There are many different types of computers (PC, Macs, etc.), operating systems (Windows 98, XP, and Vista, Mac OS/X, Linux, etc.), and Web browsers (Internet Explorer, Netscape, Firefox, Safari, Opera, etc.)  All of these characteristics put together are called the computing platform, and as you can imagine there is virtually an unlimited number of computing platforms, due to infinite combinations of these characteristics.

This incredible variety of Web-browsing choices is a double-edged sword: on one hand it allows anyone to have a computer that works precisely as they desire, but on the other hand it presents tremendous difficulty for Web developers, as they try to build features that work on as many computing platforms as possible.  Each computing platform that does not work on a Web site directly translates into fewer people visiting the site, and the last thing a Web site owner wants to do is exclude someone from visiting.

Most of the time, the more advanced a feature is, the fewer types of computing platforms it will work on.  That's because companies like Microsoft, Mozilla, and Apple are continuing to add new capabilities to their Web browsers, and oftentimes a Web page that uses one or more of these new browser features will "break" (not function) on an older Web browser that does not have the feature(s).

Also, there are some features that will only work on certain brand of Web browser.  For example, Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) has the ability to show text with a glowing effect, but no other Web browser can do that.  If a Web site uses the glowing text feature, only IE users will see it.

Should the Web site use the glowing text feature or not?  A Web site developer has to ask themselves that type of question literally thousands of times when creating a big Web site like Lottery Post.  Do I take advantage of the feature that only certain people can use, or do I drop the feature so that everybody sees exactly the same thing?

Answering that question can be challenging at times, such as when it is a compelling feature, or when the feature would only exclude a small number of people — perhaps 2% of the site's visitors.

The browser test results you see below are the culmination of these types of design decisions made during the development of Lottery Post, and which we continue to make as the site changes over time.

To use all the features at Lottery Post, the rule of thumb is that you should be using a mainstream, modern operating system ("OS") and Web browser, and you should be using versions of the OS and browser that are currently supported by the manufacturer.  For example, if you're still using Windows 95 or 98 — operating systems that are not supported by Microsoft anymore — you will likely have problems using Lottery Post.

Using an antiquated OS is like trying to use 8-track tapes in the age of CDs and downloadable music: your selections will be limited, and will grow more and more limited over time.  There comes a point when you need to upgrade, or else you'll be unable to use anything new.

Another common type of problem we've seen is the use of very old, proprietary Web browsers, such as old versions of AOL.  From some peoples' perspectives, AOL is the Internet, because everything they do on the Internet, from the time they connect until they disconnect, happens inside AOL's proprietary Web software — which significantly limits what they are able to use.  What these people don't realize is that they are not limited to using the AOL software!  After connecting to the Internet with AOL, they can launch any Web browser and use it to access any Web sites they wish.  So if you're one of these people, don't be stuck with AOL software alone: download and install one of the Web browsers listed below!

The choices we made when building Lottery Post are an attempt to get as many awesome features as we can into the hands of as many people as possible.  When making a choice that excludes certain computing platforms, we used actual visitor statistics to ensure the vast majority of visitors would not be affected.  Typically, we don't want to exclude more than about 1%-2% of site visitors from using a feature or page.

We constantly test Lottery Post to be sure it works well using the following five different Web browsers, which are used by most of the people who visit Lottery Post.  We strong recommend using the latest release one of these five Web browsers.  (Click for download page.)  If you have not installed any updates or upgrades for several months or longer, go ahead and do the upgrade today.

• Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) (Windows)
• Mozilla Firefox (Windows, Mac, Linux)
• Google Chrome (Windows)
• Apple Safari (Windows, Mac)
• Opera (Windows, Mac, Linux, FreeBSD, Solaris, QNX, BeOS, OS/2)

We hope this look into computing platforms and Web site compatibility has been informative and helpful!

If there is anything we could expand on, please let us know.

If you're getting a "Pass" (or even a "Warn") on every test, but you're still having problems doing something, it's not necessarily a bad thing.  It means you have ruled out some very common problems, so your list of possible causes has gotten much smaller!

The most common scenario we have seen is with someone who has recently registered a new membership at Lottery Post, and they are having trouble posting to the forums, posting predictions, or doing other things that members normally have access to.

If that describes your situation, then the first thing you need to verify is that you have activated your membership by clicking the activation link (or performing the manual activation procedure), as described in the activation e-mail that was sent to you after you registered.

Activation is a simple process, but a critical one for which there is no shortcut or bypass.  If you can't receive our e-mail or if you won't click the link it contains (or you can't follow the manual activation steps described), then you can't post on our site.  Activation is a very common process used by 99% of Internet forums.  It is not unusual or unique to Lottery Post.

All the information you need to activate is described in detail on the Contact Us page; simply follow the membership topics until you find it.

Other common scenarios

• Problems with the text editor – If the text editor is missing or malfunctioning, we have prepared a detailed troubleshooting guide on the Contact Us page; simply navigate to the topic about text editor problems.
• Problems logging in – If you successfully log in, but then the page continues returning to "Welcome Guest", there is a detailed troubleshooting guide for Log In problems in the Help forum.
• Were you suspended? – If your membership was suspended for posting a link or doing something against the forum rules, you would know it.  You would have seen an ominous-looking page that makes no bones about what happened.  If you did not see a big warning message, then you were not suspended — or you're very good at ignoring things.
• Can't access a particular feature – If your general usage on the site is good, but you're being blocked from accessing a particular feature, read through the Membership Comparison Grid to be sure your membership level is supposed to have access to it.

There are many other problems and issues that can spring up from time to time.

That's why Lottery Post has such an extensive Help forum and Contact Us page.  We designed both to offer very quick assistance for practically every problem you're likely to encounter.

It is much quicker to locate the solution on the Contact Us page or Help forum that it is to wait several hours for us to respond to an e-mail.  So take a few extra minutes and browse through both pages to find the relevant support guide for your issue.