How is citysoup.ca organized?

How do I find my way around citysoup.ca?

How is citysoup.ca different from other portals?

Can I use the portal and the tools without registering?

Is my personal information secure?

What is the policy regarding Internet Filtering software at Access Station sites?

How do I change the font size on my screen/How do I change my screen resolution?

How do I use the search function on citysoup.ca?

What browsers do you support?

I can’t see everything in citysoup.ca. What’s wrong?

Who can visit citysoup.ca?

How do I share my stories with citysoup.ca?

How do I share a review I've written?

I am a hosted site – how do I share my content?

How do I share my events in the Community Calendar?

How do I post/update my information in the Community Directory?

How do I make citysoup.ca my home page?

The answer to my question isn’t here. What do I do now?

How is citysoup.ca organized?

citysoup.ca is organized into seven major categories: Our Community, Living, Sports & Leisure, Arts & Entertainment, Learning, Business and Shopping. Each group contains information that relates to the general theme of the section.

Our Community deals with general information about Coquitlam and Port Moody, including neighbourhood profiles, community groups, parks, the environment and community services.

 

Living contains information about daily life including health & wellness, safety, careers, news and tasks/hobbies that relate to your home. This section also contains a "By Audience" category that groups information of interest to different demographic groups (teens, women, seniors etc.).

 

Sports & Leisure has topics relating to sports (broken out by activity - court sports, ice sports, water sports etc.), hobbies, leisure programs (courses from both cities' Recreation departments) and local parks.

 

Arts & Entertainment groups information about what's going on in the community all in one place, including movies, events, dining out, music and more.

 

Learning contains information from local libraries, plus details on elementary, middle and secondary schools as well as continuing education options and university or college information.

 

Business is organized into sections that deal with running a business, business development and also includes information about local networking groups. 

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How do I find my way around citysoup.ca?

It's easy to find your way through citysoup.ca. As we explained above, the portal is grouped into major categories that contain information that is related to the main theme of that category. Think of each category as a section in a newspaper or magazine - that's how citysoup.ca works, too.

 

You can "navigate" (the term used on the web to move from one page to another) through citysoup.ca several ways - by the major topics (called a menu bar) listed across the top, starting with Home on the left, and also by using the "sub-topics" that show up on the left side of the page once you are inside one of the main categories. The links that appear in the left column share more detailed information about a topic when you click on them.

 

Once you are "inside" a section (like Safety Services, for instance), when you click on the short descriptions of topics that you now see on a page, you are taken to a new page with the full article you wished to view. To get back to the section you were in, simply click on your Back button, which is located in the upper left corner of your browser (usually an arrow that points to the left). If, however, you like what you see and want to view more from this source, just click on the link provided at the bottom of the page to be taken to that source's home site.

 

As you move your cursor over the menu bar at the top, the name of the section will be highlighted in white and the available topics for each section will change in the display just below the light blue bar. When you are "inside" a section, the menu in the left column is highlighted with a light green bar and a small orange checkmark, to make sure you know where you are at all times.

 

You can also look for some helpful hints that we've placed throughout citysoup.ca to help you find what you're looking for. On almost every page you'll find little green or blue boxes filled with helpful information that relates to the topic on the page. The top left corner of the box has a "person" icon - look for this icon to lend a helping hand.

 

And, last but not least, you can use the search function (located in the upper right corner of your screen) to find whatever you are looking for. (Read more about our search function below.)

 

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How is citysoup.ca different from other portals?

citysoup.ca is a true community-centric portal. We like to say that it turns the Internet "upside down" to bring local sources to the forefront of a custom-built portal for the citizens of Coquitlam and Port Moody.

 

Instead of having to drill down from the outside in to get information about their local community, citysoup.ca delivers it to you right up front. Like the old general store, citysoup.ca will be a hub of local information, commerce, gossip, connections and entertainment.

 

citysoup.ca is different in other ways, too. It was built to deliver a user-centric approach, with minimal "jumping back and forth" as you search for information. When you click on many of the topics you find in citysoup.ca to get more information, it is delivered seamlessly as a citysoup.ca page. This is different from other portals, who generally send you "away" from their site to get to the information. By sharing information within the citysoup.ca environment, we deliver a less disruptive user experience. If the article you clicked on was not exactly what you wanted, you simply click on your back button to see the original list of topics citysoup.ca delivered to you.

