FAQ

If you just installed see either the New User Quick Start Guide or fast track it by reading our Comic Book.

Q:  What is iComment™?

A:  iComment turns the entire Internet into a huge public and private bulletin board forum and social network.  Each day huge numbers of people use the iComment to read and post their opinions, viewpoints, ideas, thoughts, advice and experiences.

iComment is a revolutionary free patent pending service based on a single button, from version 2.1 it is a small toolbar, that enables you to read and write comments about web pages as you surf the web.

Simply click the button to turn it on, and you can read other's comments or add your own.

Comments appear as little minimized note icons that reside all the way to the right of your browser's window pane. Our goal is not to cover up valuable web content or waste your valuable time.  That's why our note icons only appear when there is a comment.  And by hovering your mouse pointer over the minimized comment icon you can quickly see what the comment is about and decide if you want to click on it and maximize it.

As you surf the web you'll meet other icommenters and make friends with people who share your web interests.  You can communicate with other iCommenters privately right through the button's internal communication system.  You can even rank their comments.

Comments can be set to be public so everyone can view them, or private where only selected buddies can view them.

iComment adds a whole new dimension to the Internet and we hope you enjoy it.  Be sure to tell your friends and business associates about it.  The more people that use it, the better it gets.

To learn more see the introduction to iComment demo.

To learn about private comments see the private comments and subscriptions demo.

Or you can learn more by traveling the Internet with Joe and Suzy in this comic book interpretation.

Q:  How hard is it to install the iComment Toolbar on my browser and sign up?

A:  Installing the iComment Toolbar takes less than 2 minutes and is a snap to use.  The small iComment Toolbar takes up hardly any real estate in your browser unlike other bulky toolbars.

And there is no tedious sign up process.  You can post your comments as Anonymous right away.  Or go to "Settings" in the button's drop down menu and enter the user name of your choice.

Visit our download center to download it.

Q:  What browsers does iComment support?

A:  iComment currently has versions for Internet Explorer 7 and 8, and Mozilla Firefox on any operating system.

Q:  Does iComment require Adobe Flash?

A:  No.  But iComment for Internet Explorer may conflict with older versions Flash Player, which may cause your browser to stop working unexpectedly.  To avoid this please make sure the latest version of Flash Player is installed.

Q:  Does the iComment Toolbar contain any Spyware, Adware, or Viruses? Is it hacker safe?

A:  No.  The iComment Toolbar contains No Spyware, No Adware, and No Viruses.  It is 100% hacker safe.

Q:  What if I get a Microsoft Installer message while trying to install?

A:  Please install the latest version of Microsoft's installer.  This should solve the issue.

Q:  Where is iComment located on my browser?

A:  On Internet Explorer 8 you should see the iComment Toolbar here:

iComment in IE8

On Mozilla Firefox you should see the iComment button here:

iComment in Firefox

Q:  How much of my precious browser space does iComment take up?

A: iComment does not take up any of your browser's precious window space if there are no comments.  If there are comments, there is a tiny little note icon all the way to the right of the browser window pane.  By default the tiny note icon is closed so the comment box only appears if you choose to open it.

Q:  What if I don't see the iComment Toolbar on the Internet Explorer browser?

1) Right click on the browser toolbar.

2) Find iComment Toolbar in the list and click on it to enable.

3) Confirm you want to enable iComment Toolbar in following dialog.

Q:  How do frames and framesets effect comment boxes?

A: When you add a comment, the comment's bind points are determined by the URL of the active document.  When a web page has frames it is possible that the active document can change to a document that is inside a frame.  In this case the comment box may appear instead the frame instead of at the top right hand corner of your browser's window pane.  To be sure your comment is bound to the correct document click on the document you want to be active within the page.

Q:  If someone does not have the iComment Toolbar installed, can they see my comments?

A: Yes, anybody can read your comments by going to iComment.com and using the iComment Search Engine.  If they have the iComment Toolbar, they can see your iComments as they surf the web and/or via the iComment.com search engine

Q:  How do I use iComment?

A:  To use iComment you simply download and install the iComment Toolbar.  To avoid slowness make sure that Internet Explorer and its toolbars and extensions have full access to the Internet in both your virus and firewall programs.  The iComment Toolbar installs inside your Internet Explorer and Firefox browser, and looks like this:

iComment dropdown menu

iComment iconWhen iComment is on, you can read other people's comments and add your own comments.  Comments appear as tiny icons (see such an icon at the right) all the way to the right of the browser's pane.  You can maximize any comment by clicking on it.

