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FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
- What does it cost?
- Free, huh? What's the catch? What's in it for you?
- Okay, sounds good so far. How do I sign up? Now what?
- Can I choose to stop using Gustos at any time?
- Do I have to put Gustos applets in tables?
- Unfortunately, while I can create a web page, I do not have the ability to do CGI.
- I just added Gustos to my site, but the recommendations aren't accurate. Why?
- How does Gustos track users?
- What if several people use the same Windows '95 machine?
- What if I use several different machines and want Gustos to treat them the same?
- Why does my browser sometimes hang in Windows '95?
- How do I share data with other Gustos sites?
- What if I don't want to share my data with other sites?
- I don't want Gustos putting up ads that can take users away from my site. What can I do?
- I have a large site and I want guaranteed high performance for my site. What can I do?
- I think Gustos is great. What can I do to show my appreciation?
AnswersQ1: What does it cost?
Gustos applets are free. There's no bait and switch. The policy won't change later. It's a free service and always will be.
Q2: Free, huh? What's the catch? What's in it for you?
There isn't a "catch". Gustos is dedicated to the advancement of collaborative filtering and our Net Intelligence technologies. Our goal is to create a useful and valuable service for the Internet community. We can offer this service for free because of advertising that appears on our Recommendation and other List pages. We also offer customized applets and consulting to sites.
Any site, large or small, can become a Friend or Sponsor and advertise on Gustos List pages or get specialized applets or services. However, our free service will always be free.
Q3: Okay, sounds good so far. How do I sign up? Now what?
Follow the instructions on our installation page. Just insert this HTML code into your web pages. That's it. You don't even have to sign up!
Q4: Can I choose to stop using Gustos at any time?
Yes, but we can't understand why you'd want to stop. But if you do, just remove the Gustos HTML code from your pages. We would also appreciate it if you would notify us and let us know why.
Q5: Do I have to put Gustos applets in tables?
No. You can treat the applet call like any graphic you would insert on any HTML page. It doesn't matter. Put one or fifty on a page.
Q6: Unfortunately, while I can create a web page, I do not have the ability to do CGI.
That's the strength of Gustos. You don't need a database or CGI programs to use it. It works just as well by just adding the HTML code to any page.
If you want to use CGI or currently use CGI, we can help you with any implementation questions you may have. While we can't provide general CGI consulting services at no cost, we can provide you with sample CGI scripts like our Movie Demo that you can use to customize for your site. Please send requests to Support.
Q7: I just added Gustos to my site, but the recommendations aren't accurate. Why?
Until Gustos has enough data, it can't make good predictions. As the database is "built-up", the predictions will increase in accuracy. For common items like movies, using the same "uniq" parameter as other Gustos sites will avoid the need to collect data. In this case, you will benefit from the data generated by all other Gustos sites.
Q8: How does Gustos track users?
It uses cookies. This allows Gustos to pass the browser an arbitrary and anonymous user ID when you first rate a Gustos item. Upon returning to a Gustos site, the browser will report this ID back to Gustos.
Q9: What if several people use the same Windows '95 machine?
With typical multi-user machines and operating systems, this is not an issue. However, Gustos depends on the browser and OS to deal with each users specific configuration. Using Netscape and Windows '95, this is not possible because Netscape does not separate preferences for each user and maintains a common cookie.
Until Netscape corrects this problem, you can set up Windows '95 to support multiple user logins. Then use Microsoft Explorer for your browser.
Q10: What if I use several different machines and want Gustos to treat them the same?
You must duplicate your cookie ID on both machines. The simple way to do this is the copy the cookie file from one machine and put it on the other.
For Netscape: Copy the "cookie.txt" file in the Netscape directory.
For Microsoft Explorer: Copy the "user@at_gustos.txt" file in the Windows95\Cookies directory.
We expect to have an easier answer soon.
Q11: Why does my browser sometimes hang in Windows '95?
Because Java has a memory leak and Windows '95 handles memory poorly. We expect the next release of Java to fix these memory issues.
Q12: How do I share data with other Gustos sites?
Gustos uses a "unique" thing ID to track ratings for items. If you use the same unique ID that other sites use, then you will automatically share data with these sites. This is the core of our Net Intelligence concept.
For example, our demo uses the Internet Movie Database for the unique ID for movies. By using standard naming conventions, all sites can share information. Contact Gustos for more information on current naming standards. See the "uniq" parameter for more information on unique IDs.
Q13: What if I don't want to share my data with other sites?
We urge you not to think this way. The spirit of the Web is to share for mutual benefit. The advantage to using common "unique" IDs across sites is that Gustos gets more information and all sites get more accurate results.
But if you insist, you can make up your own system for the "uniq" parameter. Gustos will create new data for every new unique ID.
Q14: I don't want Gustos putting up ads that can take users away from my site. What can I do?
Since the ads support the service, we must charge you for removing them. Contact Gustos to work out the details.
Q15: I have a large site and I want guaranteed high performance for my site. What can I do?
You can install your own Gustos caching server. This will allow you to dedicate as much processing power as you want for your site.
Q16: I think Gustos is great. What can I do to show my appreciation?
Thanks! Tell a friend. In fact, why not tell every friend you have! Or send mail to Gustos and make our day!
If you really want to "put your money where your mouth is", you can become a Friend and Sponsor and buy some advertising on our List pages. And if you'd like to invest in our future, qualified investors and venture capitalists may contact us regarding stock purchases. Contact Sales with any of these requests.