Frequently Asked Questions
If you need help, the answer to your question is likely to be found on this page.
Your Account
I can't login, or I forgot my username or password.
If you can't login, check to make sure that your "caps lock" key is off. Your username and password are CaSe SeNsItIvE. If you still cannot login, you can request to reset your password or contact us.
How can I delete my account?
If you are aboslutely sure that you want to delete your account, you can do so here. Please note that your account will be permanently deleted and irrecoverable!
How can I update my profile?
To update your profile, you must visit the Edit Profile page. You can move through the different parts of your profile by clicking the tabs at the top of the page.
How can I report an error or other problem with the site?
To report an error or problem with the site, you can contact us here.
How do I change my password from the defaul password emailed to me?
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "Settings." A drop down box should appear. Click on "Account Settings."
2. Click on the "Change Password" tab.
3. Type in the old password in the box to the right of "Old Password"
4. Type in your new password in the boxes to the right of "New Password" and "Confirm New Password"
5. Click "Save Changes."
2. Click on the "Change Password" tab.
3. Type in the old password in the box to the right of "Old Password"
4. Type in your new password in the boxes to the right of "New Password" and "Confirm New Password"
5. Click "Save Changes."
Reporting Abuse
How can I deal with someone that is bothering me?
If someone is bothering or harassing you, blocking them is usually the best solution. Visit the Account Settings page to learn how to block people. If someone continues to harass you despite your efforts, you can report them here.
How can I report spam or other inappropriate content?
You can report spam, pornography, or any other inappropriate content here, or by clicking the "Report" link on the page containing the content you wish to report.
Privacy
Is my information kept private?
Absolutely. We do not share any personally identifying information about you to any third party.
How can I make my profile private?
If the administrator has enabled it, you can make your profile private by visiting the Account Privacy page.
How can I block users from contacting me?
You can block people by adding their username to your blocked users list. Visit the Account Settings page to learn more about how to block people.
Friends
What is the difference between groups and friends?
Groups are available to anyone who wants to be a member, subject to the group owner's approval. These generally center around a geography (i.e. your county group to which automatically join on signup) or a topic of interest. You can belong to a number of different groups (a maximum of ten). Friendships are connections between you and other people which must be verified both ways (i.e. both members must approve of the friendship). Unlike groups, two people in your circle or friends are not necessarily in each other's circle of friends.
How do I invite someone to be my friend?
By default, if you see a username of someone who is not your friend, an "Add to My Friends" button will appear next to that person's name. Click on that button to bring up the "Add to My Friends" box. From here:
1. Select the Friend type from the dropdown box next to "Friend Type:" (Significant Other, Friend, Co-Worker, Neighbor, or Other:) If you select Other: another box will appear to the right for you to write something more descriptive.
2. In the box below "How do you know this person?" you can optionally type in notes on how you know this person, etc.
3. Click "Add Friend."
4. When the friend confirms the friendship, the friendship will be automatically added to your list.
1. Select the Friend type from the dropdown box next to "Friend Type:" (Significant Other, Friend, Co-Worker, Neighbor, or Other:) If you select Other: another box will appear to the right for you to write something more descriptive.
2. In the box below "How do you know this person?" you can optionally type in notes on how you know this person, etc.
3. Click "Add Friend."
4. When the friend confirms the friendship, the friendship will be automatically added to your list.
How do I view my list of friends?
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "Friends." A drop down box should appear. Click on "View My Friends."
2. A list of your current friends will appear.
How do I find additional people to invite to be a friend?
There are a variety of ways to find new friends listed below:
A. Browse through your current groups.
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "My Apps." A drop down box should appear. Click on "Groups."
2. Select one of your groups.
3. Select the "Members" tab. A list of group members will appear.
4. To the left of each group member you are not friends with, the "Add to My Friends" button will appear. Click on this button to add this person to your friends list as described in "How do I invite someone to be my friend?"
B. Find friends of current friends.
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "Friends." A drop down box should appear. Click on "View My Friends."
