Frequently Asked Questions
Neighborhoods |
My Account |
Directory |
Events Calendar |
Neighborhood Photos |
Files and Documents |
Reviews |
Polls |
Mailing List |
GovLink |
Other
Neighborhoods |
My Account |
Directory |
Events Calendar |
Neighborhood Photos |
Files and Documents |
Reviews |
Polls |
Mailing List |
GovLink |
Other
I would like to join a neighborhood in my ZIP/Postal
code, but there are none.
If there is no registered neighborhood in your ZIP/Postal Code,
you can be the first to create one. Search for your ZIP code using the
box on the front page, then click on the link labeled "Start your own
neighborhood."
How do I create an I-neighborhood?
Before you create an new neighborhood, please check if one already
exists for that location by entering your ZIP code into the box on the
front page. If there's already a neighborhood in the area, you'll be
able to join it once you register (registration is free). You can also
create an additional neighborhood in the same zip code by clicking on
the appropriate link. If there's not a neighborhood in your ZIP code,
you will be given instructions on how to create a new
I-Neighborhood.
How do I join an existing neighborhood?
Search for your neighborhood by entering your ZIP/Postal Code
into the box on the front page. Once you reach the neighborhood
homepage, you'll see a link that will let you join the neighborhood
(if you haven't yet registered, you'll also be walked through the
process of joining i-neighbors).
How can I find out whether my neighborhood already has an
I-neighborhood?
Please check by entering ZIP/Postal Code into the box on the front
page. You'll then be shown to a list of all existing neighborhoods in
your ZIP code.
How do I change the name or description of my neighborhood?
The name of your neighborhood cannot be changed. However, other
attributes of the neighborhood, such as short/long description,
location, and housing type, can be updated by your neighborhood's
creator.
What is my "primary" I-neighborhood?
Your "primary" I-neighborhood is where you are directed when
logging in to I-Neighbors. You have the option to join other
neighborhoods and change your primary neighborhood at any time. Just
go to the page of the neighborhood you'd like to be your primary
neighborhood and click "account settings."
How can I join neighborhoods in different zip codes?
Please search for the neighborhood you'd like to join by entering
the ZIP/Postal Code in the box on the front page. Once found, click on
your I-Neighborhood. Here, you will be given the option to "Join This
Neighborhood" by clicking on the "Join" link.
How do I visit each of my different neighborhoods?
From your home page, all of your neighborhood affiliations are
listed at the top of the page under "Your Neighborhoods". You may
click on the name of a neighborhood to travel there.
Who took the neighborhood photos at the bottom of the page?
Please refer to the "photos" section below.
Who decides on the description of the I-neighborhood?
The founder of a neighborhood is responsible for the description
and other characteristics of your neighborhood. Many of these
characteristics can be changed by the founder at any time.
Will the information I enter be used for anything else?
The information you enter is only for you and your neighbors to see.
Our website records user logins, email list subscriptions and postings,
but we will not gather or distribute personal identifying information
of you or anyone else.
Who can see the information I enter in my profile?
I-Neighborhood members will be able to see the profile information
you enter
in the I-Neighborhood you share with them.
Do I have to complete my profile?
Some information, including your first name and email address, is required
to be able to use I-Neighbors.
Why did my profile disappear or change?
The previous I-neighbors site allowed you to maintain different
profiles for each of your neighorhood. Now, each person should only
have one profile for all neighborhoods. If you believe your profile
information was lost or changed, please contact us by using the
"Contact" link at the bottom of the page.
Can I change my first and last name on I-neighbors?
You can change your name by clicking the "my profile" at the top
of the page.
Can I change my email address?
You can change your email address by clicking the "my profile"
link at the top of the page and then clicking on "update email
address."
How many different profiles can I have?
Each person can have one profile, but you can join multiple
neighborhoods.
Why do I keep getting logged out?
You may have cookies disabled on your browser. Our site requires
cookies so that only registered neighbors can receive the content
specific to your neighborhood. Check for this setting in the options for your
browser, usually under the "security" or "privacy" section.
How can I find out who else is in my I-neighborhood?
Clicking the "directory" link at the top of the page will bring
you to a list of all the members in your I-Neighborhood.
Who can see events posted on the calendar?
Only members of a particular neighborhood can view events posted
to that neighborhood's calendar.
How do I post an event?
After clicking on the "calendar" tab on the left navigation-bar,
click on "Add an event" on the top of the page. Here, you will be
asked specific details about your event.
Can I vew events in other neighborhoods?
You must be a member of a neighborhood to view its calendar.
Who can post neighborhood photos?
