1. Are you Xena? Do you work for the show? Do you know Lucy Lawless?
No, no and no. I'm not Xena, so writing letters to me as Xena, while amusing, won't actually be responded to by Xena. I don't work for the show, and no, I do not know Lucy personally.

2. Where can I write to Lucy Lawless and Reneé O'Connor? Is there an official fan club?
You can write to Lucy Lawless care of the Official Xena Fan Club, and to Reneé care of her fan club. Their addresses are:

The Official Xena: Warrior Princess Fan Club
411 N. Central Ave., #300
Glendale, CA 91203
telephone: 1-888-XENA-123
e-mail: outback@primenet.com
http://www.primenet.com/~outback

The Reneé O'Connor International Fan Club
P.O. Box 180435
Austin, TX 78718-0435
http://members.aol.com/Rocweb

3. I want to submit a story to your fan fiction archive. What should I do?
Send an email to the fan fiction editor here at Tom's Xena Page. If you have any other questions about how to submit a story, please email them. The email address is editor@xenafan.com.

4. Who hosts your website? How did you get your own domain name?
I am being hosted by www.larp.com and the server is sharing a T-1 from www.photobooks.com.

5. How can I learn HTML? Will you teach me? Will you make me a web site?
No, I won't make a web site for you, I barely have enough time to do my own. The best way to learn HTML is to go out and buy a book. There are zillions of good ones on the subject, such as Laura LeMay's Complete Teach Yourself HTML Kit. I learned by downloading an html editing program and studying what each code did. Get a nice reference work then practice, practice, practice!

6. Will you send me some pictures? Will you email me some sounds? How come when I click on your sounds I just see a new window with a gray "N" in it?
Heck no! All of these files are available for download, if you can see this website then you should be able to download the files. Mostly this question comes from AOL users, as the standard AOL browser is a little counter-intuitive on downloading files.

If you are using Netscape 3.0 or later, whenever you click on a sound a new window will appear, filled with a gray "N". This is normal. Netscape will continue to display this window until the file has been completely downloaded, at which point it will be replaced by an audio player control panel. To save the file, just click on the player controls with the right-side mouse button and a pop-up menu will appear. Choose "Save As" from the menu, and then browse to wherever you'd like to save the file. To play it again later just browse to where you saved it in the Windows Explorer or File Manager and then double click on the sound file.

To save the file in Internet Explorer 3.0 or later you have two options. If you've installed ActiveMovie, you'll see the sound download and can play it, but won't be able to right click on it and choose a save option. To save a file with the right mouse button, click on the link to the sound file with the right-side mouse button and choose "Save Target As." This will let you save it. The other option involves the cache. Internet Explorer will save a local copy of all files you download in C:\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\. Just go to that directory, remember the filename that you were looking for, and then just drag it to someplace else you'd rather have it.

AOL. If you haven't updated to AOL 3.0, be sure to do so as soon as possible. Not only for the better stylistic approach, it incorporates IE 3.02 as the default browser. You won't see any difference in the way your web browser window looks, but the system inside will look much better. You'll be able to save and download files using your right mouse button, and be able to use other plugins. Also, you can download the full version of either Netscape or Internet Explorer and run them once you've logged into AOL.

Having problems downloading files? If you are downloading large files and keep stalling halfway, try the freeware program Go!Zilla. It'll let you resume downloads if you have problems, and you can even schedule it to download at a certain time. It will automatically integrate itself with IE and Netscape.

You can also try the website www.emailfile.com/ which will automatically email large files to you. Visit their website for more details.

7. I'm using AOL and having trouble with...
There are a lot of good things about AOL and a lot of bad things. Some of you may have noticed while browsing the web that some images don't look as nice as they should. To compensate for AOL's slow connection speed, the default AOL browser ignores large chunks of image data to make things appear to download faster. Other problems people have with the browser include saving files and downloading and installing plugins.

Luckily you do have a choice. There are two main options, either take the dive into the main Internet by ditching AOL and getting a local ISP (Internet Service Provider, check www.thelist.com for a comprehensive list of all ISP's) or you can upgrade to AOL 3.0.

Why 3.0? What will that do to help? Well, I'm glad you asked. Not only does 3.0 replace the laughable AOL browser with Internet Explorer 3.0, but it also allows a full TCP/IP protocol. What this means is that you don't have to surf the web with the AOL browser, you can use Netscape or Internet Explorer.

How do I do it? What you need to do first is to upgrade AOL. Go to keyword "upgrade" and download and install the upgrade to 3.0. Next, pick a browser, either Netscape or Internet Explorer. Install the browser du jour and it'll probably have you restart your computer. Then, to use either browser just login to AOL as usual, then minimize the AOL window. Run your brand-spankin' new web browser by double clicking its icon on the desktop and you're surfing the web, AOL-free. Not only will you be able to see web pages the way they were designed to be seen, but you will also have a much easier time installing plugin programs. No more obscure information at AOL trying to figure out how to get Quicktime to work, just download and follow the directions at each plugin page like anyone else.

