Mycoke Help

General Questions

Q:What is a Blog?
A:A blog is an online journal. A place to interact. A channel to disseminate breaking news. A list of links. An outlet for self expression… A blog can be whatever you want it to be.

Q:How do I create a blog?
A:To create a blog you must become a MyCoke member. Note: You must be at least 13 to view, comment or create a blog. Once you are member, the "create blog" option will appear on several MyCoke pages. Just click it!

Coke Studios

Q:How do I talk to others?
A:There are 2 ways to "talk" in Coke Studios. When you are in a studio (public or personal), the chat bar is at the bottom of your screen. To the left of the chat bar, you'll see Speak and Shout - you can pull the indicator to either Speak or Shout. If you use Shout, everyone in the room will "hear" you, and your words will come up in bold. For the most part, this is rude and should only be used when necessary. Please use Speak on a regular basis. This will allow other V-ego's within 5 squares of you to see your chat bubble.

Q:How can I get a virtual Coke in Coke Studios?
A:Need refreshment? Just find any Coke Machine, cooler of Coke, crate of Coke, refrigerator - anything that looks cold, and double-click. If there's a Coke inside, you'll soon have it, AND 10 decibels (you can do this up to 10 times per day). OR, you can visit Miami or Tokyo and ask one of our bartenders for a Coke - they're happy to bring you one!

Q:Why can't I hear what people say?
A:If you don't hear other people talking, it is probably because you are not close enough! You can only hear people who are in radius of five squares from you. This way, you can have a quiet conversation with your friends. But if you shout, everyone will hear you. Sometimes you see chat bubbles with words replaced by dots. This means you hear only partially what other people are saying.

Q:Why is my speech taking a while to appear on the screen?
A:If there is a time lag between you typing and your speech appearing on-screen, it is probably because either the studio is very busy or internet traffic is very busy today. Give it a while and it will usually clear up on its own.

Q:What is Coke Studios?
A:Coke Studios is a combination of virtual chat, music, and fun. When you register, you are taken to a page where you can customize your V-ego - that becomes your digital self. This also becomes the picture you see on your MyCoke Pass. Your V-ego represents how you will appear in the virtual world of Coke Studios. The virtual environment has public areas and personal areas (created by other users). It is really easy to move around when you enter Coke Studios. While you are in a studio just click a spot on the floor to move your V-ego to that spot. You can have a conversation too - just type in what you want to say and it appears in the bubbles above your V-ego. When chatting, you can select to speak normally and other V-egos up to 5 grid units away can hear you (see your bubble), or you can shout by moving the toggle button in the lower left of the screen and everybody in the room will hear (see your bubble)..If you see other V-ego’s talking and you see only a few letters and lots of dots (like “i…..e…..g….”) then you need to move closer to them in order to “hear” what they are saying.

You can also:

Dance by pressing the dance button.
See another V-ego's public profile by clicking on that V-ego.
Sit by clicking on the chair or couch you want to sit on.
Drink Coke.
Vote Thumbs Up or Down on the music being played (see below).

Now for the fun part. Once inside, find the studio mixers placed all over in the personal rooms or public locations on the map. Make your V-ego walk up to the studio mixer and mix some music (This is the same Mixer you’ll find in “Create Your Demo”). Just follow the instructions and have fun. Make sure to burn a virtual CD of any music you want to keep. Your burned CD will show up in your backpack located at the bottom of your screen. Now you are ready to get out there and make the scene. With your CDs (you get 10 for free when you create your personal studio) you can go all over the virtual studio world and play your music for the masses. Why? If other users like your music, they can vote for you, and you earn decibels. You can even make copies and pass them to friends so they can perform your music. You use decibels to buy things in the virtual world of Coke Studios. You need decibels to decorate your own studio, buy furniture, pictures, etc. You can be a star, a producer, or a fan. It’s all about fun.

NOTE:

Before you can enter Coke Studios, you must already have or download SHOCKWAVE. Be patient, it is totally worth it. If you do not have it, MyCoke will detect this and provide the download link for you. SHOCKWAVE is free.