Any member of your neighborhood can post photos.
How do I post photos?
After clicking on the "Photos" at the top of the screen, click on
"Upload Your Neighborhood Photos". You will be given the option to
upload a maximum of four photos per attempt.
Why are the photos shrunk after I post them?
Your uploaded photos will be formatted to be best displayed on the
I-Neighbors site.
Can I view the photos in their original size?
The original photo will be deleted after upload. A version of
your photo will be saved at a maximum resolution of 600x600.
Why can't I upload photos?
There are several reasons you may not be able to upload photos:
- Your photos must be in .jpg format (if you want to upload other
types of files, please use the Documents section. See the FAQ for more details).
- The file names of photos must not have spaces.
- Each photo must be under 2MB in size.
What if someone posts an offensive photo?
If an inappropriate photo is posted to your neighborhood, please
contact I-Neighbors immediately by clicking on the "contact" link at
the bottom of the page.
How do I view uploaded documents?
To see files that others have uploaded to your neighborhood, click
on "documents" at the top of the neighborhood page.
How do I upload a document?
To upload a document, click on the "documents" link at the top of
the page. You'll be taken to a page where you can select files from
your computer to upload to the website. Files you upload will be available to anyone in your neighborhood.
What kinds of documents should I upload?
You can upload anything, from maps to meeting schedules to
government documents. I-Neighbors allows the following filetypes:
.txt, .html, .pdf, .doc, .xls, .ppt, .rtf, .wpd, .htm, .csv, .dat,
.dot, .lab. You can also upload images such as .jpg's by using the
Photos tool. Please see the Photos section of
the FAQ for more details.
How do I delete a document that I've uploaded?
If you want to delete a document you've uploaded, please contact
us by using the "Contact" link at the bottom of the page.
How do I view existing reviews?
To see existing reviews, click on "reviews" at the top of the
page. You can then check the boxes for the categories of reviews you'd
like to view.
How do I submit a review?
To submit a review, click on "reviews" at the top of the page,
then click on "Write a review."
How many times can I vote?
You can vote once in each poll in all of your neighborhoods.
Can I see polls without voting?
To see results of a poll, you must vote first.
How do I create a poll?
To create a poll, click on "polls" at the top of the page and then
click "create a new poll."
What is the neighborhood email list?
The neighborhood email list allows you to send email to all
members of an I-Neighborhood.
How do I join an I-neighborhood mailing list?
You can subscribe or unsubscribe to your neighborhood email list
by clicking the "email" link to at the top of the page and choosing
"Join or leave the list".
How do I send mail to the list?
YYou can post to the list through the website by clicking on the
"email" link and choosing "post to the list." You can also email the
list. The email address of the list is the neighborhood name followed
by the zip code followed by @ i-neighbors.org.
Can I choose not to be on the list?
If you are already subscribed and decide to stop subscribing, you
may do so by clicking the "email" link and choosing "Join or leave the
list".
What is the address of my I-neighborhood email list?
The email address of your neighborhood email list is the
neighborhood name followed by the zip code followed by @
i-neighbors.org. For example, the email list for neighborhood "myhood"
at zip code "00000" would be myhood00000@i-neighbors.org . You can
also find the email address of your neighborhood email list by
clicking on the "Email" icon at the top of the screen.
Do I have to sign up for the I-neighbors website to use
the mailing list?
Currently, you can only subscribe to a neighborhood mailing list
if you are part of that I-neighborhood's website
Who will receive emails I send to the list?
Members of the I-neighborhood who are subscribed to the list will
receive your emails. You can see who is in your neighborhood by
clicking on the "directory" link.
How do I know if I'm subscribed to a list?
If you visit "email" and choose "Join or leave the list," you will
be able to view your subscription settings.
Is this list moderated?
I-neighbors mailing lists do not have an assigned moderator. If
you see someone posting offensive information through the list, please
notify I-Neighbors immediately by clicking on the "contact" link at
the bottom of the page.
Can I send attachments via the mailing list?
Because of the risk of viruses, you are not allowed to send
attachments via the mailing list. We recommend instead that you upload
files using the "documents" link at the top of the page and refer the
mailing list to those files.
What is GovLink?
GovLink is a direct line of communication between you, your local
area, and government officials. GovLink lists the federal,and
state/provincial elected officials that represent your
neighborhood. Select the elected official that you would like to
contact, compose a letter, and your message will be faxed to that
official. You can also use I-Neighbors to get your friends, neighbors,
and others involved by sharing your letter with other members of the
I-Neighbors community.
How much does it cost?