8. How do I use the Xena Icons for Windows 95? Why do they look funny? How can I make my Windows 95 display better?
Windows 95 uses things called shortcuts to represent a link back to a program (identical to aliases on Macintosh computers). For instance, if you just installed the new action thriller shoot 'em up game and wanted to make a Xena icon for it on your desktop in Windows 95, here's what you'd do:

• Open Windows Explorer from the Start Menu (the "Start" button on the taskbar). It's under the "Programs" submenu
• Browse to where you just installed the program, or to any program you'd like. Find the file that runs the program, then drag it using the RIGHT-SIDE mouse button and drop it anywhere on the Desktop (the area behind all the windows). When you drop it a pop-up menu will appear with "Copy File," "Move File," and "Create Shortcut Here". Choose "Create Shortcut."
• A new shortcut will now appear with an icon identical to what the program had. To run the program you just double click the shortcut. Now we want to make the shortcut into a lovely picture of Xena. Click on the icon with the RIGHT-SIDE mouse button and a pop-up menu will appear. Choose "Properties." A window will appear, along the top are two tabs to choose from, "General" and "Shortcut." Choose "Shortcut."
• On the "Shortcut" menu is a button on the bottom that says "Change Icon." Click on that and another window will appear that shows the program's current icon. Click on "Browse" and then go to wherever you saved your Xena Icons at. Select the one you'd like then choose "Ok" on all of the windows to close them all.
• And that's it. You should have a spiffy looking new shortcut to your program with a lovely Xena icon. If you have any other questions regarding icons and shortcuts, go to the Windows Help program (click on the "Start" button and choose "Help") and search for the word "shortcut".

Other display issues. When you first buy your Windows 95 computer, or first install Windows 95, the display adapter is probably only set to 256 colors. This means that it can only display 256 colors simultaneously. Most video cards and monitors, however, are capable of displaying thousands or millions of colors. To change your display's color setting, (which everyone should, don't limit yourself to 256 colors under any circumstances if you can avoid it) do the following:

• Minimize all windows, save all documents and close all programs. We're going to have to restart the computer when we finish, so you might as well save your work now and quit the programs.
• Click anywhere on the desktop (the area behind all the windows with the pretty background or Xena picture you have installed) with the RIGHT-SIDE mouse button. (Windows 95 mice have two buttons, some have three, and a few of the new mutant Office 97 mice have two buttons and a zippy spinner thing. You want to use the one on the right side).
• A pop-up menu will appear, choose "Properties" and the Display Properties menu will appear. (Note: this is the same as if you'd opened the Control Panel and chosen "Display", but a faster way to get to it).
• There are a number of fun things to play with, from here you can choose your wallpaper and screensaver, change the colors of what your windows look like, and if you have purchased the Microsoft Plus! CD-ROM, you can change the icons for the Recycle Bin, Network Neighboorhood and My Computer here.
• Click on "Settings" from the top. There are three things you'll want to adjust here. First, the colors. On the left side under the image of the desktop is "Color Palette." If it's set to 256 colors, change it to either "High Color" or "True Color." High Color is 16 bit graphics, and True Color is 24 or 32 bit graphics. Either is an exponential increase over the current 256 settings.
• Next, you can adjust the size of your display. If you have a 15" monitor, I'd suggest running the resolution with at least 800 x 600 lines of resolution. If you have a 17" or above try 1024 x 768 or greater. You can change this by sliding the "Desktop Area" lever left and right, to the right will increase the desktop area, moving it to the left will reduce it. Pay attention to your color palette. While you might want to run at 1600 x 1200 resolution, your video card might not. The higher the resolution, the fewer colors you can run. Pick a nice resolution that will allow you to stay out of the dreaded 256 color zone.
• Finally you'll want to change the "Font Size" menu. If you don't need extra large type to see, set it for "Small Fonts". All the fonts will reduce slightly in size when these new settings take place. Otherwise choose "Large Fonts" if you have problems reading characters that are too small. The new display will have more graphical room, but the fonts will remain about the same size.
• Hit "Ok" on the bottom and restart your computer if it asks you to. You've now increased your color palette and/or desktop. Huzzah!

I've done all that, but the icons still don't look that good. Aha! Here is more evilness of Microsoft. There is a setting in Windows that automatically limits the quality of desktop icons, reducing them to 16 colors of a maximum of 256 colors per icon. If you have bought the Microsoft Plus CD, then go to the Display Settings like outlined above and click on "Plus!". There will be an option to "Show icons using all possible colors". Check that icon and reboot if it makes you.