2. A list of friends will appear. Select the View [username]'s friends next to a friends username.
3. You will be taken to a list of this person's friends. To add one of these members to your friends list select "Add to My Friends" as described in "How do I invite someone to be my friend?"
C. Meet someone in the chat room (this should be more active when people are on the line during the weekly conference calls).
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "My Apps." A drop down box should appear. Click on "Chat."
2. The chat room will load. A list of members currently in the chat room will appear to the right. You can click on that membername to get more details on that member.
3. Click on "Add to My Friends" for any members you want to add to your friends list as described in "How do I invite someone to be my friend?"
2. A list of your current friends will appear.
How do I find additional people to invite to be a friend?
There are a variety of ways to find new friends listed below:
A. Browse through your current groups.
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "My Apps." A drop down box should appear. Click on "Groups."
2. Select one of your groups.
3. Select the "Members" tab. A list of group members will appear.
4. To the left of each group member you are not friends with, the "Add to My Friends" button will appear. Click on this button to add this person to your friends list as described in "How do I invite someone to be my friend?"
B. Find friends of current friends.
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "Friends." A drop down box should appear. Click on "View My Friends."
2. A list of friends will appear. Select the View [username]'s friends next to a friends username.
3. You will be taken to a list of this person's friends. To add one of these members to your friends list select "Add to My Friends" as described in "How do I invite someone to be my friend?"
C. Meet someone in the chat room (this should be more active when people are on the line during the weekly conference calls).
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "My Apps." A drop down box should appear. Click on "Chat."
2. The chat room will load. A list of members currently in the chat room will appear to the right. You can click on that membername to get more details on that member.
3. Click on "Add to My Friends" for any members you want to add to your friends list as described in "How do I invite someone to be my friend?"
How do I approve friendships?
If you receive a friendship request, a red update will appear in the top right corner of the screen. If you click on this update and click on the relevant item, it should take you right to the appropriate place to approve the friendship. Alternately, you can:
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "Friends." A drop down box should appear. Click on "View Incoming Friends Requests."
2. Select the appropriate request and you will be given the option of approving it.
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "Friends." A drop down box should appear. Click on "View Incoming Friends Requests."
2. Select the appropriate request and you will be given the option of approving it.
Groups
How do I find other groups I might be interested in joining?
There are several ways to find a group that you might be interested in. The easiest is to use the network's "search" feature. You can also browse through the various groups to find one you are interested in.
A. Using the Search Box
1. Go to the "search" box in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Type in a keyword related to a group you are looking for in the box to the right side of "search." If you are looking for a particular county put for example "Kootenai County." If you are looking for a group on gardening, type "gardening." Press enter and the web browser should execute the search.
2. A tabbed box should display the relevant search results. The center tab should say # groups, where # represents the number of groups that the search found. Click on this tab.
3. A list of groups is displayed. Click on a group to get more details on it.
B. Browse through the groups.
1. Click on the word "Groups" at the very top of the screen.
2. A list of groups will populate the screen. There are thousands of them so you will want to narrow them down by using the categories in the left hand corner in the screen. For example, if you are looking for a group in a given state, click on the state in the box to the left of the screen that should list all the states. You can then scroll through the groups to find the one your want.
A. Using the Search Box
1. Go to the "search" box in the upper right hand corner of the screen. Type in a keyword related to a group you are looking for in the box to the right side of "search." If you are looking for a particular county put for example "Kootenai County." If you are looking for a group on gardening, type "gardening." Press enter and the web browser should execute the search.
2. A tabbed box should display the relevant search results. The center tab should say # groups, where # represents the number of groups that the search found. Click on this tab.
3. A list of groups is displayed. Click on a group to get more details on it.
B. Browse through the groups.
1. Click on the word "Groups" at the very top of the screen.
2. A list of groups will populate the screen. There are thousands of them so you will want to narrow them down by using the categories in the left hand corner in the screen. For example, if you are looking for a group in a given state, click on the state in the box to the left of the screen that should list all the states. You can then scroll through the groups to find the one your want.
How do I join other groups?
