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ExploringMaine.com

Frequently Asked Questions

ExploringMaine.com is for anyone who wants to try something new or find a new place to visit in Maine. Whether you're trying plan a vacation or go somewhere this weekend, you can find what you need here.

We start with stories written by the gifted travelers at the Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, The Maine Switch and MaineToday.com. We will update the site with their stories and photos to tell you about the Maine you want to find.

We help you find those places with Google Maps. Many of the content areas have maps that pinpoint locations you want to explore. If you think we're missing a needed map, let us know. We're adding maps all the time.

Another source of great information for places to go and things to do is you. ExploringMaine.com lets you to offer your experiences and views of Maine. You can blog about what you find here - whether you are a multi-generational Mainer or a tourist. We want to read about it.

Or you can try the Forum - a place to ask questions or share your knowledge about Maine.

And don't forget photos. You have lots of photos of Maine's beauty, and here's your chance to share some.

Onle last thing. Add "tags" to your posts and photos. Those tags will help us and other travelers find your work.

ExploringMaine.com will remove vulgar, obscene and/or inflammatory comments immediately and the posters reprimanded or removed. FCC-accepted 'naughty' words, while not encouraged or condoned, they are tolerated. We're moms, and we hope our community members will speak to one another with kindness, respect and appropriate language.

Q:How do I log on to the site to make a post/comment?
A: Go here to register.
Note: If you are already a member of MaineToday.com, you'll be prompted to add your username and password for that site and your information will transfer to ExploringMaine.com. Any changes you make here will not be reflected in MaineToday.com. We set up this system to make it less redundant for our branded partner sites.
Q: I've been trying to register but the 'thinking' bar never stops.
A: If you are already a member of ExploringMaine.com, you can log in here to avoid that bit of fancy scripting your browser doesn't seem to like. If you are registering on the site for the first time, go to our new registration page to sign up. It's easy and takes two minutes - and not a lot of personal questions - to do.
Q: How do I start a discussion in the forum?
A: At the top of the page (above the Exploring Maine logo) is a pull down box "edit your stuff." Choose "ask a question" to start your discussion - or just go to this page...
Q: Can anyone have a blog on the site?
A: Yes, all of our members can have a blog! We encourage all our members to start blogging and share their thoughts, ideas and experience about way life should be. Post your first blog entry here...
Q: What browsers does ExploringMaine.com support?
A: Our site works on a wide variety of computers and browsers, but we recommend you use Mozilla Firefox 2.0+ . The site will generally work fine with Internet Explorer 6.0+ and Safari 3+ however, for many reasons - including your own security and privacy - we recommend Mozilla Firefox. If you have another browser, you can do most things on ExploringMaine.com but the photo upload might be a little less cooperative with other browsers.Download Firefox (it's free)
Q: Can I add html code like bold and hyperlinks to my posts?
A: Yes, you can! Blog and Conversation posts are enabled for basic html code. Here is a list of sample html code you can use.
Q: I made a typo on my blog, how do I fix that?
A: At the top of the page (above the Exploring Maine logo) is a pull down box "edit your stuff." Choose "edit your BLOG" (or just go here). You will see all your blog headlines. To the right of each headline is a yellow shaded box with a link to Edit or Delete that entry.
Q: I need to edit a Conversation post I made in the Forum, how do I fix that?
A: At the top of the page (above the Exploring Maine logo) is a pull down box "edit your stuff." Choose "edit your QUESTIONS" (or just go here). You will see all your Conversation starter headlines. To the right of each headline is a yellow shaded box with a link to Edit or Delete that entry.
Q: I made a typo in a Comment I made, how do I fix that?
A: Currently, the only way to fix a typo in a Comment is to delete it and re-post. To delete your comment, go here.
Q: How do I change my profile?
A: At the top of the page (above the Exploring Maine logo) is a pull down menu "edit your stuff." Choose "Edit your PROFILE" - or just go to this page ...
Q: What action should I take if I am verbally attacked or threatened, or spammed?
A: You can use the "report abuse" option attached to each blog, question and comment entry on the site. You can also contact us by e-mail.
Q: What happens when a comment is reported as 'abuse'?
A: A flag appears with the reported comment to the content producer for review. If the comment is against our guidelines, then it will be deleted.
Q: How can I locate a previous discussion?
A: You can use the site's search tool (at the top of the page on the right side is the search box). Enter a key word from the discussion, and you will get a list of results containing that word.
Q: Can I delete a post?
A: Yes, you can. Go to the top of the page (above the Exploring Maine logo) to the pull down menu "edit your stuff." You can edit or delete a question, delete a comment or edit or delete a blog entry.
Q: How do I change the name of my blog?
A: When you edit an entry or add a new one, you can change the name in the white box labeled "Your blog title:" It's just above the "Post an Entry in Your Blog" text at the top of the page.
Q: What are Categories?
A: These are keywords created by the site's content producer as a way to round-up posts that apply to seasons or regions in Maine. For instance, if you're a member interested in visiting in the fall, you can go to the Fall Category page and see all the posts other members have made in this topic area. To find a listing of categories on the site, go to the tabs at the top of the page and click on Categories.
Q: What are Tags?
A: Tags are keywords YOU make up. Adding tags is a way organize posts by activity. You can also use them as a way to keep similar posts organized. Plus, the tag 'clouds' (found on the right of most pages on the site) can draw attention to your posts depending on the keywords you use. For instance, Lighthouses in the tag cloud is going to draw additional attention to that entry.
Q: How do you add tags to your posts?
A: When making a blog entry, at the bottom of the page you will see a Category box and to the right of that box is the TAG box. Type in whatever keywords you'd like to into that box. There is no limit on the number of keywords you add but make sure you put a comma between words.
Q: What's the difference between the tags "clam festival" and "Clam Festival?"
A: The tag index is case sensitive and will automatically capitalize the first word of the tag. But after that, it doesn't touch your tag. You can change your tags to consolidate them by editing that entry (edit conversations here or blog posts here).
Q: How do I get my tag on the site's tag cloud and make that text bigger?
A: If you want to make the text of your tag 'grow' on the site, you want to make sure you use the SAME tags in your posts. And tags also grow by the number of comments made on entries. So if you make a forum entry and tag it "books" and 20 people comment on that entry, that "books" tag will grow in relation to those comments as well. If you're still confused - or find this topic vastly interesting - check out Wikipedia for more information about how tag clouds are used on the web.
Q: Can I post events to the calendar?
A: We would love all of our members to share events. Post an event here.
You must be logged in to the site to post an event. .
Q: How do I make a change to one of my event listings?
A: ExploringMaine.com shares their event listings with MaineToday.com right now. We're working on building a new calendar system specifically for ExploringMaine.com but it's not ready yet. So to edit your events, go here and choose "edit" next to the listings (in the right column) of the event you need to change.
Q: What company runs ExploringMaine.com
A: This website is part of the Blethen Maine Newspapers' online division, which includes: MaineToday.com, Portland Press Herald/Maine Sunday Telegram, Kennebec Journal, Morning Sentinel, Coastal Journal, Maine Pets, Maine Business , Raising Maine and The Maine Switch
Q: How do I advertise with ExploringMaine?
A: We would love to talk to you about advertising opportunities with both our web and print products. We have a variety of options to fit all budgets. You can contact someone directly by email or phone (207) 822-4062.
© 2008 Blethen Maine Newspapers, Inc.