Help

How do I sign up?

Signing up to Bang the Table is a breeze!

Hit the "Sign Up" link on the top right hand side of the screen and enter the details in the form provided.

• Name – this can be your real name or a pseudonym, we don't mind.
• Username – this is the name that will appear in the forum when you leave a comment, so choose a name that won't reveal your identity if you want to remain anonymous.
• Email address – this must be a real email account. You will receive an email from us to activate your account, so please take particular care to type this in correctly.
• Country – choose your country from the list provided.
• Suburb / State – if you have chosen Australia as your country a drop down list of suburbs is displayed, simply scroll down or start typing and your suburb will appear. I you are not in Australia or New Zealand, then simply type in your state or province.
• Password – choose something safe, private, and keep it to your self.
• Read the Terms and Conditions of Use of the site, along with the Privacy statement and the check the box.
• Hit "Sign Up" and you're done.

I've forgotten my password. What should I do?

Irritating isn't it! We've tried to make this process as simple as possible.

• Click the "login" link on the top right of the screen
• Click the "forgotten password" link under the "log in" button
• Type in your email address and hit enter
• You will receive an email from us with a link back to the site
• Reset your password
• Login with your old username and new password

I've forgotten both my password and my username. What should I do?

• Click the "login" link on the top right of the screen.
• Click the "forgotten password" link under the "log in" button
• Type in your email address and hit enter
• You will receive an email from us with your Username and a link back to the site.
• Reset your password
• Login with your old username and new password

I signed up but didn't receive the activation email. What should I do?

There are a few reasons this might have happened.

• The email may have gone into your "junk email" folder. Check there first.
• Your email service provider may have a really strong firewall that is blocking our activation email. This happens occasionally.
• You may have typed your email address incorrectly – We see a lot of this, it's very easy to do if you are in a rush. An erroneous full stop or underscore can make all the difference in the world.

If you can't find your activation email in your "junk email" folder, then send us an email at admin@bangthetable.com. We will take a look at your login details and activate your account for you.

I have tried to sign up, but my email address has already been taken? How is this possible?

There are a couple of possibilities here:

• Your details have been "bulk loaded" into the site as part of another project. For example, if you are a member of the NSW branch of Local Government Managers Australia there is a good chance you already have an account on Bang the Table.
• Someone else in your family has used your email address to establish an account in the past.
• You have used Bang the Table before and forgotten!

Irrespective of the cause, if you can't remember your Username and/or Password, use the "forgotten password" link on the login page to reset your account.

What do you do with my information?

At Bang the Table we deliberately collect as little information about you as possible. Indeed, it is possible to use Bang the Table and remain completely anonymous. What information we do collect is NOT passed on to our clients or anyone else. We do not sell any information about our account holders. We are not a market research company.

Who owns Bang the Table and why should I trust you?

Bang the Table Pty Ltd is a wholly Australian owned company founded in mid 2007 by Dr Crispin Butteriss and Mr Matthew Crozier. Crispin and Matthew are both remain Directors of the company. Ms Vivien Twyford is the Chairperson and a Non-Executive Director.

Prior to founding Bang the Table, Crispin was a career public servant for some fifteen years – interrupted by a short stint running a holography gallery, and three years as a PhD student. Crispin worked with the NSW Environment Protection Authority, NSW Department of Planning, and NSW Premier's Department. Crispin was a founding board member of the Australasian Chapter of the International Association for Public Participation (IAP2) and is the current Victorian coordinator of the IAP2.

Prior to founding Bang the Table, Matthew also worked in public policy for 15 years in Australia and the UK. Matthew held positions with the London Underground, NSW Premiers Department, NSW Farmers Association, and NSW Planning. Upon leaving the public service, Matthew established Crozier CGS to provide strategic advice about NSW planning policy and processes to the property and economic development sectors. Matthew is the current chair of Compass Housing, a community housing provider.

Immediately prior to founding Bang the Table, Matthew and Crispin founded Duo Consulting in late 2006, to provide a range of services including community engagement, economic planning, socio-economic impact assessment, and land use planning strategy advice.

As the founding chairperson of the Australasian chapter of the International Association for Public Participation Viv Twyford has a long history as an advocate of community engagement. Viv also held the international Chair of the IAP2 in 2004, and is the founding Director of Twyfords, a Wollongong based community engagement practice with 20 years industry experience. Viv has trained community engagement practitioners across Australia, New Zealand, Asia, Europe and North America.

What's to stop someone from having more than one username?

All new users to read and agree to the site terms and conditions which specify that you can't have more than one account and can't purport to represent someone else. If we think this is happening then we will contact the account holder directly and, if necessary, cancel their account and block access to the site. We use a number of techniques to identify multiple logins and, though there is no foolproof way of preventing them from occurring, those who try and cheat are usually pretty easy to spot.

Why do I need to sign up to this site to make a comment?

We ask you to sign up to the site for a few reasons.

It helps to minimise the chance of the debate being manipulated by someone leaving lots and lots of comments supporting their own position.

It also helps to make sure that people only make a comment after they have really thought through the issues.

It is also means that we can let you know any news if something major changes about the consultation. For example, if the submission date is extended or the scope of works or design of a capital project is altered significantly.

What happens to all of the comments left on this site?

All of the comments left on Bang the Table are compiled into a report for our client. We do not analyse the comments or make any judgements about them, the report is a simple list of all comments.

Can I use this site anonymously? How can I be sure you won't reveal my identity?

Yes, you can use Bang the Table anonymously. Our contract with our clients stipulates that we will not reveal the identities of our account holders. Any communication from our clients will always come to you via Bang the Table.

How do I make a comment in a forum?

To make a comment in a forum you need to:

• Sign up to the site.
• Click on the heading for the forum question you are interested in.
• Either click the "add your comment" link at the top of the forum area, or click any of the "reply" buttons that appear under other persons' comments.
• Type in your comment
• Hit "submit".