ABOUT ATOMUPLOADS

What is AtomUploads?
AtomUploads (AU) is a free entertainment site where you can find cool clips (videos, Flash animations, Flash games, etc...) from around the Web, and upload your own. You can spend hours here just watching stuff.

Plus, if you've got clips of your own, AU is a great place to upload and share them because we've got millions of users who are looking for fun stuff. If your clip is popular you could get a contract with AtomFilms through our Upload Showdown program.

Upload clips from your Computer
Become an AU Member by registering for a free account. Then click on the 'Upload Clips' tab at the top of the site, and start uploading your clips from your computer! Make sure you are uploading a file format we support - check the Upload Clips page for details (there is also more information in this Help page).

Create clips from your WebCam

Use your webcam to create your own personalized videos and upload them immediately to your profile.

Upload clips from your Mobile Phone
Use your mobile phone to capture video and then upload directly, wirelessly, into your AU account using a special email address we assign you. Your new clip will appear in our Mobile Videos channel, and on your "My AU" home page, shortly afterwards.

What was this I heard about the Upload Showdown ?
If your clip is good enough, it will be placed in the Upload Showdown where it will go head to head with another clip. Based upon user feedback we will choose a winner of the Showdown, and that person will be offered an opportunity to have their clip on Atom Films, where we pay our creators!

How long does it take to upload a Clip to AU?
A fast internet connection & a small media file = quick.
A slow internet connection & a big media file = be patient.

How many clips can I upload?
Upload as many as you want! Each video file you upload needs to be under 100MB and 10 minutes long, and Flash animation and game files need to be under 15MB.
Upload often - Feed your clip addiction!

Who can see the clips I upload?
You get to decide. Right after you upload a clip to AU, you can set access privileges. If you want the world to see your clip, select "Everyone on the AtomUploads Site". If you want to be the only one who can see the clip, set it to be private by selecting "Just Me". If you want to extend viewing privileges only to your friends on AU, you can select "Only People on my Friends List".

How does AU pick clips to feature on the home page?
We pick from the best clips on the site, or on other sites - we keep an eye on the Most Popular and Top Rated lists, and we pay attention when AU users email us about a cool clip. Want your clip to get on the home page? Share it with friends, embed it on your own site or blog … make sure it gets seen! The more traffic to your clip, the better the chances it will get noticed!

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SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS

· Operating System: Windows 2000+ or MAU OSX+.

· Browsers: We support the newest versions of Internet Explorer, Netscape, FireFox and Safari. NOTE: ON ALL BROWSERS, YOU MUST HAVE JAVASCRIPT ENABLED AND COOKIES TURNED ON.

· Flash Player: You need Flash to watch video clips on AU. The newest version of Flash 7 is required (version 7.0.61.0), but we recommend Flash version 8 because some of our Flash animations and games require it. Get the latest version of Flash Player -- It's a free download from Adobe.

· Internet Connection: AU is best experienced on a fat pipe -- DSL, Cable Modem, LAN - but it will also work on a dial-up connection if you have some patience.

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UPLOADING VIDEO CLIPS

File size and runtime limits
Each video file you upload can be up to 100Mbytes. And, don't put our audience to sleep - keep your clips under 10 min.

Accepted video formats
Here are the video formats you can upload to AU:
· QuickTime (.mov, .qt, .mp4, .3gp, .3g2)
· MPEG (.mpg, .mpeg, .mp2)
· Windows Media (.wmv)
· AVI (.avi)
· DV (.dv)

What happens to my video after I upload it?
If your clip meets the format and file size guidelines listed above, we encode it into Flash Video and make it available for online streaming.

My video clip on AU doesn't look very good - what should I do?
The best way to get a nice looking video on AU is to start with nice looking video. For you techies: We suggest a video file that is 320pixels x 240pixels and de-interlaced video. Also, avoid using heavy compression on your clip's video and audio.

Can I change my video clip's thumbnail image?
You can update your video clip's thumbnail by selecting the "Storyboard View" located to the right of your clip on the Clip Player page.

I uploaded a clip, but it isn't working. What's up?
If you're not seeing your clip, or if there are playback problems, try these steps:
· Make sure you have the newest version of Flash Player (you can download it for free from Adobe).
· If that doesn't work, try using another Internet browser on your computer.
· There is also the possibility you uploaded a funky type of video file that won't play nicely with our site. We suggest you use standard settings when encoding your video in a popular media application like Apple Quicktime or Microsoft Windows Media Encoder.

