FAQs for section News A: Answers to Technical Support Questions from AHRC Members   Where do I find the answer to the Technical Support Question that I sent AHRC? Abuse - Spam - Harassment   How do I report spam, abuse or harassment via My AHRC Account? Articles   What are your guidelines for publishing news articles? Author   Why does the submission form want me to select an author? I am the author.   How do enter the Author Name in a Submission Form? Book reviews   How do a get a book review to the AHRC readers? I am a publicist and a publisher. Business   Where can I list my business and contact information on AHRC? Can I submit information that is useful to homeowners for publication on AHRC? Comments   How can I make corrections in a published Comment I posted?   How do I keep my name and city from appearing on comments I submit?   How do I submit comments to items others have submitted?   What are your guidelines for Comments?   Will AHRC publish comments asking viewers to call my business or organization to find services they need? Comments - Track Changes   I signed up to Track Changes and receive Comments to certain articles. How do I unsubscribe myself from receiving updated Comments. Communications - Letters and Complaints   How can each of our homeowners send letters or complaints and publish them on AHRC?   Why do some Communications show they have been modified? Complaints   How do I respond to information that is critical of my actions as a government or a corporate representative?   How do I send a Complaint letter via my AHRC account ? Can I, if I choose to, publish it on the web?   There is no sign of a letter I think I wrote among "My Letters" or "My Complaints". Should I send it again? Contacting authors who publish on AHRC   How do I contact an author who wrote an article or ca omment on AHRC? Correcting errors   How can I get errors in a published submission corrected? Disconnects - losing work   How can I prevent losing my work? I was disconnected when after I typed into a form and submitted an item. Duplicate names and titles   Why do I get the message "But we already have an item with the name you provided in our database." when I submit news? Editorials   What are AHRC's guidelines for editorials?   What do you look for in an Editorial? File Uploads from Comments   How do I upload files from the Comments Form? Forum - Post deleted   Why was my post on the HOA Forum deleted? Forum - Rules   What are some of the HOA Forum rules? Forums - Private   How do I begin a Private Discussion Forum in the AHRC HOA Discussion Forums? Forums and Q & A   How can I get a question answered? I cannot seem to get a response to a question from anyone in the HOA Forums Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - More   Where do I find more FAQ Answers? Guidelines   Where can I find some guidelines on using AHRC website? Hot tips for reporters - Problems in homeowner associations   Got a problem in your homeowner association or a hot tip for our investigators? Hyper links - Links   How do I add hyperlinks (links) referring readers to other comments or articles on the AHRC site? Image Uploads and File Uploads   How do I upload pictures or images and files? Letters   How do I Write, Track and Publish Letters to Government, Vendors & HOAs?   How do I send a Letter via my AHRC account ? Can I, if I choose to, publish it on the web?   There is no sign of a letter I think I wrote among "My Letters" or "My Complaints". Should I send it again? Letters to the editor   What do you look for in letters to the editor? Links - hyperlinks on AHRC   How do I make a url a link - hyperlink on to take the reader to another page on AHRC? My Postings   Can I remove my postings? New NEWS ARTICLES   How do I keep up with new NEWS ARTICLES posted on AHRC? News   What guidelines should I follow when criticizing the actions of someone? News - Comments   What are your guidlines for Comments? News - tracking news of interest on AHRC   I want to be notified when people post information to certain articles, letters etc News Source   How do I add a News source in the Submit News Form? Newsletters - deadlines   What are the deadlines for submissions to appear in AHRC newsletters? Newsletters - not receiving   Why am I not receiving the AHRC Newsletters anymore? Newsletters - Subscribe - Unsubscribe - View   How do I Subscribe , Unsubscribe or View AHRC Newsletters? Opposing Views   How do I get an opposing view published? Password change   How do I change my password? Permisions   Can I copy an article from the AHRC website to send out in my Homeowner Association newsletter? Phone numbers and emails   Can I give my phone number and email to be contacted by viewers? Press Releases   Can you give us some tips about writing press releases? Press releases   How do I send stories and press releases using the AHRC site? Privacy on the web   I do not want my name or email address published on the web when I write using the AHRC submission forms. Profile - Comments   How do I add or edit a "Profile" for myself to appear with the "Comments" that I write? Publiishing, Requesting additional information   How do I publish and request additional information on AHRC? Questions & Answers   What are the AHRC guidelines for publishing a Question & Answer? Remove name from my Comments   I forgot to check the box to withhold my name when I submitted my Comment. How can I remove my name from the Comments I submitted? Screen name   Can you tell me how I can change my screen name from my real name to a pseudonym? Submissions   What has happened to the article I submitted last week? Submissions, Comments, Newsletters, Campaigns   When do Sumissions and Comments appear of the web? How are they selected and when do they appear in AHRC newsletters and campaign mailings? Submitting Breaking News   How do I submit breaking news about homeowner associations? Tips on submitting news   What are some guidelines for publishing news on the AHRC website? Tools FAQ   Where do I find the Tools FaQ? Tracking changes   How do I track changes or find out when something is posted? Tracking Comments   How do I track new comments and information posted by viewers ? Tracking new articles on the AHRC site   How do I track new articles on the AHRC site? User Account - User Profile - Author Profile   How do I set up or edit my "User Account", "User Profile" , "Author Account" or "Author Profile" on AHRC? Zip Codes   Where can I find Zip Codes?   A: Answers to Technical Support Questions from AHRC Members Q. Where do I find the answer to the Technical Support Question that I sent AHRC? A.  Please click this link to find responses to Technical Help Requests that you have sent to AHRC. Abuse - Spam - Harassment Q. How do I report spam, abuse or harassment via My AHRC Account? A.  Click here to report Email Spam, Abuse or Harassment Via Your AHRC Account Articles Q. What are your guidelines for publishing news articles? A.  