Frequently Asked Questions about our Website
What is The Quilting Expertise Co-op (“TheQEC”)?
It’s the world's FIRST collaboratively edited Question/Answer problem-solving site just for Quilters. It is like a Wikipedia just for quilting information – the ultimate repository of our combined knowledge and expertise. It’s the largest body of quilting experts on the internet. It’s the first site to establish a credentialling system for validating information and users that is objective and community based. It is a safe, non-commercial site where all quilters can participate to ask and answer questions and are given credibility by you - the community. It’s a place to grow new experts. It’s like a quilt show that you can attend from the comfort on your own home, ask questions of a wide variety of experts and interact with the diverse quilting community gleaning and sharing information that is important to you. It's FREE and completely un-biased, with no registration is required.
It may also be helpful to describe what this site is NOT! If you are looking for any of these, we suggest you go elsewhere to meet these needs.
· A social site for chit-chat, gossip or small talk.
· We are not a commercial site – there is no commerce on this site and we are not promoting any individual’s or company’s products, services or viewpoints. However, users are free to recommend their own or other’s products or services, provide links to commercial sites or advertise on our site.
· We are not a “push” marketing site – no user is to send unsolicited promotional materials to any other users. Your email entered for registration and used for sending follow up information on your questions, answers and comments is only accessible by moderators and administrators responsible for managing the site.
· A discussion forum with multiple threads and participants. Although some questions could have many answers and comments on each, this site is not designed to follow discussion threads.
What is Our
To grow the popularity, number, interaction, knowledge sharing and expertise of quilters by providing an unparalleled internet problem-solving community and repository of quilting information of unparalleled quality.
What is meant by Community Run?
Everything is done by the users like you, quilting enthusiasts who want to build an unparalleled knowledge base. It is collaboratively created and maintained by your fellow quilters - a participatory platform that is similar to Wikipedia - where users provide all information on the site and trusted users can change the information you enter. The quality of questions and answers can be voted up or down by users. The more the community likes your questions and answers, the more status you gain. Once you've gained the community's trust, you'll be able to help run TheQEC. This is done through Reputation points - a measurement of how active, involved, and respected you are in TheQEC community. The rules established here are a good beginning point, if you have suggestions, feel free to provide administrator feedback (bottom left corner).
What is our Code of Conduct?
We apply the Golden Rule – treat others as you would like to be treated. Use your sense of humor and be kind to others. We all want to learn together and each of us is at a different level. Be considerate as you make comments and communicate with others in the community. Inappropriate conduct will not be tolerated. Inappropriate questions, answers and comments will be removed and if such conduct continues, abusers will be removed from the community.
Why the Quilting Expertise Co-op?
The Quilting Expertise Co-op (“TheQEC”) is very unique. We have gone beyond blogs, forums, social networks, and commercial websites to give you what has never existed before – a self-governing, educational, problem solving, Q/A quilting community. It was born of a desire to accomplish the mission defined, eliminate many of the negatives inherent in other formats and reach the potential of everything it can and should be.
Do I have to register?
No. Anyone can ask a question anonymously and receive answers from the community. However, to answer questions and build your Reputation and participate fully in TheQEC, registration is required. Click here to register, it's quick and easy! We are thrilled to have your full involvement.
What’s in it for me? What are the benefits?
New users typically come from one of two primary perspectives:
· people with questions looking for answers and
· people with answers that want to help others and receive recognition for their skills and knowledge.
We have chosen to list the benefits to each of these groups separately, although most users will do some of both. See the two benefits links at the bottom left of any page. Check out the one of most interest to you, or both.
How do I find information? Are there any search options?
Yes. We have worked diligently to make is easy to find the information you are seeking. Our general search engine is in the top right corner of every page and will search the entire database for the text entered. Click here to search now.
Categories:
Categories are pre-defined by the administrators, limited in number and intentionally quite broad. The intent is that each question be assigned to a primary category to provide structure and facilitate users in following or searching these specific categories. Note - Each question must currently choose a category (visit the categories page to see what categories have been assigned questions). A full list of categories is available in a drop down list when you ask a question.
Tags:
Tags are key words that are community determined, constantly growing, very specific and up to 5 can be entered for any question. They should help a searcher or follower find related questions. When entering a tag, users are prompted for existing ones with the same letter. If nothing fits, feel free to create a new tag.
How do I ask a question?
Select Ask A Question to find the information you need, or the “Ask A Question” button in the header from most anywhere on the website. You will be shown the box to enter the short, one-sentence question and select an appropriate “Category”. When you “Continue”, you will normally be shown 5 questions already on the database that appeared to be similar questions. You will have to select “My Question is Different” to continue. You will then be able to enter a more comprehensive question, being sure to provide sufficient detail that an accurate answer can be given. When you select the “Ask the Question” button at the bottom, it is almost immediately seen by others who will do their best to answer.
If your question was unclear, others may comment or even edit it to bring the best information and answers possible. In order to get good answers, you must ask good questions. Please think about exactly what information you are searching for and the best way to ask for it. Then spend some time looking at questions already asked. Chances are there is someone wondering the same thing as you.
What kind of questions can I ask here?
TheQEC is for all levels of quilters, novice to professional. If your question covers anything to do with quilting – you are in the right place! Please look to see if your question has already been asked and answered before you ask. You may also ask and answer your own question if you wish to share information with the community. Some simple tests for a good question:
· Is it in good taste – not derogatory, insulting or offensive?
· Is it about quilting – the theme of this site?
· Would it be of interest to others in the community instead of just to you?
