About EnviroSpeak

What is EnviroSpeak's purpose / mission?

Why should I get involved?

Does it cost anything to use EnviroSpeak?

Submitting Content

What type of content can I submit to EnviroSpeak?

Is my content reviewed before it's posted to EnviroSpeak?

Does EnviroSpeak own the content I submit?

Is there a limit on how much content I can upload?

How do I edit the content I've submitted?

How do I delete the content I've submitted?

Does everyone see the content I submit?


Videos

Why does EnviroSpeak.tv put so much emphasis on videos?

How do I upload a video?

What type of videos can I upload?

Do my videos get distributed to other sites?

Can I upload videos from YouTube, Google Video, Meta Cafe or other video sites?

How do I remove my videos from EnviroSpeak?

I don't see my video - where is it?

How do you verify the rightful ownership of a video?

What constitutes adequate proof will vary for each video?

Is there a limit on how many videos I can upload?

Who can comment on my video?

How does flagging work?

What are Video ratings for?

What is the EnviroSpeak documentary all about?


Video Sharing

How do I share videos?

Can I embed videos on my blog, website or other social networking sites?

How do I embed EiviroSpeak videos on my blog or other websites?

What is Gigya?


Blog Posts

How do I import a blog from another website like WordPress of Blogger.com?

How do I create a blog from scratch?

I can't see my blog post - where did it go?

Is there a limit on how much content I can upload?

Who can comment on my blog post?

I don't see a relevant group in the 'Syndicate To' box. How can I fix this?


News Items

What are news Items?

How do I submit a News Item?

What are 'tags' and how do I use them?

Where do my News Items go after I upload them?

Can I upload news items that I find on other sites?


Profile and Account

Is my profile available for everyone to see?

How do I build my profile?

How do I change my profile image?

What are "Actons" and how are they counted?


Social Networking & Invites

How do I meet other EnviroSpeak members?

How do I see my pending friendship requests?

How do I message other users?

How do I invite others to join EnviroSpeak?

How do I invite others to join my group or community or group?


Communities and Groups

What is a Community?

What is a Group?

What is the difference between a group and a community?

How do I create a community?

How do I create a group?

How do I join a community or group?

How do I submit content to a community or group?

How do I edit a community or group?

Can I flag a community or group for inappropriate or inaccurate content?

Where do I find images to use for my new group?

About EnviroSpeak

What is EnviroSpeak's purpose / mission?

Our Vision is to leverage the power of community and citizen media to implement real-world environmental change. EnviroSpeak recognizes a need to implement real-world action in order to make a positive impact on our environment. Our vision may be idealistic but our objectives are realistic. We want to provide the best possible conduit for environmentalists to educate, collaborate and solve real environmental problems. We also want to help organizations implement their ideas by providing funding and resources to feasible environmental initiatives.

Why should I get involved?

To influence change on a mass scale we need as many supporters as possible. Global warming and other environmental problems must be tackled on a global scale. As a member of EnviroSpeak.tv you can help support environmental initiatives with other concerned citizens from around the globe. We welcome participation at all levels from local community organizers to leading academics.

Does it cost anything to use EnviroSpeak?

EnviroSpeak is free for everyone to use. We are only asking for your time and passion to help make a change.

Submitting Content

What type of content can I submit to EnviroSpeak?

We encourage community members to submit videos, blogs, news items, photos, documents, lectures and other material related to environmental conservation. We've designed EnviroSpeak to appeal to content contributors at all levels.

Is my content reviewed before it's posted to EnviroSpeak?

Only video content is reviewed before it is posted to the site. Our team manually reviews all video submissions to protect against copyright infringement and to ensure the content is a suitable fit for our environmental community. Blogs, news items, photos and documents will be periodically reviewed to ensure content is suitable for our site and is not in violation of our terms of use.

Does EnviroSpeak own the content I submit?

You retain ownership of the content you upload to EnviroSpeak. EnviroSpeak may host and share your video only for as long as you leave it up on our site and only via the distribution channels you choose.

Is there a limit on how much content I can upload?

No way. We want you to share your knowledge, thoughts and ideas as often as possible. We encourage all community members to post content regularly.

How do I edit the content I've submitted?

Videos can be edited off line and then re-submitted. Blog content and news items can be edited through your 'My Environment' Dashboard available under the 'My Environment' tab. Shared documents can be edited off line and re-submitted. Photos must also be edited off line and re-submitted to the site.

How do I delete the content I've submitted?