Following are some suggestions: Articles should be written in an objective, balanced and factual manner. Length of article should be between 400 - 800 words. We suggest writing in a series if you must exceed this length. You can upload relevant images (photos, graphs, cartoons) files (pdf or word) audio and video files. Please use Attach Notes to provide contact information so our checkers can check quotes, facts and figures used in the article. AHRC reserves the right to edit for defamatory material, length, accuracy, and clarity. Publishing Policy AHRC receives articles on many controversial topics - politics, religion, life-style etc. AHRC recognizes that some of these articles may upset some of its readers. Should AHRC reject articles on the basis that they may upset some of its readers? AHRC believes that it should not reject articles on the basis that they might upset some of its readers. AHRC believes that it is important that citizens be allowed to express their opinions and that others be allowed to respond. Therefore, AHRC will publish contributions that address the merits of an issue. AHRC reserves the right to reject articles that do not meet this criterion. For example, AHRC will not publish articles that are simply hateful rants. AHRC recognizes that it may not always be easy to make that distinction. However, AHRC will strive to publish as much as possible. AHRC looks forward to your contributions. AHRC believes that everybody should have a voice. Author Q. Why does the submission form want me to select an author? I am the author. A.  The site stores the user information separately from the author information. Therefore, when you use the submission forms to author letters and articles etc., the form asks you to create your author identity. You may use your name or a pen name. Q. How do enter the Author Name in a Submission Form? A.  On the Submission Form: 1. Click on "Click to Select Author" on the blue part of the form. 2. A pop out window will appear with message "Please enter the name of the autho"r: 3. Type in name or partial name of author. 4. If the author name is in the ahrc database, the author name will apear. 5. Click on the name .The author information will automatically be inserted into the blue part of the form. (If you need to update this information, please send us a note using Attach Note at the bottom of the Submission Form. 6. If the uthor is not in the ahrc database you will get a message that saysNo results found. Click here create your author entry. Click to get the form. Complete the author information and submit. The author form allows you to add an image of yourself. 7. Repeat steps 1-5 to insert this author information into the Author Information section of the Submission form.. NOTE: To update your author information, please use Attach Notes on the Article Submission Form if you are submitting an article, or Comments under one of your articles you have already submitted, or "Send Us A Note", and ask the AHRC staff to update information. Please include your author name and the URL of where your profile appears - this will help our staff update the correct profile especially in cases where there may be duplicate names or pen names. See "User Account" for more.... Book reviews Q. How do a get a book review to the AHRC readers? I am a publicist and a publisher. A.  If you wish to be considered for having an book review published and circulated for our members, please submit your review release and a review copy of the book and we will make a determination at that time. Please use the News Submission form to send the review release and send a review copy of the book to: AHRC News Services P. O. Box 97 San Juan Capistrano, California 92693 (949)366-2125 If your product would be of interest to homeowners, you may also list your business and details of your products under the AHRC Business Directory. The AHRC website is a public interest, educational website for homeowners. We welcome writings from authors that provide news and information that helps homeowners. Sample Book Review Business Q. Where can I list my business and contact information on AHRC? Can I submit information that is useful to homeowners for publication on AHRC? A.  To list you business, click the top Navigation link "Business" on ahrc.com Under "Search our directory" at the bottom of the page, : enter the name of the entity s (it is best to enter a partial name" and hit "search" If it is not listed , hit the link "Click here to submit" . Use the Directory Listing - Yellow Page Form to submit your business for publication. Include all the trade organizations you are a member of. Email addresses you include will not show on the web. It will allow email Communications to you from AHRC subscribers. AHRC welcomes news and comment submissions from all users. Only Name, City, State of authors are shown on user submissions published AHRC. Authors who do have a Directory listings on AHRC find it useful to list their Directory Listing Name and url on their postings e..g. • What Homeowner Association Boards Should Know Before They Hire A Management Company - November 25, 2005 - By Douglas J. Rosner Comments Q. How can I make corrections in a published Comment I posted? A.  Use the Comments link under the article you commented on to send the corrected comment. Under "Attached Notes" on the same form. send the url, title, and contents of your orgininal comment , and the url of the article. The AHRC staff will replace the original comment with the corrected content at the same url as your orginal comment. Because the cross linking of newsletters, articles, and comments on the ahrc.com program creates dead links and throws off the numbers and links of others' comments, we do not delete all the content under already published comments. Q. How do I keep my name and city from appearing on comments I submit? A.  There is a box you can check to keep your name or User ID from being displayed. When you do, the Comment will show "Username withheld" and the City, and State you entered in your user account. The website programming does not allow the AHRC Staff to enable or disable any of these fields. The control over the User Name or User ID, City and State and Profile is under your control and can be edited and updated by your from your "User Account" under "My Tools" > "My Account". Q. How do I submit comments to items others have submitted? A.  Assuming you are viewing an article, letter, Lawsuit, Directory Listing or newsletter etc Click Submit Comment Click Check this box to keep your name from being displayed. to remaim anonymous Enter your message in the text input box. Click E-mail me whenever new comments are posted to this item if you wish to be notified. Click to Attach images and/or Attach files Click Submit. You comments will be reviewed, edited if necessary, and posted within 24-48 hours if accepted. Q. What are your guidelines for Comments? A.  