Help
Help
Short answers to the questions people ask most. Select a question to open its answer. If yours is not here, use the contact page.
Reading
Do I need an account to read?
No. Every published note is free to read, and you never need to sign in. Accounts exist only for invited writers and the site’s administrators.
How do I follow a writer?
Use RSS. Each notebook has its own feed at /handle/feed.xml, linked from the writer’s profile. Paste that address into any feed reader. There is also a feed for the whole site at /feed.xml.
What are topics?
Topics are tags that connect notes across notebooks. Click a tag on any note to see every note filed under it, from every writer. Topic pages live at /topic/name/.
Does the site work on a phone?
Yes. Every page is plain HTML and CSS, designed for small screens as well as large ones. It also works without JavaScript.
Comments
How do I leave a comment?
Scroll to the end of a note, enter a name and your comment, and send it. You do not need an account, and we do not ask for an email address.
Why hasn’t my comment appeared?
Comments from readers are held for review. A moderator reads each one before it is published. Comments that are never approved are deleted automatically after 30 days.
Can I change or remove a comment I posted?
There is no account to edit from, so ask us. Use the contact page, choose Privacy request, and tell us which note and which comment. We will remove it.
Writing here
How do I get a notebook?
Notebooks are by invitation only; there is no public sign-up. If you would like to write here, send a short note through the contact page with the topic Writing here. Tell us what you write about. We read every request, but we cannot promise an invitation.
What does a notebook include?
- A profile with portrait, short bio and an optional website link
- Sections (categories) you name yourself
- Notes with cover images, images, tags and a table of contents on long notes
- Your own RSS feed
The features page has the full list.
Who owns what I publish?
You do. By publishing, you allow the site to host, display and distribute your notes, for example through RSS. You can ask us to remove a note, or your whole notebook, at any time.
Can I link to my own website?
Yes. Your profile can show a link to your website, and links inside notes are ordinary links. Link to your sources too. Readers appreciate it.
Reports and your data
How do I report a note or a comment?
Open the contact page and choose Report a post or comment. Include the link and a sentence on what is wrong. For copyright problems, choose Copyright instead.
How do I ask about my personal data?
Choose Privacy request on the contact page. You can ask what we hold about you or ask us to delete it. The privacy policy lists what we collect and how long we keep it.
Is there an email address or phone number?
No. The contact page is the only way to reach the team. Messages go straight to the site’s inbox, and we reply by email when a reply is needed.