Q:How Do I Create My Own Studio?
A: It is SO easy! From anywhere inside Coke Studios, click on the Navigation button (looks like 2 arrows) to get to the Main Navigation World Map. Click on the User Studios tab above the map. Click on Set up Your Own Studio. Enter a name for your Studio (please keep it clean - its filtered anyway), enter a description for your studio and choose a layout (the shape of your room). The location choice simply indicates the 'view' you will have from your Studio window. Then select OK, and you have a personal studio where you can create music, buy furniture and other decorations and invite your friends over to hang out!

Q:How can I make my V-ego dance?
A: Easy! Just click once on your V-ego and you'll see a larger version come up on the right side of your screen. Just below that larger V-ego, you'll see a button called "dance". Just single-click that button to toggle dancing on and off.

Q:What are all of these races and competitions? What about scamming?
A:Even though we do pay Moderators to ensure Coke Studios is a great place for you, there will always be those few V-egos who are hard to trust. If you see someone offering you free furniture, proceed with caution. If someone tells you they'll take something of yours that you don't want and give you something of theirs (a trade), you can't be sure they'll go through with their end of the bargain. If this happens, there really isn't anything we can do to remedy the situation. Just go through Coke Studios with an understanding that everyone there may not be who they say they are (for example, impersonating a Moderator - which is against the Coke Studios Terms of Service), so just proceed carefully. Thanks!

Q:Why didn't I get decibels for votes?
A:Each V-ego in Coke Studios may only vote for your song one time - ever! You will receive 5 decibels for each positive vote you receive in Coke Studios. THERE IS A MAXIMUM OF 400 DECIBELS PER DAY EARNED FROM POSITIVE VOTES.

Q:Why didn't I get decibels for drinking a virtual Coke?
A:You will receive 10 decibels for each virtual Coke you drink within Coke Studios (from vending machines, bartenders, coolers). *** THERE IS A MAXIMUM OF 10 PER DAY PER V-EGO - THEREFORE UP TO 100 DECIBELS PER DAY!

Moderation

Q:What do the Moderators do?
A:There is ALWAYS someone moderating at Coke Studios! The Moderators are paid employees who are there to see that Coke Studios is a safe and fun place for you to hang out with your friends. They have special tools used to monitor several rooms simultaneously looking for suspicious behavior. They have the ability to send warnings, kick out V-ego's and even permanently ban V-ego's for violating the Coke Studios Terms of Service. These warnings come in a popup window. If you receive one, please adhere to their request as a kick and a ban will come shortly if you do not comply. The Moderators also answer the Calls for Assistance in the order of priority. If you submit a very simple "how-to" question, the Moderators may not have time to respond. Please always check these FAQ's first as we update them regularly. If you do see behavior in violation of our Terms of Service, please do report this to the Moderators using the Call for Assistance button (the red outlined button with the question mark). Remember: The Moderators are always extremely busy and often cannot respond right away. Please do not send the same request multiple times as this will actually prevent them from doing their jobs and delay their reponse.

Q:Can I be a Moderator?
A:Sorry, we don't allow volunteer moderators. We have professional, hired moderators who are paid to ensure that Coke Studios is a great environment for you. We don't anticipate any recruiting for additional Moderators, but thanks for thinking of us!

Mixing and Performing

Q:How Do I Create Music?
A: To Create A CD, follow these steps. 1) You will first need to setup your Studio. Go to the World Map Navigator, and click on USER STUDIOS. Follow the on-screen instructions to setup and name your Studio, then click GO TO YOUR STUDIO. 2) When you enter your Studio, you will have only an Audio Mixer in your room. 3) To use the Mixer, double-click on it OR single-click to select it, then click USE on the right-side of the page. 4) Once in the Audio Mixer, click EDIT on one of the 5 track lines. Now follow the instructions within the Audio Mixer to compose and save your new song. 5) When you return to your track listing, you must select BURN in order to put your song on a CD that you can 'carry around' with you inside Coke Studios. You get 10 free blank CD's when you get started - you can always buy more from the Catalog.

Q:How Do I Play My Music?
A:Once you have burned your CD.....IN THE PUBLIC AREAS: (the 8 worldwide cities) You have to get in the queue, indicated by arrows on the floor of the venue, in order to get up on the stage. Once you get up on the stage, you will be automatically prompted to choose a song from your listed of 'burned' CD's. The system will then play the song for you, and the audience can listen and vote on your music. During the time the song is playing, you can 'sing' to the crowd - anything you type will be broadcast to the room in italics. IN THE PERSONAL STUDIOS: The owner of the studio must have 'purchased' a stereo or some other sort of CD player for that room. Just double-click on that stereo component, and you will be asked to choose a CD from your list. You can earn votes in personal or public areas.

