Frequently Asked Questions
From MixxHelp
What is Mixx all about?
At Mixx, all of the content is user-generated, which means that we don't have an editor who decides what you should find interesting. We figure that you can find that same-old same-old pretty much anywhere else. So instead, we make it easy for you to submit stories, photos, videos—whatever you find interesting, informative, different or fun. You can also see—and vote on—the stuff that other Mixxers submit.
Do I have to register to use Mixx?
No. You can browse through any of the posted content, but by registering, you can also vote and comment on any of the content you see. You can set up YourMixx page, which will deliver content customized to your interests—including text, photos and videos. You can even set up groups. Registering only takes a few seconds. It might not change the world, but it will change the way you see the web.
How private is my private group?
It's as private as you want it to be, as long as other members of Your Group can keep it quiet. Whatever you post to a private group stays in that private group. Please note that if, when posting, you also select any of the categories or add tags, this will also submit to the public arena. So, if it's something that you want to share with your group members as well as the rest of the Mixx community, go ahead and select whatever other categories you think are appropriate.
Why should I choose Mixx over another socially driven site?
We admit that we're partial to Mixx, but we think that you'll find that it's easier to set up, easier to use and easier to manage. The content is all generated by members of the Mixx community, and can be sorted by how popular the stories are, how recently they were posted, and by which submission has the most comments.
How do I change my profile?
When you log in, go the top right corner and click on "Your account." This will take you to the Public Profile page where you can change the information that other Mixxers see (your geographic location, and any other information that you want to share) and upload or change an avatar. You can also change your password, email address and ZIP code.
Can other Mixx users see my real name or email address?
No. All of that information is hidden from public view. People will only know you by your user name.
Can I have more than one personal page?
No. But if this is something you think we should add, use the Feedback link and let us know.
How do I move stuff around on my personal page?
From YourMixx page, go to the upper right side, just under the red bar. You'll see a small button labeled "Edit your page." Click that. It will take you to an outline of YourMixx page. The content that you currently have on YourMixx will be shown as boxes with just a title and a little "x." To re-order your page, choose any content box and drag it anywhere on the page. If you don't want it anymore, just click the little "x" and we'll unMixx it for you.
Do I have to tag stuff I want to submit?
No, tags are not required, but they do offer some benefits that make it worth the effort. First, it just makes it easier for people to get a better idea of what the content is about. Some stories explain themselves pretty well in the title and description, but sometimes it needs a bit of help. Second, tags are a great way to browse the site. If your content has tags, it'll be easier for people to find the content that you submit. Third (and last, we promise), content that is tagged will show up higher in the search results, another way to make sure that people find the good stuff.
Why can't I submit content to the "Popular" category?
Everything you submit—whether it's text, videos or photos—goes to the "Popular" category by default, so you don't need to specify it explicitly. The popular stories are pulled from all categories and tags on Mixx.com. The only time that content isn't submitted to "Popular" is when you submit it only to a group.
Mixx won't accept my link. What's the deal?
There are a couple reasons why your link may not be making it through the first step of the submission process:
- First, we have a 3rd party who provides content filtering for us. So it's possible that the filter may have caught it.
- Second, it could be a server to server issue. When someone submits an URL to us, our servers go out and requests information from the server the URL is hosted on. If that server responds weirdly, then our server sort of throws up its hands and says, "Sorry, can't submit."
Either way, please pass the URL on to us. We'll be happy to take a look, figure out how it's coded and see why our server's not accepting it. This way, over time, we can increase the number of URLs our system can accept.
What information can people see about me?
Only what you list in your personal profile when you register. You can always go back to Your Account and update your information. Add whatever you like, or delete everything but your user name.
What do I put in the About Me box?
Whatever you'd like other members of the Mixx community to know about you. Are you a political junkie? A cat lover? Into knitting or skiing? The middle child? The middle child of eight? This is your opportunity to share as much or as little as you like. Whatever you enter here will be visible when another Mixxer clicks on your user name or avatar. If they like what they see, they can easily add you as a contact.
Why can't I change my Mixx ID?
