strangers, really) relevant to your interests and browsing, we felt it was important to "double blind" all communications. We broker all IM and email so that users don't have to publicly relinquish their personal IM/email addresses.

How do I retrieve emails that are sent to me?

They arrive in your standard mailbox. For example, if you indicate a GMail address, emails are received in your GMail account.

When I send a user an email, does it come from my email address?

No, we protect others from seeing your actual email address. Instead the email comes from your Others Online user name, and if the person replies that also goes through our system so that all communications appear to be between user names.

What happens if another user makes me uncomfortable?

Just go to their profile and click on the Block button. From then on, they won't see your profile, nor can they email or IM you. You won't see their profile either.

What personal information do you collect about me?

The only personally identifiable information we ask of or collect from you is your email address, and we don't share this with other users. You should NEVER provide your name, address or any other personally identifiable information to others online (or Others Online Inc. ;-)

Do you profile me as a user?

Well yes, I suppose we do, but as respectfully as possible and only with the intent to improve the value of our service. We don't collect or even care about personally identifiable information, but the more we know about your interests and online behavior, the better we'll be at matching you with relevant others online. That said, you can sign out at any time and you have 100% control over your own profile (under User Options).

Does Others Online see the credit card information I enter, when I'm shopping online?

Definitely not. In fact, whenever you go to a Web page secured by Secure Sockets Layer (SSL), we basically turn off. We're not analyzing the page, collecting or sending any information to our server, nor matching you with others.

Do you "spider" my Web site links, to collect more information on my interests?

Yes, we crawl only the blogs you've listed, because it helps you get more traffic to those blogs. You can turn this off though -- go to your profile management, select the Auto-Tags tab, then uncheck that option box there.

Frequently Asked Questions

General questions ...

Installing and uninstalling the Others Online toolbar ...

Matching you with others ...

IM and email communications ...

Profiling and privacy ...