If you’ve been having trouble seeing the National Aviary’s streaming webcams, here are some technical tips on what to do.

• If you used to be able to see the stream but now see a big, white, spinning circle or no video at all:  This means your computer thinks it’s connected to the stream but it it isn’t.  To set it straight, close all your browser windows.  Then open one browser window — !do not go to the webcam pages yet! — and empty cache.  To empty cache in Internet Explorer 8, choose Tools > Internet Options > [Delete] browsing history.   To really convince your computer to behave, reboot it, empty cache and don’t view either of the streaming videos until your computer has been running for about 5 minutes.
• Chat problems:
  • Chat does not work on the Gulf Tower webpage.  You can sign in but you’ll see nothing.
  • If you sign into Gulf Tower chat it may confuse your computer.  Close your browser windows and reopen.  Only sign in to Cathedral of Learning chat.
• If you’re having problems all the time:
  • Wildearth has learned that Firefox’s update 3.6 does not work with their web pages.  NOTE ON MARCH 23:  Firefox 3.6.2 does work.  If your Firefox is not on that version, you’ll need to update it
  • If you don’t have java enabled on your computer, you won’t be able to see the streams.
• AUDIO WITH NO VIDEO was fixed (we hope) on March 24:  If you can hear the audio and see the ads but have no video, then empty your browser’s cache and reload the page.  In Internet Explorer 8, choose Tools > Internet Options > [Delete] browsing history.

If your problems persist after this Wednesday, please leave a comment here and I will forward it to the National Aviary or you can contact them yourself.