MyFortDodge.com FAQ's
This is the place where we try to answer the most Frequently Asked Questions about MyFortDodge.com. If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me at My Member Page.
What Does It Cost To Join MyFortDodge.com?
Membership is free to any individual who would like to join our on-line community. We also allow local Fort Dodge businesses to build their own profile page for free. However, if you're a commercial business (for profit) and you'd like to add photos and/or videos to our site we ask that you obtain a Commercial Photo/Video License.
What Are The Benefits To Becoming a Member of MyFortDodge.com?
Once you become a member, you'll be able to participate in discussions, add comments, add an event to our calendar, create your own blog, and post your own photos and/or videos. Plus your membership shows your support for our site which is locally owned and operated. We are also a member of the Fort Dodge Area Chamber of Commerce.
Who Owns/Operates MyFortDodge.com?
MyFortDodge.com was started by Fort Dodge native and current resident Bill Grady in July of 2007. It came about after the concept and prototype was presented to another local media and then was turned down because "they weren't comfortable" with a platform that the world was already using in huge numbers. That evening after receiving my rejection notice I made it my personal challenge to build, create, and fund MyFortDodge.com myself because I believed that a site like this would work in Fort Dodge. I built the site using a 5 year-old Toshiba laptop while sitting on my patio over the summer of 2007 (hence the member name "starcompatio"). Hundreds of hours and many dollars have gone into the creation and the maintenance of this site. The site continues to be locally owned and operated by me today, and survives through the support of local advertising, my time and money, and the participation by many members who contribute content such as blogs, events, photos, and videos. To all of you who have participated by posting your content and to the businesses that have shown their support by advertising on our site, I am truly grateful.
I Was Invited to Join a Group. Once I Join MyFortDodge.com am I Automatically a Member of the Inviting Group?
No. If you were invited to become a member of a group on our site, you still have one more step to go. After joining MyFortDodge.com, you will need to go the the Groups page, and look for a link in the upper left had column that says "+ Join "Group Name". Click that and you're on your way to being a member of the group you were invited to join.
I Want to Join, But Could You Tell Me What Things You Do To Protect My Privacy?
First of all, we hate spammers just as much as anyone else and your privacy is very important. When you join, you'll receive a message box that cannot be traced to your original e-mail address to protect your privacy. That means you can send and receive notes from members without them knowing your original e-mail address. We will on occasion send out a monthly e-mail with an update to tell you about any site changes, upgrades, or events, but you always have the opportunity to opt out of those e-mail updates. For more details, go to our Site and Forum Rules page or our Safety Tips and Posting Guidelines page.
Do I Need a Profile Photo to Become a Member?
No, but it sure helps your profile in a couple different ways. First of all, it shows that the name on your profile is really you instead of someone else. Second, it's more inviting for someone who knows you or would like to re-connect with you (i.e. an old classmate) to send you a note or post a comment on your page wall. Research has also shown that if you want to have people look at your profile, using your real name and having a current profile photo of yourself is the best way to do that. Extra hint: Crop and re-size your photo to a square 183 pixels by 183 pixels and your photo will look and load perfectly.
Are There Times That You Won't Approve People to Become Members?
Yes, and it happens all the time. Our intent is to protect our site and our members from people who want to fill our on-line community with spam. If you post links to sites that you don't own or that you don't have a personal connection with on your profile page you will not be approved. If you become approved but decide to add them later to your profile you will also be banned from the site. Other non-approval violations include inconsistent profile information and previous conduct at other sites. For more details on our "spamming policy, please go to our Site and Forum Rules page.
How Can I Start My Own Blog?
Once you have become a member, you'll see a link in the upper left hand corner of your member page, right above the page title that says "My Blog". Click that link, and at the next page you'll go to your official "blog page". At that point look to the link in the upper right hand corner that says "Add New Blog", click that and you will have two options. You can begin to write it from scratch right there, or you can copy and paste from any word processor document such as Microsoft Word. On your blog you can add photos, add links, format the piece for bold or italic font, etc.
Does My Page Have To Look The Same As MyFortDodge.com's Home Page?
No, and we encourage you to personalize your own page to give it your look. To change your theme, just look for the "Change my Photo or Theme" link right underneath your profile photo and you will go to a page that will allow you to change colors, add backgrounds, and make other design changes that will give your page a unique look. You may also rearrange your page "features" (i.e. music player, photos, videos, etc.) between the right and center columns with our new drag and drop feature.
