- What is WinCentral?
- What if I have questions or need help? Who can I contact?
- Does WinCentral Membership cost anything?
- WinCentral is a "self-financing" non-profit organization. What does that mean?
- I saw the WinNews print publication with the Town Calendar. How can I get my own copy?
- Who is writing the stories for WinCentrals Town Report section?
- What is WinCentral's relationship with the Chamber of Commerce?
- What does it mean to add something to My Favorites?
- Many times, when I add something to My Favorites, I am asked for a reason. Why?
- I have a DealCard, how do I activate it?
- Is the monthly print calendar always accurate?
- How can I ensure that my organization's events are listed in the WinCentral calendar?
- I worry about the environment - how can Wincentral help me live a more sustainable life?
- Does it cost anything to place an ad in the classified section?
- Do I have to have my deal card with me when I know a merchant has a special offering?
- Can my whole family sign up as individuals?
- I am getting too many emails from WinCentral. Is this normal? What can I do?
- Is WinCentral a volunteer organization?
- As a resident or owner, can I add an event listing?
- As a business owner should I keep track of how many people come in with the deal card?
A: WinCentral is a Winchester-based non-profit organization that helps our community better share and benefit from information about the incredible resources we have available in our great town. How often have you only heard about an event after it happened, or you simply forgot to attend? Have you ever wished you could exchange questions and thoughts better with your Winchester neighbors and friends, have a platform where you can find what’s going on in town? We want to help you find out more about our town – because you may end up spending more time here, and that benefits everyone.
Q: What if I have questions or need help? Who can I contact?
A: If you have questions or need help, please be sure to first read these FAQs and to try what you can find out by just using the site. Many things are quite intuitive and easy to understand, once you have tried them. We are still learning, so if something does not work the way you would expect it, please bear with us. To contact WinCentral with questions or suggestions, email info (at) wincentral (dot) org
Also check out our new easy-to-follow video tutorials: www.wincentral.org/tutorials
Q: Does WinCentral membership cost anything?
A: WinCentral membership is at no charge to residents. Local non-profit organizations can use WinCentral at no charge, and they are being asked to consider partnership activities with WinCentral (please inquire via email to info (at) wincentral.org) Interested businesses can review membership benefits and costs here. For a list of participating member businesses and organizations, click here.
Q: WinCentral is a "self-financing" non-profit organization. What does that mean?
A: WinCentral is a local non-profit organization. It generates revenue through membership fees, and through sponsorships by local businesses. By focusing on a sustainable business model, WinCentral attempts to operate without the need for outside funding on a continuous basis.
Q: I saw the WinNews print publication with the Town Calendar. How can I get my own copy?
A: WinCentral's companion publication WinNews is distributed monthly through WinCentral member businesses and organizations. WinNews is a very popular publication, be sure to get your copy early.
Q: Who is writing the stories for WinCentrals Town Report section?
A: Residents, businesses and organizations are encouraged to contribute with their own newsletter to the Town Report. Additionally, resident journalist Raiff Tsapatsaris is a regular contributor with investigative stories around imortant Winchester subjects.
Q: What is WinCentral's relationship with the Chamber of Commerce?
A: WinCentral is greatful for having received the support of the Winchester Chamber of Commerce in its June 2009 board meeting by unanimous vote. WinCentral is neither part of the Chamber, nor does it attempt to replace the Chamber. The mission of the two organizations overlap, yet our methods to fulfill our missions are different.
Q: What does it mean to add something to My Favorites?
A: Think of the My Favorites folder as a quick reference for the things and people that are important to you. This is where you can quickly find the people, events, stories, classified ads etc that you want to keep tabs on. Your My Favorites folder helps other users find out what's important to you in our community, and it will hopefully trigger even more participation, support and enthusiasm!
Add a person to My Favorites ... and you can see all of that person's favorites, PLUS you can communicate privately with that person, without revealing your own email address.
Add an event to My Favorites ... and you will receive event reminders via email, as well as an email if an event detail changes, such as date, time or venue!
Add a story to My Favorites ... and you will receive an email notification when an important follow-up to the story has posted.
Add a business or non-profit to My Favorites ... and you can communicate privately with that entity.
Q: Many times, when I add something to My Favorites, I am asked for a reason. Why?
