Basic Questions
- What is the mission of Neighborhood Link?
- What can a Neighborhood Link website do for my neighborhood?
- Can I post commercial information on Neighborhood Link sites?
- What is the difference between Neighborhood Web sites and Club & Organization Web sites?
- How do I contact Neighborhood Link?
Discussion Forum Questions
- Why are there topics from other places showing in my Discussion Forum?
- What is the Respect-o-Meter and how does it function?
- How is the Discussion Monitored?
- Can I view only topics posted on my location?
- How can I make the text size larger in the Discussion Forum?
- How do I put up a picture next to my username?
- How are Discussion Topics ordered? Do I have to wade through all the pages so I don't miss anything?
- Where can I find the most recent reply to a topic?
Getting Started
- How do I register as a Neighborhood Link Community Member?
- Why do I need to register?
- Is there a site already up for my neighborhood?
- How do I market our Web site to my neighbors?
- How do I put a link on my Web site to link to Neighborhood Link?
- How do I start up my free Neighborhood Web site?
Technical Questions
- What are the system requirements for using Neighborhood Link?
- Why do I get "cookie" errors on Neighborhood Link sites?
Basic Questions
1. What is the mission of Neighborhood Link?
Neighborhood Link’s mission is to encourage communication, provide resources, and enable connections – on a neighborhood to national scale. We will achieve these goals by creating a network of websites and related services that empower neighbors to organize information, build relationships and solve problems.
2. What can a Neighborhood Link website do for my neighborhood?
Neighborhood Link makes it quick and easy for you to create your free website. In minutes we can help you create a comprehensive communication tool for your neighborhood that includes:
- Your neighborhood's contact information
- Your newsletter and history
- Local school information
- Community calendar
- Discussion forum
- Pages containing information and photos you choose
- Links to your city council members, mayor's office and community police
Neighborhood Link is very simple and fast! The neighborhood sites are created using simple Web forms. Passing on the upkeep duties to the next volunteer can happen with no effort at all!
3. Can I post commercial information on Neighborhood Link sites?
You may create a classified ad in the "Free Classifieds" section of your neighborhood site. You can say anything you would like about your business in this area.
Please do not post commercial advertisements anywhere else on Neighborhood Link. They will be deleted. Thank you.
4. What is the difference between Neighborhood Web sites and Club & Organization Web sites?
Neighborhood Link provides two kinds of free Web sites: Neighborhood Web sites and Club & Organization Web sites.
Neighborhood Web sites are provided to neighborhood associations that have specific geographical boundaries. These sites can be created by the association's board of directors or they can be created by a group of neighbors interested in utilizing our Web site to improve communication. Neighborhood Web sites have some content provided by Neighborhood Link, including government links and civic resources. Additional content is created by the Neighborhood Web site coordinator(s) and neighbors.
Club & Organization Web sites are provided to not-for-profit groups, such as Cub Scout packs, churches, parent/teacher groups, service groups, book clubs, etc. Your group does not have to be 501(c)3 to participate. All content for Club & Organization sites is created by the site's coordinator.
For more information on Clubs & Organization Web sites, click here.
Discussion Forum Questions
1. Why are there topics from other places showing in my Discussion Forum?
Neighborhood Link intends the Discussion Forum to be a place where we can talk about what it means to live together as a community, whether in your neighborhood, your town, as part of a larger Metro area, or the whole country. To this end, each website displays 20 pages of topics. These topics always begin with postings made in your neighborhood, then widen out to nearby areas, and beyond.
The breadcrumb trail at the top of the page displays your location. Every topic displays a tag with the neighborhood name, city, and state so there is no confusion. If you are interested in how other neighborhoods have handled problems or would like to share your expertise with others locally or around the country, you may want to read posts made further out than your neighborhood. If you want to know only about your area, please read only those posts tagged with your neighborhood's name.
2. What is the Respect-o-Meter and how does it function?
The Respect-o-Meter assigns each user a rank based on the quality of that person's participation in all areas of Neighborhood Link. If you are helpful, respectful of others, and promote community, you'll be ranked high. Typical of most online ranking systems, we are intentionally vague about the specifics. This deters people from 'gaming the system'. Rankings will be assessed and changed periodically by the server.
3. How is the Discussion Monitored?
Each post has a "Report" link below it. Clicking that link will send that post to the Neighborhood Link Flagging System for review. This is an automated system which reviews the post and determines whether it should be retained or removed. If the post is removed, its text will be replaced with the words, "Removed by the Neighborhood Link Flagging System" and the date.
4. Can I view only topics posted on my location?
Yes, if you'd like to see messages posted just in your neighborhood, you can change a Preference setting in your Profile to do so. This will change the topics displayed for you on this computer. On the Discussion Forum, click your username and you'll get to your Profile page. Click the "edit" link. At the bottom of the page you'll see a "Discussions - browsing" drop down menu. Choose "restricted" and click "Save." When you go back to the Discussion page, click the Refresh button on your browser and the display will show only topics posted where you are.
