I registered but did not receive my verification email. What should I do?
Please make sure your email account is working properly and that the email was not blocked by a spam filter (you might check your spam or bulk mail folders if you have them).
If you have waited for at least 15 minutes and still have not received the verification email then you may click here to have it sent again.
I cannot log into the site. What should I do?
If you are getting an error about your username or password being incorrect: please use the forgotten password link to make sure you are entering the correct password.
If you are 'stuck' on an error screen and cannot get back to the login page: click here.
If you are getting an error about too many login attempts: you must wait for at least three hours and then click here.
If you seem to log in correctly but are then told that you are not logged in: This is almost always a problem with your browser's cookie settings. Please make sure your browser is set up to accept cookies and that you aren't running any firewall software (such as ZoneAlarm) that may be blocking cookies.
Checking cookies in AOL:
1. On the AOL toolbar, click Settings.
2. Under Essentials, click 'Internet [Web] Options'.
3. Under 'Related Settings' click 'Internet Explorer settings'.
4. Click the Privacy tab.
5. Make sure you are set no higher than 'medium'.
6. If that doesn't work, go back to the Privacy tab as above and then click Edit and then enter: http://www.darkstarlings.com into the blank and then click 'Allow'.
Checking cookies in Internet Explorer:
1. Go to Tools -> Internet Options -> Privacy
2. Make sure you are set no higher than 'medium'.
3. If that doesn't work, go back to the Privacy tab as above and then click Edit and then enter: http://www.darkstarlings.com into the blank and then click 'Allow'.
Checking cookies in Mozilla / Firefox:
1. Go to Tools -> Options -> Privacy
2. Expand 'cookies' and make sure 'Allow sites to set cookies' is checked.
Can I change my profile name without creating a new account?
No, sorry. The reason for this is simple. Your profile name is what identifies you to everyone on this site. If people could change their profile name on a whim, we'd have a really hard time keeping track of people. Not only would this be confusing, it would surely lead to abuse.
How do I add music to my profile?
You will need to have a music file (such as an MP3) uploaded onto a website that will host it for you. Examples of free sites that provide hosting: AngelFire, Geocities. You would then need to go into your DarkStarlings Control Panel and click on the 'Look and Feel' option. On the 'Look and Feel' page, there is a blank (Music) where you can then enter the address of the music file you have uploaded. For example: http://www.geocities.com/~mysite/my_music_file.mp3
Please note that it will not work to put in the location of a music file on your own computer. The file must be uploaded onto the internet. For example, an address such as:
C:\mp3s\my_song.mp3
... will not work.
How do I add a background picture to my profile?
Please read the above advice on adding music to your profile, the process is much the same. Instead of linking to a music file, you'll link to an image file (jpg or gif) instead. To enter the link to the image, go to your Control Panel, into 'Look and Feel' and enter it's address in the blank for 'background image'. For example:
http://www.geocities.com/~mysite/my_background.gif
I cannot upload a picture to my profile. Why?
Starling accounts are limited to 10 profile pictures (or 30 for Andromeda members) which must be in JPG format. Each picture can be no larger than 2MB (two megabytes) in file size. If you're using Windows, you can find the file size of a picture by right clicking it's icon and going to 'properties'. Trying to upload a picture that is too large or that is not in JPG format is the cause for 99% of the errors encountered in uploading pictures.
Unless you are on a broadband connection with lots up upstream bandwidth, uploading large pictures to the site takes some time. You may have to wait for a few minutes after clicking the 'Upload' button for your upload to complete. Sometimes this is true even if you are on cable or DSL as not all broadband connections provide a great deal of upstream.
If you wish to upload a GIF, BMP, TIFF or other file type you MUST convert the file to JPG format using an image editing program or you will receive an error when you upload the file. A great image editing program is IrfanView.
Where can I find some cool layouts to use for my profile?
Try browsing the layout gallery. You can browse through the submitted profile layouts and then when you find a profile you like you can use it's layout by clicking it's "Use This Layout" link.
Click here to go to the gallery.
How can I create my own custom layouts to share with others?
Click here to go to the layout profile creator.
How can I connect to the DarkStarlings chat?
Your browser must support java in order to connect via the java chat. If you go to the chat page and do not see the chat room load after a couple of minutes, please use the provided links to install java.
If you wish to use mIRC instead of the java chat on the site, here are the settings you'll need:
server: darkstarlings.com
port: 8089
channel: #darkstarlings
If you've never used mIRC before, feel free to get in contact with our chat operator, [A] who has kindly offered to show newcomers the ropes. You can also find out more about mIRC by visiting www.mirc.org.
How do I become a site operator / chat operator / article editor / etc.?
There is no special way to become a part of the DS administration. There are no special tests or procedures, there is no one you should ask about it. People are hand chosen for these positions as needed.
How do I delete my profile?
Go to the Control Panel and click on Manage Account. On that page, there is a button labeled 'Delete Your Account'. Simply click it and follow the directions given.