How does comCensus work?
- comCensus allows large groups of individuals to confer honestly and constructively, in public or in private.
- A convener defines the question and the list of participants to invite.
- Only invited participants are able to respond, discuss and rate each other's opinions.
- The names of participants and the reasons for inviting them are displayed, but votes and posts are fully anonymous.
- Intelligent tools help participants engage productively and explore opinions, to better understand the issue at hand.
What makes comCensus opinions honest and informed?
Posts on comCensus are honest because all posts and responses are absolutely anonymous.
Posts are informed because only relevant individuals are allowed to respond to any particular question.
The identity of invited participants and why they were selected is shown for each question.
Can I start a discussion?
Absolutely yes! Anyone can be the convener of a comCensus discussion!
You can directly start here (will require email verification).
Or you can get in touch and let us know whether you have an idea for a question or you simply wish to support comCensus by sponsoring any discussion. Either way, we will help you come up with the best phrased question and ensure you are inviting the right set of participants.
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What can I do as a comCensus convener?
You initiate a discussion, own and lead it, and get full credit for it. In particular you can:
- Choose the topic, propose the list of participants, and set any monetary awards as incentives, if you wish. We will help you ensure that the question is well formulated and the list of participants is adequate.
- Take credit, by displaying, if you wish, your name and a link to your personal or professional webpage, thus advertising your own activities to the participants and to the viewing public. Or, if you prefer, you can choose to stay fully anonymous.
- Invite participants to the discussion and send reminders whenever you wish. We will help you design the invitation letter, and we shall send updates on the quesiton to participants who have registered and consented.
- Lead the discussion, since you decide who to invite, you can include yourself in the list of participants, and engage directly with the discussion. Your name will appear in the list of invited participants, but your posts are anonimous like those of any other participant.
- Flag any post, even if you are not a participant, your convener interface allows you to flag, and therefore temporarily remove any posts from a discussion. We will assess independently whether the post actually breached our rules or not.
- Message directly any of the participants without breaching their anonymity. If someone says something interesting, you will be able to follow up with them, asking more questions or making private comments.
Can I run comCensus in my organization or business?
Of course!
Do get in touch if you'd like to discuss your organization's or business' needs.
We will work with you to ensure that comCensus best meets those needs, to break organizational silence and foster more understanding and consensus amongst your members or employees.
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Can a comCensus discussion not be public?
Yes, comCensus page can run in "private mode", too!
A private discussion page is not publicly visible and cannot be shared on social media. Only the invitees and the convener can see it.
This allows any business or organization to keep the discussion confidential.
Why isn't comCensus a no-profit organization?
Because it is the best way to meet our mission.
Legal restrictions in the UK prevent charities from conducting activity that is political in nature. Since almost any topic nowadays might become politicized, this would risk limiting the freedom of comCensus to explore any question of public interest.
Therefore, to always remain independent, comCensus runs as a limted company and aims to be self-supporting.
For the same reason, we will not to accept any funding from investors or public sources, unless the funds are explicitly given with no strings attached.