eTrack Newsletter Frequently Asked Questions

1. What Is eTN?
2. I'm missing some eTN issues. How can I get back issues?
3. I can't find my T&FN subscription number how can I get it?
4. I forgot my password. How do I find out what it is?
5. How do I change the email address eTN messages are sent to?
6. I can't open the PDF file. What do I do?
7. I have Acrobat Reader installed but can't open the PDF. What's wrong?
8. My Outlook Express 6 says the PDF is dangerous! Should I open it?
9. Who can I contact about eTN registration problems?

What is eTN?

eTN is short for eTrack Newsletter, a results newsletter published 40+ times per year (42 in 2003) and weekly during the peak season. It is FREE with your T&FN magazine subscription. It provides extensive results from around the globe. Here is Editor Garry Hill's "From The Editor" column about eTN from the December 2002 issue.

REMEMBER WHEN YOUR MOTHER TOLD YOU, "If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is"? That was in the same set of lessons as, "Make sure you have clean underwear on—what if you break your leg and they have to take you to the hospital?" and "If you keep making that face it's going to stick that way" and "Never bring a knife to a gunfight."

Stay true to the last three choices, but note that in this instance, T&FN actually has a deal that while it sounds too good to be true, actually is true!

We're about to give you, dear reader, something for nothing. Something of real significance. We're going to give you‹no strings attached—free access to the best source of processed elite-meet results on the planet. That's right, I'm talking about our famous Track Newsletter, which since '56 has been the best print source available if you're interested in marks, marks, more marks, and then even more marks. I'm not talking about the old snail-mail version of TN however. This is the electronic version, eTN.

In '03, in 42 weeks of the year (including every week from the middle of January through the middle of September, when track is at its hottest, both domestically and internationally) you'll get an e-mail version of the newsletter. This means you're going to get huge improvements in two major areas:

• Speed—With a monthly magazine, by the time you factor in the preparation, printing and mailing aspects, it can take 6 weeks for results from the first weekend in the cycle to get into your hands in T&FN. That's obviously not acceptable in the modern world. Now you'll never have to wait more than a few days.
• Depth—TN has always provided far deeper results than the magazine pages can carry. And with far more splits and field-event series. As an example, here's the hot men's 4 x Mile from this year's Penn Relays. First, the magazine version.

4 x Mile: 1. Arkansas 16:09.84 (WL, CL) (10 W, 4 C) (Taylor 4:05.5, Lincoln 3:58.2, 
Mulvaney' 4:01.9, Cragg' 4:04.2); 2. Stanford 16:17.05 (AL) (7 A) (Sage 4:05.9, 
Robison 3:57.9, Riley 4:03.4, Jennings 4:09.9); 3. Villanova 16:20.83 (Jabaut 4:07.0, 
Parlapiano 4:01.7, Hayden' 4:04.7, Blincoe' 4:07.4); 4. Abilene Christian 16:38.30.

4 x Mile: 1. Arkansas 16:09.84 (WL, CL) (10 W, 4 C) (Taylor 4:05.5, Lincoln 3:58.2, 
Mulvaney' 4:01.9, Cragg' 4:04.2); 2. Stanford 16:17.05 (AL) (7 A)(Sage 4:05.9, 
Robison 3:57.9, Riley 4:03.4, Jennings 4:09.9); 3. Villanova 16:20.83 (Jabaut 4:07.0, 
Parlapiano 4:01.7, Hayden' 4:04.7, Blincoe' 4:07.4'); 4. Abilene Christian 16:38.30 
(Ndikumana' 4:09.2, Okello' 4:13.2, Manirakiza' 4:09.0, Kemboi' 4:06.9); 5. Iona 
16:39.38 (Riley' 4:06.9, Kovalsky 4:11.3, Connolly' 4:11.8, Reid' 4:09.4); 6. Brown 
16:39.83 (Buechel 4:11.8, O'Keefe 4:08.4, Tarpy 4:09.9, Johnson' 4:09.7); 7. American
 16:39.86 (Duffy 4:09.3, Malpigli 4:16.6, Seymour 4:08.1, O'Brien 4:05.9); 
8. Oklahoma State 16:42.24; 9. Navy 16:43.22; 10. Providence 16:46.19; 11. La Salle 
16:49.47; 12. Texas A&M 16:53.77; 13. Georgetown 17:07.33; 14. Loyola/Chicago 17:09.47; 
15. Michigan State 17:17.86.