You can remove videos by sending an email request to remove@envirospeak.tv. Please indicate the title of your video in the email and we'll remove it from our site no questions asked. If you need to remove a blog post or a news item you can do so by using the controls provided in your 'My Environment' dashboard. If you are the founder of a group you can remove your group by sending an email request to remove@envirospeak.tv. Please include the name of your group in the email. Photo's can be deleted through your 'My Environment' Dashboard controls.

Does everyone see the content I submit?

Yes, your videos, blogs and news items are available for anyone to view. EnviroSpeak is about education and information sharing so it wouldn't make much sense to lock up content for only a few people to see.


Videos

Why does EnviroSpeak.tv put so much emphasis on video?

How do I upload a video?

First determine a group or community that you would like to share your video with. You can only submit videos to groups that you belong to so make sure you're joined to a relevant group. Once you have determined which group you want to submit your video to click the 'Videos' tab and then click the 'Upload' sub-tab. Use the video uploader to locate your video file from your local drive. Once you have initiated the upload process complete the video information form below. Please be as accurate as possible when describing and tagging your video. This will help others locate your video once it's uploaded.

What type of videos can I upload?

You can submit any type of environmental video so long as you are the creator of the video and the content is in compliance with our terms of use. We do have a size restriction of 100MB per file and we can't accept anything illegal or obscene or similarly objectionable, including content that contains hate speech, infringes copyright, and/or violates personal privacy or obscenity laws and/or which we deem inappropriately offensive. EnviroSpeak does not allow pornography.

At EnviroSpeak, we staunchly support copyright laws. Our mission and business is firmly rooted in the idea that artists deserve to control and be rewarded from their intellectual property. We also believe strongly in the protections provided by the doctrine of Fair Use, which is part of Canadian copyright law, and to comparable protections provided under the copyright laws in other jurisdictions. While it is impossible to draw a hard and fast line between what is Fair Use and what is not, we understand that we are living in a remix culture and we support an open media environment that allows creators to lawfully build on the work of earlier creators. Read more on our copyright policy

Your video must be at minimum 4 seconds long. We do not have an upper limit on length of video so long as your file is under 100MB. We accept the following formats: MOV, MPEG, MPG, MP4, WMV, ASF, AVI (including DIVX).

Do my videos get distributed to other sites?

Yes, EnviroSpeak has partnered with Revver Inc to enhance the distribution for your videos. Revver runs a video portal located at www.revver.com. All videos uploaded to EnviroSpeak will appear on Revver.com and could even be syndicated to other affiliated sites. This additional distribution channel will allow your message to get in front of more people than could otherwise be achieved by posting only on EnviroSpeak.

If you discover your video on a website that you don't wish to associate with please contact remove@envirospeak.tv and we'll have it removed from Revver distribution.

Can I upload videos from YouTube, Google Video, Meta Cafe or other video sites?

You can only upload videos that you have created and you must have access to the original video file. We do not support video imports from YouTube, Google or any other video site. If you see a video that you like on another site please let us know and we'll have our content development team contact the original producer. Please send an email request to content@envirospeak.tv. Please be sure to include a link to the requested video, and other details such as title, producer name and video id, in the body of your email message. We welcome video suggestions from our users and we'll do our best to facilitate your suggestion.

How do I remove my videos from EnviroSpeak?

Videos can be removed by sending a removal request to remove@envirospeak.tv. Please indicate the name of the video and your EnviroSpeak password in your email so we can identify your video and have it removed.

I don't see my video - where is it?

All videos pass through a content review process before being posted on EnviroSpeak. Our content reviewers scan every video in an effort to protect against copyright violations and other illegal content. Once your video has been reviewed and approved by our reviewers, it will become publicly available (this may take up to 24 hours but it’s usually much faster).

Sometimes, videos can get held up in the review process. If we have some questions about the copyright of your video, you will receive a message in your EnviroSpeak inbox. Follow the instructions in the notification for providing our reviewers with more information, and fret not - we're generally just looking for some verification that you are the copyright owner.

Occasionally, there is an error during processing. If your video fails, we recommend checking the size and format of your video and uploading it again. If re-uploading doesn’t work, or if you have any questions regarding the status of your video, please contact us.

How do you verify the rightful ownership of a video?

We here at EnviroSpeak strive daily to make sure that the content on our site is original and that the creators are properly credited for their work. We have a staff of knowledgeable reviewers, who personally review each and every video before posting it publicly on the site. If your video gets wrongly rejected, you will have the chance to prove that it belongs to you.