Comments are meant for brief discussions of events and policies dealing with homeowner associations and related to the contents of the main article. They should be civil and productive. Include your name when attacking what another homeowner writes so it gives the homeowner a chance to respond Include documentation They should not be used for advertorials, as links to other websites or for personal attacks on others. Lengthy references can be attached to Comments using File Uploads Images can be attached to Comments using Image Uploads. To deter spam no active links are permitted . (Your can include the URL to an external site relevant to the discussion by typing out the URL e.g. "ahrc.com".) Comments also allow inclusion of Private Notes for AHRC editors. Homeowners can also use: • HOA Forums for discussions • Communications - to write Letters or Complaints and, if they wish submit for publication on AHRC • Email links of members or Authors who allow emails to send emails Abusive comments will be removed and their authors banned. Q. Will AHRC publish comments asking viewers to call my business or organization to find services they need? A.  As a general rule, we do not publish such requests. We will publish some educational comments that discuss the topic, helps our viewers and includes the name of the writer and the writer's affiliation with a business or organization. Comments - Track Changes Q. I signed up to Track Changes and receive Comments to certain articles. How do I unsubscribe myself from receiving updated Comments. A.  To remove the Track Changes" on Submissions 1. Go to the article that your are receiving Comments updates from. 2. Click View Comments at the end of the articles. 3. You will see a grey box that has "Track Changes" checked. 4. Click on the check mark to remove the check. You should no longer receive updates when new comments are posted. Communications - Letters and Complaints Q. How can each of our homeowners send letters or complaints and publish them on AHRC? A.  Each of your homeowners can send webletters or webcomplaints to your homeowners association. They can copy these to anyone and if they wish, publish them on AHRC. Web Communications can be emailed, faxed or mailed. To send Webletters or Webcomplaints go to the top Navigation button Communications and follow attached instructions List the names and contact information for each of your board members and vendors using "Add/Remove Contacts" (The emails will not appear on the web.) Webletters and Webcomplaints are convenient tools which AHRC developed to facilitate communications and help homeowners build informed, open, and democratic communities. Q. Why do some Communications show they have been modified? A.  Copies of Communications sent to AHRC for publication are subject to editing. . Editing automatically generates the modification message. The original - the copy you sent the recipients goes out to them with a copy to your email address as soon as your submit your communication. . A copy of your original letter also stays in your private account under My Letter or My Complaints.. Editors sometimes add html code (text effects) to make the URLs in communications clickable links. That will also automatically generate modification message on the web copies Complaints Q. How do I respond to information that is critical of my actions as a government or a corporate representative? A.  Citizens have a right to criticize actions by their government and corporate officers. It is important for corporate and government officers to respond to their critics openly and factually. Transparency and respect for all community members breeds trust and peace in communities. If someone has posted information that you believe is not factual , then please use the News, Comment or Communication Submission form to provide us with the correct information, and , if necessary, supporting documentation. The representative responding on behalf of the company or goverment should also provide their name and contact information. We will then investigate your complaint and make any necessary and appropriate changes. Q. How do I send a Complaint letter via my AHRC account ? Can I, if I choose to, publish it on the web? A.  The complaint section allows you to file a complaint against a vendor, government entity or homeowner's association. You will be able to communicate directly and privately with the person you are filing the complaint against and track its progress in your personal account. You can withhold your name from the recipient of your letter. You also have the option to request publication of your complaint on the AHRC web site. You can chose to withhold your name from appearing on the web. AHRC reserves the right to edit or not publish letters sent to them for publication on the AHRC site. Letters submitted for web publication generally appear on the web within 24 hours. How does the submission process work? Step 1: Find Entity - Find or submit the company or government entity in our directory. Step 2: File Complaint Information - Enter information about your complaint Step 3: Write letter - Enter a letter address to the company or government entity regarding your complaint. What you will need: Step 1: Company/Government Information NOTE: This information is only requested if we do not have the company/government entry in our database. * Name (Required) [Shown on web] * Address (Required) [Shown on web] * Phone/Fax [Shown on web] * Email address * Trade member information [Shown on web] * Web site URL[Shown on web] * Summary (Required) [Shown on web]- An unbiased summary of the company/government entry. Step 2: Complaint Summary Information * Date of incident (Required) [Shown on web] * Name of offender * Contact Person Name * Email address - The address to address your complaint to. * Address * Phone/Fax * Problem description (Required) [Shown on web] * Problem summary (Required) [Shown on web] * Desired Outcome [Shown on web] * Privacy Information - You can control whether or not the complaint is shown on the web with the privacy options. Step 3: Write Complaint Letter * Letter to company/government (Required) - A letter addressed to the company / government entry detailing your complaint. Let's get started Log in and Click here to get started on writing your Complaint. Q. There is no sign of a letter I think I wrote among "My Letters" or "My Complaints". Should I send it again? A.  Letters & Complaints you send will be listed in your private account under: My Tools>My Letter or My Tools>My Complaints If you check "Post this on the Web", when writing the letter or complaint or later, a copy will be sent to the AHRC staff to approve for publication. When approved, it will appear at: Communications No letter or complaint from you came to the AHRC staff for publication. If you have a copy in your personal My Letters. or My Complaints mail box, click "Post this message on the web" to send it for publication. If not, please go to "Communications". write and send your letter or complaint again. Contacting authors who publish on AHRC Q. How do I contact an author who wrote an article or ca omment on AHRC? A.  Some homeowners, authors and activists who publish on AHRC also allow other AHRC subscribers to contact them directly. Clicking on their author name will enable a form which you can use to contact them directly. Correcting errors Q. How can I get errors in a published submission corrected? A.  