5. How can I make the text size larger in the Discussion Forum?
You can make the text size for the Discussion Forum larger by changing the preference on your Profile page. On the Discussion Forum, click your username and you'll get to your Profile page. Click the "edit" link. At the bottom of the page you'll see a "Discussions - text size" drop down menu. Choose "larger" and click "Save." When you go back to the Discussion page, click the Refresh button on your browser to begin viewing the text larger.
6. How do I put up a picture next to my username?
Click on your username under the "Sign Out" link and you'll be taken to your Profile page. Click "Update Photo" and Browse your computer for the image you would like to use. When you find the image, click Open and you will see it in the box next to "Update Photo." Click "Go" and the image will be uploaded to the server. Once the file is finished uploading, click the Reload or Refresh button on your browser to see your new picture. Our video will walk you through the process.
7. How are Discussion Topics ordered? Do I have to wade through all the pages so I don't miss anything?
Discussion topics posted in your location (neighborhood or town) will show up first. They are ordered most recent post first. So, if someone has just replied to a post which was created yesterday, that post will show up at the top of the page. Once all the posts from your neighborhood have been displayed, you will see topics from the areas nearest you which have discussions.
8. Where can I find the most recent reply to a topic?
Replies are ordered by date, so the most recent reply will always be at the bottom. Since there may be many pages of replies, you can quickly skip to the end by clicking on the last page number listed above and below the posts. When replying, you may find it helpful to use the "Quote this post in your reply" feature so people will know which part of the conversation you're replying to.
Getting Started
1. How do I register as a Neighborhood Link Community Member?
1) Go to: www.neighborhoodlink.com
2) Click “Sign in here”
3) Under the “No I don’t have an account yet” heading, click to register.
4) Fill in the registration form. You will be emailed a confirmation number. Please be sure to check your Spam or Junk folder for this message.
5) Sign in with the username and password you created.
6) When prompted, enter your confirmation number. You will only need this number the first time you sign in.
The video below will walk you through this process.
2. Why do I need to register?
To ensure the security of your neighborhood website, we only allow registered users to add content to the site. To that end, during the initial Sign In process your email address is verified.
Privacy of all Neighborhood Link users is very important to us. Your information will never be sold or given out except in the case of a court-ordered subpoena.
Read our Privacy Policy
3. Is there a site already up for my neighborhood?
Neighborhood Link has many neighborhoods, HOA's, towns and cities up already. To see if your group already has a site, you can search by zip code, or state and city and then key words from www.neighborhoodlink.com.
If you don't find your city or neighborhood, email us and we'll set it up for you.
4. How do I market our Web site to my neighbors?
We want to help you promote your neighborhood Web site! Here are a few ways to publicize your site and get the word out to your neighborhood.
1) Place an article in your printed neighborhood newsletter. There is a sample article included below.
2) Post fliers in public areas of your neighborhood, pass out fliers at neighborhood meetings or drop them off door-to-door.
3) Talk! Talk! Talk! Talk about the Web site at meetings and other neighborhood events. Tell your neighbors and your friends. If you don't tell people, no one will know about it! Word of mouth is the best form of advertisement!
4) Before your neighbors know about the Web site, it's a good idea to make the site fun, informative, and intriguing. We suggest:
- Start several discussions about topics relating to your neighborhood. For example: "Is anyone else concerned about the zoning decisions being made?" OR "What do YOU think about the new grocery store they're building on the corner?"
- Create Add-a-Pages with useful information.
- Create an Add-a-Fax to your local councilperson or City Hall.
- Add a few upcoming events in the Community Calendar.
- Be sure to choose the schools in your area and choose the appropriate councilperson so your Web site links to them!
All of this will take you only a few minutes, and it will make the site an interesting place for your neighbors to visit the first time.
5) Talk to people about the specific features of Neighborhood Link. Remind your neighbors that the "Talk About It" area can be a powerful tool to organize around a specific topic of interest. Promote the "Community Calendar" by encouraging people to post upcoming events and to check the calendar regularly. Remind neighbors that there is a free classified section to buy and sell items, and promote their business. Tell people that anyone can post a page in the "Meet your Neighbors" section. Let them know about the abundant information that is provided about the neighborhood, local government, schools, and other civic resources.
Sample Newsletter Article
Here is an article for you to use in the next issue of your newsletter. You can also use this template for a flier announcing your new neighborhood Web site. Simply replace the words in brackets [ ] with your neighborhood name and don't forget to fill in your Web address at the end of the article.
[OUR NEIGHBORHOOD] Is Now Online!
Our neighborhood now has a Web site! Our new Web site includes information about [OUR NEIGHBORHOOD], an online newsletter, a list of the local schools in our neighborhood, and community pages about issues and events that affect our neighborhood. Links to city government officials and services, including the police, make it a great communication channel.
Our new Web site is not just an information source, but also a place for all neighbors to be connected on the Internet. Want to tell people about an upcoming meeting, garage sale, or lost pet? Then post a notice in the "Community Calendar". Want your own personal Web page? Then create one in the "Meet Your Neighbors" section - tell people about yourself, your family, your hobbies, or your interests. Concerned about a neighborhood issue? Talk to your neighbors - solicit new viewpoints. Go to the "Talk About It" section and create a new discussion.