What constitutes adequate proof will vary for each video?

You might need to show written proof that you own the rights or you might just need to explain to us that you made the music and link to your band's website. It really depends on the situation. Our reviewers are just looking for something that makes them feel comfortable enough that an artist's copyright is not being infringed. You should also know that if anyone were to contact us stating that there was some sort of infringement regarding a particular video, the matter would be investigated immediately! If you notice a video you think might be infringing someone's copyright, please contact us.

Is there a limit on how many videos I can upload?

Upload as many as you like as long as you've created them. There is currently no limit to the number of videos a creator can upload.

Who can comment on my video?

Anyone with a registered account can leave a comment about your video. Our community moderators are constantly reviewing comments to ensure they are left in good taste. Abuse will not be tolerated. If you feel your video has received an unjust comment please inform us so we can review and act accordingly.

How does flagging work?

Flagging is open to all registered users. Site content can be flagged if it is not deemed suitable for the site. Content flags will be reviewed by community moderators who will make a decision on whether or not to remove the content in question. A flag does not indicate that your content will be removed. We review each flag on a case-by-case basis and our decisions are governed under the terms of use agreement to ensure fairness to all.

What are Video ratings for?

Video ratings are used to identify popular videos based on viewer choice. In the video section you can search for videos according to rating. Ratings also help us determine candidates for the EnviroSepak documentary.

What is the EnviroSpeak documentary all about?

The creative folks here at EnviroSpeak.tv have envisioned a new style of documentary to help drive awareness and solutions for numerous environmental problems around the world. We're planning to produce a 60-minute film made up entirely of video content provided by the EnviroSpeak community. Community members are encouraged to upload 2 minute videos about local environmental problems or solutions. Video submissions will be voted on by the community members to determine which submissions should be edited into the final film.  The final film will be distributed online, and will be submitted to several film festivals across the globe. All proceeds raised will go to EnviroSpeak causes. pretty cool, eh? If you want to get involved with the EnviroSpeak documentary project please contact nicole@envirospeak.tv



Video Sharing

How do I share videos?

As a registered community member you can view and share any video on EnviroSpeak.tv. There are a few different options for sharing videos.

The easiest way to share a video is to use the 'Share' feature in the menu of the video player. Click menu then click the 'Share' icon on the ensuing screen. At this point you have two options. You can copy and paste the URL into a personal email. You can use the internal EnviroSpeak mail system if your intended recipient is already a member of EnviroSpeak.tv. The second option allows you to login to your email account and send the video to contacts from your email address book. This option is the most effective since you can message multiple recipients at once. Your friends will receive an email from EnviroSpeak asking them to view your recommended video.

If you own a website or a blog you can copy the embed code beside the video. This code can be added directly into your websites source code and will provide a direct link back to the video page. You can also use this embed code on other social networking sites so long as you're not violating the terms and conditions of the host site. For additional HTML and Javascript embed code options click the menu link in the video player and select 'Embed' from the ensuing screen.

Can I embed videos on my blog, website or other social networking sites?

Yes, if you own a website or a blog you can copy the embed code from the beside the video. This code can be added directly into your websites source code and will provide a direct link back to the video page. You can also use this embed code on other social networking sites so long as you're not violating the terms and conditions of the host site. For additional HTML and Javascript embed code options click the menu link in the video player and select 'Embed' from the ensuing screen.

How do I embed EiviroSpeak videos on my blog or other websites?

Embed code can be pasted directly into the source code of your website or blog. If you plan to embedding the video on another social networking site such as MySpace you should grab the embedded Flash code by clicking the menu button on the video player and selecting 'Embed' from the ensuing screen.

What is Gigya?

Gigya is a trusted third party service that allows you to remotely access your email account and import your email contacts from your address book. Gigya also sends the invite email on behalf of EnviroSpeak. Gigya does not retain a copy of your email contacts. For more information please visit Gigya's privacy policy located here: http://www.gigya.com/site/content/privacy.aspx


Blog Posts

How do I import a blog from another website such as Wordpress or Blogger.com?

EnviroSpeak has created a blog import wizard that allows you to import blog posts from third party urls. To help you understand the blog import wizard we have set up a step by step tutorial located here.

How do I create a blog post from scratch?

Blog posts are very easy to create. Start by clicking the 'My Environment' tab from the main navigation, then click the sub tab labeled 'My Blogs'. Locate the add (+) button in the top right corner of the "My Blog Posts" title bar and follow the instructions from the ensuing video tutorial.

