User Manual

First draft: March 17, 2023
Last update: October 14, 2024

At least, know that…

All issues presented on this platform may continue to evolve, and posts may be updated as necessary. Therefore, the current content of a page may slightly or significantly be different from what you had seen in your previous visit. The date of the last update will be indicated at the top of the page (except for minor corrections or revisions).

If you observe any progress on an issue or that it has been resolved, please notify us via the Contact form or the Comments section below the post—we get notified either way. Please also include how we can confirm this information. We’ll then label the post as “Resolved & Archived”.

Now, you can explore how F&A functions and how you can get the most out of it:

From the perspective of an F&A writer:

• When a new idea comes up…
• Write it up and post it as a draft on the platform (labeled as “Draft”).
• Ask the team of initial evaluators to check and review the draft.
• Ask the team of advisors to fact-check and support the content as necessary.
• Revise the post based on their input.
• Now it’s ready for the general audience.
• Share it via email, WhatsApp, social media, and even SMS.
• Spread it to as many individuals and entities as your time allows.
• Allow time for “fermentation”.
• Anticipate readers' comments and suggestions.
• Update the post as new insights come up.
• Watch for potential change! 🙂

From the perspective of a reader:

We see our valued readers as “participants”. Please visit the Join us! page to find out how you can contribute to the process.

• It's more than just feedback, reviews, or suggestions—it’s a blend of all these where applicable.
• In addition to presenting a problem, we strive to provide robust solutions and original ideas whenever possible.
• Instead of writing to every stakeholder individually, simply sharing a link with a brief note is easier and faster. 😉
• Some posts may include a “call for action” statement for the parties involved.
• Readers are deemed “participants” as they can contribute through comments, discussions, and advocacy.
• Participants are invited to send us their suggestions and requests for new issues to be addressed.
• We strive to write and present each post in a professional manner in its respective field, and as clearly as possible.
• Any criticism in posts and comments should be constructive. We are not opposers or competitors of any entity. Our aim is to support one another toward the goal of common peace.
• Offensive language should be avoided. A polite tone of delivery should be preferred.
• Brand names are only mentioned when necessary for action and resolution.
• Modern methods like marketing funnels, hooks, and landing pages may be used to enhance outreach.
• We engage in networking and outreach efforts to connect with diverse stakeholders and communities, fostering collaboration and amplifying the impact of our shared initiatives.

The F&A platform offers the following features to facilitate the process.

• Reader comments on every page, allowing everyone to contribute to an idea
• Search functionality, to easily find relevant content
• Labels for categories
• Filtering options, such as for “Outstanding” posts
• Questionnaires and petition forms as needed
• Resolved issues are labeled as "Resolved & Archived".

• Problem definition
• Description of needs
• Suggestion or proposal for resolution
• Why it qualifies for F&A, where necessary
• Recommended actions
• What participants (readers) can do
• What stakeholders (parties involved) can do
• List of targeted parties—a list of relevant stakeholders to whom participants can help deliver the suggestions

Thanks to Lazur for the illustration

Most posts on this platform can also be considered “articles” because they address a specific problem each, discuss technical aspects when necessary, and often propose a solution.

We apply a set of criteria to determine whether a topic qualifies for inclusion on F&A, and a post (or "article") must meet these criteria to align with the platform’s mission and objectives.

An issue must possess at least one of the following attributes to qualify as “publishable” in a post on F&A:

• When help pages and traditional customer support channels are ineffective, and the issue remains unresolved.
• When feedback evolves into a "mini report", involving multiple problems or aspects of a product or service.
• When the issue spans multiple departments or hierarchical levels, or multiple corporations, complicating the resolution process.
• When a suggestion relates to a specific organization or service but has the potential to improve an entire sector, when considered by counterpart organizations.
• When a practice could benefit many service providers and be adopted as a standard across the industry.
• When the complexity of an observation exceeds the limits of typical rating pages and review platforms.
• When a suggestion could foster a discussion among users and experts, potentially leading to new features or services.
• When an issue hasn’t been raised by other platforms or organizations, but deserves attention.
  (e.g. Regarding global issues such as carbon emissions, fossil fuels, and climate change, there are countless organizations raising awareness and advocating. Therefore, such issues would not fit into F&A’s scope unless there is a new idea about them.)
• When an issue has already been raised on other platforms but there is a different aspect of it that needs to be considered.
• When an issue affects a large population and deserves a louder voice for greater awareness.
• When the post covers either a common issue or one that’s relatively unknown but highly important.
• When the post provides a strategic warning (rather than just feedback) about potential gains or negative impacts that require immediate action.
• Occasionally, gathering others' opinions can help create a more developed request and feedback for stakeholders. This platform can serve to gauge how widely a suggestion would be adopted, by means of comments and petition forms.

You can explore additional details under the FAQs section, specifically "Why such a platform?".

Feedback & Action mostly covers broad issues that affect multiple sectors or the global community. However, when an issue relates to a specific service or entity, we prefer to publish it on the “Feedback & Action - Micro” platform. This separation allows the main F&A platform to stay focused on larger, more widely relevant topics.

An issue qualifies for "F&A - Micro";

• When a suggestion pertains to a single service, product, or entity rather than an entire sector.
• When a service provider fails to address user feedback on an issue and there are other issues that needs to be presented.

The F&A community is composed of four main roles:

1. Participants: Readers who actively engage through comments, shares, or contributions.
2. Post Authors: Writers who create content based on their experiences and insights.
3. Initial Evaluators: A team that reviews draft posts and provides feedback.
4. Advisory Board: Specialists who offer professional and scientific input to guide the process.

These roles are further explained on the Join us! Page.

The checklist below aims to assist our team members. The green check marks indicate the items where contribution is expected, while the three groups may provide suggestions to each other about the unchecked items, too.

The posts on Feedback & Action highlight problems and needs that impact everyday life. We all encounter issues, but often lack an easy way to communicate them to the relevant parties, right? F&A acts as a “shortcut”, giving individuals a “voice” to advocate for better solutions.

F&A doesn’t just raise issues; it also proposes solutions when possible, and invites stakeholders to take action.

You can use F&A to get some of your problems resolved. If you believe a problem falls within our scope, reach out through the Contact form, and we’ll do our best to accommodate your issue on our platform.

First, and the least 😊, you can go ahead and leave a thank you message in the Comment section of the relevant post. This informs other participants about F&A’s impact and encourages them for involvement in the effort.

Second, you can consider supporting the project. Visit the Support page to learn how F&A is sustained and what you can do to help.

Feel free to reach us for questions via the Contact form.