Website Help Topics
How to Use the EDA Website
How to Join EDA
There are many ways to participate in EDA. All of them begin with establishing an EDA web account.
This first section of the Website Account Guide explains benefits of an EDA website account and how to set up your account and EDA privacy policies.
EDA Website Account Benefits
There is more to the EDA website than just reading the content.
Opening an EDA web account enables you to participate in several ways:
- Only Web account holders can post content to the website. Your contributions improve the resources for all.
- Receive e-mail communications from EDA and other EDA website members. (See Account Messaging below).
Website Account Username
Your real first and last names are required as your account Username, and will be displayed in public view.
All other information you enter in your web account application form will remain private.
We recognize that there may be rare exceptions to our general rule, when disclosing your real name would pose a significant personal security risk or an employment conflict (for example, if you are a public official participating as a private citizen). E-mail info [AT] electiondefensealliance [DOT] org to request a privacy waiver.
Website Account Activation Steps
EDA web accounts are not activated automatically. All account applications are activated after review by a human administrator.
Your real firstname/lastname Username and a valid e-mail address are required before a web account is activated.
- Complete your account registration form, using your real first and last names as your Username.
- You will receive an automated e-mail reply bearing an account link and temporary password. Do not click on the link until step 4 below.
- Wait for a "Welcome" message from EDA announcing that your account has been activated.
- Now click on the account link (from step 2 above) to log in to your My Account page.
- The account link will take you to your My Account page where you should create a permanent password of your choice.
- Thereafter, log in to the EDA website with your Username (your real first and last names created in step 1) and the password that you created in step 5.
EDA Privacy Policies
Web Accounts
Websites are often anonymous, but EDA is different. We've got a lot of work to do together to reclaim electioral democracy. Trust is essential. We ask that you register with your real first and last name as your username**, and tell us a little bit about yourself. In return, you will have read and write privileges enabling you to contribute content to the public pages of the EDA website.
Your real name will appear to other website visitors, but the rest of the information you enter in the Web Account Registration Form is visible only to EDA website administrators, and will remain private. We will not disclose your registration information to any other parties for any reason without your express written permission.
**Privacy Waiver
We recognize that there may be rare exceptions to our general rule, when disclosing your real name would pose a significant personal security risk or an employment conflict (for example, if you are a public official participating here as a private citizen). E-mail Info [AT] electiondefensealliance [DOT] org to request a privacy waiver, allowing you to register an account with a pseudonym.
EDA Website Account Guide
How to Join EDA
There are many ways to participate in EDA. All of them begin with establishing an EDA web account.
This first section of the Website Account Guide explains benefits of an EDA website account and how to set up your account , and EDA privacy policies.
EDA Website Account Benefits
There is more to the EDA website than just reading the content.
Opening an EDA web account enables you to participate in several ways:
- Only Web account holders can post content to the website. Your contributions improve the resources for all.
- Receive e-mail communications from EDA and other EDA website members. (See Account Messaging below).
Website Account Username
Your real first and last names are required as your account Username, and will be displayed in public view.
All other information you enter in your web account application form will remain private.
We recognize that there may be rare exceptions to our general rule, when disclosing your real name would pose a significant personal security risk or an employment conflict (for example, if you are a public official participating as a private citizen). E-mail info [AT] electiondefensealliance [DOT] org to request a privacy waiver.
Website Account Activation Steps
EDA web accounts are not activated automatically. All account applications are activated after review by a human administrator.
Your real firstname/lastname Username and a valid e-mail address are required before a web account is activated.
- Complete your account registration form, using your real first and last names as your Username.
- You will receive an automated e-mail reply bearing an account link and temporary password. Do not click on the link until step 4 below.
- Wait for a "Welcome" message from EDA announcing that your account has been activated.
- Now click on the account link (from step 2 above) to log in to your My Account page.
- The account link will take you to your My Account page where you should create a permanent password of your choice.
- Thereafter, log in to the EDA website with your Username (your real first and last names created in step 1) and the password that you created in step 5.
Website Account Messaging
The EDA website has an internal e-mail system that we occasionally use to send account-related notices and locally relevant event announcements. Other EDA web account holders are also able to communicate with you via this internal mail system. You can decide whether to receive or block these e-mail messages using the personal preference settings in you web account.
EDA does not allow the sending of SPAM. Any web account that sends SPAM will be deleted.
There is also a setting on this account registration form (below) that will enable you to receive an automated e-mail notice once per day if there are new content additions to the website.
EDA Privacy Policies
EDA has two levels of accounts, Web Accounts and Working Groups, and different privacy policies for each, explained below.
1. Web Accounts
Websites are often anonymous, but EDA is different. We've got a lot of work to do together to reclaim electioral democracy. Trust is essential. We ask that you register with your real first and last name as your username**, and tell us a little bit about yourself. In return, you will have read and write privileges enabling you to contribute content to the public pages of the EDA website.
Your real name will appear to other website visitors, but the rest of the information you enter in the Web Account Registration Form is visible only to EDA website administrators, and will remain private. We will not disclose your registration information to any other parties for any reason without your express written permission.
**Privacy Waiver
We recognize that there may be rare exceptions to our general rule, when disclosing your real name would pose a significant personal security risk or an employment conflict (for example, if you are a public official participating here as a private citizen). E-mail Info [AT] electiondefensealliance [DOT] org to request a privacy waiver, allowing you to register an account with a pseudonym.
Add Content to the EDA Site
Everyone who has established an EDA website account is invited to post content to this site -- especially election integrity news or information resources pertinent to your county or state that we might not otherwise be aware of.
Please take a few minutes to read these instructions on posting site content. Print and follow the steps below. Practice posting a new page and you will find the process is actually simpler than it looks.
Posting content to the EDA website requires an active EDA Web Account.
If you do not yet have an EDA web account, you can establish one by clicking on the JOIN link in the main menu bar on any page.
NOTE: You must be logged into your existing EDA website account to access posting links included in this guide.
How to Add Content:
1. Log in to Your EDA Web Account
(Access links you will need to follow these directions WILL NOT APPEAR unless you are logged into your existing EDA web account).
2. Go to the Story Content Editor, here: http://electiondefensealliance.org/node/add/story
Our content creation editor works much like any word processor or blog program. It has a rich-text, visual interface with a toolbar palette. The content editor is defaulted to the Rich Text mode. Remain in the Rich Text (default) mode.
(Exception: Inserting video embed codes. See under VIDEO below.)
Three Main Content Types:
TEXT: Render your text content in plain text format before copying and pasting into the content editor.
Then use the editor tool palette to add formatting details (headlines, bold, etc.)
IMAGES: Use the "File attachments" link below the editing box to upload image files from your computer. The images will be assigned an URL on the EDA site. Copy that URL and use the Image tool in the editing palette to insert the images
into the article.
VIDEO: To insert a video embed code into your article:
1. Click the Source tool button in the tool palette to temporarily switch to plain text editing mode.
2. Paste your embed code in the desired location.
3. Click the Source button again to return to rich text editing mode.
Pre-publication Review:
Postings will go into a review queue. Prior to publishing, an EDA web administrator will review the content, correct any formatting problems, and assign an URL and menu location, then publish your article live to the website.
Have posting questions? Need assistance? E-mail Admin[at]ElectionDefenseAlliance[dot]org
