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General
Discovering and Finding Products
- How do recommendations and lists and people turn up on the What's Next page?
- What can I subscribe to?
Making Wish Lists
Recommending Products
- How do I recommend something?
- How do I use my own images for an item I am recommending?
- Why doesn't ThisNext allow me to choose images from some sites?
- How does a user get back to the web page I used for my recommendation?
- What does "Give kudos to the person or web site where you learned about this item" mean?
Making Lists
- Why should I make a list? What should it be about?
- How do I make a list?
- How do I add items to a list?
Tagging Items and Lists
Shopcasting and Spreading the Word
- What are interactive badges and how do they work?
- What is the BlogIt tool and how does it work?
- What else is happening in the world of shopcasting?
Affiliate Support
- Do you support affiliates?
- How do I make it work?
- What clicks qualify?
- What affiliate networks do you support?
- Where do I enter my affiliate IDs?
Account / Profile
- Help! I forgot my password or screen name?
- How do I change my password?
- Can I change my screen name?
- What are those "What's the next?" questions on profiles all about?
Usage Policy and Reporting Problems
- What is the ThisNext usage policy?
- What is your spam policy?
- How do I report something on the site that concerns me?
- My email address is private, right?
Miscellaneous
General
What is ThisNext?
ThisNext is a shopcasting network where you can discover, recommend and share things you love. Everything on ThisNext is recommended by real people like you.
Jump right in and discover something new and interesting on our What's Next page, see what's being recommended now on the What's New page, add a recommendation of your own or add to your wish list.
Learn more about our philosophy and who we are on our About Us page.
What is shopcasting?
Shopcasting is a way to spread the word about things you love. "Shopcast" is a word that combines shopping and broadcasting. What podcasting did for audio is what we're doing for shopping—broadcasting taste and knowledge of great products recommended by people like you. Right now, we support several tools that help you shopcast lists and tags on your blog or website. You can shopcast on ThisNext:
- with interactive badges to place the contents of lists and tags on your blog or website
- by posting lists, tags and recommendations to your blog, website or MySpace page using BlogIt.
It's free, right?
ThisNext is and always will be free. Anyone and their momma can make a list and cruise what's on the site without paying a dime.
Discovering and Finding Products
How do recommendations and lists and people turn up on the What's Next page?
The What's Next page highlights things the ThisNext community finds interesting. A number of things make an item interesting on ThisNext—factors such as the number of recommendations, the tags used, recentness, completeness, where the click came from, and a number of other things we frequently change. Note also that What's Next changes over time as people recommend new and different products so stay tuned to What's Next for interesting products you may love!
What can I subscribe to?
You can keep tabs on the contents of tags, lists and recommendations of other members using RSS. You
can also subscribe to your wish list and the What's New page.
Any page with the 
Watch button is eligible. Use your favorite RSS reader like My Yahoo! or Bloglines to receive the feed.
Making Wish Lists
What is a wish list?
Your wish list contains things you see on ThisNext you like and want to remember for later. It can, literally, be a list of things you want to buy or it can be a place where you save things you want to remember. It's also a great idea to keep updated so your pals will know what to get you for your birthday or Christmas.
How do I add something to my wish list?
There are several ways to add an item to your wish list:
- Whenever you see something you want on ThisNext, click
the
Add to your wish list button for that item. This button is available on the item page and list page. - When surfing the web, you can add something to your wish list using the "Add to ThisNext" browser button. When the "Add Item" page appears, enable the "Add to your wish list" checkbox, fill out the form, and click "Save."
- When editing a recommendation, you can add the item to your wish list by enabling the "Add to your wish list" checkbox. The item is added to your wish list when you save the recommendation.
How do I find my wish list?
You can always get to your wish list by clicking Wish List located on the site menu always in the upper right corner of every ThisNext page..
Recommending Products
How do I recommend something?
There are several ways to recommend products you love.
- See It, Recommend It on the web — This is the best way to recommend products especially those not already recommended on ThisNext. The idea is quite simple — you're surfing and you see something really cool you want to recommend. You click the "Add to ThisNext" button on your browser bookmark bar / link bar / tool bar and a new recommendation page opens. Choose a style image that best represents the product, write a pithy review, add some tags, click "Save" and you're finished.
