Frequently Asked Questions

Commons Connect is a moderated site. This means that a committee of volunteer moderators reviews posts to make sure they comply with the site’s Terms of Use and Guidelines for Use. Moderators are contributing community members. If you would like to be considered for the volunteer role of moderator, please email info@westmarincommons.org

Uli Weeren is the web designer and developer for our site. Uli developed this site with consultation from Murray Suid, Christian Anthony, Holly Gault, Ann Sheree Greenbaum, and Elizabeth Barnet. The site is an outgrowth of what we have learned from all users since we began our online commons work in 2007.

If you are a community member of West Marin, please send us your blog’s url. We may be able to link to it on our site.

Posting an event on the Community Calendar is easy, especially after you've done it once. The process takes only a couple of minutes. Here are the steps to use. If you encounter any problems, please email info@westmarincommons.org so that we can immediately help you post your event. Your feedback will also enable us to improve this tutorial.

1. Log in to CommonsConnect.org in the upper right-hand corner of the home page.
2. Click the "Add your Event" link in the middle of the page, just under the "west marin calendar" banner. This will take you to the "Create Event" page.
3. Fill in the Event Title, e.g., "Stinson Beach Polo Match."
4. If you wish to include a photo--optional--place the photo on your desk top, then choose that photo (file) using the "Event Image" box. Then hit "Upload."
5. Fill in the Event Description box. This is where you the event information. Note: As you type, do NOT end your lines by hitting the "Return" or "Enter" key. Just type away. The software automatically formats the lines. Use the "Return" or Enter" key only to indicate a paragraph break.
6. If there's a related website, enter it in the Event Link box.
7. Choose the Event Date using the tools in the "Event Date" box. This is important because if you don't enter the date, the listing will use the current date.
8. Choose the Event Location (venue, not town) by clicking one of the radio (circular) buttons, e.g., "Bear Valley" or "Blackbird Cafe." If you don't see a place, go to the bottom of the list, click "Other," and enter the place. This will add a new item in the list, which other people posting events can use. Please only post West Marin venues.
9. Choose the Event Town.
10. Choose the Event Category. This will help people better understand what your event is about.
11. Choose your audience. You can select more than one category, e.g., Children and Seniors.
12. Scroll to the bottom of the page and choose "Save." If all goes well, your event will now appear in the calendar at the right now. The event may not appear on the Home Page if the date is a few days or more in the future. But you and others can see it by going to the Home page, scrolling to the bottom of the calendar area, and clicking "more upcoming events."
13. If you've made a mistake or want to revise anything in your event post, click the post and you'll be taken to a page where you can make changes. Other site visitors will not be able to change your text. After you finish revising, scroll to the bottom of the Create Event page and again click "Save."

Commons Connect Forums - Guidelines for Posting

• If you need to respond to or send a message to just one person, please do not send it to the group, unless you think it is something the group needs to know.
• Respect the privacy and integrity of everyone. Don't publish information not already in the public realm without permission.
• Do not forward (or post) conversations, particularly to news outlets or other broadcasting media, without the writer's permission.
• Read and edit your email before sending.
• Be respectful.
• Seek honest dialogue.
• No name-calling, flaming, or other attacks.
• Refrain from language that incites aggression.
• Do not copy posts to non-members or other forums or bulletin boards without permission from the posting author.
• Include a personal introduction or summary when posting published news items or petitions. Do not simply forward material.
• Other than WMMarketplace, our forums are non-commercial. Please donate to West Marin Commons to help support this non-profit project.

Be sure you're signed in. Then click "Forums" in the top navigation bar on the home page. You'll then be taken to the "Forums." page. Scroll down until you find the forum you want to post on. Click that forum's name. Then click "New topic." Fill in the posting form, scroll down, and click "Post."

Note: The default setting now is "unmoderated." That means that posts appear within seconds after you hit the "Post" button. We will put a member on moderation--meaning that a post is held until we review it--only if the member has violated the guidelines. An example of behavior requiring moderation would be bullying or harassing another member, or denigrating a group, or repeatedly posting in the wrong forum. The moderators would be delighted if no one ever goes on moderation. If you have any questions, please contact the volunteer moderators.

To read and/or post on the forums, you must be a registered member of commonsconnect.org. After registering, you must then sign in. The sign-in link is in the upper right-hand corner of the home page. After you've signed in, click "Forums" in the top navigation bar on home page.

1. Sign in using the link in the upper right-hand corner of the website.
2. Click "Forums" in the top navigation bar on the home page
3. On the "Forums" page in the sentence "To subscribe to all submissions to a forum by E-mail click here" click "click here."
4. On the "Subscriptions" page, click in the little box of each forum whose posts you want to read as emails.
5. Scroll down and click "Save."
Note: If you want to get posts related to a particular thread (discussion) on a forum, go to that thread and click "Subscribe" below the first post in the thread (discussion).

 
 

As there are so many requests for housing coming in from people who are not already living or working in West Marin, we regret we have to reserve the Forums for people who do live & work here.  As you probably realize, there is only limited housing available in West Marin - both for sale and for rent.  Given this situation, together with the plight of existing West Marin rental tenants who are forced to move because of changes made by homeowners, we do not feel we can accommodate requests from people outside the area who desire to live here.  We suggest that you publish your request in the local newspaper the Point Reyes Light or contact local realtors for rental or sales listings. To learn more about the challenges and solutions for people needing housing in West Marin, please check out our local community land trust, CLAM (Community Land Trust Association of Marin - http://www.clam-ptreyes.org).