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FAQ

Welcome to your community’s online forum!

This is a place for you to collaborate with your peers and make your community a better place. MindMixer is working with your local decision makers to host this site. You and your friends, family and neighbors will be presented with a series of topics on which you can provide your ideas and feedback. That input will be taken into account by your local leaders, who will keep you posted on the impact your ideas and opinions are making in your community. You’re here to build a stronger future, and we are very happy to be working with you! To learn more about the specific goals of your community’s MindMixer site, visit the About the Project page.

How do I get started?

First, you need to create an account. But it’s a quick and easy process! Just click the “Sign Up” “Sign Up” button in the top right corner of any page on your MindMixer site. Then, you can either create an account using your existing login information for Facebook, LinkedIn or Google+, or you can create a new login using your email. Either way, we’ll just ask for some basic information (birth day, zip code, gender) and you’ll be ready to engage!

How do I customize my profile?

To access your profile once you’ve signed in, simply click on your name in the upper right hand corner of any page of your MindMixer site. Click the “Account” tab. Notice that all the required fields are already filled in. Scroll down to the “Optional Fields.” That’s where your profile can shine. Tell other participants a little about yourself and upload a profile picture. That picture will be displayed along with any idea or comment you leave on your MindMixer site, and is a good way to take ownership of your input.

How do I find out who is sponsoring this site?

The community leaders who are taking part in this conversation are listed on the Who’s Listening page. They’re taking your input into account and shaping the future of your community based on the feedback they’re receiving from you and your fellow participants. You might recognize some of them as your mayor, city council representative, superintendent or principal.

What is a topic?

A topic is the individual question you and other participants are providing an answer to. Click the “Topics” menu at the top of any MindMixer page to see the list of topics (or, questions) that are open for discussion.

How do I provide my feedback?

There are several ways you can provide your input and get involved in the conversation on your MindMixer site:

  1. Add an idea: Certain topics will include a field inviting you to fill in your idea – your answer to that particular question. Your idea has a few different parts to it: a title, which basically just sums it up; a description, which goes into a little more detail to explain your thought process; and supporting materials, such as images, videos, links and PDFs that help make your point. Once you’ve included all you want to include, click “Add Idea” and you’ve contributed to this topic.
  2. Pin your idea to a map: Sometimes, open idea submission topics will be accompanied by a map of your community. This is a chance for you to “pin” your idea to that map – to show decision makers exactly which part of town you’re referring to. Often maps are used with questions like, “Which bus station do you use most often? Show us on the map.”
  3. Leave a comment or rate an idea: Other participants will be adding ideas too, and another way for you to provide feedback is by leaving a comment on or rating their submitted ideas.
  4. Vote in a poll: Your MindMixer site includes some Instant Polls, which allow you to choose from among pre-determined answers to a question. It works just like any poll; sometimes you can submit one choice, other times you can submit multiple. The topic will tell you how many choices you can make. Once you’re satisfied with your decision, click “Vote” to submit your feedback.
  5. Fill out a survey: Just like any survey you would fill out, MindMixer surveys are multi-part questions that can include polls, open idea submission or any combination of the two. Survey topics will include a button that says “Take the Survey,” after which you’ll fill in your answers and click “Submit Survey.”
  6. Submit a photo: Some topics on your MindMixer site will invite you to upload a photo as your answer to a particular question. Simply click “Add a Photo,” choose a file from your computer and give it a short description. Then decide how the photo makes you feel by clicking one of the emotions beneath your description. Finally, click “Add Photo.”
  7. Allocate funds: The final topic type on your MindMixer site allows you to create a budget. A question may ask, for example, “How would you divvy up $1,000 for the parks budget?” Once you click the “Allocate Funds” button, you’ll see the total amount you can spend, and two other numbers: one that starts at zero and increases as you divide up your budget, and one that decreases as you divide up your budget, showing how much you have left to spend. Below, you see a list of budgeting options. Click “Allocate Funds” beneath each choice, then type in the amount you want to spend on that option. Once you hit save, your budget will update. Repeat this process for the rest of the funding options until your remaining balance hits zero and click “Submit Budget.”

