Help
Below, you'll find some frequently asked questions. If you don't see your question answered or have any other technical questions, please e-mail Mike Sances, webmaster.
Do I need to register to use the site?
Where can I post volunteer opportunities, jobs, programs, trainings and other civic opportunities?
What are those distorted text codes (CAPTCHA's) I'm forced to enter?
How do I use my Facebook account to log in?
I lost my password, can you reset it for me?
How do I upload a file as an attachment?
How do I add a picture to my profile?
Can I send messages to fellow site users?
How do I subscribe to someone else’s blog?
This site is a tool for posting examples of innovative and successful civic engagement activities online before and after the Massachusetts Civic Engagement Summit. Please let us know what you've done in your community in the areas of Volunteerism, Neighborhoods & Diverse Networks, Civic Education, Electoral Politics & Policy or other areas of civic life. All users must register before posting content. Click here to register for the site. [top]
The first step is to register. Registration is free and only takes a few steps. Just click here and enter a username, password, your full name, and the track you participated in for the Summit. If you did not attend the Summit or have other interests, you can select multiple categories. Once you are registered, you can post content, either by clicking "create content" on the left menu or visiting the specific area of the site you want to contribute to (Project Database, Tracks, Blogs, Bulletin Board). [top]
Do I need to register to use the site?
Registration is not required to view content. However, you must register in order to post content and to post comments without a security code. [top]
Everyone is encouraged to contribute to the site. [top]
Where can I post volunteer opportunities, jobs, programs, trainings and other civic opportunities?
There are three areas of the site where you can view others' posts and add your own. The Project Database is for posting examples of civic engagement projects you have organized in your community. The Bulletin Board is for posting jobs and volunteer opportunities. The Blogs are for general discussion about civic engagement in Massachusetts. All users have access to post to these three areas of the site. [top]
What are those distorted text codes (CAPTCHA's) I'm forced to enter?
Unfortunately, these are necessary to prevent robots from flooding our site with spam. Registering for the site will remove them for you. [top]
The planning committee for the first Massachusetts Civic Engagement Summit was the genesis behind this website. This site is built and maintained by Social Capital Inc., a MA nonprofit committed to increasing civic engagement. Click here to learn more about SCI. [top]
How do I use my Facebook account to log in?
Click the facebook image on the login page. Or, click here. You should only use your Facebook account to log in for the first time if you have not yet registered. If you've already registered for masscivicaction.org, you can link your existing profile to your facebook account by clicking "My Profile" in the top right of any page on this site, then clicking the "facebook identities" tab. [top]
I lost my password, can you reset it for me?
To retrieve your password, click here and enter your username or your e-mail address, and the security code (CAPTCHA). Click here for more information about the CAPTCHA. [top]
How do I upload a file as an attachment?
Use the "file attachments" option when submitting a blog post, bulletin board item or project. It is located below the "body" field when you are doing a blog post, and right above the "preview" and "submit" buttons. See screenshot. [top]
How do I add a picture to my profile?
To add a picture, just click "My Profile" in the top right of any page to visit your profile.
Then click the "edit" tab (you must be logged in as yourself to see this tab).
Then scroll down to "Picture" and upload your picture. [top]
Can I send messages to other site users?
Yes, provided that your a registered user and logged in. Just click the "contact" tab when viewing the profile of the person you want to send a message to. If you don't want to receive messages through the site, you can turn this feature off by unchecking the "personal contact form" when editing your profile. So if you don't see a "contact" button on someone's profile, they may have opted out of receiving messages from other users. [top]
How do I subscribe to someone else’s blog?
By default, you will be "subscribed" to anything you post to the site, meaning that you will receive notification via e-mail whenever your post is updated or someone adds a comment to it. You can also subscribe to other blogs by clicking "subscribe blog" below any individual blog post. You can also subscribe to a single post, instead of the entire blog. This is useful when many comments are being posted to a particular blog post and you want to keep track of the conversation. See screenshot. You can manage your subscriptions by clicking "My Profile" in the top right of any page on this site and clicking the "subscriptions" tab. [top]
