"Okay, c'mon... HAMSTERster?! Is this a joke?"

It is intended to be amusing but is not a complete joke. After Dogster became a hit, HAMSTERster was a natural addition to the list of community sites modeled after the O.G., Friendster. The addition of "ster" to a word which already ends with those four letters only accentuates how silly the names of these sites are in the first place. However, the internet is a place for everyone, and thus the hamsters and hamster lovers (get your mind out of the gutter) should have their place, too. This site has not been created to make money (seriously) but simply for fun.

"So, why not just use hamster.com?"

I believe that would be put to better use as the community site for pigs. Besides, some stupid search engine place already owns it.

"If this site is for hamsters, why are gerbils on here, too?"

Well, I'd be surprised if anyone would ever take the time to make Gerbilster, so I decided to be nice and let them be a part of the fun as well. I thought that they were similar enough animals to share a (cyber)space together. Besides, I once had both hamsters and gerbils as pets (though not at the same time) and loved them all, except when they bit me. I was considering making the site strictly hamsters — not that I have anything against gerbils or any other animal. In fact, I love all animals (which is one of the reasons why I am vegetarian). Unfortunately, this site was not intended to be a community for every rodent or small mammal. The problem is simply where to draw the line. Gerbil owners have not been very receptive to this site so far, but they are still welcome to add their pets.

"How much does it cost to be a member of this site?"

Absolutely nothing — all you need is a connection to the internet and a valid email address. This site was created simply for fun and not to make money (believe me; it's not making any). However, keeping this site online does cost money each month. I don't want to bombard everybody with ads because I know they can be annoying, so I have tried to keep them to a minimum. I have added only one small, rotating ad which appears on the left side of almost every page. If you are planning on purchasing something from one of those websites, clicking to it via one of these links would be awesome. In addition, I will always gratefully accept contributions via PayPal, which can be made by clicking the button on the left. (Please understand that asking for $1 minimum is only because of fees incurred with each transaction and not because I am greedy.) However, you are under no obligation to contribute and are never required to pay anything to join or view the site. I just hope that you find enough value in this site to help maintain it in any way that you may be able.

(If you want to help in a way other than monetarily, please spread the word by linking HAMSTERster on your site and let all of your friends who own hamsters know about it. See below if you would like to use the buttons or flyer that I made, or feel free to make your own.)

"Why do you need my email address?"

First of all, do not think that your email addresses are being harvested and sold for spam use because I HATE SPAM more than anybody. Your email address will never be accessed by anybody other than myself. A valid email address is necessary simply for the communication processes involved with this site. First, even if you opt out of receiving occasional updates, I may need to get in touch with you about something else regarding your account or your pet profiles. Second, if you allow other registered users to contact you, your email address must be valid so that messages to you don't bounce. In addition, if you contact other registered users, your email address must be valid so that they may reply to your message. Your email address is also used to log in and access your account on the site. And if you forget your password, the only way to get it is by having a valid email address associated with your account. Please understand that a valid email address is very important to your usage of this site and will not be used for any reason other than what has just been stated. Because of this, I may delete your account if your registration email bounces.

"Why do I have to upload a picture when I add my pet?"

If you're going to take the time to add your pet to the site, don't you want everybody to actually see what it looks like? Besides, if there were no pictures in the profiles, this site would be pretty boring. Profiles with pictures that are obviously not your hamster (like the ones weightlifting or playing guitar) will be deleted immediately. If you do not have a picture of your pet yet, please do not add it to the site.

"Why can't I upload more than one picture?"

Honestly, I do not have enough server space at the time. However, if this site gets so popular that it has to move to another server with more space, then maybe I will implement the use of multiple pictures. I don't want to move it until it's necessary (or until this site is supported by the store, which is nowhere near happening yet), so one picture will have to suffice for now. Just make sure it's a good one. If you have another webpage with pictures of your pet, you may add it to your pet's profile, too.

"My hamster is no longer alive. Can I still add him/her?"

Yes. If you would like to make a profile in remembrance of your deceased yet beloved pet, just remember to check the box that says it has gone to Hamster Heaven when you add it.

"How do I make another hamster part of my hamster's family?"