· It is succinct and to the point, particularly the short version.
· Does it have relative permanence (the best questions remain relevant over time)?
· Is it a question and not a statement?
· Does it have a legitimate answer, or is it controversial or simply solicits subjective opinions (occasionally acceptable).
What makes a good answer?
Answers should be relevant, clear, comprehensive and accurate. A good answer responds to the question – which may be edited or commented on if you feel it would improve the quality of the information being provided. You can (and should if too detailed) incorporate links to other sites with additional details. Our purpose is to build a quality searchable knowledge base, to which end it should contribute.
What is Voting?
Voting is the backbone of TheQEC. Voting facilitates the best information (and experts) being available to all users. When you post a question, it is almost immediately seen by others who will do their best to answer. As questions and answers are posted, the community decides what's valuable information and what needs to be corrected. You can vote on other’s information and select the best answers to your own questions. You may answer any question and vote on or comment on any other question or answer (if you register). As you earn the community's trust, you are able to help correct inaccuracies in others questions, answers and comments. Voting is vital to the reputation and success of all users, please make an effort to vote as often as possible.
Vote honestly.
We want the best information and best experts to be rewarded and “float to the top” so we can all benefit. Vote up good questions or helpful answers by clicking the “thumbs up” next to the item. good information up. Vote inaccurate information down. Comment on what exactly was wrong and add your own best answers. And, depending on your community status, edit existing questions and answers.
When you have decided which answer was the best to your question, select the “star” to highlight it (it is moved to the top of the answers list) and award the points to the person providing the best answer.
How do I keep up with the specific subjects I'm interested in? - RSS Feeds!
We want each of our users to get the most out of TheQEC without getting inundated with emails (you will get emails on responses/changes to your own questions, answers and comments). RSS feeds provide you with any new or updated information whenever it becomes available on the website. RSS feeds allows users to avoid manually inspecting all of the websites they are interested in, and instead subscribe to websites such that all new content is pushed onto their browsers when it becomes available. There are several different RSS feeds available on TheQEC, allowing users to follow:
· Recent questions – selectable when on the Questions page.
· Unanswered Questions – selectable when on the Unanswered Questions page.
· Categories – when you select a category of interest, the feed button is effective for it.
· Tags – when you select a tag of interest, the feed button is effective for that tag
Directions for initiating an RSS feed:
RSS feeds send information to your browser. We have tested the following browsers:
· Mozilla 3.6 browser
· Internet Explorer 8 – the feeds are under Favorites, the Feeds tab
· Google Chrome current version 9.0.597.107 doesn’t work correctly, still researching.
When on the appropriate page of our website for the feed you want, the small orange box (see illustration below) will be visible at the bottom of the right sidebar. It will describe the feed that that is available from that page – e.g., “Recent Questions and Answers”.
Click on this icon. Something similar to the following page will appear (Mozilla illustration):
Click “Subscribe Now” and you will automatically receive the feeds you have selected! You may be given options on where the feed will be stored on your browser.
To review the feeds:
Open your browser and go to the area you selected for saving the feed – e.g., in Internet Explorer, it will be under the Favorites button, Feeds tab unless directed elsewhere. Simply click on the description you used for our website (default our name) and you will see a summary of the new data posted on the site. You can click on any item listed to go directly to that item on our site.
We are unaware of a way to make the arrival of a new feed trigger something like an email or message when you open your browser. If you are aware of a way to announce to the user that new information is available, please send us a feedback email.
Permissions define what various users can do. These are subject to change, but currently:
· Anyone can anonymously ask or answer a question.
· Registered Users can vote, comment on questions or answers.
· Experts or Editors can edit questions, answers or comments. These are currently appointed by the administrator, but in the future may be selected by the reputation or the community.
· Editors or the creator can hide questions/answers.
· Moderators can delete posts and block users, in addition to all the above.
· Administrators control all other site actions.
What is Reputation?
Current Reputation Points awarded for:
Item Points
Posting a questions: 2
Selecting the best answer for your question: 3
Per up/down vote on your question: +/- 1
Limit from up votes on each question: +10
Limit from down votes on each question: -3
Posting an answer: 4
Having your answer selected as the best: 20
Per up/down vote on your answer: +/- 5
Limit from up votes on each answer: +20
Limit from down votes on each answer: -5
Voting up a question: 2
Voting down a question: 1
Voting up an answer: 2
Voting down an answer: 1
Register as New User 10
May I promote myself, my website, or my products?
Yes, but this is a non-commercial site – no business transactions are conducted here. Your website can be added to your profile, which is linked to every question, answer and comment you post. Additionally, if you have more comprehensive answers on your website that you want to refer the reader to, you may include a link in your answer or comment. WE ALSO ACCEPT ADVERTISING, it is what pays for our community site.
How to I get back to the site?
We have created multiple ways to get here, depending on how you best remember things. We can be reached under the full moniker at either www.QuiltingExpertiseCo-op.org , or www.QuiltingExpertiseCo-op.com (caps not required). Additionally we created the short moniker “TheQEC” that we use in all our materials and a site address of www.TheQEC.org (if you get the Queen’s site, you entered .com instead of .org). We also hope you subscribe to some of the RSS feeds so you keep updated with new information of interest to you.
What if I see bad things happening on the site?
For minor situations, you should vote questions or answers down to demonstrate your dissatisfaction. For more serious violations, please click the “Send Feedback” button in the bottom left-hand corner to send the administrator an email. We actively moderate our community, but we need your help to do so. If it is an urgent item, please indicate so in the title of the email.
