FAQs

Sign Up & Input

How do I sign up?

Sign up to the site by clicking on the 'Sign In' button and selecting ‘Register’
Choose a username and a password
Provide your email address, your name, and postal code
You will receive an email to confirm your email address
Return to the main page and click the 'Sign In' button

Note: your comments will appear under your username and you can comment anonymously through a username of your choice.

How do I provide input?

Your input can be submitted using the online options that are relevant to each of the projects that are currently open for consultation.

Note: in order to provide input you need to be signed in.

Why is the City of Nanaimo using an online public engagement platform?

Public engagement usually involves attending an open house, public meeting or providing a letter to Council. Using an online public engagement platform is an effort made by the City of Nanaimo to reach more residents and to give residents an opportunity to provide input on projects and to bring ideas forward.

It is a great way to keep up-to-date and provide input.
View comments and input that other residents are providing and respond with your own views.
An opportunity to participate without having to attend a public engagement session.
It is a platform that is moderated by Bang the Table to ensure Get Involved Nanaimo will be a safe environment that fosters respectful dialogue among all participants.
Great tool for residents to engage with the City who don’t use or feel comfortable sharing their feedback on social media or at in-person public engagement meetings.

Why do I need to sign up to this site to provide input?

We ask you to sign up for the online platform because

It helps to minimize the chance of the consultation being manipulated by someone who leaves many comments in support of a position.
It allows us to update residents if there are changes about the consultation or the project.

Feedback & Privacy

What happens to my feedback?

Feedback is provided to the project manager to inform the development of projects, programs, plans or strategies. Online feedback is usually used in conjunction with in-person engagement methods such as open houses, public meetings, pop-up events, workshops and other similar activities.

Depending on the project, program, plan or strategy, you feedback may be compiled into a report and presented to Council. All feedback during the engagement process will be considered; however, this does not mean that every suggestion can be adopted as proposed.

Note: All comments you make through Get Involved Nanaimo become public records.

Is my privacy protected?

Your privacy is protected and the City will only use your email address to contact you with updates and to invite you to participate in consultations. Your email address will not be distributed to any third party or used for any other purpose.

For more information, see our Privacy Policy.

Can I use this site anonymously?

Yes, you can use this website anonymously. Even when you register and post comments, your anonymity is protected because you are identified by your chosen screen name.

Who can I contact about Get Involved Nanaimo?

Get Involved Nanaimo is coordinated by the City of Nanaimo’s communications department.

If you have any questions please contact communications@nanaimo.ca.

If you have any project-specific questions, please contact the project manager. Look for contact details under ‘Who’s listening’ on the project page.

Bang the Table's Moderation Policy

This site (Get Involved Nanaimo) is subject to the following moderation rules as per Bang the Table's moderation policy and etiquette guidelines:

Never post personal information about another participant. This Includes identifying any individual by their real name if they have not already done so, or providing personal contact information.
Never identify a staff member of the consulting organisation by name.
Don't defame anyone or any organisation. A comment is defamatory if it lowers or harms the reputation of a person or organisation. If you wish to insult anyone, this is not the place to do it. If you wish to accuse anyone of wrongdoing or incompetence, this is not the place to do it.
Don't post anything that could be considered intolerant of a person's race, culture, appearance, gender, sexual preference, religion or age.
Don't be obscene and don't use foul language. Lots of people from different backgrounds participate on this website. We want them to be able to continue to do so from home, work, school, university or wherever they may be. Disguising swear words by deliberately misspelling them doesn't make them any less offensive.
Don't personally insult or harass other participants. Always focus on the logic of the argument rather than the individuals involved in the argument. Participants are entitled to choose not to enter into debate with you.
Don't post or link to any inappropriate, offensive or illegal material. Don't post any advertisements.
Don’t promote self-harm, suicide, violence or criminal activity of any kind.
The use of emoji’s or images to convey inappropriate meaning consistent with the rules outlined above will also be moderated.
Please don't raise concerns about the moderation on the site as it disrupts the flow of any discussion. Please direct any queries regarding moderation directly to moderation team at support@engagementhq.com(External link).

