How the community layer works
What this is
Next to many facts, places and numbers on Cracked Buckeye you will find four small buttons. They let anyone weigh in on what the site says, and let people with a free account add what the sourced record leaves out: a firsthand note, a document, a dated photo. Everything a reader writes is reviewed by a moderator before anyone else sees it, and it always appears apart from the sourced facts, under a heading that says "From the community."
What a vote means, and what it does not
A vote is a signal, not a correction. Tapping "Looks right" or "Doubt it" never changes a number, a name, or any other sourced fact. What it does is tell us where to look: a fact with a lot of doubt gets checked sooner. Vote counts are public right away, next to the fact they belong to. Anyone can vote, with or without an account, and you can change your vote at any time.
What happens when you flag something
A flag is a request for a person to look. Pick the reason closest to the problem: the value is wrong, it is out of date, it belongs to the wrong place, it does not match its source, it is offensive, or something else, with a short note if you like. Every flag is reviewed by a person, not resolved automatically. If we agree something needs to change, we correct the sourced record the same way any other correction is made, and it goes into the public log at Corrections with the date and what changed. If we do not find a problem, the flag is closed and the fact stands. Flag counts are public right away; what we decide about them is not always instant.
Who can add what
Voting and flagging need nothing at all. Adding a note, a photo, or a suggested edit needs a free, verified account, so a moderator knows who wrote what and can follow up with questions. Signing up asks for your name, address, email, phone and expertise or connection to the place. Your address, email and phone are never shown to other visitors; they exist so we can verify you and reach you about what you send in. See the privacy policy for the full detail on what is collected and what is ever public.
What makes a good contribution
The best contributions come from firsthand knowledge: you ran the plant, you have lived on the street for thirty years, you found the county record that settles it, you took a photo yesterday of the thing in question. Say how you know what you know. "I worked at this treatment plant from 2004 to 2019" is more useful than "I heard this is wrong." A link to a document, a news article, or a public record helps a moderator move faster, even when it is not required for a firsthand note.
House rules
- Be accurate. Say what you know, not what you assume.
- Cite what you can. A source makes review faster and the result more trustworthy.
- No personal attacks, on anyone.
- No private information about other people: no addresses, phone numbers, or other details that are not already public.
- No advertising of any kind.
- No photos you do not have the right to share. Take your own, or have clear permission from whoever did.
Content that breaks these rules is rejected, and an account that breaks them repeatedly can be banned. See the terms of use for the full rules.
What moderators do
A moderator reads every note, photo and suggested edit before it appears anywhere on the site, and checks it against the house rules and, where one is given, the source. Approved contributions appear under "From the community" with your public name, expertise and city, clearly separate from the sourced facts above them. Rejected ones do not appear at all, and you get an email saying why. We do not promise a review time; most contributions are looked at within a few days.
Fixing or removing your own contribution
Sign in and open My contributions to see everything you have sent in and its status: pending, approved, rejected or withdrawn. You can withdraw anything of yours at any time, approved or not. To fix something you already sent, withdraw it and send a corrected version; a moderator reviews the new one the same way as the first.
Report a problem
If you see a contribution that breaks the house rules, a photo that should not be there, or anything else wrong with the community layer itself, email hello@crackedbuckeye.com with a link to the page. A person reads every message.