I'm having trouble with mobile phone uploads -- AU is emailing me an error. What's up?
Some mobile phone networks -- including Sprint PCS -- do not allow you to directly attach a video clip to an email. To test this, send an email from your phone to your own personal email address, and see if the email that arrives contains an attached video clip. If it does, you should be able to upload clips from AU to your phone.

*Specifically for all you Sprint users -- In order for you to use the AU email service with Sprint video phones, you must download your video clip from Sprint's Picture Mail website onto your computer. Then, email your video clip to your AU mobile upload email. Yes… We agree it's a pain.

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UPLOADING FLASH ANIMATION AND GAMES

All you Flash wizards -- get your best clips and games up onto AU. The world is waiting!

Here are some things to consider before uploading:
· Keep your Flash .swf files under 15Mbytes. Trust us, users don't want anything bigger.
· We support Flash .swf files in versions 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.
· We do not support .fla, .flv, .sit, or .exe files.
· Please only upload self-contained Flash .swf files. Please don't call another .swf movie or assets from another site.
· We recommend using relative links within your Flash .swf file.
· Place a rectangle with your background color in a layer as AU defaults all Flash movie backgrounds to white.
· Please do not insert actions or auto-redirects that call URLS or pop-ups.
· Put a pre-loader on your Flash file!

Can I change my Flash animation or game thumbnail image?
You can upload a thumbnail image by clicking the link called "Set Thumbnail" located just below your Flash animation or game on the Clip page where it plays.

Why is there just an 'AU' thumbnail on my Flash animation / game?
You most likely used the compression option when you exported your Flash file - this option interferes with our ability to capture a thumbnail image from the Flash file. Well no worries - see the update thumbnail instructions above.

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CLIPS ARE NOT PLAYING

I'm trying to play a video clip on AU, but I'm only hearing audio.
Most likely you have an older version of Flash7 on your computer. We recommend you get the latest version of Flash Player -- It's a free download from Adobe.

I'm trying to play a clip on AU, but I'm not seeing or hearing anything.
Please make certain you have Flash7 installed for your browser. If you know for certain you have Flash7 on your computer, you are most likely trying to play a Flash animation or game that was created using Flash8. We recommend getting the latest version of Flash Player -- It's a free download from Adobe.

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CLIPS THAT VIOLATE THE AU TERMS OF SERVICE

Are there any clips I shouldn't upload to AU?
Short answer "Yes!" Long answer from our lawyers: Your clips should not contain any stolen or copyrighted material belonging to someone else or any content that is illegal, offensive, pornographic, or which induces ethnic or racial hate. If you violate these terms, your clips will be removed and your account may be terminated. For more information on our stance regarding abusive clips, please read section 4 of our Terms of Service.

I've seen a clip or user that violates the AU Terms of Service. What should I do?
Please notify us immediately using our Contact Us form. Make sure to include specific information about which clip on AU you are referring to.

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AU MEMBERSHIP

Is AU membership really free?
Yes it is.

What do AU Members get?
Members can upload, share, and manage clips in a lot of different ways. For more information, please see the "My AU" section of this Help page.

How do I change my AU password?
Log in to AU and then click on your user name located at the top right corner of all the AU web pages. On your My AU page, click the 'edit my profile' link. You can then change your password on your profile page.

I forgot my password! What do I do?
Go to our Log In page and click on the 'forgot your password' link below the log in pod. Provide us with the email address you used to register to AU and we'll send you a temporary password you can use, and then update.

Can I change my personal information, avatar and tagline?
You can. Log in and then click on your user name located at the top right corner of all the AU web pages. On your My AU page, click the 'edit my profile' link. You can then change your personal information.

Can I change my user name?
Sorry, no. User names are unique to each member and are set when you register on the AU site.

Can I delete someone's comment about my clip?
Yes. If you feel someone is not playing nicely in your clip's comments section, go ahead and delete their comment. You wield the power.

Can I change information about my clip after I've uploaded it?
Yep. You can always change your clip's information by clicking on the 'edit clip properties' located on your clip's player page.

How do I remove a clip from AU?
Go to the page on AU where your clip plays. When you are signed in, you will see a 'delete' link below your AU member information. WARNING - this tool really deletes your clip from the AU site. There is no 'undo'.

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WHAT IS "MY AU"?

"My AU" is a personalized home page where AU Members can collect all of the clips they've uploaded, add other favorite clips, share with friends, track new clips, and more.

Your My AU home page is viewable by other site users, except for any clips you have marked as private or for Friends only.