To get errors in a published article, comments or a submission please submit the corrections using Comments below the respective articles or submissions. Disconnects - losing work Q. How can I prevent losing my work? I was disconnected when after I typed into a form and submitted an item. A.  There are many reasons that you can get disconnected. Disconnects can be caused by various providers involved in the connection to the AHRC server, your computer settings, the AHRC server etc. When you work on long articles or letters, do it on your own computer and save it. Then copy and paste it into the submission form. Duplicate names and titles Q. Why do I get the message "But we already have an item with the name you provided in our database." when I submit news? A.  This message means that there is already an item in the AHRC database with the same title. If you know that you are submitting a new article, not an identical one we already have, use your browser's "back button" - enter a slightly changed or different tiltle and submit it again. Editorials Q. What are AHRC's guidelines for editorials? A.  Editorial should be limited to 600-900 words and can include images and files. Please include name, contact telephone number and email address, a brief byline identification identifying any affiliations or personal expertise associated with the subject of the editorial. Editorials should clear, logical, and concise and include the writer's name, address and telephone number. We routinely edit for length, accuracy and clarity. All submissions become the property of AHRC News Services and may be published or otherwise reused in any medium. Q. What do you look for in an Editorial? A.  The editorial section is for opinions and analysis of housing issues. We welcome written editorials and opinions by knowledgeable people that will inform and educate our viewers. Length of editorials should be about 700 - 900 words. Editorials should clear, logical, and concise and include the writer's name, address and telephone number. We routinely edit for length, accuracy and clarity. All submissions become the property of AHRC News Services and may be published or otherwise reused in any medium. File Uploads from Comments Q. How do I upload files from the Comments Form? A.  1. Check that your file has a maximum size of two MB.. 2. Enter a comment in the Comment Form e.g. See attached newsletter 3. Click Attach file to go to File Upload screen. 4. Select the file from your hard drive. 5..Give it a brief description or title 6. Click Submit file 7. . Click Save and exit. to return to Comment screen 8. . Click Add Comment Forum - Post deleted Q. Why was my post on the HOA Forum deleted? A.  You posted an advertisment telling homeowners to support TUPCA merely because you had "read it" . You are a stranger to the AHRC HOA Forum and you advertisment for a CAI initiative basically stated "Trust me ...I say TUPCA is good for homeowners. Therefore Support TUPCA" The AHRC Forum is not a place for people with unknown affinities to campaign for CAI or other vendor initiatives and therefore your posting was deleted by the Forum Editor. You now write: "I don't know whether or not CAI lawyers were involved or not....Trust your users/contributors to your forum." TUPCA has been written about extensively by the experienced and trusted homeowner advocates in Texas. Unlike you, they are quite familiar with the origins and the players who wrote the bill. They gave their analysis, and took time to explain the origins,content of TUPCA and why it would hurt homeowners. Discussion Forums are for people who have a genuine commitment to the rights of homeowners. Your failure to analyse the considered opinions of true homeowner advocates on the ground in Texas, raises a serious question in our mind whether you really represent CAI and/or other trade groups. If you genuinely think and can demonstrate that their position is wrong, then we will be happy to consider posting it. Homeowner advocates have selflessly given their time and knowledge to help protect our homes and families. You should at least articulate why you think they are wrong. They deserve no less. July 14, 2006 Forum - Rules Q. What are some of the HOA Forum rules? A.  HOA FORUM RULES The AHRC HOA Forums are places for members to interact freely, respectfully and politely with other members. Well meaning volunteers donate their time to helping homeowners. We edit messages that: • Contain profanity • Contain off-topic content • Violate the board rules in some other way (contains advertising, personal attacks, trolling *, etc.) Editing is usually visible to the community; whenever a message is edited, the date/time/edit author are shown within the message. Latter can be removed. A topic or message can be deleted for : • Unacceptable behavior (as determined by the tone of the community; e.g., profanity, disrespect, trolling *, flaming) • Completely off-topic discussion • No part of the topic/message is salvageable by editing • Illegal and defamatory statements • Basically, whenever there is no value to the community that demands leaving the topic/message in place. A member can be banned for: • Repeated violation of the stated board rules or forum rules • Offensive and disrespectful behavior (e.g., posting offensive or misleading material, harassing other members, spamming, trolling *, flaming) • Attempts at hacking or destroying the forum • Driving away other members • Repeated attempts to circumvent moderation or banning • Promoting predatory practices that harm homeowners Banning a member means that he/she can no longer post messages on your board (it is not limited to a specific forum). Normally, unruly members are given a warning prior to actually being banned, since that is a fairly serious step. It is reversible. Our Mission • Please click this link to view the mission of AHRC. * Trolling Forums - Private Q. How do I begin a Private Discussion Forum in the AHRC HOA Discussion Forums? A.  Private Discussion Forums on the AHRC HOA Forums are for discussing housing issues privately with a group you choose. All members should have registered and activated a user account on www.ahrc.com Please use "Send Us A Note": to request a Private Discussion Forum and include the following information: 1. The topic for the discussion forum 2, The user names and email addresses each member used for their AHRC user account Forums and Q & A Q. How can I get a question answered? I cannot seem to get a response to a question from anyone in the HOA Forums A.  You need to be a registered user to use the AHRC site and the Forums. AHRC provides and interactive publishing and communications site for homeowner issues. Our staff answers all technical questions about using the site. The AHRC Forums does need volunteers now. Over the years, several of the volunteers in the AHRC forums have gone on to writing, activism and publishing and other community activities e.g. electing and running good boards, working with the media, legislative changes, research projects, documenting and publishing etc. Their community services help everyone, The AHRC Q & A is another place to ask questions Your question may have already been answered there. If not use the Submission Form Submit News and send in your question. Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) - More Q. Where do I find more FAQ Answers? A.  NAVIGATION BUTTON FAQ FAQs appear in every section of the AHRC and vary by each section e.g. Home, News, Courts, Business, Forums,Government References, Tools Click the appropriate navigation button for the section Click FAQ TOOLS FAQ Click a topic under Tools in the left margin Click FAQ Guidelines Q. Where can I find some guidelines on using AHRC website? A.  The following link provide some helpful information: • FINDING HELP ON AHRC - Publishing, Commuicating, Campaigning, Networking, and getting help • Tools FAQ If you have additonal questions Send us A Note Hot tips for reporters - Problems in homeowner associations Q. Got a problem in your homeowner association or a hot tip for our investigators? A.  Tell us all about it and we will publish it. Please make sure you include good sources for all your information, quotes, statistics, copies of letters and cases, photos. You can email, fax or mail these to us. Hyper links - Links Q. How do I add hyperlinks (links) referring readers to other comments or articles on the AHRC site? A.  Each article or comment on AHRC has it's own url, the browser address. To make a url into a hyperlink or a clikable link that takes the reader to another webpage on AHRC: Step 1: URL http://www.ahrc.com/new/index.php/src/news Step 2: Add title e.g. Click here to go the the AHRC website Step 3: Use the following html code with the url and tilte: . Click here to go the the AHRC website Image Uploads and File Uploads Q. How do I upload pictures or images and files? A.  You can upload photos - images and files with all submissions, letters, complaints and comments. 1. Click Upload Image or Upload Files at the end of form. 2. Click Browse and select the image or file from your hard drive or other source. Image: Max size 150K - Filenames must end with one of the following: .gif, .jpg, .png, .bmp . The width or height should be about 5 inches. Resolution 72 pixels) File has a maximum upload size of 2MB 3. Enter brief description. This caption will appear under the image. 4. Click Save file 5. Click Submit and Upload 6. A message will say image or file has been uploaded. 7. Complete all other entries on the Submission Form . 8.Click Preview (There is no preview for Comments) and Submit Letters Q. How do I Write, Track and Publish Letters to Government, Vendors & HOAs? A.  See: WRITE MAKES RIGHT - Homeowners, Write, Track and Publish Letters to Government, Vendors & HOAs using the AHRC Website Q. How do I send a Letter via my AHRC account ? Can I, if I choose to, publish it on the web? A.  The Letters section allows you to write a letter to a vendor, government entity or homeowner's association. You will be able to communicate directly and privately with the person you are writing to and track its progress in your personal account. You can withhold your name from the recipient of your letter. You also have the option to request publication of your letter on the AHRC web site. You can chose to withhold your name from appearing on the web. AHRC reserves the right to edit or not publish letters sent to them for publication on the AHRC site. Letters submitted for web publication generally appear on the web within 24 hours. How does the submission process work? Step 1: Find Entity - Find or submit the company or government entity in our directory. e.g. Schwarzenegger If is not in our database , select a category and enter information about the entity. (Name, address, fax, email address etc.) and continue to "Write A Letter Step 2: File Letter Summary Information Step 3: Write letter Step 4: Review your letter and send What you will need: Step 1: Company/Government Information NOTE: This information is only requested if we do not have the company/government entry in our database. * Name of Company and Contact Person (Required) [Shown on web] * Address (Required) [Shown on web] * Phone/Fax [Shown on web] * Email address [Not shown on web] * Trade member information [Shown on web] * Web site URL[Shown on web] * Summary (Required) [Shown on web]- An unbiased summary of the company/government entry. Step 2: Letter Summary Information • Name of contact person • Email address of contact person [Not shown on web] • Address to send letter • Address of Contact Person • Method of Delivery • Topic of Discussion • Summary of Letter • Privacy Information - You can control wether or not the letter summary is shown on the web with the privacy options. Alternate address - You can provide an alternate return address for the letter Step 3: Write Letter * Letter to company/government (Required) - A letter addressed to the company / government entry detailing your complaint. Let's get started Log in and Click here to get started on writing your Letter. Q. There is no sign of a letter I think I wrote among "My Letters" or "My Complaints". Should I send it again? A.  Letters & Complaints you send will be listed in your private account under: My Tools>My Letter or My Tools>My Complaints If you check "Post this on the Web", when writing the letter or complaint or later, a copy will be sent to the AHRC staff to approve for publication. When approved, it will appear at: Communications No letter or complaint from you came to the AHRC staff for publication. If you have a copy in your personal My Letters. or My Complaints mail box, click "Post this message on the web" to send it for publication. If not, please go to "Communications". write and send your letter or complaint again. Letters to the editor Q. What do you look for in letters to the editor? A.  Letters should clear, logical, short (approximately 400 words) and concise and include the writer's name, address and telephone number. We routinely edit for length, accuracy and clarity. All submissions become the property of AHRC News Services and may be published or otherwise reused in any medium. Links - hyperlinks on AHRC Q. How do I make a url a link - hyperlink on to take the reader to another page on AHRC? A.  Each article or comment on AHRC has it's own url, the browser address. To make a url you include in an article into a hyperlink or a clickable link that takes the reader to another webpage on AHRC: Step 1: URL http://www.ahrc.com/new/index.php/src/news Step 2: Add title e.g. Click here to go the the AHRC website Step 3: Add Text Effects:Click here for the Text Effect - hyperlink link html code to use. Stept 4: This is how the URL, title and code work together: . Click here to go the the AHRC website My Postings Q. Can I remove my postings? A.  We follow the standard practice of the media not to de-publish something that has been published. If you want to edit, make updates or corrections to anything you have submitted, please send us the link along with the edits. New NEWS ARTICLES Q. How do I keep up with new NEWS ARTICLES posted on AHRC? A.  AHRC subscribers can view new NEWS ARTICLES posted since since their last visit by clicking What's New? under My Tools in the left margin of the AHRC website News Q. What guidelines should I follow when criticizing the actions of someone? A.  