Help Page

Web Page Problems

• The web pages do not seem to function correctly?
  If you are experiencing problems with viewing the btf-thyroid web pages, for example the menu on the left-hand side of the screen is missing, or the text/images appear to be too big or small on the screen. Then it is likely that the program (IE, Netscape, etc. - commonly referred to as web browser or Internet browser) you are using is out of date. It may also mean that one or two of the program settings have not been enabled.

  It is recommended that you install the latest version of your internet browser. For those of you which have a fast (not a 56K modem) internet connection, you can simply download the relevant browser from the internet. Links to the common browsers are given below. If you have a slow connection, it would be easier to obtain and install the latest browser from a CD-rom/DVD rom. The majority of PC computer magazines sold in every newsagent will have such a CD-rom or DVD.

  For those of us who actually understand such technical jargon, please find further details about your browser below.

  Technical Details

  The btf-thyroid web site requires a web browser capable of rendering HTML 3.2, Style Sheets, frames, JavaScript 1.2 and Cookies enabled.
  
  Listed below is the information determined from your browser. Note this will be dependent upon the JavaScript capabilities. If you browser does not support javascript or it is not enabled then no information will be displayed.

  Detected information:
  
  

  
  

  It is recommended that Microsoft Internet Explorer version 4.0 or greater; Netscape Navigator version 4.0 or greater; or other such compatible browser is used.

  Upgrade information:
  You can download the latest version of the required software for free:
  
  Microsoft Internet Explorer
  Netscape Navigator
  Mozilla
  Opera

  Note:
  If you are experiencing blank pages it is likely that your browser is not cable of frames or JavaScript execution. If you have a new browser (version 4.0 or greater) ensure that the JavaScript is enabled. Tragically some users accidentally turn this off!

  
  

Printing Problems

• How do I print the centre part of the screen?
  The easiest method is to use the Print Page option on the right-hand frame. This will always print the main frame (provided JavaScript is enabled in your browser).
  
  There is an alternative method as well.
  
  The conventional method of selecting [File:print] from the menu is fine for pages which do not use frames (frames are just windows that tile together to break up or organize a display so the site is easier to navigate). Web sites like this one which make use of frames involve a few seconds of thought. You will notice that when you select [File:print] from the menu bar that there will an additional area referred to as 'print frames'.
  
  There will be three options to select:
  1. As laid out on screen.
  2. Only the selected frame (Default setting!)
  3. All frames individually
  
  Option 2 will print the frame which last had focus, i.e. the frame which was last clicked on with the mouse. So if you last clicked on the left-hand frame, the one containing the navigation menu, then that's what will be printed. It is important that you click the main centre frame before selecting [File:print] from the menu bar to ensure that you print the main frame.
  
  
  
  

PDF files

• What is a PDF file?
  A pdf file is a Portable Document Format (pdf) file. This means the appearance of the file will be the same on the computer screen to that what is printed, and is totally independent of the type of computer and the printer it is printed on. It also removes the necessity of you having the software it was originally created by so you can view the file.
  
  
• What program do I need to view a PDF file?
  All you require to view and print a PDF file is the free Adobe Acrobat Reader, from Adobe.

  You can either download the free Acrobat Reader from the Adobe Web Site if you have a fast internet connection (For assistance in downloading and installing the software, see the Adobe Web site document Adobe Acrobat Reader Troubleshooting Guide at Adobe's Web Site).
  Or you can obtain and install the program from a CD-rom/DVD-rom available on most PC computer magazines sold in every newsagent shop.
  
  

• How do I View PDF Files?
  Once the Acrobat Reader software is properly installed, you just need to click on a link to a .pdf file and it will be loaded for viewing on your computer. Note that the file is sent to your computer as a temporary file that will be deleted when you exit your browser.

  PDF files will be generally indicated by the following graphic after the filename.
  
  

• How do I Print PDF Files?
  When printing Adobe Acrobat PDF files from within your web browser, do NOT use the web browser print facility. Instead, use the print button at the left end of the special Adobe Acrobat tool bar, which should appear immediately above the viewing window.
  
  
• How do I Save PDF Files?
  To save a PDF file for later use once you have loaded it for viewing, on most browsers you just select "File" then "Save As..." from the menu bar.
  
  
• Why do I get a blank page or frame when I click on a pdf file?
  Assuming the installation of Adobe Acrobat is correct, this is only an issue if you are using an old version of Internet Explorer (older than IE 5.5 ). This problem can be resolved by installing the latest version of IE. For more information on this issue, please visit Adobe's Web site.
  
  The alternative solution is to right mouse click on the pdf file link and select "Save Target As..". This will allow you to download the file to you hard drive from where you can use the Adobe reader to view the file directly.

Online Payment Security

• How secure are online payment systems, such as Justgiving.com?
  The majority of Online payment systems employ the highest standards of security to safeguard customer payments. Your transaction will take place within a secure payment system. This usually means that they use a Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology, a standard supported by most major Internet browsers . All of your personal and card details are protected using 128-bit encryption when transmitted over the Internet. This means that no one is able to read the information being relayed over the Internet.
  
  
• How can we identify a Secure Connection?
  There are two ways to identify a Secure Connection. The first which is applicable to all browsers is to look at your browser's Address bar, sometimes called Location or URL. If you look at address bar for this page then you will see that the address begins with
  
  "http://www.btf-thyroid.org"
  The "http://" part at the beginning indicates that you are currently looking at a page over a standard non-secure web connection.
  Below is an image indicating this for Justgiving.com
  
  
  
  When you are using a secure page, such as the Justgiving.com card details submission page, you will notice that the beginning of the address reads "https://". The addition of the "s" shows that you are using a secure web page.
  Below is an image indicating this for Justgiving.com
  
  
  
  The second way to identify a Secure Connection is for looking for a padlock icon in the browsers status bar, usually near the bottom right-hand corner of the window. If the page is secure then the padlock will be closed or locked. It should be noted that not all pages on a website will have the need to be secure. Only those which entail the transfer of personal and card details for example.
  Below are some images indicating the padlock feature.
  
  
  [ Internet explorer 6.0 ]
  
  
  [ Mozilla Firefox 1.5 ]
  
  Note that in old versions of web browsers, the icon may have a different appearance. For example old versions of Netscape will display a Key when the site is secure instead of a padlock. The location of the padlock in other browsers may not be in the bottom right hand corner and its appearance may be different!