Your user name is linked to several things in our system, including YourMixx. Other Mixxers who—quite naturally—want to see everything you submit, are going to be dazed and confused if your name suddenly changes. And what if someone else takes your old user name? And starts submitting stuff you would never have thought share-worthy? So go ahead and choose a good name, and then don't mess with a good thing!
How can I block someone?
Go to YourMixx and click on Your Contacts. Then click to view all of Your Followers, which will be listed at the top of the page. Below the Followers user name you'll see a small Block button. Click on this to block this follower. Specifically, the action will block you from seeing any of the user's comments throughout the site as well as block their ability to share submissions with you. You'll get a message asking if you really want to block this user. This is not to try to change your mind, just to give you a chance to make sure you clicked the right button.
How do I add someone as a MixxFriend?
There are a couple of ways to do this. When you see a story or video or photo that you really like, click on the name of the person who submitted it. This will take you to their profile page. On the right side of the page, you'll see "Follow Bob," assuming his name is Bob, of course. They will now appear on YourMixx as a MixxFriend. Easy!
What is a Super Mixxer?
A Super Mixxer is a user on Mixx, who, through a combination of Karma points, high quality, diverse submissions and comments, and being a model Mixxer for at least 30 days, has access to special feature enhancements.
What can a Super Mixxer do?
As of right now, on every page, Super Mixxers will have the option to link a piece of content with any other previously Mixxed story, photo or video with our Related Items feature. Super Mixxers also have the ability to flag content submitted by themselves and others as Breaking News. On top of that, Super Mixxer endorsed sites are marked on Mixx and are guaranteed to be quality content. As we roll out more cool toys, Super Mixxers will gain more privileges.
How can I become a Super Mixxer?
Get those karma points up by submitting and commenting, and all the other ways you have to earn karma and participate positively in the community. Spamming, trolling or otherwise being a mean Mixxer will set you back in your quest for super power.
How do I know when I become a Super Mixxer?
A special Super Mixxer badge will appear on your profile. It's kind of the best badge in the whole world. Just FYI.
Can a Super Mixxer lose their powers?
These are powers that can only be used for good. And with that power comes great responsibility. If any Super Mixxer decides to act like a child (not you specifically, of course) and abuse any features, we'll be forced to take away their toys and send them to their room.
What is Considered "Breaking News" on Mixx?
SuperMixxers have the ability to mark stories as "Breaking News" on Mixx. When a story is marked breaking by multiple SuperMixxers, it will be displayed in the Breaking News category (link). The definition of what is breaking is a bit subjective, but knowing that breaking news can happen in any category, here are some guidelines:
- Does the story have an appeal outside of one narrow demographic? For instance, a tree falling on the house in Lawton, OK is interesting, but probably not "breaking." If that tree is in Washington, DC and happens to be the White House, well, then that would be breaking.
- Is the story from a credible source? If a random blog about cheeseburgers suddenly has news that Britney Spears has won the Nobel Peace Prize... Probably not something you want to tag breaking. NBC announces that? Well, first, buy a ski chalet in hell cause it hath frozen over, but then, submit it and mark it breaking.
- Would this story cause an interruption in your Mom's General Hospital watching to announce? That's probably breaking news, even if it makes your Mom mad.
- Would a major news site, like NYTimes.com, USAToday.com, LATimes.com, put one of those red "Breaking News" boxes on their homepage with this story in it? Definitely breaking.
In other words, use your best judgement as a SuperMixxer!
What are partner recommendations?
For select partners, Mixx tracks recommendations from readers of that website for content on that website. The count you see here does not influence the vote total on Mixx, nor does it impact whether it reaches popular status. It just lets you know how many people over on the partner site thought this worth a look.
Who decides if content is removed?
The Mixxologists make that call. We're the people behind the site, and we make the decision based on whether the content violates our Terms of Use, which all users agree to when they register. Think we made a mistake? Use the Feedback link to let us know.
Can removed content be resubmitted?
No. Once we decide that something is inappropriate for Mixx, we do not allow that exact URL to be resubmitted. This will not prevent other content from the same site to be submitted, however.
Can my account be terminated?
If you've been bad, yes, we can and will block your account. We'll only do it for repeated violations of the Terms of Use, not for a first offense, because we know very well that everyone make the occasional mistake.