 

And, the type of information you will find in citysoup.ca is also different. Rather than the usual "about us" type of articles (often called "brochure-ware") you get from most websites, citysoup.ca works with website owners in our community to deliver information of more value to our visitors. For instance, a local florist may share articles with citysoup.ca about flower arranging or how to make floral arrangments last longer. This would be found in the House & Home section, and when a visitor to citysoup.ca clicked on the description they would be taken to a page about flower arranging. At the bottom of the page is a link to the florist's website, which contains all of their "about us" details. The citysoup.ca visitor has been "enticed" to their site by useful information they shared with the portal, and are well on their way to a positive customer experience with the local florist.

 

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 Can I use citysoup.ca and the tools without registering?

citysoup.ca is fully accessible without having to register. You can visit every page and see every piece of content.   Both the Community Calendar and Community Directory are also accessible without having to register.

 

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 Is my personal information secure?

Yes. citysoup.ca uses the secure sockets layer (SSL) protocol to ensure the security of all private information shared with the website. The "de facto" standard for security on the Internet (banks and credit card companies use this protocol to protect financial data), SSL uses 128-bit encryption technology and involves the use of what are called "public/private keys".

 

In layperson's terms, data is encrypted at one end and put in a secure "box". When it arrives at the other end, the encryption code looks for a "match" to its code, and when it finds the right code, it asks for the "key" to be inserted in the "lock" and the information it contains is released. Unless the two pieces of code provide an exact match, the information is not released. 128-bit encryption means that there is a set of 128 numbers that are randomly generated "on the fly" to create the key.

 

For more details on how your private information is handled, please see our Privacy Policy.

 

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What is the policy regarding Internet Filtering software at Access Station sites?

Filtering devices have not been installed at the citysoup.ca Access Station sites because they can limit access to legitimate sites and information. In developing this policy, we reviewed Internet use policies at local libraries and also worked with a group of community representatives to ensure an appropriate and fair procedure. Each Access Station Usage Guideline states that users are expected to respect the rights of others, refrain from illegal or unethical use of the Internet and not expose others to information or graphics that may be viewed as offensive. Access Station host staff and volunteers make every effort to proactively enforce these policies.

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How do I change the font size on my screen/How do I change my screen resolution?

It's easy to change the font size on your screen to make it bigger or smaller. Look at the tool bar at the top of your browser. For Internet Explorer and Netscape, in the upper left corner the options read File, Edit etc. Click on View, and go to Text Size. Click on Text Size and you have a variety of options to make your text larger or smaller.

 

Note that this feature only adjusts text that is presented as pure HTML. If the size of the text has been pre-set to a specific size, it will not change with this feature.

 

Please note that citysoup.ca is built for a screen resolution of 1024 by 768. If you are not using this resolution, pages may load with additional scroll bars and it may look like the content doesn't fit on the page. To check your screen resolution, right click on your desktop (the first screen you see when your computer has finished booting up - before you launch any programs). Now left click on properties (at the bottom of the list). Click on the tab at the far right called Settings. A little bar comes up within an area called "screen area" or "screen resolution". Slide it to the right (towards More) and note that the numbers change from 800 by 600 to 1024 by 768. Click apply, and then ok. Your screen is now optimized for citysoup.ca viewing.

 

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How do I use the search function on citysoup.ca?

The search function in citysoup.ca is located in the upper right corner of your browser screen. You'll note that there are two button just below the search box - one for citysoup.ca and one for the web. The search engine that citysoup.ca uses is supplied by Inktomi, a poineer in web search that supplies more than half of all web users with search capabilities.

 

You can search citysoup.ca several ways, by simply typing in a question or by typing in one or more keywords and then hitting the search button. When you type in a question - like "How do I register for swimming lessons?" - it is called a "concept" search, and when you type in words - like swimming or swimming lessons - it's called a keyword search.