I can't see my blog post - where did it go?

If you can't see your blog post it probably hasn't been published yet. Review the posting status in your 'My Environment Dashboard' by clicking the 'My Blog' sub-tab. If  the status of your blog post is set to 'draft' click the edit icon and change the status to 'publish'. You should now see your blog post live on the group page that it was syndicated to.

Is there a limit on how much content I can upload?

Nope. Feel free to post as often as you like.

Who can comment on my blog post?

Anyone with a registered account can leave a comment about your blog post. Our community moderators are constantly reviewing comments to ensure they are left in good taste. Abuse will not be tolerated. If you feel your blog post has received an unjust comment please inform us so we can review and act accordingly.

I don't see a relevant group in the 'Syndicate To' box. How can I fix this?

You can only syndicate (push) your blog post to groups that you belong to. All groups that you belong to will be listed in the 'Syndicate To' box. If you don't see an applicable group listed you can browse the site and join a relevant group, or you can create a new one.

News Items

What are news Items?

News items are pieces of information or news that you'd like to share with the community. All news items are references with a source url. If you see a news article or a story on another site that you'd like to post to EnviroSpeak, please consult the terms of use for the source site before you post the news item to EnviroSpeak. Please be as accurate as possible when providing a reference url. We want to ensure correct reference is provided at all times.

How do I submit a News Item?

To submit a news item click the 'My Environment' tab then select the 'My News' sub-tab. Locate and click on the Add (+) button located in the news item title bar. On the ensuing page provide a story url and name and insert the relevant search tags. Paste the article inside the 'description' box and select a group to syndicate the news article to. Please be as accurate as possible when tagging your news items. This will ensure proper indexing on our site search engine and will help other users locate your news item quickly and efficiently.

What are 'tags' and how do I use them?

Tags are keywords used to describe your content. Think of tags as words that you would search for if you we looking to a particular article or topic. You can include as many tags as you wish for your content, but please be as accurate as possible with your tags. This will ensure proper indexing on our site search engine and will help other users locate your news item quickly and efficiently. Tags should be separated by commas. Multiple word tags should have a single space between words.

Example: (climate change,global warming,ecosystem,environment)

Where do my News Items go after I upload them?

Your news items are syndicated (pushed) to relevant groups that you selected when you submitted your news item to EnviroSpeak. You can also view your news items in the 'My Environment' Dashboard under the 'My News' sub-tab.

Can I upload news items that I find on other sites?

Yes, so long as the source site allows you to do so. Please check the terms of use on the source site before uploading news from other websites. We also ask that you provide an accurate url to the exact page that the article was found. This will provide proper referencing for other users who may wish to read more on the news you've posted. For example; if you locate a news item on the NY Times website please provide an article specific url such as this:

http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/globalwarming/index.html?8qa&scp=1-spot&sq=global+warming&st=nyt


Profile and Account

Is my profile available for everyone to see?

When you create your EnviroSpeak profile you can chose different access levels. By default all profiles are open to the public, but you can change your profile settings to make your profile visible only to your friends, or registered users of the site. While we respect your privacy concerns EnviroSpeak is not designed to be a closed system. By keeping profiles and other content open we can better facilitate information sharing and networking to initiate environmental change. Concealing profiles is not conducive to this objective so we recommend being as open as possible with your profile settings. If you have personal information that you wish to keep private we do not recommend posting it on your EnviroSpeak profile.

How do I build my profile?

First you have to sign up for a free EnviroSpeak account. Once you've done that you can access your 'My Environment' Dashboard under the 'My Environment' tab. Just click the 'Edit Profile' button and begin building your user profile.

How do I change my profile image?

In the 'Profile' sub-tab click the 'Edit Profile' button and use the browse button to locate a new profile image. Once your new profile image is uploaded click 'Save Changes' at the bottom of the page.

What are "Actions" and how are they counted?
On the upper right corner of your profile page you will see a table listing various items such as gifts sent, videos uploaded and groups joined. These items are referred to a "Actions", and the Action Table you see on your profile depicts your level of activity on the site over time.  Actions are scored with a point system as follows:

Action points are tallied for each individual member of EnviroSpeak.tv and summarized in the Action Panel on the home page. This allows the communty to view a running total of all activity on the site. The more actions we take, the more information we can spread around the world to help build awareness and solutions for environmental problems.

Social Networking

How do I meet other users?

