GENERAL
Q: What is Swarm?A: Swarm is an online polling network enabling users to create polls, vote on polls, share polls with friends, and post polls on websites, blogs, and social network sites like MySpace and Facebook. Creating, sharing and voting on polls is a fun way to express yourself, engage with others and make your voice heard.
Q: What is a Poll?
A: A poll is a single opinion question with no right or wrong answer. Polls can be used to measure how the world is thinking on a wide range of topics - from sports, movies and politics to relationships and philosophy.
Q: Why is Swarm called a "Network"?
A: Swarm is a thriving "people network" - poll creators and respondents interacting to create and share opinion polls with their friends and with the world. It is this people network, this Swarm community, which brings the Swarm polling system to life and makes Swarm polls fun and engaging. Swarm is also a "distribution network". Polls created on the Swarm platform are distributed across a broad network of web locations, including the main Swarm site, many social network sites, blogs, emails, RSS feeds, widgets, and even in online advertising.
Q: What makes Swarm, The Polling Network better than other online polling solutions?
A: Other online polling services just provide software to help you create and post a poll. But Swarm does much more than that. In addition to helping you create a poll about any topic you want, Swarm proactively distributes your poll across the web in order to generate VOTES for your poll. After all, what is the point in creating a great-looking poll if you don't share it with a lot of people and get them to vote on it? The Swarm system is constantly hard at work, distributing your poll throughout the Swarm Network, using a combination of email, widgets, RSS feeds, social network interaction, and online advertising. Our goal is to get every Swarm poll voted upon by as many people as possible.
Q: How can I find polls on topics I'm interested in?
A: The Swarm interface is designed to be fun and engaging. On our homepage, you'll find some of the best polls currently active in the system - polls that other users have rated as particularly interesting or entertaining. When you find a poll you like, click on the Explore Similar Polls button to see more polls like that one, either related by subject matter or polls in the same poll Category. Another way to find polls on topics that interest you is to Search our poll database using our integrated Search functionality. You can search by keyword, by Category, or by poll creator.
REGISTRATION AND LOGIN
Q: Do I need to register to use the site?A: No. Anyone can vote and share polls without registering with Swarm. This allows new users to jump right in and make their voices heard. Some activities do require registration, including creating polls and posting comments.
Q: Do I have to register to create a poll?
A: Yes. Registration is required in order to create a poll or comment upon a poll.
Q: How do I register?
A: To sign up for Swarm, The Polling Network simply click on "Register" in the upper right hand corner of any screen. You will be asked to create a username and password and provide some basic information about yourself, including a valid email address. After you sign up, you will be sent a confirmation email in order to finalize your registration.
Q: I've forgotten my password, what can I do?
A: From the Login screen, click on "Forgot your password?". You will be asked to provide your email address and both your password and user name will be sent to your email.
POLL CREATION
Q: How do I create a poll?A: To create your own poll, click the "Create Poll" option at the top of any Swarm page. From there, simply follow the instructions.
Q: Is there a limit to the number of polls I can create?
A: Definitely not. There is no limit and we actively encourage you to create and vote upon as many polls as you want.
Q: Can I add an image to a poll?
A: Yes. When you create a poll, you can add an image to the poll question and you can add an image to each of the poll answers. To add an image, just click on the camera icon to the right of the question or answer entry field. You can either upload an image from your computer or easily select an image from Google images using our built-in image selection tool.
Q: Can I add video or music to a poll?
A: Not at this time. We plan to add support for video and music files in a future release of the Swarm service.
Q: Is there a limit to the number of answers for each poll?
A: Yes. A poll can have up to 8 standard answers, plus one additional "last answer" like "None of the Above". So, the most answers a poll can have is 9.
Q: Can users select more than one answer to a poll question?
A: Not at this time. We plan to add support for multiple selection polls in a future release of the Swarm service.
Q: How long will a poll collect votes?
A: Polls remain active and open for voting for a period of 30 days from the date they are created. After this 30-day period, the poll automatically closes and no new votes can be cast on that poll. However, a closed poll remains in the Swarm system, and it can still be accessed by all users, so they can review the results of the poll long after it has closed.
Q: Can I change how long a poll collects votes?
A: Not at this time. We plan to enable poll creators to configure poll durations in a future release of the Swarm service. However, using our poll management tools, you can close or delete a poll prior to the expiration of the standard 30-day period if you wish to do so.
Q: What kind of content is allowed on Swarm?
