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Download the Desktop Action program for Windows here
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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
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1. What Does It Mean When The Ink Bottle Icon In My System Tray Flashes Red?
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The ink bottle icon is the symbol for the Desktop Action program, usually in an area on the right at the bottom of your computer display reserved for programs that are always immediately accessible. When it flashes red it is an alert that there is a new priority question available for your voting consideration. In this way we can notify all of our participants en masse in a short period of time to rally them to speak out on the most important matters. Just click on the icon one time and the program interface will appear with that question already selected. When you bring up the program interface or select on another page of the interface the flashing will stop. You can minimize the program anytime by selecting "Minimize" on the menu, or it will automatically minimize after about 10 minutes of inactivity.
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2. How Do I Configure My Firewall To Work With My Desktop Action Program?
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Depending on your configuration, when you first start up the program you may get a notification asking you to permit Desktop Action to communicate with our dedicated submission server. If you simply set up a rule to permit this for the regular internet HTTP port 80 you will be just fine. You should set up a standing rule because the program automatically updates its own menu selections periodically.
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3. What Does The Form Actually Send To The Recipients Selected?
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All recipients but the newspapers are sent the question as phrased on the first line and your vote (as the subject of the message), along with your personal comments and your contact information as entered from the "Setup Contact Information" selection on the menu. The newspapers get your personal comments and contact information only under the subject "Letter to the Editor". The program does not do "canned" form letters.
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4. How Do I Enter Email Addresses Into The "Friends Emails" textbox?
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There are three ways to do this. First, you can load in the contents of any .txt or .csv (comma separated type) file using the "Load Friends Emails from File" selection under the "Load/Clear" submenu. You will be prompted to browse for a file and then just click on "Open". Second, if you are using a Windows address book (Outlook Express, Outlook, etc.) you can select "Import Friends Emails from Addressbook" and open a .wab file in the same way. Third, you can copy text containing email addresses from any other document and paste it directly into the textbox. When you click on something else the textbox will automatically extract all validly formatted email addresses for you. Each successive load operation will add to what is already there and all duplicates will be removed.
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To remove addresses from the textbox simply highlight with your mouse and cut or backspace just as you would delete any other text, or you can clear the textbox completely with the "Clear Friends" selection under the "Load/Clear" submenu. Once entered, and until otherwise removed, email addresses will stay active in this textbox for all your submissions as your personal activist circle.
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5. Why Are Selections Under The "Current Priority Actions" Grayed Out?
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This is what is supposed to happen after you vote on particular questions, to help you keep track of what issues you have already submitted on. If ALL the first 6 entries are grayed out when you first run the program the first menu load has not taken place. Check your internet connection and select "Refresh/Enable Menu Above" to try again. It is possible when you first boot up your computer you might have to fire up your regular browser first to establish the internet connection. You can also try the "Reset Connection" under the "Help" submenu before you try again.
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6. Can More Than One Person Use The Desktop Action Program On The Same Computer?
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Because family members sometimes share a computer, up to two separate people can use the program from the same installation. From the
"Setup Contact Information" selection on the menu each person can edit their own personal contact information according to the help instructions for that page linked to just above. When you want to vote select your own email address from listbox in the lower left before you submit your vote. The "Current Priority Action" submenu will keep track of the grayed out states for you individually.
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7. How Do I Save My Personal Comments For Myself After I Submit My Vote?
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As currently configured, to save your comments you must do it BEFORE you submit your vote. After you submit your vote that action page will be grayed out to you as referenced above. Before submitting your vote, simply select "Save These Comments" under the "Load/Clear" submenu and you will be prompted to save the contents of the "Your Personal Comments" textbod. The default program working directory is at C:\Program Files\The Peoples Email Network\Desktop Action under a subdirectory for your email address. We are willing to considering other behaviors for save option as a future enhancements depending on what our participants want.
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8. How Do I Get More Information On A Question To Help Me Decide How To Vote?
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After you have selected a particular action page, if you select "More Info on This Issue" from the "Help" submenu it will open up a window in your default internet browser to our regular website action page on the same question. There you will find under the form itself an "Arguments" section with opinion pieces and supporting references on the question. The contact information on the form will automatically be filled in with your regular contact information (but not your comments or friends emails), and you can either submit directly there in the same way, or go back and submit the action page from your Desktop Action program.
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