If you are criticizing the actions of someone : • Your criticiism must be fact based and you must provide documentation as necessary. You can upload files and images with all submissions. • you must disclose your name • you must be polite News - Comments Q. What are your guidlines for Comments? A.  Comments are meant for brief discussions of events and policies dealing with homeowner associations. They should not be used as advertorials or for personal attacks.. Lengthy references, images and photos can be attached to comments using file upload as pdf or doc files or images. News - tracking news of interest on AHRC Q. I want to be notified when people post information to certain articles, letters etc A.  There are two way viewers can be be notified of posts. 1. If you are a submitter - all submission forms have a box at the end of the form that you can check that says Email me when comments are posted 2. You can go to any article, click View comments and check the grey box for Track Comments News Source Q. How do I add a News source in the Submit News Form? A.  Select Other for source and enter Starman Publishing and the URL in the Submit News form If you will email or attach your logo to your submission and send the URL information under , we will enter it into the AHRC source database in the drop down button. Newsletters - deadlines Q. What are the deadlines for submissions to appear in AHRC newsletters? A.  AHRC sends out two web based newsletters a week currently. One goes out on Saturday morning. The deadline for news to appear in this is the Friday before at noon. The second one is used to send out time sensitive information to our viewers , and hence has no fixed date. Newsletters - not receiving Q. Why am I not receiving the AHRC Newsletters anymore? A.  Some settings either on your computer or your provider's may be filtering out emails from AHRC. Check your mail client. Add the email address ahrc@ahrc.com to your address list to receive emails from AHRC. Click My Tools - My Account in the left margin . Under Options - Subscription, check Yes All newsletters are also archived under OUR NEWSLETTER - View Newsletter Archive Newsletters - Subscribe - Unsubscribe - View Q. How do I Subscribe , Unsubscribe or View AHRC Newsletters? A.  How To Subscribe or Not Subscribe to AHRC Newssletters When you register on AHRC, your user account has an option to check to receive the newsletters. You will automatically begin receiving newsletters if you have checked this option on your AHRC User account. You can change this option by logging into your user account and either checking or unchecking this option at any time. How to Unsubscribe The newsletters that you receive are sent to the email address you used to register and verified when you activated your user account. Each newsletter has a link that you can click that immediately uncheck the Newsletter option on your AHRC user account to unsubscribe yoursellf from receiving the newsletter. Where To find AHRC Newsletters AHRC Newsletters are archived under "Our Newsletter - View Newsletter Archive" on AHRC.com and all the 50 State Homeowner News Websites. You can also view the recent newsletter under "Newsfeeds" in all of these websites. Opposing Views Q. How do I get an opposing view published? A.  You can use Comments or News Subsmission Form to publish an opposing view. Reference the Article or Comment that contains the view you are opposing. Lay out the facts, if necessary include files and exhibits, and provide information about yourself, including your stake (financial, political etc.) Password change Q. How do I change my password? A.  Go to My Tools in the left margin of the AHRC site and click My Account to view you User Account Type in a new password under both Password and Password Again. Click Update to register the new password. You will be able to begin using the new password immediately. Permisions Q. Can I copy an article from the AHRC website to send out in my Homeowner Association newsletter? A.  Articles on AHRC come from many sources and the sources for permission requirements may vary. Please send us a written request giving the title and the link of the article, and information on the newsletter the article will appear in. We will be happy to consider and help you with your request. Click here to Send us a Note Websites wanting to let their viewers have access to AHRC copyrighted articles may do so using a title of the article that links to the article on the AHRC website. Websites can also provide newsfeeds from AHRC.com, 50 State Homeowners News websites and homeowners affiliate websites. Click here to View our newsfeed instructions Click here to Add our newsfeed instructions Phone numbers and emails Q. Can I give my phone number and email to be contacted by viewers? A.  To preserve privacy AHRC provides a contact form for viewers to email you without revealing email addresses. Press Releases Q. Can you give us some tips about writing press releases? A.  About press releases: Use press releases to keep the media informed about forthcoming news and events, updates in news, and to provide research and consumer news . Tips on writing press release Following are some suggestions: • news should be timely • headline should be brief, direct and descriptive • summarize in the opening paragraph - give who, what, why, when, where • write clearly , • be consise (300 - 500 words) •use bullet points to highlight • include quotes from relevant people • it should be printable verbatim • provide contact information at the end of the page (Name,company name,phone number,email address and web site url) • include pictures or files Press releases Q. How do I send stories and press releases using the AHRC site? A.  To Email the media from the AHRC web site: 1. Copy your story, the story url, and the images - picture url with your mouse. 2. Click the Contact drop down button in the left margin of the site and • select Media, • enter your zip code • check off 5 media sources • and paste your story, and urls. • Enter your contact information and send. You can select then select five more and keep pasing to send all the media sources. You may also then select other major media sources in other states to send the same information. To Fax information to media and government representatives: You will find FAX numbers listed under this Contact button on AHRC.. Print a copy of the story from the AHRC website and fax it to the same newsrooms and to your government officials. This is one way homeowners use to spread the news. Privacy on the web Q. I do not want my name or email address published on the web when I write using the AHRC submission forms. A.  