Basics
How do I create a user account? (back to top)
Creating a user account is a simple process. There are numerous links and buttons on the TalkShoe website which say 'Sign Up'. Users will be asked for their email address, a user name, password, and phone number (or alternate 10-digit PIN).
Why does TalkShoe need my phone number? (back to top)
Your phone number serves as your 10-digit PIN when you dial into a Community Call. We believe that your phone number is easy to remember. In addition, in the future, using Caller ID, we will be able to recognize your phone number so you won't have to enter your PIN at all. If you wish, you can choose an alternate 10-digit PIN.
What's a host? (back to top)
The host chooses the topic, creates the Community Call, schedules episode(s), and invites guests. Community Calls can be public, so that anyone on the website can join, or unlisted, so that only invited friends, family, or associates can participate. Community Calls have names, descriptions, starting times, durations, etc. Once the Community Call has begun, the host has control over the Community Call and can use features such as See-Who's-Talking, mute and unmute phone or chat, manage Requests to talk, etc. The host can also serve as the moderator or facilitator of the conversation.
How do I host a Community Call? (back to top)
Any user can become a TalkShoe host. Just click Host on any web page.
1. CREATE - The host selects the "Host" or "Create" buttons, and then creates, schedules and invites people to the Community Call and specific episode. Community Calls can be public, so that anyone on the website can join, or private, so that only invited friends, family, or associates can participate. Community Calls have names, descriptions, starting times, durations, etc.
2. DOWNLOAD - The host then downloads the TalkShoe Live! Pro software (if they haven't already)
3. TALKSHOE LIVE! - When the Community Call goes live, the host launches TalkShoe Live! Pro by clicking the Live Now button on the Community Call page, which is found under myTalkShoe, or the general directory. Once the Community Call has begun, the host has control over the Community Call and can use features such as See-Who's-Talking, mute and unmute phone or chat, manage requests to talk, etc. The host can also serve as the moderator or facilitator of the conversation.
4. RECORD - The host records the Community Call by clicking on the green RECORD button, and the red STOP button after it's finished.
Why does TalkShoe ask for profile information? (back to top)
Profile information is used in several ways.
• Talkers and listeners may want to see information about who is hosting a Community Call.
• When you are on a Community Call, other participants may view your profile information to learn more about you and increase social networking.
• You can be alerted about interesting Community Calls which match your profile.
• You can connect with people of like interests.
You can edit your profile under myTalkShoe using myProfile.
TalkShoe keeps profile information completely private and will not give or sell this information to any outside website or service.
Can I host a Community Call with just my friends and family? (back to top)
Yes. Just click the Host button, select the Unlisted Group Call button, schedule the call (or talk "right now"), and click Complete. Next, if desired, click on the Invite Guests button to have TalkShoe notify your guests.
What's the difference between a talker and a listener? (back to top)
A talker is someone who is an active member of the Community Call. Using TalkShoe Live! Pro you can talk and chat, and the host and other talkers and listeners will hear you.
A listener does not actively participate in the Community Call. Rather, they hear the Community Call on their phone or computer, and may watch the TalkShoe Live! Pro chat.
How do I listen to a Community Call? (back to top)
You can listen in two (2) ways. First, you can click on the Listen button next to any live Community Call. Second, you can Sign Up and use the TalkShoe Live! Pro software to listen and text-chat. If you want, TalkShoe Live! Pro also allows you to use your voice to talk to other participants.
How do I talk during a Community Call? (back to top)
To fully participate (talk, listen, & chat), you will need to Sign Up as a TalkShoe member, create a 10-digit PIN, and download the TalkShoe Live! Pro software.
Find the Community Call of interest and click its name or photo icon. From the Community Call page, click the Purple Talk button which launches the TalkShoe Live! Pro software. From this software, you can chat and hear the audio of the Community Call.
If you want to talk via telephone, Skype, etc., use your phone to call 724-444-7444 and follow the audio instructions.
What if I only want to talk and not chat? (back to top)
You can indeed choose to only talk and not launch the TalkShoe Live! Pro software. This gives you the ability to join Community Calls from anywhere!
You still must become a member, and create a 10-digit PIN. But, you do not need to download the TalkShoe Live! Pro software, or be at your computer when dialing in.