But wait, where did the ThisNext browser button come from? Good question. Before you start recommending from other web sites you first need to add the "Add to ThisNext" browser button to your browser bookmark bar / link bar / tool bar. To do this, go to the Recommend page and follow the instructions for your browser to get up and going.
- See It, Recommend It on ThisNext — When you see something you want to recommend on the ThisNext site, just click the
Recommend button, fill out the form as you would if you are recommending from the web, and click "Save."
- Find It, Recommend It — If you have a product's ISBN number (for books), UPC (product's bar code) or the item's url you can find it and recommend directly from the ThisNext Recommend page.
Type the identifying information and click find. Then select the matching product from the list of results. Finally fill out the product recommendation form as you would when recommending from the web and click "Save."
Note: with this feature your mileage may vary. So for best results, use the one of the first two recommendation techniques whenever you can.
How do I use my own images for an item I am recommending?
First, recommend an item from a web site using the "Add to ThisNext" browser button. Then, when filling information about your recommendation, click "Add images of this from your computer," and click "Browse" to select an image from your computer. You can repeat this process to add more images from your computer. The image(s) will upload when you save your recommendation. One caveat—be sure all images you want to upload have "Use?" set to "Yes."
Why doesn't ThisNext allow me to choose images from some sites?
Some sites display products using Flash or are implemented using frames. ThisNext doesn't currently handle capturing images in these situations. If you have an image you'd like to use, you can upload it manually using the procedure above.
How does a user get back to the web page I used for my recommendation?
When you recommend something from the web, we automatically track the url of the page you recommended from and make it
available on the item page in the 
Shop for this at list. If other users
recommend the same item from different sites or pages, links to those pages added to the Shop for this at list as well.
What does "Give kudos to the person or web site where you learned about this item" mean?
On the Recommend Item page there is an option to "give kudos to the person or web site where you learned about this item." What does this mean?
This is a blogging convention used to acknowledge the person who turned you on to something. What you type here is listed ( via Name) at the end of your review text along along with the url you provided. If the item was recommended to you by someone who doesn't have a web site, you can just give the person's name and leave the url field blank.
Also note that when linking to a blog, it is customary to use the "permalink" for the post you generated the recommendation from. It's also fine to link to the blog home page if you don't remember the permalink.
Making Lists
Why should I make a list? What should it be about?
Lists create context for product recommendations. Lists help people understand what was on your mind when you recommended a product and how you use it. Lists can be about:
- Activities: "It's All Downhill from Here" is about skiing.
- A single type of product: "Great Cheap Wine!"
- A group of products you use at once: "What Got Me Around the World"
- A bunch of things you like: "L.A. Weekend"
- Things that support a cause in which you believe: "Natural is Beautiful" from The Breast Cancer Fund
- Anything. Surprise us! A Writer's Snark Fest, Head in the Clouds, Techno and Snow, Sabor Argentino, See Jane Run
How do I make a list?
To make a list navigate to your profile using the My Stuff link located on the site menu. Then click on the Lists tab followed by Add a new list.
The most useful lists have names that describe their contents as well as descriptions for people explaining what's in them. They also have tags that relate to the content of the recommendations. Here's one from Staviean that has all the elements as well as a cool customized art bar across the top.
If you click the "Create and Add Recommendations" button, you can add items you've recommended to your new list. Or if you click "Create and View" you can add items to your list later. Keep in mind, you can always add or remove items from a list at anytime. So be creative...
How do I add items to a list?
The most important thing to realize about adding items to your lists is that you can only add items you've recommended. Once you've recommended something, either from the web or from ThisNext, you can add that item to a list from one of two places:
- The recommendation — while editing a recommendation, choose one or more lists to add the recommended item to.
- The list — while creating or editing a list, click on the "Add, Remove or Reorder Recommendations" tab. Then drag and drop recommended items into the list.
You can start making a list by first recommending something you want to put on a list. Start small. Even if you just start by putting a few things on a list—or even one thing on a list, if you plan to add to it—it's great.
Another approach is to think up a list idea, create an empty list, make a bunch of recommendations that match the theme of your list, and then add the recommendations sometime later.
Either approach works equally well, so use whatever works best for you!