Bang the Table's Etiquette Guidelines

It's a good idea to read through the information on the site and the other participant's comments before getting involved in the discussion yourself.
Always respect the views of other participants even if they don't agree with you.
Be constructive. It's okay to disagree with other forum participants, in fact we encourage debate, just keep the dialogue positive.
Always keep things civil. We recognize that this can be difficult sometimes, especially when you are passionate about an issue, but it is important to keep the discussion focused on the issues rather than letting it deteriorate into personal insults.
Once you've left your comment keep an eye on the project to see what other people have to say.
If you feel that someone has insulted you, report their comment to the moderator by clicking the “Alert Moderator” button. Don't perpetuate the dispute. The moderator will take a look at the offending comment and decide whether it should be removed.
Stay on topic. The projects on this website have been created for a specific purpose. Please stay within the boundaries of the subject matter.
Turn off the "CAPS LOCK". Writing in ALL CAPS is the equivalent of SHOUTING and can cause offence.
Choose one place to post each of your unique comments. Don't cut and paste the same comment into lots of different places on the website. These will be considered duplicates and may be removed.
Don't be a "troll". Trolls intentionally incite annoyance or offense. They do not participate constructively in the discussion and do not add any value to the debate.
Don't bully, harass or threaten other participants. If another participant proffers an opinion that you don't agree with, you have no right to demand that they support their position with a detailed argument. They do not have to respond to your questions. It is up to each individual to participate as much or as little as they wish.
Please respect the moderators. Their job is to keep the forum safe and constructive so that everybody gets to have their fair say. It is not always an easy job.

The City of Nanaimo encourages all participants to read Bang the Table's moderation policy and etiquette guidelines for additional information.

How Bang the Table Moderates their Platforms

How is the site moderated?

All discussion forums, guest books and questions and answers are moderated 24 hours a day 7 days a week for inappropriate language, comments that disrespect other participants and for comments that are off topic. Moderators will guide off topic discussions back on track.

All moderation is carried out by Bang the Table for the City of Nanaimo. Moderators do not edit or alter any comments and will only remove comments deemed to be off topic, offensive or malicious, in which case they are removed from the site immediately and the person who posted the comment is advised by email. Please refer to Bang the Table's moderation policy and etiquette guidelines.

What happens if my comment is removed?

If you post something to Get Involved Nanaimo which gets moderated (removed), you will receive a notification via email informing you of the decision. You will be informed as to which of the moderation rules you are in breach of and asked to review and resubmit your contribution.

What if I disagree with a moderation decision?

If you disagree with a moderation decision you are able to get in touch with support by contacting support@engagementhq.com (External link). While the final moderation decision lies with Bang the Table's moderators, you may indicate to Bang the Table why you think your contribution should be accepted. In some instances you will be referred to the owner of the website (City of Nanaimo) for a final decision.

Can a website owner remove my comment just because they don’t like it?

All comments moderated by Bang the Table's moderators are done so in accordance with the moderation rules outlined in the moderation policy and etiquette guidelines. The owner of this website (City of Nanaimo) however, reserves the right to request a contribution be moderated if they feel it is in breach of these moderation rules. In this instance, you will receive a notification via email.

Can I report a comment for moderation and will I be anonymous?

If you feel a comment or contribution to Get Involved Nanaimo is in breach of the moderation rules outlined in the moderation policy and etiquette guidelines page, you are within your right to alert Bang the Table's moderators. Simply locate the “alert moderator” link near the comment you believe needs to be escalated to Bang the Table's moderation team. Alerting a moderator will not reveal your identity to the person who posted the comment and you will remain anonymous.

How will I know if I have been blocked from the site?

If you are repeatedly in breach of Bang the Table's moderation rules you may incur sanctions as outlined in the moderation policy and etiquette guidelines. In the instance that you are blocked from the site, you will receive an email notification informing you of your sanctions and the conditions of those sanctions.