1. Find a group that you are interested in joining by using the "search" box in the upper right hand corner of the screen or by browsing through the groups by clicking "Groups" at the top of the screen (see "How do I find other groups I might be interested in joining?"). Click on the group you are interested in joining.
2. Hit "Join this Group."
3. Box will appear and say "Are you sure you want to join this group?". Click "Join this Group" to apply to join the group. Click "Cancel" if you do not want to join the group.4. The owner of the group will have to approve the request for you to join the group. When you are approved the group will appear in "My Groups" which you can access by hitting the triangle to the right of "My Apps" and select "Groups."
2. Hit "Join this Group."
3. Box will appear and say "Are you sure you want to join this group?". Click "Join this Group" to apply to join the group. Click "Cancel" if you do not want to join the group.4. The owner of the group will have to approve the request for you to join the group. When you are approved the group will appear in "My Groups" which you can access by hitting the triangle to the right of "My Apps" and select "Groups."
How can I create a new group?
All new groups need to be approved by the Webmaster. In order to request that the new group be created go through the following process:
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "My Apps." A drop down box should appear. Click on "Groups."
2. Click on the text "Request New Group" to the left of the screen.
3. Fill in a title for the Group in the box to the right of "Group Name*."
4. Give a detailed description on what the group is about under "Group Description." Make sure that it is detailed enough so that we can determine if the group is appropriate for the network.
5. Chose a category for the group by selecting the appropriate category in the box to the right of "Group Category*" Depending on the category you select another box might appear for you to select a subcategory.
6. There are a number of different options relating to the group which can be modified by selecting the appropriate radio button in the questions that follow. These include settings relating to whether members need to be invited to join and various privacy settings.
7. When you are finished filling out all information regarding the group click on "Request New Group." The screen should return back to the "My Groups" page. You will be notified when a decision has been made regarding the creation of the group.
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "My Apps." A drop down box should appear. Click on "Groups."
2. Click on the text "Request New Group" to the left of the screen.
3. Fill in a title for the Group in the box to the right of "Group Name*."
4. Give a detailed description on what the group is about under "Group Description." Make sure that it is detailed enough so that we can determine if the group is appropriate for the network.
5. Chose a category for the group by selecting the appropriate category in the box to the right of "Group Category*" Depending on the category you select another box might appear for you to select a subcategory.
6. There are a number of different options relating to the group which can be modified by selecting the appropriate radio button in the questions that follow. These include settings relating to whether members need to be invited to join and various privacy settings.
7. When you are finished filling out all information regarding the group click on "Request New Group." The screen should return back to the "My Groups" page. You will be notified when a decision has been made regarding the creation of the group.
How do I start a discussion topic?
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "My Apps." A drop down box should appear. Click on "Groups."
2. Click on the group that you wish to start the discussion in.
3. Click on the "Discussions" tab.
4. Click on "Start New Topic" in the upper right hand corner of the discussions box.
5. In the box besides "Topic Subject" type in a subject for the post that will give users a general description of what it is about.
6. Type your post in the large box to the right of "Your Message."
7. Click "Post Topic."
2. Click on the group that you wish to start the discussion in.
3. Click on the "Discussions" tab.
4. Click on "Start New Topic" in the upper right hand corner of the discussions box.
5. In the box besides "Topic Subject" type in a subject for the post that will give users a general description of what it is about.
6. Type your post in the large box to the right of "Your Message."
7. Click "Post Topic."
How do I reply to a discussion topic?
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "My Apps." A drop down box should appear. Click on "Groups."
2. Click on the group where the discussion is taking place.
3. Click on the "Discussions" tab.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the screen or hit the "Reply to Topic" text towards the top of the discussion board which will take you to the bottom of the screen.
5. At the bottom of the screen you will find a box underneath "Reply To Topic:" Type in your response in this box.
6. Hit "Post Reply."
2. Click on the group where the discussion is taking place.
3. Click on the "Discussions" tab.
4. Scroll to the bottom of the screen or hit the "Reply to Topic" text towards the top of the discussion board which will take you to the bottom of the screen.
