Frequently Asked Questions
Here are brief answers to some common questions about Rail Swap Free Classifieds.
General:
Posting Ads:
Changing or Removing Ads:
Searching Ads:
Responding to Ads:
Uploading Pictures:
How does the classified ad system work?
On the front page of Rail Swap Free Classifieds, you will see buttons that allow you to view, post, modify, or delete ads. Click on one of these buttons, depending on the action you want to take. If you post an ad, you will be asked to select a password for that ad. You will also be given an ad number. In the future, if you want to modify or delete that ad, you will need to know the ad number and password. Please make a note of them!
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How do I post an ad?
From the main page, click on the "Place Ad" button. You will be taken to the "Post an Ad" page. Fill out the form with the information you want posted. You will also be asked to select a password. When you have filled out the form, click on the "Post my ad" button. You will see an acknowledgement page if your ad was successfully posted. You will also be given an ad number. Please make a note of your password and the ad number! You will need them if you ever want to modify or delete your ad.
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Do I have to use my real name when posting a message?
No. The script will simply publish whatever you put in the name field. If you feel more comfortable, use your company or organization name only.
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Can I put HTML tags anywhere in my posts?
No. You cannot use HTML tags in the body of the message.
If you put HTML tags in your message, everything between the
<> will be discarded. You do have the option of putting a URL to a website (or picture) posted somewhere else on the Web.
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What should I put in the "Text of Ad" box?
Please carefully describe the item you are trying to find or sell. Include specific information, such as part numbers or technical specifications, but don't go overboard! PLEASE DON'T USE ALL CAPITAL LETTERS--IT'S ANNOYING!
It may not seem important, but correct SPELLING is an advantage! If someone searches for an ad containing "Fairmont", and you spelled it "Fairmount", they may miss your ad completely! Please take a few minutes to think about your ad
and create it carefully. After creating it you will get to review the information. Take the opportunity to re-read the ad and fix any errors.
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Why didn't my classified ad show up?
Your classified ad most likely did not show up because you looked in the wrong category or you specified search criteria that don't appear in your ad. Verify you selected the correct category and then broaden your search by leaving more of the search fields blank.
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How do I modify my ad?
First find your ad and make note of the ad number. Then click on the "Modify/Renew Ad" button in the left column of any page. You will see a form asking for the ad number and the password you entered when you posted the ad. Once you have entered these, click on the "Search for Ad" button. If you entered the correct information, your ad will be displayed with a modification form beneath it. Current information from your ad will already be filled in, so you only need to modify fields you want to change. Once the form is correct, click on the "Submit Modifications" button. You will see an acknowledgement page if your ad was successfully modified.
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How do I remove my ad?
First find your ad and make note of the ad number. Then click on the "Delete Ad" button in the left column of any page. You will see a form asking for the ad number and the password you entered with the ad. Once you have entered these, click on the "Search for Ad" button. If you entered the correct information, your ad will be displayed with a warning beneath it indicating you are about to delete it. If you really want to delete the ad, click on the "Delete This Ad" button. You will see an acknowledgement page if your ad was successfully deleted.
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Why didn't my search turn up any hits?
Your search criteria may have been too narrow. Go back to the search form and leave more of the search fields blank, or click on the "New Search" button and do a general search. For the broadest possible search, simply click on the "Browse All Ads" button.
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How do I navigate the search results page?
The results of your search are displayed on the search results page. To see more search results, click on the "See The Next X Ads" link beneath the ads displayed.
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I saw an ad a while ago, but it's gone. Can you help?
We can try. Please send all the information you can recall via our feedback form. Remember, the
more clues you can provide, the more likely we can find it.
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How do I contact someone who has posted a classified ad?
Ads may list a mailing address, telephone number(s), and website for the poster. Email addresses are not shown in
ads (why?), but you can click on the "Reply to Ad" link to send a reply to the poster.
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Why aren't email addresses visible in ads?
Email addresses are not shown in ads to protect against unscrupulous advertisers who use computer programs to
"harvest" (more like "steal"!) email addresses from websites like this. You can click on the "Reply to Ad" link to
send a reply. Please don't do business with companies that SPAM (send unsolicited commercial email). It hurts the web.
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What if I don't have a website?
Having your own website is the best way to have space for lots of information and pictures of whatever you are trying to
buy or sell. This space simply can't be provided by Rail Swap for free! If you do not already have a website to put in
your ad, you can get one for free. Many companies provide free sites and very simple tools to help you construct them.
Homestead is supposedly very good. Angelfire at Lycos is decent.
Also try
Geocities, Yahoo, or Altavista.
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What if I don't have email?
Hmmm. The new Rail Swap expects you to have an email account. If you have web access, you can quickly get an easy-to-use FREE email
account from Altavista. Otherwise, please enter the email address of a friend
or colleague who agrees to receive email for you. Please let them know first, as they will receive email when you post an ad!
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Can I post an ad in multiple categories?
The "new and improved" Rail Swap easily supports this. When you fill out the ad posting form, you will be asked for those
categories in which you wish your ad to appear. You may select a maximum of three.
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How should I pick a password?
Pick a password which is not easily guessed, but which you will remember. For example, your last name is a bad choice, but
the town where you were born might be a good choice. It would probably be a good idea to use the same password for all
ads you post on Rail Swap, and make a note of it somewhere.
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I forgot my password!
Fear not! Send a message including your name, address, telephone number, and email, via our
feedback form. As long as you don't do it too often, we will help you.
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My picture is too big or the wrong file type! What to do?
If you are using a digital camera or scanner to get the photo, you should be able to change settings of that device to
save in a smaller file (by reducing scaling or resolution) or change the format to .gif or .jpg. Read the manual!
If you wish to use an existing image, you will need a program that can change the picture's scaling and/or resolution
(to make it smaller) or load it in one format and save it in .gif or .jpg. If you have a scanner or digital camera,
you probably have a photo editor program that came with it. Common programs are Photo Editor (comes with MS Office?),
Photo Shop, Paint Shop, Photo Styler, Photo Soap, etc. You may also be able to use a drawing program like CorelDraw.
If you have none of these, you might try Tucows where you can probably find a
free or inexpensive program under Multimedia Tools/Image Editors.
Note: For photographs, .jpg is the preferred file format. For line art, a .gif will usually work better.
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Why can't you allow bigger pictures?
Very simply, disk space with an internet service provider costs money. Since Rail Swap is free, we cannot afford to buy
enormous amounts of disk space to store your photos. If you must have big images, link to your own website.
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How can I obtain a copy of this program?
The classifieds ad section of Rail Swap is a program developed by and licensed from Hagen Software Inc. Several
versions are available, ranging in price from $79 to $999, depending on features. You can purchase a license
to use one of these versions. This license allows you to install and use the program on one web site. It does
not allow you to resell, give away, or otherwise distribute the source code, nor does it allow you to extend
this program to other web sites. More information is available from e-classifieds.
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