If you haven't purchased the CD, you're still in luck. Impact Software, which makes Microangelo (the program I used to create the icons) has a Icon Color Level program that I've included for download. It's a freeware program that will enable Windows 95 to display icons will all their colors. (Download now, icon.zip 10.6 kb.)

9. Where can I get a Xena costume?
Thanks to the tireless efforts of my mom, you can now order your own Xena costume from www.simplicity.com. You can see the costume directly here. To order, just call 1-888-588-2700 and mention pattern number is #7851. For international orders you can find more ordering information is at their website.

10. I'm having problems downloading large files. How can I download them? Will you send me them? Can you send me all the files in this episode?
No, I can't email these files to you. A number of people have problems downloading large files. This is due to your Internet Service Provider (AOL is a large culprit of this). What happens is the download will stall out midway through and you are forced to try downloading again and again.

While it might be convenient for you to receive the files by email, it surely isn't good for me to be constantly emailing files to people. Remember it takes me just as long to send a file as it does for you to download it, multiply that by the 5,000 or more visitors I get a day and you can start to see my point. The whole purpose of a web page is to provide for mass distribution, I upload it once and everyone can download.

This doesn't solve the problem. Luckily for Windows 95 users (there might be a Mac version out there of a similar program, but I don't know any off-hand) there is Go!Zilla. It's a great freeware program that will automatically download files for you, and resume downloads when you have connection problems. For instance, if you've downloaded 3/4ths of a huge quicktime movie and you get disconnected, this program will pick up where you left it when you reconnect and start it up again. It will even let you schedule a time for it to try and download the files, and it can automatically connect to your ISP, download, then shut itself down.

One other great feature of Go!Zilla (can you tell I like this program?) is file leeching. When you open a page in Netscape you can tell Go!Zilla to leech all the file links from that page. You can then add the ones you want to download to the download list and let Go!Zilla go to town. In this way you could have it download all the sound files from a particular episode, for instance.

You can download Go!Zilla here. It will automatically integrate itself with IE and Netscape.

You can also try the website www.emailfile.com/ which will automatically email large files to you. Visit their website for more details.

11.What's up with all the "Server Busy" messages?
We get a lot of email asking why there are so many "Server Busy" messages lately. Here's the scoop.

Xenafan.com is hosted by Larp.com. I'm hosted there because I couldn't afford to be hosted at any of the large hosting companies (old-timers will remember my problems with Simplenet). All of the professional shops wanted to charge me $200/month to host xenafan.com. I like the site, but I don't have $200/month to host it.

Jay, from Larp.com, was nice enough to provide me a home for xenafan.com. One thing we found rather quickly was that xenafan.com quickly sucked up all the available bandwidth on the site. We're on a T-1, but there are a lot of sites on it, including the people who pay for the T-1, www.photobooks.com. I was taking up their bandwidth, which was a huge faux pass.

It was looking like I'd have to take down the site when Jay found a "throttle' module for the server. What it does is limit xenafan.com to 30% of the available bandwidth at any given time. That means when too many people hit at the same time the throttle kicks in and starts delaying your request for pages, and that's when you see the "Server Busy" message.

Why is it happening more and more often? Well, we're getting more traffic than we ever had before. More visitors means a larger drain on the bandwidth.

Is there any solution? Nope. I can't afford to host this site professionally (you try telling a hosting company you've got a 4 GB site that gets 5-6 GB of traffic a day and see what rates they quote you... it's not pretty). The dilemma is that I've got plenty of space to add things to the site but the more I add the more traffic I get and the more times you'll see the "Server Busy" message. I think we do a great service for people out there so I don't want to stop adding to the site. The best advice I can give is if you're trying to download things just visit the site at a different time. Peak times here are usually around 5-8 pm ET. Try downloading in the morning or late night.

I hope this clears it up for you. I'm sorry about the server throttle, but 4 gigs of Xena downloads with a throttle is better than not having the site up at all.

12.Can I use images from xenafan.com on my website?
Yes you can, but there are a few rules involved. My staff spent a lot of time making these images, so there's a couple of conditions on use:

1. Images can be used for decoration. Using an image to decorate your page (or a bunch of images) is perfectly fine by us.
2. Images can be used to create new works. Grabbing a bunch of images to make a mosaic is fine! Have fun!
3. Making a "special theme" gallery is ok. For example, going through our archive for all the Ares photos to make an Ares page is fine.
4. Copying an episode gallery and calling it your own episode gallery is NOT allowed. We put a lot of work into providing these images as a service for other Xenites. It is extremely rude to just copy our images wholesale and call it your own.
5. If you use our images, it's nice to provide a link back. See www.xenafan.com/link/ for instructions.