5. At the bottom of the screen you will find a box underneath "Reply To Topic:" Type in your response in this box.
6. Hit "Post Reply."
How do I delete a discussion post?
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "My Apps." A drop down box should appear. Click on "Groups."
2. Click on the group where the discussion is taking place.
3. Click on the "Discussions" tab.
4. Scroll down to the post that you wrote and want to delete. Hit the "Delete Post" button to the right of the post.
5. A popup box will appear asking, "Are you sure you want to delete this post?" If you select "Delete" the post will be deleted. Selecting "Cancel" will send you back to the discussion board without deleting the post.
2. Click on the group where the discussion is taking place.
3. Click on the "Discussions" tab.
4. Scroll down to the post that you wrote and want to delete. Hit the "Delete Post" button to the right of the post.
5. A popup box will appear asking, "Are you sure you want to delete this post?" If you select "Delete" the post will be deleted. Selecting "Cancel" will send you back to the discussion board without deleting the post.
How do I edit a discussion post?
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "My Apps." A drop down box should appear. Click on "Groups."
2. Click on the group where the discussion is taking place.
3. Click on the "Discussions" tab.
4. Scroll down to the post that you wrote and want to edit. Note that you must be the originator of the post to edit it. Hit the "Edit Post" button to the right of the post.
5. A box will surround the post. Click in the box to edit the post. Please note that when you click outside the box or switch over to another window, the change will be saved and the edit box will go away. If you want to continue to edit it, then just hit "Edit Post" again.
2. Click on the group where the discussion is taking place.
3. Click on the "Discussions" tab.
4. Scroll down to the post that you wrote and want to edit. Note that you must be the originator of the post to edit it. Hit the "Edit Post" button to the right of the post.
5. A box will surround the post. Click in the box to edit the post. Please note that when you click outside the box or switch over to another window, the change will be saved and the edit box will go away. If you want to continue to edit it, then just hit "Edit Post" again.
How do I get updated on all activity on a given group?
In order to receive updates whenever there is activity on the network, you will have to subscribe to a group. As a default you are already subscribed to the County Group where you reside. To subscribe to other groups you must be a member of that group. See "How do I join other groups?" for details on how to become a member of another group. Once you are a member, to subscribe to a group do the following:
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "My Apps." A drop down box should appear. Click on "Groups."
2. Click on the group which you want to subscribe to.
3. Click on "Subscribe to Group" at the left side of the screen under the group photo.
4. A box will appear saying "Are you sure you want to subscribe to this group? Once you subscribe, you will receive notifications on your "What's New" page whenever a comment, photo, or discussion topic is posted in this group.". If you still want to subscribe to the group press "Subscribe," otherwise press "Cancel."
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "My Apps." A drop down box should appear. Click on "Groups."
2. Click on the group which you want to subscribe to.
3. Click on "Subscribe to Group" at the left side of the screen under the group photo.
4. A box will appear saying "Are you sure you want to subscribe to this group? Once you subscribe, you will receive notifications on your "What's New" page whenever a comment, photo, or discussion topic is posted in this group.". If you still want to subscribe to the group press "Subscribe," otherwise press "Cancel."
Blogs/Articles
How do a write a blog/article?
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "My Apps." A drop down box should appear. Click on "Blog."
2. Click "Compose New Entry."
3. Click a title for the entry in the box to the right of "Title:"
4. Select a Category from the drop down menu besides "Category:" To create a new category select "[Create]" and type in a category title in the box that appears to the right.
5. Write your blog entry in the text editor below. The editor works very similar to a word processing program. You can change the font, text characteristics, justification, etc. by selecting the options at the top of the editor.
6. Hit "Preview Entry" if you want to see a preview of how the blog will look before posting. Click the X in the top right corner of the window that appears to close it.
7. Hit "Post Entry" to post your blog.
2. Click "Compose New Entry."
3. Click a title for the entry in the box to the right of "Title:"
4. Select a Category from the drop down menu besides "Category:" To create a new category select "[Create]" and type in a category title in the box that appears to the right.