A: Adding a reason is optional, but think about this: When you introduce two of your friends to each other, you probably also say what you feel is most important about that person, and how you know each other. Similarly, when you recommend an event to a friend, you probably add a reason, like "I went last year, and it was loads of fun." Its very similar with the items in My Favorites. Adding a reason helps people understand why they could share your interest in it.
Q: I have a DealCard, how do I activate it?
A: There are two ways to get a Winchester DealCard: (a) Pick up a card at a local member business or organization, then sign up on WinCentral or (b) Signup on WinCentral and have a card mailed to your address. Either way, after you establish your free membership on WinCentral, you will receive a Welcome email wich includes your card's activation code. Write the code on the backside of your DealCard, and your card is activated. You can now use it to gain access to exclusive offers and promotions at local businesses. Please do check for current offers and promotions frequently here.
Q: Is the monthly print calendar always accurate?
A: WinCentral uses complex computer algorithms and the input from local residents and organizations to compile event information. About three weeks before each month, WinCentral creates its print publication WinNews based on the calendar information that is available then. Even though we try our very best to check the credibility of the information we receive, we cannot verify the accuracy of every listing. Additionally, even listings received after the print deadline cannot be considered for WinNews. For the most current event information, always check the calendar on WinCentral.org. Also consider adding your favorite events in the My Favorite folder to be notified of event changes like venue, date and time.
Q: How can I ensure that my organization's events are listed in the WinCentral calendar?
A: WinCentral does aggregate event information from many different sources, and it relies on user input and verification. We can pay more detailed attention to events of partner and member organizations. If you want to be sure your events are listed in the WinCentral calendar, be sure to join WinCentral today. As a member business or organization, you are entitled to enter your own event in the community calendar, subject to the User Agreement. Generally, events must be of interest to the community. Monthly, WinCentral creates the print calendar, which has a limit of events due to the available space. WinCentral - at its sole discretion - selects which events to include based on the event's general interest to the community, based on its uniqueness and other factors. For your event to be considered, the event MUST BE IN THE ONLINE CALENDAR by the deadlines given here.
Q: I worry about the environment - how can Wincentral help me live a more sustainable life?
A: Sustainability and localism are closely aligned. The more we live our lives locally and the more we use local resources, the higher our chances of living sustainable lives. Wincentral attempts to assist community members live their lives more locally, in natural, efficient and fun ways. Use Wincentral to connect to your community, and you will probably live your life more locally. Use Wincentral to connect others in your community, and chances are they will do the same.
Q: Does it cost anything to place an ad in the classified section?
A: Classified ads on WinCentral are at no charge. Please list your items that you want to sell, that you are searching for, that you want to give away for free or trade. Additionally, you can list small gigs or jobs for which you want to hire someone, or full time jobs. Please be sure that your listings have local relevance.
Q: Do I have to have my deal card with me when I know a merchant has a special offering?
A: We encourage members to carry their DealCard with them at all times. It is up to the business to ask for your DealCard or for a coupon (printed or as text message on a cell phone).
Q: Can my whole family sign up as individuals?
A: There are no restrictions about individuals or families signing up. Each individual can sign up with a separate account, or a family can signup together in one account. Membership is always subject to the User Agreement.
Q: I am getting too many emails from WinCentral. Is this normal? What can I do?
A: During the signup process, WinCentral sends three messages to all new users: one email address verification message, one Welcome email with basic instructions (please save this email), and a digest of the most recent discussion comments in the forum. After that, the number and type of emails you receive depends on what you select in the "My Account" page after login. The link to the "My Account" page can be found in the top right corner of the site after login. Or simply click on this link: https://www.wincentral.org/user/my_account.html. Scroll to about the middle of the page where you can select with which frequency you would like to receive the Community Update emails and Discussion Post Emails.
Q: Is WinCentral a volunteer organization?
A: WinCentral is a non-profit organization that also relies on volunteers to provide some of its services. We also believe that in order to provide a consistent and reliable service level, some team members are rewarded financially - even if modestly. If you have specific questions about our policies, please inquire at info (at) wincentral.org
Q: As a resident or owner, can I add an event listing?
A: Any member - whether resident, organization or business - can add an event to the WinCentral calendar. Feel free to list yard sales, special classes, large parties, etc. Inclusion in the WinNews print calendar is at the sole discretion of the WinCentral team.
Q: As a business owner should I keep track of how many people come in with the deal card?
A: Membership in WinCentral is a promotional tool and counting how many people actually use the DealCard is a good way of measuring its effectiveness.