Frequently Asked Questions

1. I am having trouble "getting into" the meeting. How does it work ?
2. I'm having difficulty reading the pages. Can you change the colors ?
3. How do I get into the AA Chat rooms ?  and Can you give me schedule of AA Chat meetings on the Internet ?
4. I'm new to computers. Can you tell me how to use the WWW and the Internet ?
5. I'm looking for someone to help me via e-mail  andCan you be my online sponsor ?
6. Does this mean I don't have to go to "real" meetings anymore, now that I can stay home and read a meeting on my computer whenever I want ?
7. Can I add a link on my "AA" site to AA Forum and would you return the favor by adding a link to my Web site on AA Forum ?
8. Who pays for AA Forum?  Is it free ?
9. How can I find this site again if I want to come back later ?
10. I submitted my comments in the Meeting/AA Forum Talk but when I returned I did not see my comments posted ?
11. There have been many questions raised about our ID being protected against other people stalking members via AA Forum. Can other members or non-members find our E-mail or other addresses via AA Forum?
12. Why am I having trouble viewing the entire page of comments (AA Forum Talk/Meetings) ?
    

1.  I am having trouble "getting into" the meeting. How does it work?
Please see the Guidelines which explains the structure of the site and the Posting Instructions which explains how the Meetings and AA Forum Talk pages work. Also, be aware that this site is not like an Internet Chat room with "live conversation". Comments are posted 24 hours a day, 6 days a week for you to read at your convenience and you may post your own comments at your convenience as well.
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2.  I'm having difficulty reading the pages. Can you change the colors?
You may have difficulty reading the pages because of the text and/or background colors you are viewing. This can be due to a large number of factors including: your PC, your monitor, your browser, your eyesight, your preferences, etc. We currently have no plans of changing the site colors because: it's a lot of work, we (the original founders) like the colors and we can't make everyone happy.
You can try this:

1. Check the OPTIONS in your web browser, you may be overriding the colors for the text and/or background that we have set.

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3.  How do I get into the AA Chat rooms? and can you give me schedule of AA Chat meetings on the Internet?
For more information on Chat rooms and AA Chat meetings please see the OIAA Web site listed on our AA Links page.
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4.  I'm new to computers. Can you tell me how to use the WWW and the Internet?
We (Techs) just don't have the time to instruct those who are new to their computers and the WWW. You should check with your ISP (Internet Service Provider) most of them give lessons on how to use the Internet and WWW. If they do not, try asking a friend or coworker who is computer literate or Internet savvy. There is no reason to mention you would like to learn to use the Web for AA sites or for communication with other alcoholics and break your anonymity. There are many sites that are similar in structure to ours and that have a "Guestbook" type form that we use for the meeting.
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5.  I'm looking for someone to help me via e-mail  and
Can you be my online sponsor?
At this time we have discontinued the member-sponsorship e-mail exchange because of the overwhelming number of requests.  Also, several members had problems with communicating via e-mail with other members so at this time we are not recommending exchanging e-mail addresses through AA Forum.  Unfortunately, we (Tech's and Steering Committee) are too busy with maintaining the site to be available for e-mail correspondence.  Please see the Guidelines and other FAQs regarding e-mail.
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6.  Does this mean I don't have to go to "real" meetings anymore, now that I can stay home and read a meeting on my computer whenever I want?
The Steering Committee (and many of the members) strongly suggest that AA Forum becomes a supplement to your sobriety and not a replacement for "Face To Face" meetings. Live meetings and contact with other alcoholics are essential tools for sobriety.
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7.  Can I add a link on my AA site to AA Forum and would you reciprocate by adding a link to my Web site on AA Forum ?
You may certainly add a link to AA Forum on your site if you wish, however we would have to decline your request of a link to your site on AA Forum. The Steering Committee feels that it is best that the only outgoing links on AA Forum should be GSO (AA General Service Office) and OIAA (Online Intergroup of AA). Many other sites that have AA info. also contain information on other 12 steps groups and advertisements (necessary for obtaining free web pages) as well. Due to the fact that we are trying to structure AA Forum as closely as possible to a real AA meeting and follow the Traditions to the best of our ability, we feel it is best to ask you to use the search engines and directories to find other sites with information about AA.
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8.  Who pays for AA Forum ?  Is it free ?
You do, if you're a member of AA and you wish to contribute. The Web space for AA Forum and e-mail needed by the Steering Committee members are not donated by the Techs and they are not free. AA Forum practices the 7th Tradition by collecting donations to pay for these necessities of having an AA meeting on the WWW. Please see the Pass The Hat page for more details.
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9.  How can I find this site again if I want to come back later ?
Go to the SC Home page and in your browser menu select Bookmarks (Netscape) or Favorites (Internet Explorer) and select ADD.
You can also type the address:    www.aaforum.org
in the Location (Netscape) or Address (Internet Explorer) text box directly above this page.
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10.  I submitted my comments in the Meeting/AA Forum Talk but when I returned I did not see my comments posted ?
You may have to Reload (Netscape) or Refresh (Internet Explorer) the page in order to see your comments that you just posted.
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11.  There have been many questions raised about our ID being protected against other people stalking members via AA Forum. Can other members find our E-mail or other addresses via AA Forum?
The Steering Committee would like to warn all members that posting ANY personal information (E-mail or Postal addresses, phone numbers, etc.) anywhere on the WWW can be risky.  Any time you post your e-mail address on a public Web site, you are open yourself up to e-mail from anyone who views the site, as well as e-mail "spammers" who use spiders that search web pages and collect e-mail addresses for unsolicited mass marketing.
When the steering committee was forming our guidelines, we thought of emphasizing this more strongly (that you SHOULD NOT POST E-MAIL ADDRESSES on the site), but drunks don't follow "orders" too well anyway, and many are finding meaningful contacts through e-mail exchange. So we chose the simple warning found in the Guidelines page.
NOTICE: IF YOU POST ANY PERSONAL INFORMATION ON THE AA FORUM WEB SITE IT IS ENTIRELY YOUR DECISION, AND YOU ASSUME ANY AND ALL RISKS.
When we first started this meeting we tried to set up a membership sign up, and e-mail contact list, for online sponsors etc. The Secretary was quickly overwhelmed, and we realized these things could not be handled manually. So we have stoped the membership signup. ANY E-MAIL ADDRESSES THAT WERE OBTAINED WHEN THIS WAS SETUP ARE HELD IN THE STRICTEST CONFIDENCE AND WILL NOT BE RELEASED TO ANYONE. The same hold true for any e-mail addresses obtained when you e-mail a Tech or Steering Committee member.
We are looking for an automated solution to both the Membership and e-mail sponsorship dilemma. We would only implement something if both anonymity and
privacy can be guaranteed. However due to some problems that several members have had regarding e-mail correspondence with other members, we're not sure if this is a good idea at all.  We will notify everyone on the site if we find a viable solution.
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12.  Why am I having trouble viewing the entire page of comments (AA Forum Talk/Meetings) ?
Most of the problem regarding this is due to the size of the pages after several days of posting.  You may also be experiencing problems if you have an old computer.  We are considering options to permanently solve this problem.  Please read the Guidelines regarding more information on this and for access to alternative pages for viewing.  There is also special information on the Guidelines page regarding WebTV users who are having problems viewing the entire page(s).
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If you have a suggestion for an addition to this list, please e-mail it to:Tech@aaforum.org

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 For technical questions or comments e-mail
Tech@aaforum.org

Last Updated:
Wednesday, February 10, 1999 11:29 PM -0700