Click in the text box next to the 'Publish a topic' label to bring up an interface for publishing a topic. You need to provide a title and some text content for the topic. You also need to select a level that the topic is applied to. By default, the topic is applied to the federal government level. Optinally, you can add your vote to the topic. That means you can publish a topic that you either support or are against.
You can upload images about the topic by either copy and paste them to the text area, or use the image upload button to add them.
When you finish editing the topic, click on the 'Publish' button to submit the form.
Once you publish a topic, you cannot make change to it. But you can unpublish it to hide it from the publich or completely remove it.
Use the up and down button to vote for a topic. The number in the button means how many votes have been cast. Once you voted for a topic, the vote buttons will be deactivated until the vote is revoked. To learn how to revoke a vote, see the help on revoking.
After you vote for a topic, you are able to rank the importance of the topic to you by selecting the flags next to the vote buttons. There are 5 flags. Use 1 flag to tell that it's the least important, and use 5 flags to show that it's the most important to you. By default, it's 4 flags if the topic is published by you, or 1 flag if it belongs to someone else.
After you have voted for a topic, you can choose to revoke (cancel) your vote. Click on the button that you have voted, a pop over manu shows up. There is a 'Revoke' button in the menu. Click on it will revoke your vote to the topic.
You can add comment to a topic by using the comment text box. To add comment, first click on the main text of the topic to bring up the full topic view. Scroll down to the bottom of the view to find the comment text box. Type your comment text in the box and use the 'Enter' key to publish it.
Use the up and down buttons under the comment text to vote for the comment. Once you have voted for the comment, the buttons will be deactivated until you revoke your vote to the comment. To see how to revoke your vote, see the help on Revoke.
You can use the reply text box to add a reply to a comment. Simply type in your text in the text box under a comment, and type 'Enter' to publish it. Note that you cannot add reply to someone's reply. But you can keep on appending replies to the comment.
You can add a tag to a topic. On the foot bar of a topic, there is a 'tag it' button. Click on it, and a pop over menu shows up. With the menu you can put the topic in an existing tag, or add it to a new tag. To put it in an existing tag, simply click on the tag name in the menu. To put it in a new tag, click on the 'New Tag' button. And a text box shows up for the name of the tag. Type in the name and type 'Enter' key to apply it. The topic will be tagged with the new label name.
You can only apply 1 tag on a topic.
To remove a tag from a topic, click on the tag on the foot bar of the topic, and a pop over menu shows up. Use the button in the menu to remove the tag.
A statement can not be changed once published. However the owner of the statement can unpublish it so that hide it from the public, or completely remove it from the website.
To unpublish the statement, use the following steps.
A statement can not be changed once published. However the owner of the statement can unpublish it so that hide it from the public, or completely remove it from the website.
To remove the statement, use the following steps.
From the side bar menu, navigate to 'Allies' page. Click on the 'Find allies' button on the top of the page to list suggested users by the system. The users are ordered by the alliance score between you and each user. The score indicates how close your votes are compare with the user's votes.
You can use the following interface to add allies.
You can use the following interface to remove a user from your allies list.
From the side bar menu, navigate to 'Opposites' page. Click on the 'Find opposites' button on the top of the page to list suggested users by the system. The users are ordered by the alliance score between you and each user in ascending order. The score indicates how close your votes are compare with the user's votes. Negative values mean how different were the votes.
You can use the following interface to add allies.
You can use the following interface to remove a user from your opposites list.
To to party list page by clicking on the 'Party' button in the side bar menu. At the top left of the window, click on the 'Create new party' button. It will navigate to the page for creatking a new party.
Party profile can be updated by the party leader or the party secretary. To update the profile of a party, use the 'Edit profile' button on the party's front page. You can update the following information about the party.
Click on the 'Party' button on the side bar menu to list your parties. You will see all the parties made by you on the top of the page, followed by the parties you have joined. In the end, it provides a list of parties suggested for you, ordered by the alliance score between you and each party.
Party members can invite other users to join the party. To send invitation message, go to the party's front page, and click on the 'Invite user to party' button. The system will provide a list of users ranked by their alliance score with the party. Click on the 'invite' button next to the suggested user, and a message dialog pops over. You can edit the content of the invitation message and click on 'Send' to submit the invitation.
When you receive a party invitation, you will notice that at the notification alarm area at the header bar. Click on the notification alarm, it will list all the recent system notifications to you. And you are able to respond to those notifications. If you have an invitation from a party, you can use the buttons to accept or refuse the party invitation.
You can also use the interface in the user's area to respond to an invitation. Click on the user's icon on the top right of the page, you'll find the 'Party invitations' button. Click on it and you'll see the list all the invitations that waiting for response. Use the 'Accept' or 'Dismiss' button to respond to the invitation.
Any user can apply to join a party. At the party's front page, there is a button 'Request to join the party' under the party header. Click on the button and a message dialog pops over. You can edit the content of the message and click on 'Send request' to submit the application. Then the leader of the party will review your application and make a decision.
When a user send an application to join a party, the message will be directed to the party leader. The party leader can notice that from the system notification alarm area. Click on the notification alarm, it will list all the recent system notifications to you. And you can respond to those notifications. If you have an application message from a user, you can use the buttons to accept or refuse the party invitation.
You can also use the interface in the user's area to respond to an application. Click on the user's icon on the top right of the page, and you'll find the 'Party applications' button. Click on it and you will get a list all the applications that waiting for response. Use the 'Approve' or 'Refuse' button to respond to the application.
The metascore of a policy statement measures how popular the statement is. And it is measured by the following factors:
The controversial score of a policy statement measures how many users show different oppinions on the statement. And it is measured by the following factors:
The new statement page lists policy statements ordered by their publishing time, in a descending sequence.
The unvoted statement page lists the policy statements that haven't been voted by you. They are ordered by their metascore (measuring how popular the policy is), in a descending sequence.
The page that lists policy statements tagged by user. If a tag name is selected, it lists all statements with this tag. If 'All' is selected, it lists all statements that has been tagged.
The page that lists policy statements in the federal government level.
The page that lists policy statements in the state government level.
The page that lists policy statements in the local government (council) level.
Users that are added as alliance. One can add any user as his alliance, without being approved by that user. A user can use the 'find allies' feature to get a list of users suggested by the system, that are ordered by their alliance score with him, in a descending order.
Users that are added as opposition. One can add any user as his opposition, without being approved by that user. A user can use the 'find opposites' feature to get a list of users suggested by the system, that are ordered by their alliance score with him, in an ascending order. The alliance score between the user and an opposite can be a negative value.
This page list parties created by you. By default, you are the founder, leader and manager of the party. However you can transer any of these roles to another user later on.
This page list parties you have joined as a common member.You can quit a party at anytime.
This page list parties suggested to you. They are ordered by the alliance scores between the parties and you. The alliance score indicates how similar did you vote to policies comparing with the members of a party.
In the party's page, it only lists votes cast by the party members to the policies.
Any member of a party can send an invitation message to users that have not joined the party. Receivers of these messages can either accept the invitation or refuse it.
Users can send applications to join a party. The leaders of the party can decide if to approve the application or not.
Normally there are two options for a poll. However if necessary it can have more than two options. For example, in a preferred leader poll, it may have more than two options.