Tagging Items and Lists
What are tags?
Tags are keywords people use to find the things you recommend and list. When you recommend an item and apply one or more tags, it will be much easier for people to discover your recommendation later.
Go as crazy as you want with tags. If you recommend an iPod, you might want to tag it, "iPod, Apple, mp3 players, music, design." Think about how you use something when you tag it. If you're a runner and recommend the iPod because it's lightweight and portable, you might also add the tags "running, lightweight, jogging, fitness, entertainment." If you travel a lot and want to recommend the iPod because it's a great commuting device, then you might want to add the tags, "travel, portable, commuting, transferring files."
Note: when tagging something with more one tag, separate each with a comma.
Why don't you suggest tags?
Tags aren't automatic because we all use things differently. We all use duct tape to stick stuff together, but some of us are world travelers who use it to cover blisters and repair busted gear and others are Burning Man devotees who would never bring their Art Car into the desert without a few rolls of duct tape for fixing their rig.
Who you are and what you do affects how you use your favorite stuff. We want people to understand those nuances that make your recommendations a reflection of your unique personality and lifestyle.
Shopcasting and Spreading the Word
What are interactive badges and how do they work?
You can shopcast by placing interactive badges on your blog's sidebar, web site or anywhere that supports HTML. Badges are commonly used to syndicate content from one web site to another and particularly blogs.
You can use the interactive badges to publish lists, tags, wish lists, or recommendations in many configurations and layouts. When one of your readers clicks on a badge item, she navigates to the item on ThisNext or to the vendor's web site depending on how you configured the badge.
Shopcast with interactive badges wherever you see the 
Shopcast button or check out our Shopcast page for specific instructions.
What is the BlogIt tool and how does it work?
You can also shopcast by posting lists, tags, recommendations or wish lists to your blog, MySpace profile or anywhere that supports HTML. When you blog a list, BlogIt turns the list you are viewing into a collage of clickable images and along with your comments uploads it directly to your blog as a post or generates HTML you can copy and paste anywhere you like.
When your readers view the post, they can click on any of the images to navigate to the item page on ThisNext for more information. Shopcast with BlogIt wherever you see the Shopcast button or get started on our Shopcast page.
What else is happening in the world of shopcasting?
ThisNext is devoted to making the premier platform for spreading the word about what is cool, what is a happening in the wide world of online shopping and what you want to show and tell other people. We have a number of new ideas in active development, so stay close as we rollout other exciting ways to shopcast!
Affiliate Support
Do you support affiliates?
Yes we most certainly do. ThisNext automatically links shopcasts you publish on your blog or web site with your affiliated vendors and merchants!
How do I make it work?
Don't worry it's quite easy. But there are some important steps you need to follow to bring things together.
First, you need to set things up:
- Join ThisNext.
- Add your affiliate IDs to your profile.
Then create and publish an eligible shopcast:
- Be sure you are logged into ThisNext.
- Create a shopcast using either a Shopcast badge or the BlogIt tool.
- Place the shopcast on your blog or web site.
Learn more about shopcasting here.
What clicks qualify?
In general, if you send us traffic from a shopcast (using either a badge or BlogIt) on your blog, we will use your affiliate information for the items in your shopcast.
For a specific click on a shopcast to qualify, you must have created the shopcast while logged in and the click must result in the user arriving at vendor’s site via ThisNext. There are several situations where this can happen:
- User clicks on an item in a shopcast and is immediately redirected to the vendor’s site.
- User clicks on an item in a shopcast and subsequently clicks on the Shop for this button for that item.
- User clicks anywhere in a shopcast and is directed to ThisNext. Anytime during the user’s session, the user clicks the Shop for this button on any item listed in the shopcast. Note: all items listed qualify even if some items are not displayed in the shopcast.
What affiliate networks do you support?
Right now we support the following:
Where do I enter my affiliate IDs?
Your affiliate IDs are part of your profile. To add or edit them:
- Click My Stuff from the ThisNext site menu and then click Profile.
- On your Profile page, click the My Basic Stats Edit link and then the Enter your affiliates IDs link.
Account / Profile
Help! I forgot my password or screen name?
