Frequently Asked Questions









What is an IdeaSpace?

An IdeaSpace is at the heart of ThinkBall. It is where you collect all your data regarding a specific topic or project, regardless of format or media.

What's the difference between IdeaSpace types?

A Private IdeaSpace is a space just for yourself, nobody else can be invited. A Private IdeaSpace is completely secure and accessible only to the creator. It is the ideal place to start gathering your thoughts and inspirations. When you're ready to involve others you can convert it to a project or public IdeaSpace.

A Project IdeaSpace is for limited numbers of users as specified by the creator. It is ideal for teams working on a common goal or project. Only the creator of a Project IdeaSpace can chose who to invite to come and share it.

A Community IdeaSpace allows the widest distribution of your ideas and harnesses the viral power of the web. Everybody invited by the IdeaSpace's creator can then invite others, and they can invite others and so on and so on. Additionally, if the IdeaSpace is included in the Public Directory then new Thinkers can join without needing to be invited.

What is the Public IdeaSpace Directory?

This is a list of all the current Community IdeaSpaces that are open to join without an invitation. If you are the creator of an IdeaSpace, you can easily add it to the Public Directory by editing your IdeaSpace in the Manager window and then ticking the relevant box.

What is the difference between an 'Open' and 'Closed' IdeaSpace?

A current, active IdeaSpace is 'Open'. When a creator of an IdeaSpace feels that it is time to stop adding to that Space, they can choose to change the status to 'Closed'. This prevents the other members of that IdeaSpace from viewing or accessing it any more, but does not delete the contents. The creator of the IdeaSpace can reopen it at a later date by editing it in the Manager and setting its status back to 'Open'. At that point, all the Thinkers that were previously members of the IdeaSpace will be able to access it once again.

Can I add a link to an IdeaSpace to my blog or webpage?

Yes, when you create a Community IdeaSpace or convert a Private or Public IdeaSpace to a Community type, a weblink is created in the IdeaSpace manager. By pasting this onto a webpage new Thinkers can join without needing to be invited or by going through The Directory.

How do I open the Comments, Attachments, or Weblinks tab?

Select the entry you want to add a Comment, Attachment or Weblink to by highlighting it within the IdeaSpace entries list. You will then be able to add to this entry.

How do I see all of the Comments for an IdeaSpace?

By clicking on the 'show all' button within the Comments tab.

How do I turn off show all?

By clicking on a specific entry in the IdeaSpace entries list Note: you cannot edit or create Comments, Attachments or Weblinks while in 'Show All' mode.

How do I invite a new Thinker to share my IdeaSpace?

Go to the Thinkers tab. Click on the 'Invite New Thinker' button once. This will bring up a list of all the Thinkers that you are already connected to in other existing IdeaSpaces. Find the name of the Thinker you want to invite and click on the green cross by the side of their name. Find any other Thinkers you want to invite from the list and click on their green crosses. Then click on 'send'. Do not click on 'Invite New Thinkers' again as this will just clear your selections. If you want to invite a Thinker who you haven't worked with in a ThinkBall previously you have to enter their email address in the field provided then click 'add' then click 'send'.

How do I un-invite a Thinker?

To remove a Thinker go to the Thinkers tab within an IdeaSpace. On the list of Thinkers on the bottom left panel select the Thinker you want to delete and click on the delete icon to the right of their name. Once you have deleted a Thinker they will no longer be able to access the Ideaspace they have been deleted from.

How do I invite a Thinker to a Chat session?

To invite a Thinker to a Chat session they need to already be a member of that IdeaSpace and currently online. Click on the green cross to invite them.

How many people can I invite to my IdeaSpace or to a Chat session?

There's no limit. You can share your ideas with as many people as you like.

How many IdeaSpaces can I create or be a member of?

There's no limit.

What's the difference deleting an IdeaSpace you've been invite to and one you've created?

In your IdeaSpace manager there is a list of all the IdeaSpaces you've created or are a member of. If you expand this panel by clicking on the arrow tab you will see a delete icon on the far right column of the panel. If you delete an IdeaSpace you have created yourself, then you will completely delete that space and all of its entries. It will no longer be accessible to you or to any of the Thinkers that were members of it. You will not be able to undo this. If you delete an IdeaSpace that you didn't create, but are a member of, all you are doing is effectively uninviting yourself from that Space. The IdeaSpace and its contents will be unaffected, but you will no longer be able to access it. It is possible to rejoin an IdeaSpace that you have uninvited yourself from, but this may require a fresh invitation if it is not part of the Public IdeaSpace Directory.

