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	INSPIRE FAQ (frequently asked questions)

This page is under continual development. Please feel free to send us requests for help or clarification! Our answers to frequently asked questions will be collected here.

1. I have problems submitting information, because the "Submit" button doesn't work.

   This is either because your browser does not support JavaScript or because JavaScript has been turned off in your browser.

   • Please verify that you are using Netscape version 2.0 or above. If not, click here to download the latest version of Netscape Navigator. Note that INSPIRE currently does not support Microsoft's Internet Explorer.
   • If you are running Netscape 2.0, choose Options | Security Preferences | General and turn on JavaScript by unchecking the Disable JavaScript box.
   • If you are using Netscape 3.0, choose Options | Network Preferences | Languages and turn on JavaScript by checking the Enable JavaScript box.
   • If you are using Netscape 4.x, choose Edit | Preferences | Advanced  and turn on JavaScript by checking the Enable JavaScript box.

2. I have requested a negotiation already. When can I start my negotiation?

   Your negotiation will be set up typically within 2-3 days. INSPIRE will notify you via e-mail (specifying your negotiation name and user name), after which you can start your negotiation right away.

3. I have had no response from my counterpart for several days. What shall I do?

   Since you are a representative of your organization (as described in your negotiation case), consider what other professional negotiators would do in the same situation. Send repeated messages? New offers? Can you come up with other tactics to get your counterpart to the table?

   Also, see the next question.

4. I have had no response from my counterpart at all for a really long time and I have run out of ideas. Please help!

   First consider the possibility that this may be an intentional tactic used by your counterpart to increase the pressure as your deadline draws near.

   It does sometimes happen that a person who requested an INSPIRE negotiation fails to return to the site. So please contact the INSPIRE administrators when everything you have tried has failed to elicit any response. We will either confirm that your counterpart has not disappeared, or we will hook you up with a new counterpart.

5. I have sent an offer and my counterpart has not yet responded to it. INSPIRE shows me a "Waiting for response" page. Can I send a second offer instead of waiting?

   Yes, you can make consecutive offers without waiting for your counterpart. Click on the "Make an offer" link in the menubar at the bottom of your page. There is also a link in the menubar that allows you to just "Send a message" instead of an offer.

6. How do I change my preference ratings?

   You can change your preferences during an INSPIRE negotiation using the menu buttons at the bottom of your page. (e.g., the "Issue Ratings" button.) However, you can do so only before you reach your first agreement. After that, the system enters a mediation stage (post-settlement) during which it needs stable preferences in order to determine which packages can be jointly improved.

7. If I can see my counterpart's scores on the history graph, it follows that my counterpart can see my scores, which I don't like. So INSPIRE cannot be used in real-life negotiations, can it?

   In the first place, you can't see your counterpart's ratings, nor can your counterpart see yours. The graph does show a curve for your counterpart's offers, but the curve is computed according to your preference ratings, not your counterpart's! Likewise, the score shown next to each package on the offer construction pages is computed from your own preference ratings---the score is supposed to summarize how valuable you think the package is, regardless of whether you or your counterpart offered the package to the other. Your counterpart's scores and graph will be totally different from yours since he or she will have provided a totally different set of preference ratings. In short INSPIRE never reveals your preferences to your counterpart (or your counterpart's to you) and is safe for real-life negotiations.

8. Can I look at on-going negotiations?

   Sorry, you cannot: there are privacy issues involved. However, you can read about the negotiation process by looking at the demo.