What is TalkShoe Live! Pro and what does it do? (back to top)
TalkShoe Live! Pro is an advanced talk and chat engine. It has many features beyond those found in typical chat engines and conferencing websites including:
• 100s of voice talkers
• 1000s of listeners
• Start and stop audio recording
• See-who's-talking indication
• Mute and unmute (for hosts)
• Request-to-talk
• Chat by user name
• Chat threads
• Chat history
Can I use my computer or VoIP phone to access TalkShoe? (back to top)
Yes. TalkShoe supports some forms of Voice-Over-Internet-Protocol (VoIP) access. Services such as Skype (Skype out), Yahoo and Vonage will work with the TalkShoe service. In addition, connecting via existing SIP VoIP clients is supported with some success. TalkShoe will fully support VoIP in the near future. Click here for more information.
What is the cost of using TalkShoe? (back to top)
All basic services for hosts, participants, and listeners are FREE. In the future, there will be advanced optional features above and beyond the basic service which may be purchased. For a limited time, many of the advanced optional features are free of charge. There will also be standard charges for calling into TalkShoe depending upon your telephone service plan. See "Will anything appear on my phone bill?"
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Host and Community Call Creation
How do I create or host a Community Call? (back to top)
Any user can become a TalkShoe host. Just click Host on any web page.
1. CREATE - The host selects the "Host" or "Create" button, and then creates, schedules and invites people to the Community Call and specific episode. Community Calls can be public, so that anyone on the website can join, or unlisted, so that only invited friends, family, or associates can participate. Community Calls have names, descriptions, starting times, durations, etc.
2. DOWNLOAD - The host then downloads the TalkShoe Live! Pro software (if they haven't already)
3. TALKSHOE LIVE - When the Community Call goes live, the host goes to their myTalkShoe page to find the Community Call. The host then launches TalkShoe Live! Pro by clicking the purple Talk button. Once the Community Call has begun, the host has control over the Community Call and can use features such as See-Who's-Talking, mute and unmute phone or chat, manage requests to talk, etc. The host can also serve as the moderator or facilitator of the conversation.
4. RECORD - The host records the Community Call by clicking on the green RECORD button, and the red STOP button after it's finished. The recording is then posted to the website within 30 minutes.
What's the difference between a Community Call and an episode? (back to top)
A Community Call is like a television show, and an episode is like the weekly episodes. Think of a Community Call as an audio program on a given topic, say winemaking. Think of episodes as the periodic shows about making different types of wine.
How do I run & host my Community Call when it's live? (back to top)
To run your Community Call, first find the Community Call page which will be in your myTalkShoe page, or search the directory for it. If it is live, it will be in the Live Now section. Next, click on the Purple Talk button. The TalkShoe Live! Pro application will then launch on your computer.
Next you'll see the TalkShoe Live! Pro screen on your computer, and your user ID at the top of the user list. You are now able to text-chat.
To dial in, click the Dial In button for instructions. Dial the phone number 724-444-7444 and enter your Community Call ID#, and 10-digit PIN you created at sign up. You should next see a phone icon next to your name on TalkShoe Live! Pro.
How do I record and store my Community Call? (back to top)
Public and Unlisted Community Calls can be recorded by the host when the Community Call starts. Simply click on the green RECORD button on TalkShoe Live! Pro. When you want to end the Community Call, click on the STOP button. The Community Call is then automatically recorded, stored, and listed on the Community Call page and the directory under the category you selected. The episode will appear on the website within 30 minutes after the Community Call has ended. Once it's listed other users can listen to, download or podcast the Community Call.
How private are Unlisted Group Calls? (back to top)
Only invited parties can join in or listen to your Unlisted Group Calls. They are not available through the public directory. However, two key points: Anyone specifically invited to any one of your Unlisted Community Calls receives a link to your Unlisted Community Call area and can listen to anything in it. Further, someone could guess your Unlisted Community Call ID. If you have sensitive recorded information, we recommend downloading the recording (MP3) and then deleting it from your directory and providing access through some other means.
Can I record Unlisted Group Community Calls? (back to top)
Yes. The host has the option to select recording from the TalkShoe Live! Pro. The recorded Community Call will only be listed under the host's myTalkShoe page. Only the host can invite others to listen to it.