The best way to meet other users is to browse through the various groups and communities. Each group / community member will be listed on the left margin. You can click the members avatar to view their personal profile. On the top right corner of the members profile page there is a button labeled 'Add To Friends'. Click this button to initiate a friend request. The recipient will receive an email notification of your friend request at which time they can chose to accept or deny your request for friendship.

New users to EnviroSpeak also appear on the homepage. Just look on the right hand side to check out new member profiles.

How do I see my pending friendship requests?

When you log into your account you can click on the 'My Network' sub tab to view your pending friendship requests. Once you accept a friendship request your new friend will appear under the 'My Friends' column.

How do I message other users?

There are two ways to message other users on EnviroSpeak. The easiest way is to locate your friends profile and click the 'message friend' button on the top right corner of your friends main profile page. The other option is to use the EnviroSpeak internal message system by clicking the 'My Mail' sub-tab on the 'My Environment' Dashboard.

How do I invite others to join EnviroSpeak?

The best way to invite your friends to EnviroSpeak is to use our on-site invite tools. You'll see these invite tools located on almost every page. When you use the invite tool your intended recipient will receive an email message from our system with your personal invite message.

How do I invite others to join my group or community or group?

Invite tools are built into the left margin of every group and community page. Use this tool to send off-site email invites to your friends or internal invites to your EnviroSpeak contacts.


Communities and Groups

What is a Community?

A Community is a high level environmental category that is established only by the EnviroSpeak.tv team. It is helpful for users who wish to find relevant information, groups, users, videos, and photos in a specific environmental area. Communities are limited to high-level topics only.

What is a Group?

Groups are specific topics of interest created by registered users.  Groups must belong to at least one Community.  Groups can be searched through the Group "search" box on the home page. Groups are also listed on the home page of a Community they belong to.  Groups will also show up in a "syndicate to" box when you are creating new blogs, adding videos, or uploading videos.  This unique feature allows you to send your content directly to any groups you are part of.

What is the difference between a group and a community?

A Community is a high level Environmental category created by the EnviroSpeak.tv team, while a group is a specific environmental topic of interest that a registered user creates and controls. Groups must belong to at least one community.

How do I create a community?

Communities can be recommended with the "suggest a new community" form. To access this form click the add (+) button on the title bar under the 'Community' tab.

How do I create a group?

Groups can be created by any registered user. Groups must have at least one parent community. Locate a relevant community under which your group will live. Click into the selected community and locate the add (+) button on the 'Group' title bar. Click the add (+) button and complete the ensuing group registration form. If you want to link your group to more than one community you can select additional communities from the 'Communities' menu box. As a creator of a group you have the ability to edit contents after successful creation.

How do I join a community or group?

On every community and group home page there is a blue 'join' button. click this button and you will be joined automatically to the community or group that you have chosen. You can view all groups and communities that you have joined by clicking the 'My Network' sub-tab on the 'My Environment' dashboard.

How do I submit content to a community or group?

The best way to submit content to a community or group is through you 'My Environment' Dashboard. Through your dashboard you can upload videos, create blog posts, upload photos and submit news items across the site. Please remember that you can only submit content to communities and groups that you belong to. Before posting any content you should determine a relevant group or community that you want to syndicate (push) your content to. You can syndicate the same piece of content to multiple groups. All groups that you belong to will be listed in the 'Syndicate To' box. If you do not see a community or group that relates to your content piece we suggest browsing the site and joining a community that fits your content theme. If you can't find a group that fits your contents theme, you can always create a new group.

Here are submission instructions for the various types of content you can post:

How do I edit a community or group?

If you are the creator of a community or group you will see a 'edit group' or 'edit community' button on the left margin of the communty / group home page. Click this button to edit the contents of a community or group.

Can I flag a community or group for inappropriate or inaccurate content?

You can only flag comments or discussion items under a given group or community. If you have objections to the content contained on the group or community homepage please notify us and our community moderators will investigate. Please submit all flag requests to flag@envirospeak.tv and include the name of the group or community in the body of your email.

Where do I find images to use for my new group?

If you don't have a relevant image for your group we suggest looking on some royalty free image sites.The following sites provide free stock images:

* www.freedigitalphotos.net
* www.sxc.hu
* www.freestockimages.net
* www.freephotosbank.com
* www.everystockphoto.com
* www.stockvault.net

The following sites provide royalty-free images for paying members:

* www.istockphoto.com
* www.gettyimages.com
* www.jupiterimages.com