Please take a
few minutes to read through this page. Understanding how the Looking-Glass
"solar system" works means you are prepared for an easy and
safe journey around the coolest, most fascinating, compassionate web
environment… beyond cyberspace!
- Getting Around
- Safe Journey
- Useful information
and optimizing tips
- About our stores,
safe choice and spelling!
Some announcements.
If you have entered
this page straight from a search engine then please start your journey
from
the main entrance of Looking-Glass
Access to all
information in all areas of the Looking-Glass "solar system"
is free. In order for this entire web-based retreat for global compassionates
to support itself and the causes we represent we kindly ask you to
consider the following:
Please make use of the Good-Cause
Shopping Mall areas.
Please also use the Amazon
click-throughs whenever you wish to purchase CDs DVDs, books, games
and videos etc.
Each time you purchase through any of these shopping links via Looking-Glass
and VeggieGlobal, a few pence or cents of your purchase goes to our
cause at no extra cost to you. These few pennies can help keep this
site going and therefore the campaigns and compassionate causes we
represent and work with.
If you are a regular
visitor to Looking-Glass / VeggieGlobal and find the services and
resources we provide helpful to you, we also kindly ask that you consider
a donation.
Again, your generosity can greatly help the long term purpose and
survival of this unique web experience... its campaigns, projects,
and of course the various compassionate organizations we promote and
work with... through the Looking-Glass.
Donation
Link ...
STARS,
PLANETS, MOONS, GATEWAYS AND PATHS!
Looking-Glass is just
like a planetary system (in a galaxy far away!). The main URL (web
address) is www.looking-glass.co.uk
, Alternatively www.veggieglobal.com
is the entrance to the vegetarian planet and www.looking-glass.tv
is the creative arts and media planet. When you enter using the www.looking-glass.co.uk
address, you arrive at the chessboard landscape and then click
through to the main "homelands reception" page. As you would
have seen, this describes all the activities features and services
around the Looking-Glass Solar System.
Some of these other planets even have their own satellites (moons)
providing more detailed information or activities. Each planet or
moon around Looking-Glass is easy to navigate. But to make it as simple
as possible we provide various shortcuts and menus.... as well as
the fun Inteliporter.
Gateways are pages which lead you to links related to a specific subject
- like "Animal Gateway", "Humanitarian Gateway"
or" Environmental Gateway" etc...
Animal
Environmental
Humanitarian
Vegetarian
Well-Being
Campaigns
Columnists
Directories
Global
News
Good-Cause
Support
VeggieGlobal
also has it's own contents
and menu page.
VeggieGlobal
is a huge web site in itself, as well as being integrated and cross-linked
with the nucleus of Looking-Glass.
THE
INTELIPORTER 
On the
top of most pages (and at the bottom of others) you should see a small
dancing icon which kind of looks like a futuristic cell phone. In fact
this icon is your link to pick up your rather groovy Looking-Glass Inteliporter!
The Inteliporter is a planetary transporter and information device all
in one. Wherever you are, within the labyrinth of the Looking-Glass
Solar System you can pick up your Inteliporter and beam across to other
planets and moons.
You only need to collect your Inteliporter once when visiting Looking-Glass
- once you have picked it up you will find the Inteliporter tab at the
bottom of your desk top... click on that to bring the Inteliporter back
into view.
When using the Inteliporter, pages will tend not open to the full desktop
size, so remember to expand your page for maximum viewing enjoyment
of the Looking-Glass solar system. At VeggieGlobal you'll find the dancing
Inteliporter icon on top of the left main menu frame.
NOTE: If you have JAVA blocking on your browser settings the Inteliporter
won't show, so check your filter settings if it doesn't appear.
We are sorry but the Inteliporter may not display its blue screen properly
in some browsers. We suggest that you view Looking-Glass through Microsoft
Internet Explorer. On
the top of many pages you'll find a link to the "labyrinth map" - a
comprehensive sites map, which we recommend you use.
Apart from
the planet and moon hop there is the "labyrinth
map" which is an A to Z pathway list based on categories.
As a multi-site complex, Looking-Glass and VeggieGlobal doesn't have
a full cross-site search engine at the moment, but the Labyrinth map
will get you pretty close to what you are looking for. However, some
Looking-Glass sites such as the news site, Cult Digital and the Dreambeat
Listings do have their own search engines so that you can find specific
articles and subjects. Vegeterian Classifieds also has a search engine.
What's
this? 
This is
the Looking-Glass House. If you do get lost just click on the house
button, which you'll find on the top right hand of almost every page
within the Looking-Glass main site. The house button brings you back
to the Looking-Glass Homelands
Reception (the main editorial / contents page where
you can select normal "in frame" planets and moons and everything else
in the solar system! In VeggieGlobal just use the labyrinth link on
the top bar to get to Looking-Glass and a category list, (or just click
back to the front menu page of VeggieGlobal by clicking on the flowers
logo on the top of every page of www.veggieglobal.com.)
What's
this?
This is
the Lighthouse... a landmark feature inside the Dreambeat Dimension.
(you can find out about the dimension on the Looking-Glass in detail
pages) The Lighthouse provides a swift passage to the important issues
which require attention and interaction through your own compassionate
motivation. You'll find the Lighthouse
at the top of most pages at Looking-Glass and VeggieGlobal.
What'
this? 
This
is the SOS
Crisis International button. If there's an article anywhere
around the Looking-Glass Solar System relating to an incident, organization
or charity that may need volunteers urgently, then we display the red
flashing SOS button. Click on this and you will be taken to the SOS
Crisis International moon at www.veggieglobal.com.