How do I listen to a recording from my Community Call (private or public)? (back to top)
Community Calls are recorded on our conference bridge hardware and downloaded automatically to the website within 30 minutes of the end of the Community Call.
How do I reschedule an episode of my Community Call? (back to top)
1. Go to "myTalkShoe".
2. Your Community Calls are listed. Click Update on the one you'd like to reschedule.
3. On the next screen, you can change the Start Time, as well as the Title and other things.
4. Click "Update Episode" after you have chosen a new time.
If I create a Community Call will it appear on iTunes? (back to top)
Yes, you can list your Community Call on iTunes and other directories, and many already are. TalkShoe does this listing for some Community Calls. You can list on iTunes by yourself from the Community Call page. We also highly recommend you list on other podcast directories. These include Yahoo podcasts, Podcast Pickle, Podcast Alley, Podcast.net, Odeo, Zencast, Podfeed.net and Podcast411. Most importantly, you will need to copy and past your RSS Feed. The can be copied in three (3) ways.
1. Click on the "RSS/Podcast" button on the Community Call page. When the webpage opens, copy and paste the URL (at the top of the browser) into the appropriate place on the podcast directory site.
2. Go to myTalkShoe and open the Community Call page. Click on the "List on iTunes" page. There will be a URL under "Feed Link". Copy and paste this link.
3. On some versions of Internet Explorer, you can Right Click the "RSS/Podcast" button and go to Copy Shortcut. Then paste into the podcast directory.
How do I schedule my Community Call? (back to top)
During the Community Call creation process, you will be asked when you want your Community Call episode to begin (date, time). You can also have your Community Call start Right Now. You can change the time/date of your episode using the Update button next to the episode name.
Can I schedule a recurring Community Call? (back to top)
Scheduling a recurring Community Call episode is not supported at this time, but will be available in the future.
How can I make money with TalkShoe? (back to top)
There are two ways to make money with TalkShoe and the TalkShoe Cash Program.
Hosts who create top Community Calls can earn money based on their audience size and the ad revenues that TalkShoe generates from their shows.
Any TalkShoe member can earn money by referring potential hosts. You will make money based upon what your referred hosts earn.
Please see the TalkShoe Cash Program description (link here) and TalkShoe Cash FAQ (link here) for full details.
How do I invite people to join my Community Calls? (back to top)
Inviting people to your Community Calls works as follows:
1. The host adds people (using email and name) to his or her invite list under the Create web pages. TalkShoe also maintains a contact list for you on the website, which can be accessed from myTalkShoe.
2. Invitations (emails) are sent out to the users to join the Community Call.
3. In the future, TalkShoe will also invite registered TalkShoe users based upon matching their profile information and interests.
How does the Community Call content rating system work? (back to top)
For example, you may create a Community Call called "The Art of Winemaking". You may choose to host several weekly episodes for that Community Call. You might host an episode on "red wine", "Chardonnay", "buying grapes", or "adding oak to your wine". All of these episodes fall under the Art of Winemaking Community Call.
Alternatively, you may wish to create many Community Calls on different unrelated topics. In that case each Community Call is given a different name. Example unrelated Community Calls could be about "fantasy baseball", "George Bush", or "traveling to Europe", etc. Remember, each of these Community Calls can have multiple episodes.
The content rating system allows hosts to rate their own Community Calls according to the nature of its content. The rating system includes:
A – For all audiences
PC – For parental control
EX – For explicit
This is a self-rating system; however, members have the ability to help police the ratings after listening to a Community Call by adding a review, or reporting a concern to
. TalkShoe reserves the right to remove any Community Call.
Can other people review my Community Call? (back to top)
Like many websites, members have the ability to review, comment and rank Community Calls on a scale of 1 to 5. These review and rankings are available for viewing by all users on the individual Community Call page.
How are Community Call keywords used? (back to top)
The keywords you enter when you create a Community Call are used by the website search engine when users are trying to find a Community Call that interests them. In the future, we will also invite users to your Community Calls based upon keyword matching.
Will my Community Calls appear on Internet search engines? (back to top)
Yes. Your Community Call web pages are like any other page on the Internet and can be searched by search engines such as Google, MSN, Yahoo, Lycos, etc. You can also sign up for sponsorship services like Google Adwords and Overture, which drive Internet traffic specifically to your Community Call web pages. In the future, TalkShoe will provide this service to our users, but, for the time being, you can do this for yourself if you'd like.