How can I change the sort order of lists?

By clicking on the title of the column you want to sort on.

Who can edit Weblinks and Attachments?

Only the person who created them and the creator of the IdeaSpace they are associated with.

Who can delete Comments?

Only the person who created them and the creator of the IdeaSpace they are associated with.

What does a gold star by the side of an entry mean?

It means that some new content that you have not yet seen has been added to either that IdeaSpace or to that entry. Once you have viewed the entry or Comment the star will disappear.

Is there a limit to the size of a file entry or attachment?

You can upload any file up to a size of 12meg as an entry or attachment.

I'm not getting any sound on my audio or video messages?

You'll need to check the sound level on your computer, follow these steps:

go to
START
ALL PROGRAMS
ACCESSORIES
ENTERTAINMENT
VOLUME CONTROL
OPTIONS
PROPERTIES
select RECORDING
close
MICROPHONE
set slider control to preference (we suggest maximum)
close

What type of files can be uploaded to ThinkBall?

ThinkBall supports all currently available file types. As new file types are developed, ThinkBall will be updated to remain compatible.

Is my work safe?

In a Private IdeaSpace the only person with access to your work is you. Within a Project Ideaspace the only people who will have access to your work will have been invited by you. Nobody will be able to delete any work that you have posted on an Ideaspace that you've created. And because your data is stored on our secure servers you are safe from hard disc crashes and computer viruses.

What does 'Autorun at startup' mean?

Within the Settings page of the IdeaSpace manager you can set your preferences for the way your ThinkBall works. Choose Autorun if you'd like ThinkBall to start up automatically every time you log on to your computer.

What does 'Ball always on top' mean?

Choose this if you'd like the small ball icon to sit on top of all your active windows.

What does 'Auto logon' mean?

Choose this if you'd like your computer to remember your user name and password and log you on to ThinkBall automatically when you click on the desktop icon.

What is an avatar?

An avatar is the small image that appears on your profile in the Thinkers tab and Thinkers Manager for other people to see.

You can change your avatar using the Settings page in the Manager.

How do I find a specific attachment?

By using the search function in the Attachments manager and entering part of the Attachment's name. You can also use the search function in 'Entries' , 'Weblinks' and 'Thinkers'.

How do I join an IdeaSpace listed in The Public IdeaSpace Directory?

Choose the IdeaSpace you want to join and click on it to highlight it, then click on the red arrow in the top left corner of the details panel.

How do I close ThinkBall?

You can close ThinkBall by clicking on the Exit button in the top right hand corner of the IdeaSpace manager, or by right clicking on the small ball and selecting Exit.

How do I turn the sound off?

You can set this in your user preference in the Settings page of the IdeaSpace manager or by right clicking on the small ball and selecting 'no sound'.

Where can I find out more about ThinkBall?

By opening the 'Welcome to ThinkBall' IdeaSpace for a full tour, or by clicking on the ThinkBall demo icon on the Welcome screen of the IdeaSpace manager. You also reach this demo by going to http://www.thinkball.com.

I can't see an image when I try to record a video entry?

There are several reasons why this might happen. Here are a couple of common fixes:

1. Quit all other programs that might be using your camera. e.g youtube or any other video messaging software.
2. Restart the browser and/or the computer.
3. Check to ensure the camera drivers are correctly configured on your computer. In windows you can test this in your control panel.

If none of these help, please go to the forum at http://www.thinkball.com/forum and send us the following info: Your webcam model, your operating system and your browser/version. We will get back to you at the earliest opportunity with further suggestions.

How do I deactivate my ThinkBall account?

If you are sure you want to suspend your account , go to the settings page in the Manager and select 'deactivate'. You will then be removed from the ThinkBall network. If you want to reactivate your account go to the ThinkBall website and re-enter the email address and password that you used to register.

How do I change my contact email address?

To edit your contact email address, simply go to the 'Settings' tab of the Manager. If you enter a new address, you will have to confirm that you have access to that email address before we accept it as your contact email. As soon as you enter the new address and save changes, we will send a confirmation link to that address. Clicking on the link confirms the contact and completes the process.

I accidently sent out an invitation, what can I do?

Unfortunately, once an invite has been sent it cannot be cancelled.