How can I see what other participants are saying?

The first way is by clicking the “Activity” menu at the top of any MindMixer page. That will take you to a page that shows all the activity on your site — in other words, all the ideas and comments of other participants. You can find the same information by clicking on each individual topic. For poll topics, you can see how others have voted by casting a vote yourself, which will bring up the results so far.

What happens to my feedback?

Once you submit an idea or vote in a poll, your feedback will be entered into a report for your community leaders. They will then take that feedback into account when making decisions that impact your community. They may also review your idea and apply a status.

What does it mean when an idea is reviewed?

Reviewed ideas are those that your community leaders have read and considered. Reviewed ideas are tagged with a different “status” each time — either Implemented, In Progress, Being Reviewed, Referred to the Appropriate Party, or Not Feasible. This status shows you which stage your idea is in on the way to being made a reality. Your community leaders may also leave a message explaining the status they have applied, along with a note detailing the Next Steps for your idea.

Is there a deadline to get my feedback in?

Each individual topic does have a date at which it “closes,” meaning no more feedback will be accepted after that time. That date is listed on the Topic page. However, your community leaders can extend that date as many times as they see fit. The amount of time during which your MindMixer site is available to view is up to your community leaders.

How do I rate an idea?

Each idea on your MindMixer site can be given a rating — Neutral (/), It’s Okay (one star), I Like It (two stars), I Love It! (three stars). From the Topic page and the Activity page, you will be given the opportunity to rate each idea on an open topic by clicking on the number of stars on the sliding scale beneath an idea.

What happens when I rate an idea?

When you click the number of stars you would like to give an idea , the average rating of the idea will change to reflect your rating. The total number of ratings given will also change. These numbers will help your community leaders narrow down the ideas the community is most in favor of.

How do I comment on an idea?

You can comment on any idea on the Topic page or the Activity page, or by viewing the Idea Details. Beneath every idea is a field that says “Add your thoughts.” Simply click in that field and start typing your comment, then click “Add Comment.”

What does it mean to comment on an idea?

By leaving a comment on another participant’s idea, you are essentially joining that conversation. You can refine an idea, you can dispute it, you can ask the participant who submitted that idea a question. You can even ask other commenting participants their thoughts. Your comments enrich the dialogue and bring the ideas you’re commenting on to the attention of your community leaders in a different way.

Why do I have points?

Every time you contribute to your MindMixer site, you earn points. Your MindMixer site has a point system as a way to make engagement more fun for you. The points you earn can be redeemed toward unique rewards from your community. Those rewards can range from baseball caps to a key to the city — it all depends on your community and how many points you have! You can also see how you measure up against the other participants in your community by checking out the Top Contributors.

How do I accumulate points?

Almost any action you take on your MindMixer site earns you points. The point structure is broken down on the Top Contributors page, but here it is again:

  • Create an account: 50 points
  • Refer a friend: 25 points
  • Submit an idea or photo: 10 points
  • Rate an idea: 2 points
  • Someone else rates your idea: 10 points
  • Comment on an idea: 2 points
  • Vote in a poll: 2 points
  • Complete a survey: 50 points

What will I be notified of and how often will I be notified?

Every week you will receive an email that updates you on the activity on your MindMixer site. It will include all the following information (where applicable): Topics that are closing soon, most popular ideas, recently submitted ideas, recently reviewed ideas, comments on your ideas, comments on instant polls you have taken, and upcoming new topics. You can turn off these weekly emails in the “Preferences” tab of your Profile. You will also receive an email when your community leaders have an important message for you. You can turn off these notifications in the “Preferences” tab as well. You will still be notified of these important messages when you visit your MindMixer site — just look at the bullhorn in the upper right corner of any page.

How can I share this site with my friends on other social networks?

You have several options. Share buttons are located on nearly every page of your MindMixer site. Click the icon for Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+ or email to post that page to your friends and followers. You will also be prompted to share each new idea you submit with a pop-up window once your idea submission is complete. Sharing is important to growing your community’s online conversation and making sure everyone has a voice. And don’t forget — you get points for referring a friend!