What Does It Cost To Join MyFortDodge.com?
Membership is free to any individual who would like to join our on-line community. We also allow local Fort Dodge businesses to build their own profile page for free. However, if you're a commercial business (for profit) and you'd like to add photos and/or videos to our site we ask that you obtain a Commercial Photo/Video License.
What Are The Benefits To Becoming a Member of MyFortDodge.com?
Once you become a member, you'll be able to participate in discussions, add comments, add an event to our calendar, create your own blog, and post your own photos and/or videos. Plus your membership shows your support for our site which is locally owned and operated. We are also a member of the Fort Dodge Area Chamber of Commerce.
Who Owns/Operates MyFortDodge.com?
MyFortDodge.com was started by Fort Dodge native and current resident Bill Grady in July of 2007. It came about after the concept and prototype was presented to another local media and then was turned down because "they weren't comfortable" with a platform that the world was already using in huge numbers. That evening after receiving my rejection notice I made it my personal challenge to build, create, and fund MyFortDodge.com myself because I believed that a site like this would work in Fort Dodge. I built the site using a 5 year-old Toshiba laptop while sitting on my patio over the summer of 2007 (hence the member name "starcompatio"). Hundreds of hours and many dollars have gone into the creation and the maintenance of this site. The site continues to be locally owned and operated by me today, and survives through the support of local advertising, my time and money, and the participation by many members who contribute content such as blogs, events, photos, and videos. To all of you who have participated by posting your content and to the businesses that have shown their support by advertising on our site, I am truly grateful.
I Was Invited to Join a Group. Once I Join MyFortDodge.com am I Automatically a Member of the Inviting Group?
No. If you were invited to become a member of a group on our site, you still have one more step to go. After joining MyFortDodge.com, you will need to go the the Groups page, and look for a link in the upper left had column that says "+ Join "Group Name". Click that and you're on your way to being a member of the group you were invited to join.
I Want to Join, But Could You Tell Me What Things You Do To Protect My Privacy?
First of all, we hate spammers just as much as anyone else and your privacy is very important. When you join, you'll receive a message box that cannot be traced to your original e-mail address to protect your privacy. That means you can send and receive notes from members without them knowing your original e-mail address. We will on occasion send out a monthly e-mail with an update to tell you about any site changes, upgrades, or events, but you always have the opportunity to opt out of those e-mail updates. For more details, go to our Site and Forum Rules page or our Safety Tips and Posting Guidelines page.
Do I Need a Profile Photo to Become a Member?
No, but it sure helps your profile in a couple different ways. First of all, it shows that the name on your profile is really you instead of someone else. Second, it's more inviting for someone who knows you or would like to re-connect with you (i.e. an old classmate) to send you a note or post a comment on your page wall. Research has also shown that if you want to have people look at your profile, using your real name and having a current profile photo of yourself is the best way to do that. Extra hint: Crop and re-size your photo to a square 183 pixels by 183 pixels and your photo will look and load perfectly.
Are There Times That You Won't Approve People to Become Members?
Yes, and it happens all the time. Our intent is to protect our site and our members from people who want to fill our on-line community with spam. If you post links to sites that you don't own or that you don't have a personal connection with on your profile page you will not be approved. If you become approved but decide to add them later to your profile you will also be banned from the site. Other non-approval violations include inconsistent profile information and previous conduct at other sites. For more details on our "spamming policy, please go to our Site and Forum Rules page.
How Can I Start My Own Blog?
Once you have become a member, you'll see a link in the upper left hand corner of your member page, right above the page title that says "My Blog". Click that link, and at the next page you'll go to your official "blog page". At that point look to the link in the upper right hand corner that says "Add New Blog", click that and you will have two options. You can begin to write it from scratch right there, or you can copy and paste from any word processor document such as Microsoft Word. On your blog you can add photos, add links, format the piece for bold or italic font, etc.
Does My Page Have To Look The Same As MyFortDodge.com's Home Page?
No, and we encourage you to personalize your own page to give it your look. To change your theme, just look for the "Change my Photo or Theme" link right underneath your profile photo and you will go to a page that will allow you to change colors, add backgrounds, and make other design changes that will give your page a unique look. You may also rearrange your page "features" (i.e. music player, photos, videos, etc.) between the right and center columns with our new drag and drop feature.
Created by Bill Grady Apr 19, 2008 at 11:23am. Last updated by Bill Grady Jul 13.
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