Yes, you will be able to go to websites and get meet results faster than we can get them to you, and get them in more depth than even eTN will provide. In fact, with each major meet we list we'll even provide the necessary URL for you to do so. But what you won't get at the original sites is the marks put in a consistent order in an easy-to-read fashion, and with T&FN's extras—splits, positions on all-time lists, etc.—added. And with eTN you'll be able to create your own electronic library of results.

Surely, you ask, there must be a catch somewhere? Well, sort of. You have to own a computer with e-mail capacity (and our surveys tell us that almost all of you do). And you need to be able to download PDF files with Acrobat Reader. Virtually every computer sold today comes with this software in place—if your machine doesn't have it, you can download it for free. And you must be a paid-up subscriber to Track & Field News.

Whether you're intrigued or even just mildly interested at this point, the next step is yours. Please go to p. 52 and find the simple sign-up instructions.

(background music for this column sorta provided by Dire Straits—money for nothin', cheques for free)

I'm missing some eTN issues. How can I get back issues?

Point your web browser to http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/tfn/eTN/index.jsp. Once you get there sign-in; then click the eTN Archive link at the top of the page. From the eTN Archive you have access to every eTN since we began publishing it electronically in 2002.

I can't find my T&FN subscription number how can I get it?

Go tohttp://www.trackandfieldnews.com/tfn/eTN/index.jsp. Sign in. Once signed in click the "Sign-Up for eTN" link. Then click the "What is my Subscription Number?" link and enter as much information in the request for as possible.

I forgot my password. How do I find out what it is?

Go to https://www.trackandfieldnews.com/tfn/forgottenPassword.jsp. Enter your email address and we will send you your password.

How do I change the email address eTN messages are sent to?

Go to http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/tfn/eTN/index.jsp. Sign in. Once signed in click the "Update Registration Information" link. There you can change your email, password, etc.

I can't open the PDF file. What do I do?

1. Are you certain you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed on your machine? If you are go to "I have Acrobat Reader installed but can't open the PDF. What's wrong?"

2. Point your web browser to http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html. Select a language and the operating system your computer uses. Click the checkbox in Step 2. Click the Download button. You'll be asked if you want to open the file or save it to your computer. The file is a download manager (not the download itself). Click the Open button. Depending on your connection speed this file will take a few seconds (maybe as much as 2 minutes to open). After that the Adobe Download manager will begin running. Once it starts just click its Continue button. The files it downloads are fairly large so it may take as much as an hour to download if you're on a dial-up modem. The Acrobat Reader setup program will launch. Just follow the instructions (default settings on everything should be fine).

I have Acrobat Reader installed but can't open the PDF. What's wrong?

When we send eTNs we send large batches so it is not uncommon for a handful in each mailing to get corrupted either in the mailing process or on the way from our server to you. Anticipating this problem we set up the eTN Archive so you have instant access to eTN files. You can get a copy of the PDF that is corrupt and/or view a text-only version of the eTN by going to http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/tfn/eTN/index.jsp. Sign in (requires your email address and password), click eTN Archive, finally click the PDF or Text link for the eTN you want to see.

My Outlook Express 6 says the PDF is dangerous! Should I open it?

Outlook Express 6 is blocking all PDFs. PDFs are one of the safest types of attachment. We use regularly updated antivirus software on our machines and virus check all the PDFs before they are sent. You can change your Outlook Express settings to allow PDFs. See the following articles for further information:

http://www.novatone.net/mag/mailsec1.htm

http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=KB;EN-US;Q291387&

Who can I contact about eTN registration problems?

Go to http://www.trackandfieldnews.com/tfn/contactUs.jsp and send us a message. Include as much detail about the problem you're having as possible.