Privacy when publishing News Artilces etc. You can publish letters and articles etc on the site using a pen name. If you wish to receive responses , include an email address for the pen name you provide. Your email address will not be visible. The sender will use a fom which is mailed directly to you from the AHRC website. Privacy when posting comments To keep your name from appearing on the web on any comments you write, check the box above the comment form that says Check this box to keep your name from being displayed If you do not check the privcy box, viewers will receive an form to email you via the AHRC website. Your email address will not be visible to them. Privacy when writing complaint letters To keep your name from appearing on the web or to recipients on any complaints or letters you send, check the approppriate privacy boxes on the forms. Profile - Comments Q. How do I add or edit a "Profile" for myself to appear with the "Comments" that I write? A.  Your user account lets you add a "Profile" that will appear when you write "Comments". You can add your "Profile" when you set up your user account, or add or edit it any time after that. To edit your Comments Profile: • Log in • Under "My Tools" click on "My Account" • Enter information you want in the "Profile" field • Click "Update" at the bottom of the form to save the changes. Publiishing, Requesting additional information Q. How do I publish and request additional information on AHRC? A.  Many homeowners use AHRC to publish information about their homeowner association experiences. Many involved in similar experiences then request additional information and help. The following is a guideline for both. PUBLISHING INFORMATION 1. List your Homeowners Association on AHRC Click here for Directory Listing form: Include • names of the officers and representatives for your non-profit HOA corporation, the name the lawyer, manager, and other vendors • contact information - email addresses (email address will not show on the web but it will allow you to email letters and complaints), and the association's fax number, and address • pertinent public information - number of units, dues per year, lawsuits. Be factual. 2. Publish News Articles, Letters or Ask Questions Use the News Submission Form to publish your experiences or to ask questions: Click here for News Submission and Q & A Form. To encourage readers to respond to your questions give them relevant information about your association. Use the Directory Listing Form 3. Publish lawsuits. Click here for form to publish Homeowner Association lawsuits (You can withhold the homeowners names using the privacy options) REQUESTING ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Many readers, including media , and homeowners and vendors handling similar experiences often need addional information from authors. 1. Author provides link to accept emails If the author enabled his user or author email account setting to be contacted, you should be able to email the author directly by clicking on the author name. 2. Author has not provided email link or withholds name: Use the "Post A Comment" link under the item the author published. In Letters and Complaints the "Post A Comment" link appears below the "Complaint Summary" or the "Letter Summary" under "View Complaint Summaries" or "View Letter Summaries" of each government entity or vendor. Provide information about yourself and why you wish to contact the author. Use "Attached Notes" to provide information you do not want published on the web - include your email address and telephone number here. Request the AHRC staff to forward your request to the author. Check the box for "E-mail me whenever new comments are posted to this item." Where possible, the AHRC staff will forward your request. You will should hear from the author directly if they wish to respond. When the public portion of your "Comment" is posted you will receive notification. Please do not use "Send Us A Note". Questions & Answers Q. What are the AHRC guidelines for publishing a Question & Answer? A.  Answers to Questions from AHRC subscribers are the contributions from homeowners and editors who donate their time , experiences and knowledge via the internet. To get the greatest value for all homeowners of this valuable resourse, we have the following guidelines for publishing questions: Questions and Answers about homeowner associations, businesses and government agencies should have transparency. This will benefit, not just you, but all other homeowners who may have to deal with this homeowners association, business or government entity. Homeowner Associations - Questions & Answers Questions about the actions of specific homeowner's association board members, lawyers, managers and other vendors should include a "Directory Listing" for the Homeowners Association. Use the directory listing form. to list your homeowners association. Under "Other information" on the form, list the names of each of the board members, the names of the managers and the lawyers and give a brief description about the homeowners association. Include the contact information of the board members and vendors using the "Add/delete contact" link on the form. Email addresses will not appear on the web . Businesses & Government - Questions & Answers Questions about businesses e.g.lawyers, managers, other vendors.. or government should include a "Directory Listing" for the person or entity. Use the directory listing form. to list the business or person. Under "Other information" on the form, list names and give a brief description about the person or entity. Include the contact information of individuals or departments using the "Add/delete contact" link on the form. Email addresses will not appear on the web . Remove name from my Comments Q. I forgot to check the box to withhold my name when I submitted my Comment. How can I remove my name from the Comments I submitted? A.  The program does not give editors control over the display of user names on Comments Attached Notes give the AHRC staff the number of the Comment that you want deleted. If necessary, use Notes to follow up. Screen name Q. Can you tell me how I can change my screen name from my real name to a pseudonym? A.  You can change your screen name and any of the information you entered in your User Account including your screen name by logging in and clicking My Account under My Tools in the left margin of the AHRC website. The name you enter here shows below the Comments you write if you do not check the box thay says: Check this box to keep your name from being displayed Submissions Q. What has happened to the article I submitted last week? A.  Our "Pending" articles do not show that we have received an article from you in the past month. Please resubmit using the current date. After you have submitted, please check that you receive an immediate response that the article has been received. In some cases you may get an instant response that we already have the article with the title you used. This happens if someone else has already used the title you are using. If so, go back to the screen you submitted, change the title and resubmit your article. Submissions, Comments, Newsletters, Campaigns Q. When do Sumissions and Comments appear of the web? How are they selected and when do they appear in AHRC newsletters and campaign mailings? A.  