PARENTAL
GUIDANCE AND FUN FOR EVERYONE.
Looking-Glass is the
only web system to provide clear, graphical warning about any aspect
which may require supervision or permission of parents and guardians.
Nearly all of the Looking-Glass solar system is suitable for children,
but where caution is recommended a
(PG) sign is
placed next to any links which follow through to a page that requires
parental guidance. The sign is also displayed clearly on the actual
page next to the title. More pg signs
are primarily displayed in the chat rooms as well as next to all links
which lead to chat rooms.
Although we don't expect Looking-Glass chat rooms to attract undesirables,
we feel it is better to point out the potential dangers of using such
forms of communication on the Internet. So, if you see your child
viewing a page with the
sign displayed
near the top left of the screen, then it is at your discretion as
a parent to act accordingly. Elsewhere on Looking-Glass, any odd "colourful"
words in the text will be entirely relevant to the subject matter
and not written without careful consideration. If there are however,
any pages that may be subject to parental guidance we will display
the
sign there also.
The
Subscription Forms
There is an age limit on the sites subscription forms. If your child
is under 16 and wishes to subscribe to the sites, parents are asked
to fill the forms on their behalf. This is just a double safety measure.
Although all subscription details remain secure and never passed to
third parties this extra precaution means that your child's identity
is safe.
VeggieGlobal
Free Subscription Form
Looking-Glass
Free Subscription Form
OPTIMIZING
YOUR VISITS TO THE LOOKING-GLASS "SOLAR SYSTEM"
Screen
Resolution...
Most modern computers now come with screens either 17" or larger. This
means that you are able to use your computer at a resolution above the
old 600X800 standards. Although the Looking-Glass Solar system can be
viewed at this limiting resolution, you are advised to reset your screen
settings to 1024X768. This will give you a much easier, comfortable
and navigable view of Looking-Glass. If you are using a 15" monitor
on an older system you could still set your screen to a higher resolution;
but first check that your graphics card and screen is capable of displaying
at this level.
TIP: When using Microsoft Internet Explorer etc. close up your "favorites"
or "search" bar on the left as this uses precious web viewing
space and squashes up the pages. You can easily bring the favorites
bar back again when you need it by clicking on the top bar "favorites"
icon.
PC TIP: Did you know that by clicking on F11 you can open up your browser
window to a completely fill the screen with the web page. Try it now
and toggle back and forth on F11 to expand and contract the browser
window back to normal. Using F11 can really open up your view into the
Looking-Glass Dimension!
It is highly
recommended that you explore Looking-Glass using only Microsoft Explorer.
It's unfortunate that some other browsers suffer from many bugs and
therefore some actions (like link highlights and "alt" text)
do not work. There are streaming audio sections in Looking-Glass and
the use of sound around the solar system will increase in the future.
So make sure you have a latest version of Real Player installed. If
you come across a page which alerts you that your Audio Player needs
updating to play the sounds, then follow the on-screen instructions
to download the update.
The Looking-Glass
Solar System is almost entirely "organic" in its web structure, (in
other words the pages are individually created by human hands rather
than script automation) Our links are therefore hand "written". Although
we are proud to say that all our links work almost 100% of the time,
there is always a slight margin for error when updating this 3000 plus-page
web experience (and rising!). If you come across a link which doesn't
seem to open a page as it should do, please contact
us with a description of the page and about the link that's
misbehaving! Your feedback is most appreciated. We want to ensure that
the Looking-Glass solar system becomes your most reliable site on the
web as well as your classic wonderland of peace, compassion quality
and style… a dimension away from the Internet rush hour!
INFORMATION
ABOUT OUR "STORES"
As with all shopping
purchases through the Looking-Glass solar system (including VeggieGlobal),
every time you buy something - either through our Amazon links or
other shop banner links - Looking-Glass receives a few pence from
your purchase. This is at no extra cost to you. This money goes to
help keep the sites running - and in turn helps us provide vital work
and services for the various charitable organizations and projects
featured around the sites. We make every effort to ensure that items
we promote for sale through our Internet shopping affiliations do
not contain animal derivatives and have not been tested on them. However
the stores we are affiliated with on "The
Mall Across The World" site include" general"
shopping stores. We suggest you read our specific policies
on "The
Mall" site to understand our ethics and reasoning
for including some of these general stores.
Is this
your "favorite" site or your "favourite" site?!…
A word about Anglo-Americanisms.
To the horror of traditional
English language purists, the Internet is converging English into a
cocktail of cross-Atlantic spellings. In true nonpolitical form, Looking-Glass
takes the mid Atlantic option and uses both American and Anglo spellings
throughout its editorials… It seems the fairest and most practical way
to keep everyone happy! By
the way, did you know that the site's spelling of "Looking-Glass"
with the hyphen is the correct historical spelling... so don't get confused
with any other looking-glass sites on the web with incorrect spellings!
And remember, we are www.looking-glass.co.uk
and our creative arts site is www.looking-glass.tv (and of course we
are www.veggieglobal.com)
but we are not "looking-glass.com".
Now
read the guided introduction to Looking-Glass, its future... and perhaps
yours
page
menu
The
guided introduction
An introduction to the Dreambeat
Tired of dumbing down? ....Evolve
Looking-Glass in
detail
A
path to the dimension preview
Back
to the page you last visited
Sign
in and introduce yourself
To
the Looking-Glass homelands page (main contents)
To VeggieGlobal's
main contents page
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