Comments box explained

Q:  Will iComment slow down surfing the Internet?

A: Our patent pending asynchronous method of retrieving comments is highly efficient.  In most cases you should not notice any difference in surfing speed.  iComment is designed to use very tiny amounts of bandwidth (often less than 1 kilobyte) which are much smaller than the size of a typical web page.

If you do experience slowness it may be because of your Internet virus protection is either slowing down surfing in general or is over scanning add-on toolbars, buttons and extensions.  Check the virus program's settings or preferences and make sure it does not interfere with these types of useful add ons.  Then check your firewall to make sure that Internet Explorer and its toolbars and extension add ons have full unrestricted access to the Internet.

Q:  What types of iComment boxes are available?

A:  There are three types of new comments boxes.

The first type is a general comment about the web page itself which appears as the first comment located at the top right hand corner of your browser's window pane.

The second type is a keyword contextual based comment.  Here you highlight some text on the web page and write a comment related to that text.  Keyword contextual based comments appear all the way to the right of the highlighted text.

The third type is a comment that is attached to a picture.

Q:  How do I add iComments?

A:  This depends on type of comment:

Q:  If I see an existing comment can I add to it?

A:  Yes.  Each comment box has an Add Comment function at the top of the box.  If you click Add Comment the text editor opens where you can write your comment.  It will be added to that comment box.

Q:  Can I edit or delete my iComments?

A:  Yes you can both edit and delete your comments.  Each comment you make has an edit icon and a delete icon.  Of course you can only edit and delete your own comments and not the comments of others.

Q:  How do I add smilies (emoticons) to my messages?

A:  You can add smileys by typing the keystroke equivalents in the text editor when you write your comments or messages.  Currently these smilies are available:
:-) :)
:-( :(
:-0 :-O :-o :0 :O :o
;-) ;)
:-P :-p :P :p

Q:  If I see an iComment note, can I tell what its about without opening it?

A:  Yes.  The iComment that resides at the top right hand corner of your browser pane is called a Web Page comment because it is about the overall web page.  Comments below that are either "Text" or "Picture" comments.  To see what they are about, simply hover your mouse over them.  If its a text comment, the "Text" that the original author attached the comment to will be highlighted.  If its a picture comment, the picture it references will have a dotted box around it.  Then you know the comment is about that picture.

Q:  Can I attach an iComment to Flash, videos, clips?

A:  Not at this time.  These advancements are planned in later versions.  There may be other situations where comments don't stick to different technologies.  We are working as diligently as possible to cover as many technologies as possible.

Q:  How do I win prizes in weekly contests?

A:  Here's how to win a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

  1. Install our FREE Upgrade to the latest version of iComment (you must be using our latest version so we can track your comments).
  2. Post unique comments on 10 of your favorite websites. (no spam please and no purchase necessary to qualify)
  3. Fill in your iComment profile with where you want your prize.

Then every Friday we will pick 10 lucky prize winners and send each of them a $25 Amazon Gift Card.

Plus on the last day of the month we will award a SUPER PRIZE.

And remember: this is a win-win deal—we'd love you to be a happy iComment user!

You will be disqualified if your comments are deemed to be spam or off topic, if any user rates any of your comments as Useless, Offensive, or Spam, if the comments appear to have been done by any automated method or by a group of people operating to scam the payout system, if you are affiliated with iComment, its employees in any way, or if you have negative comment ratings.  Disqualification is solely at our management's discretion and you will not be given any notice or warnings.  No purchase necessary.  Void where prohibited by law.

Q:  How do I win $10,000?

A:  Somewhere on the World Wide Web we've placed one special comment (that is not in our comment search engine) which says "You've Won $10,000" with a special code number.  There could be comments that have the wrong code number.  This comment is NOT in our search engine and was placed by an official Admin User ID of iComment.  If you are the first to find it we'll reward you with $10,000 cash.

If you find it, simply use this Contact form.  Be sure to send us the exact URL along with the special code, your name, address, phone number, and email address.  If you are the first to find it, we will contact you.

You will be disqualified if it is determined that any automated method was used to find the comment, if you are affiliated with iComment, its employees in any way, or anyone who could have inside information as to where the comment is, if you have negative comment ratings, if the comment is not the official comment placed by our Admin.  No purchase necessary.  Void where prohibited by law.