How do I get listed as a Featured and Top Rated Community Call on the website? (back to top)
Top Rated and Featured Community Calls are displayed on several TalkShoe pages. Getting into these categories can be achieved by being one of the most popular Community Calls in terms of listeners and podcasters, highly rated, and in the future by signing up to be a sponsored Community Call.
How do I add my picture or image to my profile? (back to top)
Each Community Call is given a default category image. Posting a personal image will supported in the very near future with an Upload Image link under the image on your Community Call pages. Until then you can contact
How to I change the information in my Community Call or scheduled Episode? (back to top)
Select myTalkShoe and you will see a listing of your Community Call. Select a specific Community Call and you will be taken to its page. From this Community Call page you can change the information on the Community Call or on a specifc episode by selecting Update Community Call, or Update Episode.
Is there any equipment I need to host a Community Call, other than my computer and the download? (back to top)
No special equipment is required. Do note that if you want to run ("Host") your own Community Call or participate in one as a talker, you will also need a telephone. You may use a regular phone, a cell phone, or a Voice over IP (VoIP) phone.
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Host and User Profiles
Why should I create a host or listener profile? (back to top)
Profile information is used in several ways.
• Talkers and listeners will want to see information about who is hosting a Community Call.
• When you are on a Community Call, other participants can see your profile to learn more about you and increase social networking.
• We can tell what topics you are interested in and invite you to Community Calls which fit your profile.
• To connect you with people of like interests
You can edit your profile under myTalkShoe using myProfile.
TalkShoe keeps profile information completely private and will not give or sell this information to any outside website or service.
How do I create a profile? (back to top)
When you create a Community Call, you may optionally add a profile. You can also create your profile from your myTalkShoe page.
How do I edit my profile? (back to top)
Under myTalkShoe select myProfile.
How do I add my picture or image to my profile? (back to top)
Each Community Call is given a default category image. Posting a personal image will supported in the very near future with an Upload Image link under the image on your Community Call pages. Until then you can contact
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Live Hosting, Talking and Listening
Please visit the "Host and Community Call Creation" section of the FAQs.
What is TalkShoe Live! Pro and what does it do? (back to top)
TalkShoe Live! Pro is an advanced talk and chat engine. It has many features beyond those found in typical chat engines and conferencing websites including:
• 100s of voice talkers
• 1000s of listeners
• Start and stop audio recording
• See-who's-talking indication
• Mute and unmute (for hosts)
• Request-to-talk
• Chat by user name
• Chat threads
• Chat history
How do I join a live Community Call? (back to top)
Live, in progress Community Calls, are listed in the website directory under "Live Community Calls". Select the Community Call and click the Purple Talk button to launch TalkShoe Live! Pro on your computer. If you have not yet downloaded TalkShoe Live! Pro, you will be asked to do so. Then dial 1-724-444-7444. Enter your Community Call ID (which is shown on the directory and Community Call pages) and your 10-digit phone number or PIN.
Why do I need a PIN when I phone TalkShoe? (back to top)
Your 10-digit PIN uniquely identifies you. This lets the TalkShoe Live! Pro system know who you are and list you correctly. Your PIN is the phone number or alternative 10-digit number you registered with TalkShoe when you signed up. The dial in number for TalkShoe is 1-724-444-7444.
What's the difference between a talker and a listener? (back to top)
A talker is someone who is a live active member of the Community Call. Using TalkShoe Live! Pro you can talk (via telephone or VoIP client) and chat, and the host and other talkers and listeners will hear you.
A listener does not participate in the active Community Call. Rather, they hear the voice on their telephone or computer, and see the TalkShoe Live! Pro chat.
What controls does the host have during a Community Call? (back to top)
One of the important features of TalkShoe is that the host has control and can moderate the conversation. Controls have been put into TalkShoe Live! Pro to help create a rich user experience. Host controls include:
• Start and end the Community Call
• Mute voice and/or chat for a select talker
• Mute voice and/or chat for all talkers
• Take talkers off the Request-to-talk queue
How many talkers and listeners can be on a single Community Call (back to top)
One of the powers of TalkShoe is its ability to have many participants on a single Community Call. 1,000s can listen, and 100s of people can talk and chat during a single Community Call, which is more that most Community Calls will need. If it is anticipated that a single Community Call will draw more participants, please contact TalkShoe Support.
