participation. Sometimes it is a bit confusing. This quick guide should help.
Below is a concise list of options you can use to improve your Issues Forum
experience:
1. Issues Forum Home Page
2. Reading Topics via the Web
3. Posting, Reply-to-All
4. Daily Topic Digest
5. Unsubscribing - How to Leave
6. Web Feeds
7. Photos
8. Files
9. Video
10. Member Directory, Your Profile, Your Own Web Feed
11. 24 Hour Posting Limit
12. Forum Statistics
13. Rules, Complaints
*1. Issues Forum Home Page
The main starting point for this forum on the web is:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls-poho
It describes the forum, shows latest topics, links to the charter and other
related community links and "wiki" pages we can all edit on
http://pages.e-democracy.org
*2. Reading Topics via the Web
Topics - The best place to quickly catch up is via the main Topics page:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls-poho/messages/topics.html
From this page you can find important "Sticky" topics like the place for an
informal Introduction where you can let everyone know a bit about yourself.
Access to posts by time, and a list of posts here:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls-poho/messages/posts.html
http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls-poho/messages/postsSummary.html?l=60
*3. Posting, Reply-to-All
To post to the forum via e-mail, send your message to:
mpls-poho@forums.e-democracy.org
To reply _publicly_ via e-mail to everyone, press "Reply-to-All" not just
reply. Being "public" is an expressed choice. Web replies are always public
replies, but you can request contact via someone's profile page if as a web
user you want to send a private reply.
To post or reply via the web, login on the top right, select the topic, scroll
to the comment box at the bottom or "Start a new topic"
*4. Daily Topic Digest
To receive a single e-mail with links to recent posts and topics, click just
below via e-mail:
mailto:mpls-poho@forums.e-democracy.org?Subject=digest%20on
Via web, "Log in" from the top right and then select "Your Name (profile)" and
note the e-mail setting options on your left. (You may also set the forum to no
mail and even upload an image of yourself that will be displayed with your
posts.)
*5. Unsubscribing - How to Leave
We recommend trying the digest version first, but if go you must ...
Click here to leave via e-mail:
mailto:mpls-poho@forums.e-democracy.org?Subject=unsubscribe
Via web, when logged in, look for the "Join or Leave" in the center just below
the forum introduction at:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls-poho
If you need to mpls-poho your e-mail address or add a back-up address, do that
via the web instead of leaving and creating a second account.
*6. Web Feeds
For those of you who would like to follow posts via a web feed, it is here:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls-poho/messages/posts.atom
*7. Photos
Share Pictures - To share pictures, simply attach to your e-mail or upload via
the web when posting to the forum. Photos are resized automatically and those
attached to the same topic become a manual slide show.
Upload Picture of You - To add your own photo to your profile (public bio) and
web version of your posts, via the web, "Log in" from the top right and then
select "Your Name (profile)" and click the change image option on your left. In
the _future_ we will resize profile images for you.
*8. Files
Just like pictures. Upload via the web or attach via e-mail. Big files are fine
because they are put on the server and not e-mailed to people.
*9. Video
Insert the web address from specific YouTube videos and the player will
automatically be displayed in the web view of posts. The content of the video
must be within the forum's scope and the usual forum rules apply.
*10. Member Directory, Your Profile, Your Own Web Feed
We promote Issues Forums as friendly public gatherings around a table. As
"citizens" engaging in public life, we have a right to know who is with us in
the room (meaning registered in the forum and able to post). This builds trust,
respect, and civility. If you are logged in to the website, from the member
list you can view the optional profile (bio) information other members have
chosen to share as well as posts they have made anywhere on public groups
across our forums site. See:
http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls-poho/members
Update Your Profile - "Log in" from the top right and then select "Your Name
(profile)" and click the change options on your left. Make sure your "Display
Name" is a version of your legal real name (you can add in a nickname in
addition to your full real name).
Personal Webfeed - At the bottom of your profile is a list of your "Latest
Posts" and at the bottom a link to "more." Select more and you'll see a "web
feed" orange icon option with just your latests posts. Use this to share your
posts via Facebook - http://blog.e-democracy.org/posts/179 - or if you have
your own blog or website, you can use the feed to display your posts on your
sidebar or something.
*11. 24 Hour Posting Limit
To spread the discussion out, reduce flaming, and maintain a posting volume
that allows e-mail to remain a viable option, most forums allow only two posts
in a 24 hour period per person. This can be frustrating for new members excited
to post frequently. If you adapt and allow others to diversify the voices on a
topic you can still post up to 14 times in a week. Plenty.
*12. Forum Statistics
In some forums it may seem that certain participants dominate, the statistics
often tell a different story. When 15% or more of registered members typically
post in a month we have more than doubled the usual participation rate in other
online forums/user generated content systems.
http://forums.e-democracy.org/groups/mpls-poho/stats.html
*13. Forum Manager, Rules, Complaints
Your local "charter" sits a top a universal set of rules which govern all
Issues Forums:
http://e-democracy.org/rules
Each Issues Forum has a volunteer Forum Manager. A volunteer. They are
empowered by E-Democracy.Org and your agreement to our rules (terms of service)
to facilitate the forum, enforce the rules, issues warnings, and suspend
members.
Forum Managers are not required to review or "pre-moderate" each post. You may
help us by filing a complaint - http://e-democracy.org/contact - on a specific
post to bring about a rule violation review.
They are accountable to their local community-wide steering committee/chapter
and a basic appeals process is provided when warnings reach a certain number.
Everyone enters an Issues Forum with a right to participate, but you can lose
your right to post in the future based on your forum actions. This is a
"citizen-based" initiative not administered by government. It is our shared
freedom of assembly which allows us to voluntarily define and impose rules on
ourselves. While participants do influence rule changes adopted by the
E-Democracy.Org Board, our model is not for everyone and does constrain notions
of unregulated "free speech" in order to promote civility and public
agenda-setting by maintaining access to a public audience.