 

Because citysoup.ca is a locally-focussed website, the search engine is set to search citysoup.ca first, then it is programmed to look for the information you've requested from local websites and finally it will expand its search to the entire world wide web. It does this in a matter of seconds and returns the results in a list that is prioritized, with information from citysoup.ca at the top of the list, then followed by details from local websites and finally from the web at large.

 

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What browsers do you support?

citysoup.ca supports Internet Explorer v5.0 and Netscape v6 and above. To get the latest versions of these browsers, just click on the one you want to be taken to their download site.

 

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 I can’t see everything in citysoup.ca. What’s wrong?

You may need to download some free software programs to make your citysoup.ca experience the best it can be. If you don't have Flash, Acrobat (which allows you to read PDFs) or Shockwave, you may not be able to see some of the information shared with citysoup.ca. To download any one of the FREE software programs below, just click on the name:

 

Acrobat

Flash Player

Shockwave Player

Windows Media Player

RealPlayer

Quicktime

 

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Who can visit citysoup.ca?

As a part of the world wide web, anyone can visit citysoup.ca. All of the tools and services offered within the portal or through hosted web sites are available to site visitors regardless of geographic location, including, to name a few, the ability to register for programs online and view the events calendar.

 

Businesses or community groups located in Coquitlam or Port Moody have access to all the tools and services offered.   

 

 

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How do I share my stories with citysoup.ca?

Great! We're glad you're interested in becoming a content contributor to citysoup.ca. Before we can accept your content, we'll have to know something about you, and make sure you meet our eligibility requirements. Essentially, you can share content with us if you are an individual, business or community group who resides in Port Moody or Coquitlam. There are some exceptions to this general rule. For the full details on our eligibility requirements, see our Terms of Use Policy.

 

citysoup.ca conforms to the "laws of the land" and does not accept content that is considered racist, incites hatred or anything of a pornographic nature. The portal reserves the right to remove any content if it is deemed inappropriate, and anyone turned down as a contributor has the right to appeal. Again, our Terms of Use Policy has all the details on this. Parents are responsible for supervising children under the age of 18, and it is important to note that bulletin boards and chat rooms are unmonitored within citysoup.ca.

 

All content shared with the portal remains the property of the person who contributed it, according to copyright and international laws.

 

To share your stories:

• If you have a website and would like to share information from your site with citysoup.ca, drop us a note to citysoup-content@coquitlam.ca. Be sure to include who you are, a link to what you'd like to share, and your contact information. Remember - citysoup.ca is for the citizens of Coquitlam and Port Moody and in order for us to accept your submission you have to meet the eligibility requirements. See our Terms of Use Policy for more on this.
  
• If you don't have a website but still want to share something with citysoup.ca - like a brochure from your organization, an article that might be of interest to the community, or a favourite recipe from a local restaurant chef - no problem.
  
  You can mail us content that you'd like to share to the Coquitlam Innovation Center, 1207 Pinetree Way, Coquitlam, BC  V3B 7Y3. Be sure to include all of your contact information and a sentence that says you give us permission to use your submission within the website. Anonymous submissions will not be used. Of if you prefer email:   citysoup-content@coquitlam.ca

  
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How do I share a review I've written?

It's easy to become a movie, theatre, book, music or event critic. Just fill in a form and your review will be shared in citysoup.ca.

 

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I am a hosted site – how do I share my content?

 As a hosted site you can create a "connected page" to share the information you have on any page in your website with related categories in the portal. During your training session you will be shown how to do this - it's easy and quick.

 

If you need a quick refresher on how to do this, call  604-933-6963 and ask for technical support.

 

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How do I share my events in the Community Calendar?

Basic listings in the Community Calendar are free for non-revenue generating events that are open to the general public. When you are posting your information to the Calendar you will have several options, including which category it belongs in (sports/public meetings/business activities etc.) and whether or not it's a repetitive event. If you are sharing a recurring event, the Calendar gives you the option to say every day, every second/third/fourth etc. day, every week, every month and so on. Just click on the BIG GREEN BUTTON on the Community Calendar page and fill in the form with all your details. If you need assistance, please call 604-927-6963 or email citysoup-calendar@coquitlam.ca

 

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