Frequently Asked Questions

How do people (SeeClickers or SeeFixers) find out about the website?

We believe that SeeClickFix is more useful the more people who use it. We work hard to spread the word. Traditional media has covered our efforts via TV and newspapers. You may also find us mentioned on blogs and email listservs. There are a number of volunteers who get the word out - we call these people SideClicks. You, too, can share SeeClickFix with your friends, family and community. If you have other ideas for us, please let us know.

When I report an issue, who does the Fixing?

There are an amazing amount of people and organizations who are paid to attend to the issues you face. And many more that organize themselves on a volunteer-basis to address issues in the community. When they are notified of a specific issue that falls within their responsibility , they often are pleased to be able to address it. We have also seen that having a listing of all the issues can help a fixer prioritize among various different issues. We have built the website so that anyone can do the fixing. The basic tools to take responsibility are provided for free. Click on SeeFix, draw a watch area and then get alerted when something is reported in your area. You can fix the issue in the real world or organize someone else who can. Also, anyone can volunteer digitally by getting issues reported to the right place by creating watch areas for others.

Who closes issues or marks them as resolved?

Anyone can update an issue to closed. Most often the person who reported it or the one who resolved it will update the issue with closed. If you notice an issue that is in the wrong state, feel free to update it.

Can someone else use the same name as you?

Yes. unless you are logged with your profile you are not guaranteed unique identification. If someone is attempting to impersonate you please notify us.

What are these civic points I'm earning?

SeeClickFix awards civic points based on your activity on the site. Civic points are a (loose) estimation of your civic engagement within your community. You can earn points based on the following criteria.

Signing up with SeeClickFIx. (50 points)
Reporting an issue. (10 points)
Getting at least one user to comment, vote, or follow your issue. (50 points)
Getting at least one registered user (other than yourself) to vote, follow, or comment on an issue you reported. (50 points)
Logging in. (5 points per day)
Logging in seven days in a row. (100 points)
Upload a youtube video. (30 points)
Upload an image. (20 points)
Comment on an issue. (5 points)
Creating a watch area. (50 points)
Getting an issue you reported closed and archived (30 points)

If your comment was hidden you will loose ten points for every person hiding it.

What if I want to be anonymous on SeeClickFix?

You can be anonymous on SeeClickFix when reporting, watching or browsing issues. While require that you enter an email address when reporting an issue, that is not shared with others. The name you choose to use is not verified.

Why do you allow anonymous use of SeeClickFix?

We understand that certain important issues are of a nature that reporters can wonder about retribution or consequences. For example, when neighbors reported drug deals in their neighborhood which lead to arrests, some of the neighbors chose to remain anonymous.

That said, since SeeClickFix believes in the power of accountability and transparency we encourage you to strongly consider using your own name. Go head, log in withFacebook connect. Upload a photo. Take ownership and pride over your efforts to improve your community.

One thing that is definitely not allowed is impersonating other people. If we suspect any material is written impersonating another, we reserve the right to remove it.

What happens if someone posts obscenity, junk or advertisements in an issue?

We have a strong community ethos and human moderators to control excessive and possibly fraudulent issue reporting. To date, there has been little to no vandalism of the website.

If you notice an issue or comment you believe to be inappropriate, please use the "flat as inappropriate" link. Use of that feature will immediately notify our moderators to review the content. The more information you give us about why that issue or comment is objectionable or out-of-bounds, the better prepared we'll be to evaluate the it.

What is acceptable behavior on SeeClickFix?

We have a strong community ethos. Constructive conversation focused on identifying, prioritizing and fixing issues is our goal. Therefore, keep it on topic and something you wouldn't mind having printed in the newspaper or on TV next to your picture. Or another question to ask yourself: Would I say this in front of my grandmother?

A few tips: * we believe conversation is good * personal attacks are bad * do your best to keep the conversation on solvable geographically focused problems * try to suggest solutions with each comment or move the conversation forward * respect fellow users

Can you explain acceptable behavior on SeeClickFix again? This time talk like a lawyer.

The use of the SeeClickFix website is governed by the Terms of Use. Since you asked, these comments are provided for your convenience but are only a brief and incomplete summary of the Terms of Use which in no way modify or amend them. In order to fully understand the answer to your question, please read the Terms of Use in their entirety.

Remember, you are "entirely responsible" for what you post on the site. So, be careful how you behave. In particular, SeeClickFix bans behavior or content that is "unlawful, harmful, threatening, abusive, harassing, tortious, defamatory, vulgar, obscene, libelous, invasive of another's privacy, hateful, or racially, ethnically or otherwise objectionable."

We reserve the right to edit or remove content violating the terms of use. "SeeClickFix and its designees shall have the right (but not the obligation) in their sole discretion to pre-screen, refuse, or remove any Content that is available via the Service. Without limiting the foregoing, SeeClickFix and its designees shall have the right to remove any Content that violates the TOS or is otherwise objectionable."

I rest my case.

What data do you collect and what do you do with it?

One of our values is transparency. We publish the details of all the issues right on the front page of the website. We report issues to fixers whenever possible. If you're interested in gathering statistics on issues, we suggest using the advanced search feature. If you have requests for more sophisticated reporting or data mining, please let us know.

Do you share my email address or make it public?

We will never share, sell or make public your email address without your permission. To date we have not done any of these things. One area we are considering is having an option to publish email addresses with public watch areas. We would only do this if it was clear that you wanted the email address to be published.

Can I enter someone else's email address on a SeeFix watch area?

Yes. Since every email alert we send has a delete link, we believe that it is appropriate to enter a public official's work email address into a watch area you create for him/her. We ask our users to only do this in good faith where you believe the public official is responsible for the associated issues and would like to know about them. Malicious or prank use will not be tolerated.

How do I opt out from receiving SeeClickFix emails?

If you are receiving watch area alerts on new issues or comments, you can use the edit or delete link to opt out of emails.
If you reported an issue under SeeClick and are getting reminder emails, you can use the edit link to turn off or extend the time frame for those emails.
If you would like to not receive any email updates on your issue, you are welcome to not provide your email when you originally report an issue.

Who pays to develop and fund the website?

Our start-up costs were self-funded by the the founders. Now, we've raised some money from angels, friends and family. We continue to run a very lean operation which is funded in part from advertisement, sponsorship and sales of SeeClickFix Pro services. As we start to add more professional and paid features, we hope that revenue will grow to cover our expenses.

How does SeeClickFix make money?

Our goal is to always provide the basic level of SeeClickFix features for free. We're excited about providing technology to empower citizens, organizations and governments to improve their communities. We have a Professional version of the website we will soon unveil which will be available for a monthly fee. We also working with governments to provide data feeds and other services that help them address issues more quickly.

Why do people in New Haven think they can fix my town? How do you know what's good for us?

The short answer is that we don't. The somewhat longer answer is that we believe that by providing tools to local citizens and organizations, we can help make it a little bit easier to improve your community. SeeClickFix won't be the ones identifying or fixing the issues. We won't magically make your neighborhood nicer, safer or what ever else you want it to be. Our website gives you another tool - a bit of technology - that you can use to collaborate, to hold people accountable and to help get the work done.