Technical Questions

Q:I think I found a bug in Coke Studios, what should I do?
A:We have provided a form to report technical problems. Click the ? button at the bottom of the Coke Studios window, then click the "Report a Technical Problem" link. If possible, explain the issue in detail or give us the steps you took to produce the problem. Please do not report technical problems to the Moderators.

Q:Why do I only see a blank page?
A:The studio never loads. This may be a Shockwave problem - click here to read FAQs on the Shockwave website.

Q:Why do I get a message saying so-and-so file is not a Director file?
A:This is most likely caused by the Internet connection between your browser and Coke Studios breaking during the downloading of the file referred to in the error message. This should solve the problem:

Close all Internet Explorer (IE) windows
Open a new IE window
Choose "Internet Options" in the "Tools" menu on the top menu bar
Choose "Temporary Internet Files" in the window that opens
Click on the button labeled "Delete Files..."
Click on "OK" to empty the locally cached files
Close the IE window

Q:Why do I only see a blank page and a Shockwave logo?
A:If, after you have clicked "Go" you never get further than the Shockwave loading bar, you are probably suffering from a lack of memory. Please see the question above for ways to get around this problem.

Q:Why do I get the alert "Out of memory"?
A:When loading Coke Studios - or afterwards - you may get an alert saying "Out of memory even after purging all cast members ...". Coke Studios has loads of graphics that consume your computer memory (RAM) and the alert means that there is not enough free memory for Coke Studios to work. * In many cases, the following tricks help:

a) Close your browser and other applications (such as word processor, spreadsheet, and mp3-player). Now open your browser and try Coke Studios again.
b) Restart the computer. Often, when your computer has been in use for long periods, its memory gets full.

Q:Can I get a computer virus from Coke Studios?
A:No - there is no way that we know of that a virus could get on to Coke Studios' servers and from there on to our users' computers. We advise that you never accept an invitation to chat "offline" with an V-ego, never provide any personal contact info and never download any files or programs from another user of fan site.

Q:Why do I get a pop-up a 'security risk' when I load Coke Studios?
A:This is a normal security check box that you'll get the first time you download the Shockwave plugin. Tick the box 'don't ask again' to continue loading.

Q:I use Linux, why can I not download Coke Studios?
A:Sorry, but Coke Studios is made with Shockwave Director and there is no Director plugin for Linux. The reason Coke Studios is made with Shockwave Director is that this provides the best user experience over a standard Internet connection.

Q:Why can't I see the whole screen when I use AOL?
A:The default browser supplied with an AOL connection does not display Coke Studios correctly. You can still use AOL to connect - simply choose a different browser to access Coke Studios, such as Internet Explorer or Netscape.

Decibels

General Questions

Q:What are Decibels?
A:Decibels are the "currency" that you use in Coke Studios to buy furniture, pictures, and other items for your personal studio. You can earn decibels in several ways:

Becoming a member of the site by registering.
Creating, performing and getting votes for playing your music in the Coke Studios virtual chat environment.
Getting a virtual Coke in Coke Studios.
Filling out some surveys we offer up.
Other methods will follow as we update the site in the future.

Spending decibels requires you to enter the Coke Studios virtual chat environment. The decibels that you have accrued in your account will be displayed on your MyCoke Pass. You can add virtual furniture ("furni") and other items into your personal studio by buying them from the online catalogue. Any purchased items will appear in your backpack, and as the owner, you will be able to place it into your personal studio, move it around or trade it to another user for something else.

Q:My Decibel balance seems wrong? What should I do?
A:Please contact MyCoke Customer Service - the Moderators can NOT help you with decibel issues. You can contact Customer Service by completing the form on the Contact & FAQ home page within the Help function in Coke Studios. You can also use the Help function at www.MyCoke.com.

Q:Where Are My 1,000 Registration Decibels?
A:To receive your registration decibels, you must enter a valid email address when you register. You will then receive a confirmation email with a link to the secure page where you can get your 1,000 decibels for registration. If you do not receive this email, then we were not able to communicate with you at the address you provided. Our Consumer Care team is not authorized to credit Registration decibels manually and the Coke Studios Moderators can NOT help you with this problem.