Does the number of talkers affect the quality of the Community Call? (back to top)
No! And this is one of the beauties of TalkShoe. Unlike websites which use only VoIP computer teleconferencing, TalkShoe uses the same sophisticated hardware that is used for high-quality business conferences. So no matter how many people are participating, the quality remains the same.
How do I review and rate a Community Call? (back to top)
Your reviews and ratings are important! After joining or listening to a Community Call you can review and rate it by going to that specific Community Call web page.
Will anything appear on my phone bill? (back to top)
You will be billed the normal charges of your telephone service. If you have free nights-and-weekends packages or a fixed-rate service plan, then your calls will be free. If you have a standard plan, then standard phone charges will apply for calling a (724) area code. If you are using a cell phone, minutes will apply to your usage. There will be no additional charges on your phone bill for TalkShoe services.
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Using TalkShoe Live! Pro
Do I have to download TalkShoe Live! Pro to my PC? (back to top)
Yes, the first time you join a Community Call you must download TalkShoe Live! Pro After that, the software is already loaded onto your computer. Each time you join a Community Call, the Website will check for updates and download the changes to TalkShoe Live! Pro
Is there anything else I need to download? (back to top)
In general, no. You will need to have an up-to-date browser such as Internet Explorer (IE) version 6 or later.
Can I talk and chat simultaneously? (back to top)
You bet! That's one of the primary differences between TalkShoe and other Websites.
Why do I need a PIN when I phone TalkShoe? (back to top)
Your 10-digit PIN uniquely identifies you. This lets the TalkShoe Live! Pro system know who you are and list you correctly. Your PIN is the phone number or alternative 10-digit number you registered with TalkShoe when you signed up. The dial in number for TalkShoe is 1-724-444-7444. If you use your telephone number, we will also be able to detect it using caller ID.
Can I listen to multiple Community Calls at the same time? (back to top)
No, but are you sure you want to be listening to two different Community Calls simultaneously? You can, however, use the chat engine on multiple Community Calls at the same time.
What is chat and phone muting? (back to top)
The purpose of muting control is to 1) prevent the "free-for-all" nature of standard chat rooms, 2) eliminate any unwanted or illicit conversations, and 3) allow the host to orchestrate the Community Call.
TalkShoe allows hosts to selectively mute talkers as they chose. This serves to create a quality experience for all participants and listeners. When muted, you can request to talk at any time.
How do I get un-muted? (back to top)
The host can un-mute you at any time. Alternatively, if you are muted and want to talk, you can use the Request-to-talk feature and you will be put in the queue which the host can see.
How do I chat using TalkShoe Live! Pro? (back to top)
TalkShoe Live! Pro is an advanced client that allows users to chat and talk at the same time. Use the window at the bottom left to enter a chat comment. Click on a chat comment to respond to that specific comment and create a color-coded thread. The host has the ability to mute any user's ability to chat, or can censor all chat comments from a user.
Who can see the chat session? (back to top)
All active talkers and listeners who are using TalkShoe Live! Pro If you are simply streaming the audio to your computer, you cannot chat. To chat, Sign Up as a user, and dial into the Community Call.
How do I see the chat history? (back to top)
Just use the scroll bar under the chat session and scroll to the left.
How do threads work on TalkShoe Live! Pro? (back to top)
The idea of threads is that people may want to respond to a specific comment by another chatter. Standard chat engines do not support this feature and it becomes impossible to tell who's chating to whom.
Using TalkShoe Live! Pro you can reply to a specific person by clicking on their chat comment. You will then see your chat window turn a different color matching the color of the comment you are responding to. In this way, many simultaneous chat threads can occur simultaneously.
Can I turn off the chat engine? (back to top)
No. The TalkShoe Live! Pro computer software includes many advanced features including chat, and is the heart of a live conversation. Therefore, the chat window must stay open at all times. Of course, you can choose to just ignore the chat.