Good luck!

Q:  Is it possible to see all comments on a specific topic?

A:  Yes.  You can use the iComment search engine on iComment.com to search through all comments.  For example, if you enter «Apple iPhone» into the search box.  You will see all of the comments made by users about the «Apple iPhone» and the web page link that the comment is attached to.  You can sort the comments many ways including by website, by the user that wrote the comment, or by the most recent comments.

Q:  What if a comment is spam or I don't feel its appropriate? Or what if I do think a comment has merit?

A:  As an iComment user, you have the ability to rank individual comments as Useful, Useless, Spam or Offensive.

Each user is rated based on how people rank their comments.  The most useful users are featured and their comments will rise higher in the search results.

Spammers or useless or abusive users may find themselves losing their comment writing privileges as their rankings drop.  Please read the iComment Spam Policy

Q:  Can I communicate with other iComment users?

A:  Yes.  You can communicate with other users.  You can trade messages, trade email addresses, instant messenger handles, or any other information you choose.  iComment is a great way to network. 

To contact a user, simply click on the user's mail icon in any iComment box.  The text editor will open and you can write your message the the user.  The message will appear in the user's personal iComment box.  They can then answer you with the same method. 

You can also mark each message you receive as Useful, Useless, Spam, or Offensive.  Users who spam may find themselves loosing their ability to send messages.

Q:  What is a buddy list?

A:  A buddy list contains users that you want to share private comments or information with.  Buddies may be friends, co-workers, associates, classmates, or anybody that you want.

iComment buddies management

Q:  How do I add buddies to my buddy list?

A:  There are three ways to add buddies.

  1. From the drop down button menu you can select Manage Buddies.  There you can enter the User ID of a buddy.
  2. From the drop down button menu you can select Manage Buddies.  Then use the Buddy Search function to locate users that you want to invite to be your buddies.
  3. From any comment box locate a user that you want to be your buddy.  From the drop down menu next to the user's name select "add buddy".

After adding someone to your buddies, they will receive a notification that also suggests adding you to their buddies mutually.

iComment buddies search

Q:  What is the difference between a public comment and a private comment?

A:  A public comment is visible by everyone.  A private comment is visible only by the buddies that you select when you add a new comment.  You choose who sees your comments.

Q:  Where will I see my private comments?

A:  You will see them in the same comment boxes as public ones.

Q:  How can I tell if a comment is public or private (limited access)?

A:  Public comments appear on a white background.  These comments are visible to all users.  Private comments appear on a blue background along with a picture of a lock.

Q:  How do I limit access and select which buddies/users can see a comment?

A:  To leave a comment for select buddies select "Select which users/buddies will see this comment" in the text editor when adding a comment.  The text editor will expand and display your buddy list and tag list (groups of buddies).  Select the buddies or tags (group of buddies) that you want to be able to view the comment.  Only the selected buddies will be able to see the private comment.

iComment text comment editor

Q:  Can I leave a comment for myself only?

A:  Yes.  If you check the "Select which users/buddies will see this comment" but you don't select any buddies, you will be the only one that can see that comment.

Q:  How do I tag/group buddies together?

A:  From the button drop down menu select Manage My Buddies.  Each buddy can have tags.  Those tags represent a group.  For example, you can tag John, Jerry, and Joe as "work".  Then if you limit access of a comment and select "work", only John, Jerry and Joe will be added to ones who can see the comment.

Q:  I'm a teacher and I would like to leave homework assignments on web pages for my students. How do I do it?

A:  Simply follow these steps:

One Time Setup:


Once the initial setup is complete, here is how to use it ongoing:

Q:  Can I filter comments so I only see private comments or I only see public comments?

A:  Yes.  From the drop down button menu select Filter Comments.  There you can select which comments are visible in the comment boxes.  If you select Private Comments, only private comments will be visible.  If you select Public Comments, only public comments will be visible.  Or you can select All and all comments will be visible.

Q:  Are private comments available in the iComment search engine?

A:  No.  private comments do not show up in the public search engine.  However if you select View My Comments from the button drop down menu, you will see all of your public and private comments.

Q:  Can I subscribe to a comment and be updated when others add to it?