· My AU URL: Your very own AU home page: http://uploads.atom.com/[YourName]

· My Clips: Show off all of the clips you've uploaded! Or just watch them yourself.

· My Favorite Clips: On every clip page and clip list on AU, there is a "add to favorites" link. Use it to add all your favorite AU clips into one location on you're My AU home page so you can remind yourself how much time you've wasted on this site.

· My Subscriptions: This section allows you to subscribe (don't worry, it's free) to any tag word you can think of, so that you can get an ever-changing feed of clips that match that word. Example: Adding a tag subscription for the word "ski" will show you the latest and greatest ski clips being uploaded to AU. Adding an AU Member subscription will show you all of the new clips that member uploads.

· My Playlists: Playlists allow you to group your uploaded clips for easier browsing and sharing. Example: A "My Stupid Bike Tricks" playlist would house all your death-defying bike stunts shot in your backyard. To create a playlist, click the 'My Clips' link under the My AU tab, then check the check-boxes next to your like-minded clips and click the 'Add to playlist' link. You can then create a new playlist or add your clips into an existing playlist.

· My Friends: When you add an AU Member to your My Friends page, you allow them to see clips that you marked as viewable only by your Friends. To add other AU Members to your My Friends list, you can search for them on your My Friends page. Or, while you're surfing the site -- click on a member's name and then click the "add to my friends" link on that member's public My AU page.

· My Friends' Clips: A list of all the clips from the AU Members you have on your My Friends list.

· My Profile: This is the place to update your personal profile information, your email settings, your avatar (or photo) and tagline.

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SHARING CLIPS

We're all about sharing here at AU, so we've given you a bunch of powerful ways to share your clips! On every clip page on AU, you'll find the following sharing tools:

Embeddable Player
Play AU clips directly on your own website, community profile (ie: MySpace, Friendster…) or blog. The video will display in the page so you can let your friends watch your favorite clips without ever leaving your site!

Clip Thumbnail Link
Embed clickable thumbnails of AU clips on another website, community profile (MySpace, Friendster…) or blog. This will give your visitors an easy way to click on the thumbnail and visit the AtomUploads clip page.

Clip URL
Copy the URL link to the clip's player page and paste it into an email or your IM.

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EMBEDDABLE PLAYER INSTRUCTIONS

Here are some simple instructions for embedding the AU player on some of the top community & blog sites. We last updated this in March 2006, so things may have changed. If so, please refer to the instructions on the other site.

MySpace.com
- Copy the snippet of "Embed Player" code on the clip player page.
- Go to MySpace, login and select 'edit profile'.
- Click the '(Edit)' with the text field you want to have your video clip embedded.
- Paste the AU embed player code.
- Select the 'Preview' button to make sure it works and then 'Submit'.

Hi5.com
- Copy the snippet of "Embed Player" code on the clip player page.
- Go to Hi5, login, select My Profile and click 'Edit'.
- Paste the AU embed player code in the text field you want to have your video clip embedded.
- Select the 'Save Profile' button and select 'View' to see the clips on your profile.

Xanga.com
- Copy the snippet of "Embed Player" code on the clip player page.
- Go to Xanga and login. Select 'Your profile' or 'Account info'.
- Paste the AU embed player code in the text field you want to have your video clip embedded.
- Select the 'Save Changes' button and click 'View Public Profile' to see the clips on your Xanga site.

Friendster.com
- Copy the snippet of "Embed Player" code on the clip player page.
- Go to Friendster and login. Select 'My Profile' and click on 'edit profile'.
- Select the Customize tab.
- Paste the AU embed player code in the text field you want to have your video clip embedded.
- Select the 'Save' button and click 'View your profile now' to see the clips on your Friendster profile.

Blogger.com
- Copy the snippet of "Embed Player" code on the clip player page.
- Go to Blogger and login. Select 'My Profile' and click on 'edit profile'.
- Select 'new post'.
- Paste the AU embed player code in the text field you want to have your video clip embedded.
- Select 'Publish Post' and click 'View Blog' to see the AU clips on your blog!

*Note: Some community and blog sites aren't friendly with embedded players. In these cases, we recommend you use the Clip Link.

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CONTACT US

If you need support regarding site related issues, please use our Contact Us form and provide the following information:

- Time and date when you experienced the problem
- URL of the page where you encountered the problem
- Operating system
- Browser type and version
- Version of Flash player
- Internet connection rate (ie: DSL, Cable Modem, LAN, etc.)

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