A: Swarm welcomes users to create polls, express their opinion and share their thoughts about any topic in the world that interests them. We ask users to be responsible for their actions and the content they place on the site. And we require content posted on the Swarm Network to adhere to our basic Terms of Use. Also, please remember that this is a community site, and other Swarm users will be providing feedback on the polls you create, including potentially identifying polls as inappropriate or offensive. When a poll is flagged as offensive by other users, it will be subject to deletion by the site moderators.
Q: What is the difference between a "Public poll" and a "Private poll"?
A: A Public poll appears on the main Swarm website and throughout the Swarm Network. Any user in the Network can see and vote upon a Public poll. A Private poll has almost all of the same features of a Public poll, but it will not appear throughout the Swarm Network. It will only appear in those locations that you designate.
Both types of polls, Public and Private can be emailed to friends. And both types of polls, Public and Private, can be placed on any social network site, blog or personal webpage that you designate.
We recommend that you make your poll a Private poll when the subject matter of your poll wouldn't make sense to the general public or when you only wish the poll to be seen by a specific group of people.
Q: Will poll answers appear in random order?
A: Yes. By default, poll answers appear in random order, to ensure that voters will not be biased towards a particular response. However, if you'd like to have your poll answers appear in the order that you have entered them, you can select this option on the poll creation page.
Q: What is the "Last Answer" field for?
A: Sometimes you might want to add a final answer to your poll, like "All of the Above", "None of the Above", or "Other". The Last Answer field is there to allow you to add one of these types of answers to your poll. When you add a Last Answer, it will always appear below all other responses, whether or not the other poll responses are in random order.
Q: Do I have to choose a Category for my poll?
A: No. Selecting a Category for your poll is an optional part of the poll creation process. However, we strongly encourage you to choose a Category for your poll, because that will make it easier for other users to find your poll and vote on it.
POLL DISPLAY
Q: Some polls only display results and cannot be voted on, why?A: If you are unable to vote upon a poll, it may be because you have already voted on it. Or it may be because that poll has closed. Polls remain open for 30 days from the date they are created. Once a poll has closed, you will still be able to see the results of that poll, but no new votes can be cast on that poll.
Q: There is a link next to the Vote button that says "I Can't Respond" - what is that for?
A: The "I Can't Respond" button is an important part of the Swarm service. It is designed to allow the Swarm community to provide feedback on polls. When you see a poll that you can't answer, click on the "I can't respond" and tell us why. Sometimes, a poll will be confusing, sometimes it will be about a topic you're not familiar with, and unfortunately, sometimes you might find a poll inappropriate. Under any of these circumstances, let the Swarm system know by clicking on the "I can't respond" button. This feedback mechanism will then be used to help rank polls and distribute polls appropriately throughout the network.
Q: Can I view poll results in detail?
A: Yes. After you have voted on a poll, you will see a link that says "Detailed Results". Clicking on this link will bring you to the Detailed Results page, where you can see detailed demographic results for that poll, including seeing poll results by gender, age and geographic location.
Q: The demographic displays are really cool. But why is the vote total on some of the demographic displays smaller than the vote total for the whole poll?
A: The Swarm system can only display demographic results to the extent we have demographic information on the people who voted. Swarm aggregates demographic information for many voters within the Swarm network, but doesn't have demographic information on everyone. Therefore, the vote totals on these demographic displays will sometimes be smaller than the vote totals for the poll overall.
Q: Can I tell who has voted on a poll?
A: No. We do not currently provide the ability to determine which users have voted on a particular poll. We may add this functionality at a later date.
Q: Can I see how a particular person has voted on my poll?
A: No. Votes cast on Swarm polls are held in confidence by Swarm pursuant to our Privacy Policy. In particular, personally identifiable information about how a particular voter voted is not disclosed to other users, not even to the poll creator.
Q: What do I do if I feel a Swarm poll is offensive?
A: If you find any poll on the Swarm Network offensive, you can flag it as offensive, and it will be reviewed by our site moderators. If a sufficient number of Swarm users find that poll offensive, or if it violates our Terms of Use, it will be removed from the system.
POLL MANAGEMENT
Q: Can I view a list of the polls I have created?A: Yes. To review the polls you have created, click on the "My Polls" option at the top of any Swarm page. From the My Polls page, you will be able to review all the polls you have created, both Public and Private. You will also be able to review all the polls you have voted on.
Q: Can I delete a poll I have created?