A:  Yes.  When you add a comment you can choose to be notified about new comments that are added to that comment box by checking the "Notify Me About New Comments In This Thread" check box.

Q:  Can I subscribe to all comments on a web page so I am updated when others add to comments on that URL?

A:  Yes.  When you add a comment you can choose to be notified about new comments that are added to any comment box on that page by checking the "Notify Me About new Comments On This Whole Page" check box.

Q:  How will I know if there are new comments added to a comment box that I've subscribed to?

A:  From the iComment Toolbar drop down menu select My Subscriptions.  There you will see a list of all of the comments and pages you are subscribed to as well as new comments that occurred.

Q:  Can I be notified by email or iComment mail when new comments are added to comments or URL's I subscribe to?

A:  Yes.  From the iComment Toolbar down menu select Settings.  Then select the Notifications tab.  There you can select how you would like to be notified.  You can choose by email, by iComment mail or both.  If you check the boxes, you will receive a digest of changes by the method you chose.

iComment settings

Q:  Can I communicate with my Facebook, Myspace, or other social network friends?  And, can I add my website to my profile?

A:  Yes.  You can add your personal links to iComment by accessing "Settings" from the iComment Toolbar and clicking on "My Links". 

There you can add links to your social network profiles, website, or favorite web pages.  Those links will show up in your iComment Profile.  To test the links you can click "Test" and the web page will open.  Then you know the link works.

You can also label the each link so other users know exactly what the link is.  You may want to label your Facebook Profile link as "My Facebook Profile Link" so the link is easily identified. 

iComment users that visit your profile can request to become your friends on any social site that you've added to your profile.  You are in complete control of the links.

iComment social network website links tab

Remember, if you don't currently belong to a social network you can still communicate with other iCommentators using the iComment internal messaging system.  This system is nice because you can use it without ever divulging your email address. 

Q:  Will iComment slow down my web surfing?

A:  No.  iComment is a completely independent system does not change or alter the web page at all.  Each comment is populated only when you maximize it making it extremely light on bandwidth.

Q:  Is iComment responsible for the comments that appear?

A:  No.  Each iComment user agrees in the user license and terms of service that they are responsible for what they write and post.  iComment only provides iComment as a service.  Please read the iComment Terms Of Service.

Q:  Can I turn iComment off?

A:  Yes, simply click on the iComment Toolbar button and it toggles iComment on and off.

Q:  What if I don't see any iComments?

A:  You probably have iComment in the off position.  Click on the iComment Toolbar button to turn it on so the comments appear.

Q:  How do I change my user name? How do I enter my Paypal email address for Cash Rewards?

A:  Click on the arrow down next to the iComment Toolbar button.  Then click on Settings.  There you can change your public name, add your email address so we can notify you if any of your posts are removed, and change the system assigned password.

iComment settings user info tab

Q:  Does iComment share the personal information it collects from me?

A:  Please read the iComment Privacy Policy

Q:  How do I uninstall iComment if I don't like it?

A:  For Internet Explorer, you can uninstall iComment by going to your Control Panel's Add Remove Programs function.  If for some reason you encounter an uninstall error, Download the program again, run the install but this time select Uninstall.  For Firefox, go to Tools-->Add-ons and select either Disable or Uninstall.

Q:  What if there is an upgrade?

A:  iComment has a smart upgrade system.  When you open your browser iComment checks automatically for upgrades.  If there is a new upgrade available iComment will ask you if you want to upgrade.  If you say Yes, the next time you open your browser you will have the new version working.

Q:  What settings can I change? How do I change them?

A:  In Settings tab 3, you can turn on/off Tooltip Notifications, change the frequency that your messages are checked, and change the outline placed around pictures when you see a picture comment.

iComment settings tooltips, messages, picture outlines

Q:  What do I do if I encounter a software bug?

A:  To report a software issue, click on the right arrow next to the iComment Toolbar button and select Provide Feedback.  There you can describe the issue and send it directly to iComment for review.

Q:  What if my iComment Toolbar button displays a wrench and no comments appear?

A:  A wrench maintenance mode wrench will appear when iComment is in maintenance mode.  Please be patient.  Your iComment Toolbar button will return back to normal when we are finished with maintenance procedures.

Q:  Will I find iComment on shareware sites?

A:  Yes.  You can find iComment on sites like filecart.com, download.com, tucows.com, topshareware.com, and others.
Free Download   Free Download