Introduction

Since WiserEarth is a community-driven site, its success depends on the participation of its community of users. This page includes a description of the 4 different types of roles that are available: Guest,  Member, Editor, and Administrator.

Guest

Anyone visiting the WiserEarth site has Guest status until they log on and create a personal profile. A Guest cannot edit but can browse and search through all public content.

Member

Members are registered on WiserEarth and are able to search and browse through all public content on WiserEarth. A Member can also:

• Create a personal profile
• Add a resource, solution, or organization
• Join or create a group
• Post a job
• Post a event
• Add a new article by creating a WikiPage
• Edit any page with 'active' status.

To become a member, you will need to register first and create your profile. Read the tutorial for directions on how to set up your profile. See the current list of users.

Editor

Editors are WiserEarth community members who have a good understanding of the what, why and how of WiserEarth and are entrusted to serve as stewards of the platform, content and community. They can:

• Change the status of WiserEarth pages in line with WiserEarth Directory Content Standards.
• Edit protected pages such as the Area of Focus portals.
  
• Suppress comments that are in violation of WiserEarth Terms of Use, Community Guidelines, or Editorial Policy.
• Nominate and/or endorse a Member to be a WiserEarth Editor.

Editors do their work under one or more of the following roles:

• Related to content: Directory Editor, Area of Focus Editor
• Related to community: Moderator, Networker, Support, Outreach, Regional Coordinator, Journalist, Mediator
• Related to platform: Developer, Language Support

Are you interested in helping to improve, grow and enrich WiserEarth as a volunteer Editor? Read more about these roles and how you can become an Editor. See list of current Editors or visit the WiserEarth Editors group.

Administrator

Administrators manage the user experience. They are registered on WiserEarth and can perform restricted functions within WiserEarth, in addition to those functions of an Editor. An Administrator can:

• Change Members to Editors
• Change Editors to Administrators
• Deactivate any Member
• Block and unblock IP addresses

To become an Administrator, you will need to show the community that you have built up a deep understanding of every aspect of the site, its membership, and the needs of the WiserEarth community. You can make a request to become an Administrator by sending a message to one of the other Administrators. You must be willing to spend a significant amount of time on the site to become an administrator. See list of current Administrators.