A: Yes. To delete a poll, navigate to the My Polls page, and click upon the Delete icon to the right of the poll you wish to delete. Once you delete a poll, it will no longer be accessible to you or any other user of the Swarm Network.
Q: Can I close a poll early?
A: Yes. By default, a poll will be open for voting for 30 days from the day it is created. However, if you wish, you can close a poll early and stop further voting on it. To do so, navigate to the My Polls page, and click on the Close icon to the right of the poll you wish to close. When you close a poll, it remains in the Swarm system, and the results of the poll can still be viewed by users, but no further votes can be cast upon the poll. Once a poll has been closed, it cannot be reopened.
SHARING AND WIDGETS
Q: Can I share polls with my friends by email?A: Yes. Simply click on any of the links on the site that say "Share". This will bring you to the Swarm sharing page. On the sharing page, enter the email addresses of the friends to whom you wish to send the poll. If you wish, you can enter multiple email addresses at once. The Swarm system will send an email from you to the friends you designate and even include an optional message from you if you'd like.
Q: Can I share links to polls via Digg or Del.icio.us?
A: Yes. If you are a registered user of Digg, Del.icio.us, StumbleUpon or any other social bookmarking service, it is very easy to share links to Swarm polls. Simply click on any of the numerous links on the site that say "Share". This will bring you to the Swarm sharing page. On the sharing page, click on the designated button to share via a Bookmarking Service and then follow the instructions from there.
Q: Can I add a Swarm poll to my MySpace or Facebook page, or to my blog?
A. Yes. You can post a "widget" of a Swarm poll on any website that you control, including your MySpace page, Facebook profile, iGoogle or blog.
Q: What are widgets?
A: A widget is a small, portable version of a Swarm poll that you can place on another website, like your blog, personal homepage or social network page. A widget is fully interactive - it allows users to see polls, vote on polls, and see poll results, all without ever leaving your site. By using Swarm widgets, you can entertain your friends and other site visitors with interesting, fresh poll content.
Q: Is there more than one type of Swarm widget?
A: Yes. Swarm, The Polling Network offers two types of widgets.
The first type of widget allows you to place a widget of a particular poll on your website. This is great if you want to poll your visitors on a particular issue or to track voting results on a particular poll over time.
The second type of widget is called a Constant Buzz! widget. A Constant Buzz! widget is a widget that provides an ongoing stream of entertaining polls from the Swarm Network. After voting on a poll in a Constant Budget! widget, you or your site visitors will see the poll results and then can advance to the next poll in the stream. The stream is constantly being refreshed with top new polls from the Swarm Network - so these widgets will always display fresh content. There are several Constant Buzz! widgets to choose from, focusing on different poll categories.
Q: How do I get a poll widget?
A: Simply click on any of the numerous links on the site that say "Widget". This will bring you to the Swarm widget page. On the widget page, select the type of widget you want, and then select the destination for your widget, using the built-in widget distribution tool. With just a few simple clicks, you'll have a new widget on your site.
Q: Can I customize the size and layout of a Swarm widget?
A: Not at this time. Currently, we offer widgets in only one format. We plan to add support for customized versions of poll widgets in a future release of the Swarm service.
ACCOUNT MANAGEMENT
Q: How do I change my email address and password?A: While logged in, click on the "My Account" link on the upper right hand corner of any Swarm page. From there, simply follow the instructions.
Q: How can I edit my personal information?
A: While logged in, click on the "My Account" link on the upper right hand corner of any Swarm page. From there, simply follow the instructions.
Q: Can I control how frequently I receive emails from Swarm, The Polling Network?
A: Yes. By default, after you create a poll, the Swarm system will send you a daily email providing a status update on how your poll is performing. This is a great way to continually monitor the results of your poll as they come in. You can also use these email notifications to keep track of other users' polls, if you have designated them as Favorites. If you would like to change the frequency with which these emails are sent to you, you can do so by clicking on the "My Account" link on the upper right hand corner of any Swarm page, and changing the appropriate setting.
Q: How can I delete my account?
A: If you wish to close your account with Swarm, please send an email to customerservice@swarmpolls.com with a request to close your account. Please understand that, unless you manually delete them, any polls that you have previously created on the Swarm Network will remain in the system even after your account is closed.
CONTACT
Q: How can I contact Swarm, The Polling Network?A: For technical support, customer service or any other questions regarding your account or the Swarm Network, please send us an email at customerservice@swarmpolls.com.