This is our Web site - anyone can use it - and it's easy to use! You don't need any special computer skills to post information to the site - simply fill out forms and the information is posted! All you need is Internet access - everything is in an extremely user-friendly format.
So check it out! Our new Web site can be found at: www.neighborhoodlink.com/[CITY]/[YOUR URL]
5. How do I put a link on my Web site to link to Neighborhood Link?
Here are two easy ways to provide your Web site visitors a link to Neighborhood Link!
1. Put this Neighborhood Link "button" directly on your site!
Save this image and link it to www.neighborhoodlink.com.
To save the above image, click on it and hold if you are on a Mac, or right click on it if you are using Windows, then choose "Save Image As".
2. Put a Neighborhood Link neighborhood search feature directly on your site!
Simply highlight and copy the HTML below, and paste it into your Web page.
Horizontal Option
This image will appear on your Web page. It is for example only.
<form action="http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/cgi-bin/world_search.pl" method="post">
<table cellpadding=1 cellspacing=0 border=0>
<td bgcolor=666666>
<table cellpadding=3 cellspacing=0 border=0 width="100%">
<td bgcolor=ffffff><img src="http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/images/search/hfind.gif" width=142 height=41 alt="Find Your Neighborhood"></td>
<tr>
<td bgcolor=ffffff><img src="http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/images/search/hzip.gif" width=69 height=12 alt="Enter Zip Code">
<font face="Helvetica, Arial, San Serif" size=-1><input name="zip" maxlength=5 size=5></font>
<input type="image" src="http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/images/search/hgo.gif" width=16 height=11 border=0 value="Go"></td>
</table>
</td>
</table>
</form>
<!---End Horizontal Neighborhood Link Zip Code Search--->
Vertical Option
This image will appear on your Web page. It is for example only.
<!---Begin Vertical Neighborhood Link Zip Code Search--->
<form action="http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/cgi-bin/world_search.pl" method="post">
<table cellpadding=1 cellspacing=0 border=0>
<tr>
<td bgcolor=666666>
<table cellpadding=2 cellspacing=0 border=0 width="100%">
<tr>
<td bgcolor=ffffff><center><img src="http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/images/search/vlogo.gif" width=85 height=48 alt="Neighborhood Link"><br><img
src="http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/images/search/vredline.gif" width=90 height=5></center></td>
<tr>
<td bgcolor=ffffff><center><img src="http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/images/search/vfind.gif" width=95 height=28 alt="Find Your Neighborhood"></center></td>
<tr>
<td bgcolor=ffffff><center><img src="http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/images/search/vzip.gif" width=86 height=13 alt="Enter a Zip Code"><br><font face="Helvetica, Arial, San Serif" size=-1><input name="zip" maxlength=5 size=5></font></center></td>
<tr>
<td bgcolor=ffffff><center><input type="image" src="http://www.neighborhoodlink.com/images/search/vsearch.gif" width=49 height=16 border=0 value="Go"> </center></td>
</table>
</td>
</table>
</form>
<!---End Vertical Neighborhood Link Zip Code Search--->
6. How do I start up my free Neighborhood Web site?
In order to qualify for a neighborhood Web site, your neighborhood organization must have geographic boundaries.
If your neighborhood meets this criteria, please email Neighborhood Link and we will be happy to provide you and your neighbors with a Web site.
Technical Questions
1. What are the system requirements for using Neighborhood Link?
Neighborhood Link can be accessed with the following browser versions:
- Internet Explorer versions 6.x and higher
- Firefox versions 2.5 and higher
- Safari versions 3.0 and higher
Neighborhood Link Web sites require that you have 'cookies' and Java Script enabled.
As with any Web page, the speed of your computer's processor will affect the speed with which the pages will come up.
2. Why do I get "cookie" errors on Neighborhood Link sites?
It sounds as though the problem you are experiencing is related to the "cookies" feature of your browser. Having this feature disabled can cause you problems on the Neighborhood Link Network.
So, why must you enable cookies to use Neighborhood Link? It's the only way for us to ensure the security of the neighborhood Web sites. Cookies allow our server to deny access to those people using unauthorized usernames or passwords. Here is how to avoid this common problem:
Cookie definition:
A "cookie" is a small piece of information that a Web server stores temporarily on your computer. This allows the Web server to retrieve specific information from your computer at a later time. For example, when you browse through an "online shopping mall" and add items to your "shopping cart," a list of the items you've chosen is stored in a cookie on your computer so that you can pay for all of the items at once when you're finished shopping. It's much more efficient for each shopper's computer to keep track of information like this than to expect the Web server to remember who bought what, especially if there are thousands of people shopping on that site at a time.
A cookie file is NOT a secret way for a Web server to find out everything about you and what you have on your hard drive. The cookies Neighborhood Link uses only allow our Web server to retrieve the information we placed there and nothing else. They cannot be read by any other Web server that also uses cookies.
There is absolutely no way for our Web server to get access to any private information about you or your system through cookies. Also, there is no possible way that a virus could be spread through the use of our cookies.