Q:How do I find out how many Decibels I have?
A:You can log in and click on "Decibel Tracker" on your MyCoke Pass. You can see details about how many Decibels you have earned and used, as well as the different ways you can earn more! Your current Decibel level will always be displayed when you log into your account. From time to time we may delete older transaction records to save room in our database, but that won't affect your decibel balance! We reserve the right to expire Decibels from time to time and at our sole discretion.

Q:How can I get more Decibels?
A:You can earn more decibels by:

Becoming a member of the site by registering for a new My Thirst ID.
Creating, performing and getting votes for playing your music in the Coke Studios virtual chat environment.
Getting a virtual Coke in Coke Studios.
Filling out some surveys we offer up.
Other methods will follow as we update the site in the future.

Downloads

Q:What are downloads?
A:Pretty straight forward, this is where you will find videos, screensavers, and wallpaper.

Q:How do I download videos, wallpaper, and screensavers?
A:Easy! Go to the Media section and on the page you'll find sub-navigation that lists the categories; music, wallpaper, screensavers. Click on what you're after.

Music Mixer

General Questions

Q:What is Create Your Demo?
A:Create Your Demo is an audio mixing tool with pre-populated tracks from different musical genres. You can choose anything from Country to Hip Hop and then experiment with the sounds to create a custom track. Tracks that you like can be saved for sharing with friends, playing in Coke Studios or for editing again in the future.

My Account

Registration

Q:What is the MyCoke Pass?
A:The MyCoke Pass is an important part of the navigation of the site. It is also your ticket (for registered users) to getting into many of the areas within MyCoke. You'll notice that everywhere you go in MyCoke, the MyCoke pass is there. It has links on it to earn decibels, a running tally of your current decibel amount, and a link to the decibel tracker (a kind of decibel checkbook.). The pass also has a picture of your digital self called the V-ego, and a link that allows you to change your V-ego's look.

Q:Does this cost money?
A:No! There is no cost involved in joining or participating in MyCoke.com. And if you are under 13, we just need your parent's OK.

Q:Why do I have to sign up for an account?
A:An important part of the website is the ability for you to earn and spend points, which we call Decibels. Therefore we need to have a secure account for each member where you can view your Decibel balance, see what new points you've earned and what you've spent. We also like to get to know a little about the people who are using our site so that we can customize parts of the site and provide you with the best experience possible. Your email address and password can be used to log in to many Coca-Cola Company websites that share a single database. It's your passport to the World of Coke!

Q:What are the MyCoke residency requirements?
A:Due to legal considerations, MyCoke.com login and registration is limited to US Residents only.

General Questions

Q:What if I forget my password?
A: No problem! Just follow the "Password Help" link on our home page, enter your email address correctly, and we will email you a link to change your password. We don't just send you your password because we want to make sure your account is secure to protect your Decibels. So we just give you a chance to select a new password. And remember, don't share your password with anyone! If anyone offers to give you something in return for your login information, be careful; it's almost certainly a scam! And NEVER respond to an email that asks for any personal or account information. We will NEVER ask you for such details via email!

Q:Is there a way to close my account and have my information removed?
A:If you want to have all of your account information permanently deleted, you can fill out the online form HERE and our Consumer Care team will delete your information. You must be logged in to access this page, so please log in and return to this link if you are not logged in at this time. NOTE: This may delete accounts you might have with other Coca-Cola websites and will also delete any stored points or virtual "items" you may have accumulated. This action CANNOT BE UNDONE so please be sure you wish to have your account permanently deleted!

Q:How can I change my account information?
A:Log into your account and click on "Update My Info". You will be able to change most of your account information, including email, password and Challenge Question/Answer.

Q:How can I manage my email preferences?
A:To be removed from a specific mailing list, you may follow the links in any email we send you to opt out. You may also log in to any of our websites using your My Thirst ID and update your email preferences there. Alternately you may call us at 1-800-GET-COKE. CONTACT US

Q:How will you use my personal information?
A:Please refer to our Privacy Policy for this information.