5. Write your blog entry in the text editor below. The editor works very similar to a word processing program. You can change the font, text characteristics, justification, etc. by selecting the options at the top of the editor.
6. Hit "Preview Entry" if you want to see a preview of how the blog will look before posting. Click the X in the top right corner of the window that appears to close it.
7. Hit "Post Entry" to post your blog.
Who can read my blogs?
Only those who are in your county or in your list of friends can view your blog. This is done primarily to keep discussions focused on a local level. By expanding your list of friends outside your county, you can expand the number of people who are able to read your blog to surrounding geographies.
How can I read other blogs?
1. Click on the "Blog" link towards the top of the screen.
2. You can browse through the existing blogs, or use the Search box to narrow down the list of blogs in the window below. Use the "View" box to search through either everyone's blogs or just your friends' blogs. Use the "Category:" box to narrow the blogs down to a certain category. You can use the "Order:" box to sort by date posted, most viewed, or most commented on.
3. Select the blog that you want to read and you will be taken to the blog to read.
2. You can browse through the existing blogs, or use the Search box to narrow down the list of blogs in the window below. Use the "View" box to search through either everyone's blogs or just your friends' blogs. Use the "Category:" box to narrow the blogs down to a certain category. You can use the "Order:" box to sort by date posted, most viewed, or most commented on.
3. Select the blog that you want to read and you will be taken to the blog to read.
How can I receive updates when new posts are made to a blog?
In order to receive updates when new posting are made, you need to subscribe to a particular blog.
Events
How do I post a new event?
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "My Apps." A drop down box should appear. Click on "Events."
2. Select "Creat New Event"
3. Type a title for the event in the box to the right of "Event Name*"
4. Type in a description for the event in the large box to the right of "Event Description."
5. Enter a start time for the event in the box next to "Start Time:" You can optionally chose a date from the calendar by clicking the calendar button to the right and then clicking on a date (the current date should be circled). You can also enter in a time in the box beneath the date.
6. Optionally, enter an end time for the event as you did with the start time above.
7. Optionally, enter in a host for the event next to "Host"
8. Type in the location of the event in the box to the right of "Location" Consider giving directions to the location, or a link to a map in this box as well.
9. Select the location of the event in the drop box to the right of "Event Category*" If it is a national event, click "National," otherwise click on the state or territory that the event is happening in. If you click a state, a county box will appear to the right for you to select the county the event is taking place in.
10. Select the "Event Type" that is most appropriate for this event.
11. Select the "Event Size" that is most appropriate for this event.
12. If there is a fee associated with this event, put that amount besides "Event fee"
13. Go through the rest of the questions relating to invitations and privacy, selecting the appropriate radio buttons.
14. Click on "Add Event."
2. Select "Creat New Event"
3. Type a title for the event in the box to the right of "Event Name*"
4. Type in a description for the event in the large box to the right of "Event Description."
5. Enter a start time for the event in the box next to "Start Time:" You can optionally chose a date from the calendar by clicking the calendar button to the right and then clicking on a date (the current date should be circled). You can also enter in a time in the box beneath the date.
6. Optionally, enter an end time for the event as you did with the start time above.
7. Optionally, enter in a host for the event next to "Host"
8. Type in the location of the event in the box to the right of "Location" Consider giving directions to the location, or a link to a map in this box as well.
9. Select the location of the event in the drop box to the right of "Event Category*" If it is a national event, click "National," otherwise click on the state or territory that the event is happening in. If you click a state, a county box will appear to the right for you to select the county the event is taking place in.
10. Select the "Event Type" that is most appropriate for this event.
11. Select the "Event Size" that is most appropriate for this event.
12. If there is a fee associated with this event, put that amount besides "Event fee"
13. Go through the rest of the questions relating to invitations and privacy, selecting the appropriate radio buttons.
14. Click on "Add Event."
Messages
How do I send a message to someone?