When you are logged in and add another pet, it will automatically be listed as part of your other pet's family. There is no way to make a pet that somebody else listed part of your pet's family. Please do not make a separate account for each of your pets.

"How do I make another hamster friends with mine?"

When you are logged in, simply browse through the profiles on the site. When you find a pet that you know or like, click the button that says "Befriend Him/Her." That pet will automatically be added to your family's list of friends. If you don't want them to be friends with your whole family, such as when one or more of your pets have passed away, you can edit each of your pets' friends lists through your account and delete any pet you choose not to befriend from their list. However, if you want to befriend their whole family, you will have to click the button for each member individually. An email will be sent to the owner, to let them know that they have a new friend. They will have to agree that they are friends with your pet before your pets will be listed as friends on their profile pages. You can always edit your friends list by going to "My Account" and clicking where it says "EDIT [Your Pet's Name]'s Friends."

"Somebody is using a stolen photograph and claiming it is their pet. What should I do?"

Believe it or not, this has happened before. I don't understand why anybody would take the time to make a fake profile on this site, but it is done repeatedly. If you notice a picture that belongs to you or somebody else being used improperly in a profile, please use the contact form to let me know about it. I delete fake profiles and ban any user who makes one whenever I catch them, but some are not as obvious as others. I would appreciate your help if you ever notice a fake profile that I have not caught. In addition, please let me know if you ever receive harrassing messages from another member of this site. I have no tolerance for this behavior.

"Why does the logo include a wire wheel? Those are harmful to both hamsters and gerbils."

While I don't necessarily condone their use, my intention was simply to include an object associated with hamsters that would be instantly recogizable — especially while small in size and monochromatic. If I can find another object which meets that criteria, I will gladly change it.

"Why does hampsterster.com forward to this site?"

Simply because many people seem to think that is how to spell "hamster" (as evidenced by a certain site containing dancing ones, which somehow even spawned an album with the same misspelling). I bought that domain temporarily until this site is established on its own. After it expires, you'll have to learn how to spell in order to get back here because it will probably be snatched up by another stupid search engine place. Please do not link to this site using the misspelled domain, as I don't want to encourage people to spell "hamster" that way.

"How can I help spread the word about HAMSTERster?"

First of all, you can simply tell your friends about the site, but I probably don't need to tell you that. Or you can send them an email through the site when you find a pet that you think they may enjoy seeing. You can also add a button that links back to this site on your website. You are welcome to make your own buttons, but below are a couple that I made. If you would like to use one of these, first save it (right click on a PC) and upload it to your own webspace. Then copy and paste the code below into the page you wish to display it on. Depending on how your site is set up, you may need to edit the file location.

<a href="http://www.hamsterster.com/" target="_blank"><img src="hamsterster_link.gif" width="100" height="35" alt="See him and others at HAMSTERster.com!" border="0"></a>

<a href="http://www.hamsterster.com/" target="_blank"><img src="hamsterster_link2.gif" width="100" height="35" alt="I &hearts; HAMSTERS (and HAMSTERster.com)" border="0"></a>

Though it involves slightly more work than the other options, I also made a flyer that you can download, print, and hang up wherever you think it may catch the eye of fellow hamster lovers. If you work at a pet store or a veterinarian's office that allows flyers to be posted, that would be especially awesome. Click on the image to the left to view the PDF file (you will need Adobe Reader, but you don't need to upgrade if you already have it), which you can then save and print out at your leisure. Before you hang it up, just be sure to cut the bottom strips along the dotted lines so people can take the URL with them. Whether you help by choosing one of these suggestions or simply remaining an active user of this site, I sincerely appreciate your support!

"So, what is the real deal with this site, anyway?"

It was created, coded, and is currently maintained solely by me, David Hornbuckle. (I may say "we" and "us" occasionally because it seems to sound more "professional.") I thought it was an idea that was entertaining enough to pursue and finally wanted to make a site which runs off of a database. I have been using PHP here and there for a while but never ventured into using MySQL databases. I never had any real reason to do so before because I don't usually make very elaborate websites with tons of information or products to sell. After a few weeks of work and many coding books skimmed for information, I finally finished HAMSTERster (making only minor changes since then), my first database-driven site. However, I am not a hamster expert, so please advise me as necessary; your input is always appreciated. As of now, I only have a dog.