Q:Will this put me on an email list?
A:Coca-Cola respects your privacy. You can select whether or not you want to receive email from us. We will give you the choice during signup, and you can always change your choices later by logging into your account and clicking on "Update My Info" or by simply clicking "Unsubscribe" in any marketing email you receive from us. To read our full privacy policy, click here.

Q:Why do I have to accept the Privacy Policy again?
A:We have updated our Privacy Policy, which we do from time to time. Any time we update the policy, we need to be sure that you have read it and that you agree to the terms. Until you accept the Privacy Policy, you will not be able to access the website. We encourage you to read it or have a parent read it carefully with you to ensure common understanding on how your information may be used.

V-egos

Q:What is a V-ego?
A:During registration you are asked to create a virtual person called a V-ego (or your virtual ego). The V-ego is how you will appear in the virtual chat area called Coke Studios.

Q:Can I change the look of my V-ego?
A:On your badge you will see a link that says "Change my look". This link takes you to the V-ego configuration page. Change your look as often as you like.

Q:Where does my V-ego appear?
A:Your V-ego appears on your badge when you registered. It also appears when you play MyCoke Games.

Under 13

Q:When I signed up I got a message that says I need my parents' permission, why?
A:Coca-Cola is complying with Federal Trade Commission Legislation, COPPA - Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. This law requires us to obtain parental permission before you sign up and use MyCoke.com. The government wants to make sure that parents know that we are storing your personal information such as name, address and email. Thanks for understanding.

Q:How do I get my parent's permission?
A:When you sign up if you are under age 13, we will give you information on how to get parent approval. Just print out the online form, have you parent fill it out and sign the form, and then fax or mail the signature page(s) to us. Please don't fax/send the entire Privacy Policy to us, just the permission form. Once we receive the completed form, your account will be activated within 2 business days.

Record A Song

General Questions

Q:Record A Song? What is this?
A:Let’s say you’re really a singer at heart, not really a mixer or maybe you’re multi-talented and like to do it all. Well, you can record your voice to the music of “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke” and submit it at Cokestudios, where other users can hear it and vote on it. The performances earning the most votes, least votes, and some lucky random singers will be featured on Cokemusic for everyone’s listening pleasure. No suites or free furni, just the ego trip of knowing your voice rocks, or the disappointment of knowing you need to keep trying. Any submissions become property of The Coca-Cola Company.

SMS

Q:I submitted a code via my SMS-enabled mobile device, but I do not see any points added to my MyCoke.com account. What do I need to do?
A:You can add codes via your SMS-enabled mobile device without registering or configuring your SMS-enabled mobile device on MyCoke.com; however, you can only redeem points once you have confirmed configuration of your SMS-enabled mobile device at MyCoke.com. Once you have confirmed your SMS-enabled mobile configuration, decibels will be displayed within your decibel tracker account at MyCoke.com.

Q:What is text messaging and how does it work?
A:Visit your mobile carrier's site for details to determine if your mobile phone is SMS-capable, cost associated with text messaging services, and use/management of text messaging for your mobile device. The cost of sending and receiving text messages is the responsibility of the consumer.

Q:How do I submit a code via my SMS-enabled mobile device?
A:The Coca-Cola Company may offer a code program on packaging from time to time and allow you to enter those codes via your SMS-enabled mobile device. Should this feature be enabled, we will update this section of the FAQs in order to ensure you know how to submit codes via your mobile.

Q:Does it cost money to enter codes on MyCoke.com via my SMS-enabled mobile device?
A:Standard text messaging rates apply for all messages sent and received by your mobile provider. Please check your service agreement or contact your carrier for details.

Q:How do I configure my SMS-enabled mobile phone for MyCoke.com?
A:Once you have a registered account at MyCoke.com, you will need to logon to your account and click on one of the following: 1. Update My Info 2. SMS button on the home page 3. Link on the Enter Codes page. Then follow the SMS mobile configuration wizard with correct information about your SMS-enabled phone. The entire process only takes minutes.

Q:What carriers support SMS code entry?
A:The following National service providers are supporting SMS (text messaging) entry of codes on Decibel Central:

Alltel
AT&T Wireless
Cingular
Fido
Leap Wireless
Nextel
T-Mobile
Verizon

We are working with other carriers and expect to add more soon. If your provider is not listed here, please check back again soon!