What are the system requirements for TalkShoe Live! Pro (the download client)? Is a JVM client or any other application required? (back to top)
Our TalkShoe live client is dependent on a Java Runtime Environment (JRE). For the PC version of the product, the JRE is packaged and distributed with our download, which is why it is 12 MB. Our installation procedure keeps the JRE within our runtime directory structure in order to avoid any conflicts with your system. This also allows us to update it as necessary in future releases without causing conflicts with other Java-dependent applications on your computer.
For the MAC version of the product, we are not allowed to package and distribute the Apple JRE. You must install the JRE from the Apple website or perform an update of the JRE that comes installed with the OS. We are currently running against JRE version 1.5.
Also, a user's PC (Windows XP) or Mac should be newer machine, or at least equipped with sufficient memory for audio applications. It should use a reasonably recent version of Internet Explorer (6 or 7), Firefox, or Safari browser.
Note that the downloaded client is not required for just listening to recordings or just talking on the voice bridge; rather it is used for chatting (text) or hosting (controlling) a show.
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Listening to Recorded Community Calls
What are my options for listening or downloading a recorded Community Call? (back to top)
Live Community Calls are recorded for later listening or downloading. Just browse and search the directory and select a Community Call of interest. Once on the Community Call page you can choose an episode and then select "Listen" (with the round headphone icon), which will allow instant listening. In addition, you can download that episode to your PC for later listening or podcasting to your iPod or other MP3 device.
Do I need TalkShoe Live! Pro to listen or download? (back to top)
No. TalkShoe Live! Pro is only for listening to live conversations.
Do I need an iPod or MP3 player to listen to a recording Community Call? (back to top)
No. You can listen to a recorded Community Call on the TalkShoe website. If you want to download the file to your PC you can and then download it to your iPod or MP3.
Is there any cost to listening or downloading a Community Call? (back to top)
No.
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Problems
I can't Sign In. What should I do? (back to top)
There are several steps you can take if you can't Sign In.
1. Check to make sure you're using the correct user name and password and try signing in again.
2. Click "forgot your password" under login inputs, and report a concern. Your password will be sent to you via email.
I dialed the phone number, but the system won't take my PIN. (back to top)
First, your PIN is the 10-digit PIN or phone number you signed up with. If you can't remember it, look under myTalkShoe, then myPin. Your PIN will be listed there.
I've downloaded TalkShoe Live! Pro and clicked on Talk Live. I get an error: "Cannot connect to server." What is the likely issue? (back to top)
There are several reasons this may happen. One likely reason is that there is a firewall enabled which is blocking the use of TalkShoe Live! Pro from your home or office. One solution to this problem, if possible, is to turn off your firewall temporarily. The TalkShoe Live! Pro client requires access thru TCP Port 4900. If you are familiar with this operation, verify that this is open thru your software and/or hardware "firewall".
Can I use Skype to connect to TalkShoe? (back to top)
Yes. Although you may have a problem entering number keys (for Community Call ID and PIN). If this is a problem, try again. This is a known problem by Skype. Next, try downloading the most recent beta software from Skype (v2.5). If the problem persists, you can call in using your regular telephone or cell phone.
I am using a VoIP phone and I can't log into TalkShoe Live! Pro. (back to top)
Unfortunately, all VoIP phones and software are not the same. While TalkShoe does support VoIP services (such as Vonage, Skype out, Yahoo, etc.) and some SIP clients, there can be several issues.
• Some VoIP services have difficulty transmitting tones to enter the Community Call ID and PIN. Try again, and see if it works.
• It is possible that the Internet connection you have is congested.
• If all else fails contact your VoIP service provider or use a regular telephone.
Click here for more information.
I'm muted on the TalkShoe Live! Pro Arena. How to I get un-muted? (back to top)
The most likely reason is that the Community Call host has you muted for some reason, or may have muted you mistakenly. Click the Request-to-talk button to request to be un-muted. It is the host's option to keep you muted or un-mute you.
What if I still have questions? (back to top)
If you have questions that have not been answered, email us at
and we will get back to you.
How do I get rid of echo on my phone, meaning I can hear myself talking? (back to top)
There can be several sources of echo on a phone conversation. First, to reduce feedback, make sure the volume on your computer is turned down if you're also connected to TalkShoe via telephone. Second, turn down the volume on your telephone or VoIP phone. Third, hang up and dial back into TalkShoe. Finally, if none of these procedures work, you may have a problem with your telephone or service.
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