Click Sign In on the ThisNext site menu, click "Forgot your password?" and type either your screen name or your email address. We'll send you an email with your screen name password.
How do I change my password?
Click "My Stuff" on the ThisNext site menu, click "Edit" under your screen name and type your new password. Then click Change Password.
Can I change my screen name?
Yes, email us with your existing and new screen names. If you want to operate under a new screen name, you can also create a new account.
What are those "What's the next?" questions on profiles all about?
You may have noticed a tradition online where people answer a standard set of questions about themselves in order to describe who they are and what their offline life is like.
You may have seen bloggers answer a set of "4 Things" questions where they make four-item lists about what jobs they've had, where they've lived, etc. Or you may have seen people describe what Simpsons or Buffy the Vampire Slayer character most resembles their personality.
The ThisNext "What's Next?" questions are your way of letting people know a little bit about what's going on in your head and in your real-world life. Don't take them too seriously. They're supposed to be fun.
You can answer the questions yourself on the Edit Q&A page located in your profile.
Usage Policy and Reporting Problems
What is the ThisNext usage policy?
We have only a few rules that serve one overriding principle: do no harm. ThisNext exists for the benefit of everyone and so we ask you keep this in mind when you have any questions about appropriateness. Here are some specifics:
- ThisNext is a place to recommend your favorite things to people. It is not a store though you can buy products by clicking the Shop for this button.
- ThisNext is not meant to be a satellite boutique for your online store, so please don't upload your entire inventory. However, we do want to support small businesses and artisans with smaller marketing budgets, so if you want to add a few things you sell or make, be our guest. But please note in your review that you make it or sell it. We also ask that you recommend other things you use as part of your participation.
- Users are not welcome to post items that promote hate, illegal behavior or overtly graphic or intimate imagery. We mean it: No naughty bits! If you see something on ThisNext that concerns you, please report it. We'll take a look at the item and remove it from public view if it's not acceptable.
For more details, please review our terms of use.
What is your spam policy?
The only way we like spam is on a Hawaiian musubi (for the uninitiated, moo-soo-bee is a fried slice of spam on rice pressed together to form a small block, then wrapped with a strip of seaweed and it's magnificent). We will never-in-a-million-years, not even if tempted by a hula dancer waving a salty, steaming, spamlicious musubi under our noses, share your email address.
How do I report something on the site that concerns me?
If you see something on ThisNext that seems objectionable, please report it as inappropriate. Our community members monitor our community so please take the shared responsibility of flagging material that is illegal, offends you or is clearly spam. You know it when you see it. Help us keep our site welcoming and friendly to all visitors!
Report items or recommendations as objectionable or spam by clicking either the "Report this review" or "Report this item" links usually found near the bottom of an item or recommendation.
My email address is private, right?
Of course. We ask for your email address only so we can keep in touch with you and let you know what's going on as our site develops. We will never, never, ever sell or share your email address with other parties. Even if they're madly in love with you because you put all their favorite things on a list, your email address is safe with us. If you want people to be able to get a hold of you, you are free to list your email address elsewhere online in the "About Me" field of your profile.
For more details, take a look at our privacy policy.
Miscellaneous
I have a swell idea for you guys. How can I suggest it?
Hooray for you! Email us. A real person will read your suggestion and get back to you if we have further questions.
How can I contact the ThisNext folks?
To contact us directly, use our contact form.
How do I prevent ThisNext emails from being blocked?
To not miss an exciting episode of the daily email, weekly newsletter, or other missives from the ThisNext divas of text soul (aka keep us out of your spam filter) and experience our email in full fidelity (you won't have to click "load images"), add us to your email client address book.
This is quite easy to do for most desktop and web-based clients such as Outlook, Gmail, Yahoo, and Hotmail. In general:
- Open a message from ThisNext.
- Look for an option to "add sender to contact list."
- Add the sender or to your contact list.
If this doesn't work, manually add to your contact or spam filter white list.
What browsers do you support?
We support Firefox 1.x - 2.0, Internet Explorer 6.x - 7.0 and Safari. That said, we want to hear about problems with other browsers and will fix any incompatibilities when reasonable to do so. Please let us know if you are having an issue.
Do you have an API?
Yes. If you would like to participate, take a look at the ThisNext API page.
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