Nothing. It is completely free to send a fax to your elected
officials using I-Neighbors.
Why do you send my letter by fax? Why not email?
While sending a fax may seem low tech, it is one of the most
effective ways to communicate with government officials. While more
and more elected officials are willing to read and respond by email,
many officials are also overwhelmed with junk-email and email from
professional lobbyists. Studies have shown that much of the email
received by elected officials is ignored and that email correspondence
is taken less seriously. Faxes are more tangible, have a greater
impact, and may be more likely to receive a response. If you want to
phone, email or send a letter in the mail GovLink can also provide you
with this contact information.
Does I-neighbors have contact information for all elected
officials?
With so many levels of government and so many political districts across
the country, we are not able to maintain contact information for every
elected official. We do have contact information for all federal and state
elected officials in the United States. In Canada we have contact
information for all members of House of Commons and the Senate.
How can I help?
If you see contact information that is missing or incorrect, let us know!
Why can I no longer contribute contact information for my home
town's elected officials?
As of May 2007, we discontinued the "contact local officials" part of GovLink because of low use. If you are still interested in providing contact information for your local officials, you could email the information to your neighborhood listserv or post a list of contact information in the "Documents" section.
How long will it take to send my fax?
Most of our faxes are sent within one hour and we will notify you
by email when it has been sent. While we rarely experience problems,
our database may contain errors, or the fax number may be repeatedly
busy. We are not responsible if your fax does not reach the intended
recipient and cannot guarantee how long it will take to transmit your
fax.
How many free faxes can I send?
To ensure
that everyone who wants to take advantage of this service has the
opportunity to do so, we ask that each user send no more than three
faxes to elected officials each day and no more than one fax a day to
the same official.
Are there any other guidelines to using the GovLink service?
I-Neighbors is a free, non-profit service with limited resources.
Irritating elected officials, or flooding officials with faxes only
hurts our ability to provide this service to others. Use GovLink
often, tell your friends, but please follow these guidelines:
ACT LOCALLY - Elected officials do not read correspondence sent by
individuals from outside their district or constituency. A letter sent
to an elected official who does not represent your area will likely
not be answered.
DON'T CUT AND PASTE - If you are faxing an elected official as part of
an organized campaign, do not send the exact same letter as everyone
else. To maximize your impact, create a unique and personalized
message.
BE COURTEOUS - It is a violation of the Terms of Use to use this
service to sell products or services, express bigotry, racism, hatred,
or profanity and to transmit material that is libelous, defamatory,
obscene, threatening, abusive or hateful.
ENCOURAGE OTHERS TO BECOME INVOLVED - The subject line from your fax
will be displayed on the I-Neighbors website (required) and we will
give you the option to share the full contents of your letter with
other users (optional). By sharing, you encourage other people to
become involved.
Why do I need to provide my contact information?
Elected officials will generally only read correspondence sent to
them from people who live in the area they represent. They will also
disregard letters that do not include information on how to contact
the writer. Including your name and address ensures that the
representative (or their staff) reads your fax and that your voice is
heard.
Why do you publish the subject line of my fax?
One of I-Neighbors goals is to encourage civic engagement. By
sharing the subject line of your fax with other people who visit this
site we hope to demonstrate the many different reasons for writing
elected officials and to encourage more people to become involved.
Will the full contents of my fax be published on the
I-Neighbors website?
You have the option of sharing the content of your fax with other
I-Neighbors users. If you want to encourage other people to write
their elected representatives, or you want to other people to be aware
of a local issue, we will make your letter available to other users by
publishing it on the I-Neighbors website. Your name and other contact
information will be removed from the letter before it is posted on our
site.
How likely is my elected official to reply? And how do I
let other people know how responsive the official was to my letter?
4-8 weeks after you send your fax, we will send you an email with
a short survey where you can provide anonymous feedback on the speed
and quality of your official's response. Your answers to the survey
will be aggregated and reported anonymously to provide a ranking of
how your elected official's response compares to other officials in
terms of speed and quality. To see if other users have rated your
elected official's past performance, click here.
Will I-Neighbors start charging users?
I-Neighbors is part of a nonprofit research project operated under
the University of Pennsylvania. We intend on keeping these services
free and open to public, in the interest of improving
community.
Why do I keep getting logged out?
You may have cookies disabled on your browser. Our site requires
cookies so that only registered neighbors can receive the content
specific to
your neighborhood. Check for this setting in the options for your
browser, usually under the "security" or "privacy" section.
I have a question not answered in the FAQ.
If your question was not answered above, please click on the
"Contact" link at the bottom of the page.
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