If my account is terminated, can I ever Mixx again?
Are you offering us a bribe? Sadly, we can't accept. Our policy is pretty explicit: We're not going to welcome people who are trying to subvert the system, spam other users, submit illegal content, or just make it an unpleasant experience for other Mixxers. If you think you've been banned unfairly, please send us an email at feedback@mixx.com and we'll check it out.
So what are Mixx Communities and why do I want one?
Mixx Communities give users—whether individuals, companies or organizations—a set of tools to create a broader, more robust social media niche. And because social media is all about activism, empowerment and the connection between publishers and users, Mixx Communities offer the perfect way to create and energize your group or cause. For a list of the benefits, check out the MixxBlog post on Communities.
How do I create my own Community?
Just go to http://www.mixx.com/groups/create_your_niche and follow our easy step-by-step process. If you have questions along the way, e-mail us at feedback@mixx.com or send site mail to user name "feedback" and we'll see what we can do to help you out.
My Community name was rejected. What's up with that?
First, make sure that your Community name begins with a letter. While they can contain numbers and an underscore (_), Community names MUST begin with a letter. If this doesn't fix it, please contact us at feedback@mixx.com.
Why can't I upload my avatar?
In this case, size does matter so make sure that your avatar is at least 96x96. If it is and you're still having trouble, please email us at feedback@mixx.com and we'll look into it. Any information you can include about your operating system and preferred browser would be helpful.
I was adding sub-categories to my Community navigation and I accidentally clicked the "Add Sub-Category" button an extra time. How do I get rid of that extra sub-category?
Ever hear the phrase "Just ignore it and hope it goes away?" Well, if you leave a sub-category box empty, it won't populate into your Community navigation, so it will be like it never happened!
What if I don't have a logo for my Community?
Not to worry—your Community name will appear instead. If you want to add a logo later, you can always go back to the "Edit Community Settings" section of the Community Management page and upload it.
So what's this AdSense Revenue Share all about?
You ready for this? You can make money from your Mixx Community! Google AdSense makes it easy for people with websites—or Mixx Communities!—to place relevant ads on their web pages and to make money from those ads. The revenue share with Mixx is 50/50. For more information on the Google AdSense program, check out http://www.google.com/adsense/support/
Why is my Community "hidden" and what does that mean?
All Communities start out hidden and stay that way until you activate them. Only then will a Community become available/visible for Mixxers to join. Of course, you can choose to have a private Community, where only Community members can see the content, or a public Community, where anyone can participate. You can select—and change—these options in the "Community Settings" area of the Administrator page.
How do I delete a Mixx community?
While we certainly hope you'll never want to, the Community administrator would have to contact us by email at Feedback@mixx.com or by sending site mail to Mixx username "feedback" to request that a Community be deleted or to step down as admin.
How do I get the word out about my Community?
Invite your Mixx Friends and Followers online. Tell your real-life friends. Do the same sorts of things that you would do to promote a story on Mixx. From time-to-time, we'll also choose Communities to feature on the site, so if you think it deserves a big shout-out, submit your Community for consideration!
How do I edit my Community notification settings?
In the top right corner of your screen, click on "Your account" and then click the "Notifications" tab. Scroll down until you see the notification options for "Communities." You'll also be able to edit Group notifications on this page.
Is any reporting available so we can see stats on AdSense displayed within our communities? If so, is that displayed on Mixx or with AdSense management console?
Yes. It is displayed within the Adsense management console.
When sharing 50% of revenue, that does not affect AdSense shown on my own properties, right? Just within Mix Communities, correct?
Yes, JUST within the Mixx Communities.
What is Creative Commons?
Creative Commons provides free tools that let authors, scientists, artists, and educators easily mark their creative work with the freedoms they want it to carry.. Their mission is to create options for copyrights that exist between total anarchy and total control. Mixx is leveraging their "Public Domain" license. Which says, in a nutshell, that everything you submit or create on mixx (comments, profiles, etc) belongs to the public domain of the country from which the work is published. Read more about it on the Creative Commons website: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/publicdomain/
