FAQ - Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add webmarks to password-protected pages?

Yes, you can, as far as A1-Webmarks is concerned. However, navigating to these pages might not always work as expected, because these pages are, well, password protected. Depending on how those sites work, it might work perfectly fine, or they might, for instance, just redirect you to a login page. A1-Webmarks will tell you that there is "no public access" to these pages.

Can I add webmarks to my company's intranet pages?

Yes, you can. If they can be recognized as such, A1-Webmarks will label them as "no public site", otherwise there will most likely be a "no public access"-note. Local or inaccessible pages are treated as private pages. They are not visible to other users and they never appear in "most popular" lists.

Can I add webmarks to files or directories on my PC?

Yes, you can. A1-Webmarks will label them as "no public site".

Shouldn't we call them filemarks or diskmarks then?

Please!

OK, now I added a link to a file, and you should see how it doesn't work. What do you have to say for yourself now?

If you are using Firefox/Mozilla, then read this. Otherwise check the link syntax carefully. It should start with "file://". Under Windows it should look like this: "file:///C:/whatever".

Can I be sure that private webmarks and private descriptions are not shown to others?

A1-Webmarks does not display private descriptions to the public. However, this site is not a high-security site, and is not suitable to store sensitive information. There is, for instance, no encryption used when transmitting information. Therefore, you are advised not to store sensitive information, such as critical passwords or credit card numbers, even in private fields. Private webmarks may be shown, especially when they are amongst the most popular webmarks in some category. Users that marked them as private will be listed as "undisclosed users" only. But again, it is not recommended to store webmarks with sensitive information in their urls, such as "http://www.example.com/login?password=secret".

Can I add webmarks to adult sites?

Yes, but you are expected to keep them private. If you fail to do so, A1-Webmarks will in many cases recognize adult sites as such, and treat them as private webmarks.

Can I add webmarks to sites violating laws?

No, that is against the Terms of Use. If we see them, the webmarks will be removed. If we see them again, you will be removed.

What is the difference between webmark ratings, list ratings and list entry ratings?

Webmarks ratings are for your own convenience, to easily spot your most liked webmarks within a larger set, and to remind yourself that you found a site very useful when you visited it. List ratings and list entry ratings are a way to identify useful lists and list entries, and to express your appreciation for them, which in turn will give them more visibility at A1-Webmarks. When calculating the most liked lists and list entries via the "Approval Index", A1-Webmarks takes the users "credibility" into account.

Users credibility? Are you contacting the Secret Service?

Normally not. We use a credibility evaluation based on the users use of our site. Rating systems on the web are more often than not misused by a small group of users to manipulate the ratings in order to give their own sites a better rating than they deserve. We identify such users by their characteristic use of the system, and devaluate or eliminate their ratings accordingly.

How exactly do I gain credibility?

We do not publish the criteria used in the evaluation, because the people trying to misuse the system would be the ones studying the rules letter by letter, trying to find ways around. Also, we may adapt the criteria from time to time. Important is: new users have an average credibility, and they gain full credibility quite quickly just by normal use of the site. So, the best thing to do is not to worry about credibility at all.

When I have limited credibility as new user and I rate sites, should I rate them again later, as soon as I obtained full credibility?

No. As said before: don't worry about it at all. The value of all your ratings (also the past ones) will be adjusted automatically.

Do you really have to show ads on the site?

A free service needs external funding. A site which doesn't generate any income is much more likely to disappear overnight. Ads allow us to keep the site up and running, and to permanently look for ways to improve it. Furthermore, we find that context sensitive ads can be a way to learn about sites relevant to your areas of interest, so you might actually find them helpful, at least occasionally.

OK, but I still don't like them. Is there any way to avoid them?

If you are interested in a paid, ad-free service, please contact us.