There are a variety of ways to send messages to someone. By default, anytime you see a user in the system a "Send Message" button will usually be displayed to the right of the member's name. If you hit this button the "Compose New Message" screen should appear. You can also access this screen by clicking on the triangle to the right of "Messages" and then clicking the "Compose New Message" drop down box. From here:
1. If you clicked on a "Send Message" button next to someone's name, their user name will automatically appear next to "To:" with a red "X" beside it. To remove the name hit the "X". The To field will be blank if you clicked on "Compose New Message" To add names, type in the username or part of the username and the system will display potential usernames beneath it. Select the username, or just type the full username, and it will appear in the box with an X next to it. You can continue to add names in the "To" field up to a maximum of 20.
2. Type a subject for the message next to "Subject"
3. Type in the main text of the message in the large box next to "Message."
4. Hit "Send Message" to send the message. Type "Cancel" to exit the screen without sending the message.
1. If you clicked on a "Send Message" button next to someone's name, their user name will automatically appear next to "To:" with a red "X" beside it. To remove the name hit the "X". The To field will be blank if you clicked on "Compose New Message" To add names, type in the username or part of the username and the system will display potential usernames beneath it. Select the username, or just type the full username, and it will appear in the box with an X next to it. You can continue to add names in the "To" field up to a maximum of 20.
2. Type a subject for the message next to "Subject"
3. Type in the main text of the message in the large box next to "Message."
4. Hit "Send Message" to send the message. Type "Cancel" to exit the screen without sending the message.
How do I read my messages?
Usually if you get a new message, a red update will appear in the top right corner of the screen. Hitting this and on the relevant item should automatically take you to the message to read. You can also read messages by:
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "Messages." A drop down box should appear. Click on "Message Inbox."
2. A list of your messages should appear. Click on the message to read it.
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "Messages." A drop down box should appear. Click on "Message Inbox."
2. A list of your messages should appear. Click on the message to read it.
Chat
How can I enter the site chat room?
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "My Apps." A drop down box should appear. Click on "Chat."
2. The chat room will load. A list of members currently in the chat room will appear to the right. You can click on that membername to get more details on that member.
3. Messages will appear real time in the chat box. To reply type in your reply in the box at the bottom and press "Enter" or click on "Send" with the mouse.
4. To exit the chatroom, press another link on your webbrowser.
2. The chat room will load. A list of members currently in the chat room will appear to the right. You can click on that membername to get more details on that member.
3. Messages will appear real time in the chat box. To reply type in your reply in the box at the bottom and press "Enter" or click on "Send" with the mouse.
4. To exit the chatroom, press another link on your webbrowser.
Polls
How do I post a new poll?
1. Click on the small triangle to the right of "My Apps." A drop down box should appear. Click on "Polls."
2. Click on "Create a New Poll."
3. In the box to the right of Title give the poll a descriptive title.
4. In the box to the right of Description, type the question which you are trying to get answered along with any introductory or explanatory text.
5. To set who can see and respond to the poll hit the blue "Show Privacy Settings" link. Three questions with radio button selectors will appear that allow you to change the various privacy settings.
6. Put in the options for your poll in the boxes below "Option 1:" and "Option 2:" If you have additional options you want to add, hit the blue "Add Option" button and a new option will appear (Option 3...etc.). Keep adding options until you have the total you want. If you added an extra option you did not need, just leave it blank and the system will automatically ignore it.
7. Hit "Create Poll."
2. Click on "Create a New Poll."
3. In the box to the right of Title give the poll a descriptive title.
4. In the box to the right of Description, type the question which you are trying to get answered along with any introductory or explanatory text.
5. To set who can see and respond to the poll hit the blue "Show Privacy Settings" link. Three questions with radio button selectors will appear that allow you to change the various privacy settings.
6. Put in the options for your poll in the boxes below "Option 1:" and "Option 2:" If you have additional options you want to add, hit the blue "Add Option" button and a new option will appear (Option 3...etc.). Keep adding options until you have the total you want. If you added an extra option you did not need, just leave it blank and the system will automatically ignore it.
7. Hit "Create Poll."