Frequently Asked Questions


What is Handylist?

Handylist provides free online Neighborhood Forums to any neighborhood that wants one.

What is a Neighborhood Forum?

A Neighborhood Forum is a simple email list where when one person in the neighborhood emails the group, everyone in the group gets an email message. Paired with this simple email list comes an area of the Handylist.org website specifically reserved for your neighborhood.

What does it cost to use Handylist?

Nothing. Handylist is free to use. We put text ads on certain pages of the website and hope to breakeven.

How much time does this take?

Almost none. A Neighborhood Forum requires no work from you. You sign up and receive emails from neighbors and then only post or respond when you want to.

Why do people do this?

Their quality of life is improved in many ways, plain and simple. Neighborhoods where people know each other a little and communicate regularly are friendlier, have lower crime, have higher home values, get better service from local government and law enforcement, are safer for children, have more business done locally, and have more bartering and gifting among neighbors.

Does my neighborhood already have a Neighborhood Forum?

Check by clicking here. Put in your zip code to see all the existing Neighborhood Forums near you. If you don’t see yours, you can create it.

How do I grow my Neighborhood Forum?

  1. Email your neighbors if you know their email addresses.
  2. Call people on the phone and talk to them in the street.
  3. Put paper flyers under their doors.
  4. Login and then click on the Invite link at the top of the navigation bar.

Who is in charge of my Neighborhood Forum?

You can be. Just be active on the Forum and help spread the word. You can also elect yourself to any title you wish by going into the My Neighbors area on this site.

What are the rules of etiquette on a Neighborhood Forum?

  1. Handylist is a "G-rated" site. It is *not* OK to use rude, sexy, suggestive, or violent language or photos on Handylist.
  2. Forums are *not* for promoting an individuals' agenda, business or dating life. They are for a large group of neighbors (typically 25- 300) to communicate as equals about a wide range of topics that affect them.
  3. Your Neighborhood Forum is not really the place to advertise your business. You can mention it, and people are generally supportive, but don't bother people.
  4. Your Neighborhood Forum is not the place for dating.
  5. Your Neighborhood Forum is not the place for political rants. You can mention political things, but don't be a bore.
  6. Don't post the same thing over and over.

Who moderates my Neighborhood Forum?

You and the other people in your Forum moderate it. There is no "moderator" in the traditional sense where there is an individual who is in charge. On Handylist.org, everyone has the power, and responsibility, to flag things as inappropriate and to help other members understand the rules and etiquette. The flagged items are then reviewed by volunteer Boosters who help keep all Forums clean and useful. Working together, members and members who have volunteered to be Boosters, keep Handylist working well.

How many Neighborhood Forums can I join?

You should only join one, the one for your neighborhood. However, if you happen to live at the intersection of several neighborhoods, you are allowed to join up to three Forums.

Do I need to put in my home address?

Yes. Since the point of a Neighborhood Forum is to help people who live near each other get to know each other, you want to see your neighbors’ addresses and they want to see yours.

Who sees my contact information on the website?

Only people who are members of your Neighborhood Forum, and you can see theirs.

Who are Boosters?

Boosters are unpaid volunteers who work together to keep Handylist working so well. Boosters get to review posts as they are submitted, and collectively decide which posts make it onto the site. Boosters eliminate spam and other things that would keep Handylist from working. As a Booster, you improve your town by working with other Boosters in your area, get first look at posts, videos and stories while moderating, build a reputation among people in your area and around the country, suggest key improvements to how things work. Apply to become a Booster.

Can I post a message to multiple neighborhoods?

Yes, you can post to Forums that are adjacent to your own. Your message will be down near the bottom of the email received in those other neighborhoods, subordinate to their own messages.

Can I get my emails in a digest form?

Not yet, but soon! We’re working on it.

How can I update my email address, change my password, etc.?

  1. First login
  2. Once logged in, click on the "My Profile" tab at the top of your screen.
  3. Then click on the link "Edit your preferences" near the top of the page.

How can I edit my profile?

  1. First login
  2. Once logged in, click on the "My Profile" tab at the top of your screen.
  3. Then click on the link "Edit your profile" near the top of the page.

Can people in the neighborhood who don’t have a computer participate?

Yes, but it takes more work. Often, libraries and other public places have computers where these people can get on. Alternatively, people without computers can “buddy-up” with someone that has a computer who then prints out the incoming posts and then submits messages on behalf of the no-computer person.

Where can I ask more questions?

Email us by clicking here


The following frequently asked questions are about anonymous posting of classifieds, which is another feature on Handylist many people like using.

How do I post a classified?

  1. Choose your posting category
  2. Describe your item on the post form.
  3. You will receive an email with a link to view and manage your post. Be sure to check your junk mail folder, just in case our email gets trapped!
  4. People in your local community will see your post on Handylist.org's website and in the weekly Handylist.org List email. They will contact you by filling out the response form at the bottom of your listing. Your email address is never shown on Handylist.org. We forward responses to your email.
  5. When you receive a response by email, just reply to that email to contact the interested person. After you reply, you and the interested person will know each other's email address. You complete the local transaction by corresponding over email. For example, if you are selling some clothes, you might arrange a time for the buyer to come to your house and pick up the items

How can I delete my listing?

Right after you posted, we sent you an email with a link to delete your listing. Just click the link in that email to delete your post. Be sure to check your junk mail folder, just in case our email got trapped! If you need the email resent, we've made it easy to find and manage all your posts.

How can I edit my listing?

Right after you posted, we sent you an email with a link to delete your listing. Just click the link in that email to delete your post. Be sure to check your junk mail folder, just in case our email got trapped! If you need the email resent, we've made it easy to find and manage all your posts.

Why was my post deleted?

A post is removed when the Handylist.org community votes that the listing is inappropriate. At the top of each listing, there are links where users can flag a post as inappropriate, miscategorized, etc. If a post receives too many negative votes, it is automatically deleted. Each user can only vote once per post, and it takes several flags to affect a listing. If your post was removed, read our posting guidelines to figure out why.

How do I get the Handylist email?

Tell us your email address and we'll send you the weekly Handylist email for free.

Uploading video to your listings

  1. You can upload a video file to any listing. This makes your listing more lively and can attract more viewers. However, the browser plugin required to upload video only works in certain browsers. If your browser is not in the list below, this means you cannot upload video. But rest assured, we are working on it! As always, you can upload photos for your listing.

    Windows 2000/XP:

    • Internet Explorer 5.5/6/7
    • Firefox 1.0/1.5/2.0
    • Netscape 8.0 and greater
    • Opera 8 and greater

    Mac OS X 10.4

    • Safari 2.0 and greater

How can I avoid scams and fraud?

Only deal locally. Non-local transactions are usually scams. For more tips, check our scam and fraud info page.

How can I get help or make a suggestion?

If you want to get in touch with us for anything, use our contact page.

Thanks!
The Handylist.org team