.exe (Executable): These files are windows executables; they normally don’t need any type of extra program to open them. Simply open these file types regularly, and everything will be done for you. These files will rarely be on the site, unless I decide to put a good program up.
.zip (Zip Archive): These files are zipped archives. A zip file usually means that the file is compressed; it can be thought of as ’shrunken’, to reduce file size. Many files can be placed into a zip file, and these files are extracted onto a folder on your computer. Many operating systems (Windows, Mac) can now handle zip files automatically, but there are other archival programs such as WinRar that will handle .zip files as well as other archive file types. These files will be featured on the site frequently, so it is recommended that you download WinRar to be able to handle them.

.rar (WinRar Compressed Archive): This is another widely used archive file type. .rar files are WinRar Compressed Archives. These files can come in two forms: the first form, files with the .rar extension, operate similar to .zip files, except they must be opened with WinRar. The second form, files with the extension .r00-.r99, are known as split archives. This means that a regular archive is split into many different files, each file having an extension of .r00-.r99. Note that each of the split archives is needed to extract the file: if there are 20 split archives, and you’re missing .r17, you won’t be able to extract it. These files will also be featured on the site frequently, so it is recommended that you get WinRar.

.iso/.cue/.mds/etc (Image Files): These file types are image files, usually meaning they are the file equivalent of a CD or DVD. These files cannot be handled regularly; a special program is needed to mount these file types. Personally, I have always used Daemon Tools. Once these files are mounted, they will operate as if a real CD has been entered onto your computer. These files won’t be featured that often, occasionally with some programs, and rarely a music dvd.

These are the general types of files that will be used on the site. As more file types are discussed, I will list them here for future reference.

Comment Bubble/Comment Link: This icon/link will be at the bottom of most posts. The Bubble can only be clicked on when you’re viewing a single post; it will send you straight to the comments on that page. Clicking on the link when viewing Home Page, Search Results, Categories, Tags, or Archive will send you to the single page view of that post, and directly to the comments below the post.

ShareThis: A nifty little feature developed by the ShareThis company, this icon/link allows you to share a given post. It allows you to share posts via various Internet Bookmarking sites such as Digg, Technorati, and NewsVine, as well as sharing through Email, MySpace, FaceBook, and even AIM. I strongly encourage all users to use this function, as it will help to get more users to the site, which will of course increase the quality of the site. If you can’t donate, at least use the ShareThis function; it’s free, harmless, and can help to spread the word about Music Bolt.

Permalink: Simple enough, this link is just a direct link to the post. This link can be given to friends, or used when referring to the post elsewhere. As the name implies, this is the permanent link to the given post.

Related Posts: This link will simply search for related posts to a given post.

Stars (Rating): These star icons are a rating tool; simply drag your mouse over the stars of a given post to give them a rating of 1-5, 1 being the lowest and 5 being the highest. The top rated posts will appear on the left side of the page, so vote often!

By default, there will usually be one or two download links associated with a given download post: These links, unless noted as freebie links, will most likely have a password retrieved by completely a one-page promotion by the site’s sponsors. However, if you have VIP Status, then you will be able to view the password right below the download links, without having to fill out a sponsor page! These links will be maintained, meaning if they go down or die, they will be replaced as soon as complaints are received about the links being down. If you need any assistance with any type of download or password, please click on the Contact link, shown at the bottom of the page.

Upon making a generous donation to the site, you will be given VIP status for a certain amount of days. The current rates for VIP status are as followed:

• A $3.00 donation will get you a One Day VIP Trial.
• A $15.00 donation will get you 15 Days VIP.
• A $25.00 donation will get you 30 Days VIP.
• A $40.00 donation will get you 60 Days VIP.

Upon donating, your PayPal (don’t worry, even if you don’t have PayPal, you can still donate) account will automatically get billed again after a certain amount of days pass, depending on your donation amount. For example, if you donate $40.00, you will get billed for your donation amount every 60 days. Of course, there are discounts as the donation amounts increase.

NOTE: DO NOT SUBSCRIBE TWICE ON THE VIP PAGE. IF YOU WISH TO ADD MORE DAYS, CONTACT ME AND THAT WILL BE ARRANGED.

Now, for the perks. As a user with VIP status, you will receive more benefits and more access than a regular user would. For example:

• Access to Premium Content/Passwords
• Ability to be eligible for Prizes, Raffles, and More Rewards
  
• Access to XXX (Adult) Content (Coming Soon!)
• Ability to apply for Content Contributor positions (All Contributors get Lifetime Free VIP Access)
• No Ads!

All donations are appreciated, and all users who continually show support for the site by donating will always receive added benefits, even ones that are not listed before. Any contest or raffle that ever takes place on the site will only be accessible by VIP users. Any prize that is ever given out by the site will only be given to a VIP user (except the prize of free VIP access, of course.) That being said, feel free to donate; you definitely won’t be feeling unaccounted for if you do decide to be generous.