All comments are edited and activated as they are submitted. Some requiring additional editing or checking may experience a slight delay. Some items are included in newsletters and batched according to relevance, focus of the newsletter etc. Some may be put into newsletters months away, if they are not dated news. If you are submitting information that you want to go out immediatey for a campaign, or want to insure it appears in the next newsletter, please include your request in the notes section of your submissions. Campaigns, (public, legisltive and media) can be done effectively using well written releases, graphics and the interactive tools on the AHRC site. Use the Contact button in the left margin to email the information to the local and national media and your representatives. Include the AHRC url so they can find more about homeowner associations. Use the Email This link to email it to your own list of recipients that you can create on the AHRC site. Submitting Breaking News Q. How do I submit breaking news about homeowner associations? A.  Use our News Submission Form by following these steps: 1. Log In 2. Click News from the top navigation button 3. Select one of the following: Articles Press releases Letters Editorials Cartoons Reports Audio Video Click Submit button to get the input form 4. Enter the Author Information and article. You can upload Images, Files and Notes. 5. Preview and Submit. Artilcles , unless rejected, appears on the site within 24 hours. Your stories, opinions and thoughts are important and AHRC rarely reject any submissions that our viewers take time to write. Tips on submitting news Q. What are some guidelines for publishing news on the AHRC website? A.  Clarity, accuracy , insight, timeliness and length are important. The AHRC audiance comes from all walks of life and from all parts from the United States and overseas. Our goal is to put together a publication reflecting the experiences and opinions of our diverse audience. Tools FAQ Q. Where do I find the Tools FaQ? A.  You can go to the Tools FAQ by clicking on Log In In the left margin and the clicking on FAQ on the right Tracking changes Q. How do I track changes or find out when something is posted? A.  To receive information when new postings appear under any article or listing published: A. User Account - Notify me when my Submissions are accepted Check Notify me in user account if you want to be notified when your Submissions of articles etc. are accepted and published on the AHRC website. B. Submision Forms - Email me when Comments are posted When you Submit an Aritcle , Directory Listing etc, check the Notification Options - Comments E-mail me when comments are posted. at the end of the form. C. Submit Comments - View Comments - Track changes When you Submit a Comment, check E-mail me whenever new comments are posted to this item. below the input form D. Tracks Comments to Article and Submissions 1. Go to the article that you want to receive Comments updates from. 2. Click View Comments at the end of the article. 3. You will see a grey box that has "Track Changes" 4. Click to insert a check mark in the box. You will receive updates when new comments are posted. E. My Tools - My Items All items you post and are published can can viewed from My Tools in the left margin of the AHRC site. Tracking Comments Q. How do I track new comments and information posted by viewers ? A.  There are three ways you can receive notification when new comments are published: 1. When you Submit an Aritcle , Directory Listing etc, check the Notification Options - Comments E-mail me when comments are posted. that appears at the end of the input form. 2. When you submit a Comment check E-mail me whenever new comments are posted to this item. below the input form 3. When you see an article and want to track new comments, click View Comments and the end of Articles or Directory Listing and check Track changes Tracking new articles on the AHRC site Q. How do I track new articles on the AHRC site? A.  To view news articles posted since your last visit, just log in and click What's New? under My Tools in the left margin of the AHRC website. User Account - User Profile - Author Profile Q. How do I set up or edit my "User Account", "User Profile" , "Author Account" or "Author Profile" on AHRC? A.  You create a "User Account" when you sign up on AHRC, You create an "Author Account" when you use "Submission Forms" to publish articles etc. on AHRC. 1. Your User Account You create this when you sign up. You can use your name, a User ID, or a Pen Name. You can edit or change the information in your User Account at anytime by logging in and going to My Tools>My Account. When you post "Comments", the name you use on your "User Account", appears under your "Comment". When posting a "Comment" you can withhold your name from readers by checking "Check this box to keep your name from being displayed." If you check "Yes" for "Contact Me" in you "User Account">, readers will be provided with a form to email you directly when you post "Comments". Your email address will not be published on the web. To publish and network on AHRC, please provide AHRC, your contact information including a telephone number. This information will be held in the strictest confidence. Use "Profile" to share information about yourself with readers. 2. Your "Author Information" When publishing on AHRC using "Submission Forms" e.g. "Submit News", you will be asked to set up your "Author Information" You can publish using your own name or a pen name. To publish on AHRC, please provide AHRC, your real name, your contact information including a telephone number and a pprofile.. This information will be held in the strictest confidence. Use the "Public Information" section on the form share information about yourself with t=our readers. 3. Editing your User Account , User Preferences, and Author Profile for Comments Log in Go to MY Tools in the left margin. Select My account. to edit your personal account information and preferences. The information you enter here , except what you enter under "Profile" , will not appear on the web. Profile What you enter under "Profile" will be available to the readers when you post comments and do not check the box "Check this box to keep your name from being displayed.". Your public profie appears under "View Profile" of comments you post Text Effects and hyperlinks For information on adding Hyperlinks and using Text Effects go to How to Add Text Effects - Adding Hyperlinks 4. Editing your Author Profile for Articles your publish on AHRC To edit or add links to your Author profile on the AHRC website Send Us A Note from the left margin of the website. Send the the updated information you wish to add and the AHRC Staff will do the updates. Include your email address and let us know if you wish to allow readers to email you. If you want readers to be able to email you, they will be given a form to contact you directly. Email addresses do not appear on the web. 5. Editing User Identification on AHRC HOA Forum You can edit your user account on the AHRC HOA Forum by logging in and going to: Forum>My Home>Main Configueration>Personal Information Zip Codes Q. Where can I find Zip Codes? A.  Click here to go the the United States Post Office website.

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