Although rare, sometimes people post things online that suggest they’re either suicidal, may harm someone else, or are in physical danger.

Emergencies: Call 911

If you believe it’s an emergency- that someone is in immediate danger- call 911.

Non-Emergencies: Contact Admin/ Report to Us

If you see something to this effect and it is not an emergency, please use the report button or send an email to Just Asking. You may also report anonymously by logging out of answerMug and using the Contact Admin link at the bottom of a page.

In accordance with our privacy policy, we perform our own internal investigation and may make a determination to contact the authorities and supply them with information as needed. We also work with law enforcement agencies as they contact us for information.

That said, we also value privacy immensely. We can’t tell you what actions we’ve taken, nor can we provide you with personal info about other Muggers.

Suicide Risk

We’re not mental health professionals, so we cannot advise on mental health concerns. However, you may find the following resources helpful…

24-Hour Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 1-800-273-8255

Suicide Prevention Lifeline Website: www.SuicidePreventionLifeline.org

Lifeline Live Chat: www.SuicidePreventionLifeline.org/Chat

Links for Someone Considering Suicide: www.Metanoia.org/Suicide, www.HelpGuide.org

Non-Emergency Online Counseling (Discount Rates for Low-Income Individuals): BetterHelp.com           

Global Directory of Emergency Resources: www.BetterHelp.com/GetHelpNow

Risk to You or Others

Don’t assume someone is trolling if they’re talking about causing harm to others or say they’re in danger. If someone is threatening you or you have details on the individual making worrisome remarks, it may be beneficial for you to get in touch with a local law enforcement agency in addition to notifying answerMug. You may also find the following resources helpful…

Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)

National Network to End Domestic Violence: (NNEDV) Safety Net Project: www.nnedv.org/safetynet

Safety Net Resources on Online Safety: www.techsafety.org/resources

Safety Net’s Technology Safety Materials: www.nnedv.org/safetynetdocs

As of 3/18/18, our chat service has changed. Functionality with the new system is improved, but it works a little differently. 


To Be Available
You'll automatically be marked available for private one-on-one chats unless you stop using your computer or the site for  few minutes. Then, your status will be switched to "idle."  You'll automatically become active again once you start using the site.


To Be Unavailable

If you don't want to chat with other Muggers, you can mark yourself as "unavailable."
-Open the chat.
-Click the gear on the top right of the box.
-Click "Available to Chat" to remove the check mark. 


To Join a Chat Room
We have a general chat room for all Muggers.
-Click the pink and blue chat bubbles in the chat bar.
-Select the room you wish to join. (The main room is the primary chat hub)
-Chat and follow the general site rules.
-Exit the room by hovering over the title of the room and clicking the "x" next to it.

We updated our chat service on 3/18/18. The new service includes a button at the bottom of mobile devices which reads: "Mobile Chat."


For those who don't like to chat or would prefer to have a cleaner screen, you can hide this button.

To get rid of the box:
1) Click the box at the bottom that says "mobile chat." 
2) Click the wrench on the top right.
3) Hit the toggle on/off switch next to "Hide mobile chat tab on site."
4) Exit back out and resume surfing, sans button. 


If you ever want the button back, you can visit the chat section by clicking "Chat" in the main menu under "Muggers."


Desktop users don't have the same box. Instead, they have a bar which runs cross the bottom of the screen. Although the chat bar cannot be removed, it can be minimized into a tiny little square by clicking the arrow on the lower right corner of the screen.

1) First, visit the member's profile.
2) Then, look for their profile photo. (It's on the left side for desktop users, at the top for mobile users.)
3) Then, look for the "add to my friends" button below the profile photo and click it.


The detailed instructions below were provided by Livvie. Thank you, Livvie!


It's really easy!

First, click on this link!

http://answermug.com/profile/Livvie

Then, right under this picture

You'll click on this!

Meet the Mods

Just Asking Site Owner/ Admin

Just Asking is available via email to answer questions and can help you with any issues you have around the site. She is the primary contact, no matter what issue you're facing. You can also use the report buttons by any piece of content or th Feedback tab to notify the admin if you see content that violates our TOS.

answerMug also has volunteers who help moderate specific areas of the site when they are online. They are regular members who have kindly agreed to assist. From time to time, you may receive feedback from the following people:

 

We do have a training program for moderators accept new "apprentice mods" as site demand necessitates. Tenured members with accounts in good standing (no suspensions or reprimands) who are interested in volunteering as a site mod may contact Just Asking to inquire about further requirements and present openings.

answerMug moderation may be different than some of the sites you are accustomed to. Each branch of the site may have a different moderation team and we rely on community feedback/ reporting to catch any potential issues.

Who Moderates the Site

Main Areas

Any of the main areas of the site, such as Q&A, are moderated by the answerMug admins. At this point, this only includes Just Asking. The admin team is responsible for all public areas, as well as any AM-sponsored group, such as Adultia, Free-for-All, and the Debate Room. Because of the amount of data on the site, it's not possible for the admins to see everything all the time. If you see something that you feel violates the site's rules, please send use the report button or send Just Asking a message so it can be investigated.

 

Features

Chat, blogs, photos and videos can each have individual moderators as well. For issues within any of these areas, you may contact Just Asking or use the report button. However, other admins and mods may also be on hand at times to manage content as they use the site. For a full list of current mods and admins, as well as which areas they manage, check the relevant FAQ/help page.

 

Groups

At one time, groups could be created by any member of answerMug and the group's creator became that group's admin, and he or she was responsible for all content management within the group. While we generally do not allow members to admin their own groups now, some of our prior group admins have been grandfathered in. You can check the members tab of any group to see if a group admin is identified. If one is listed, you may speak with that group admin about issues within the group. However, general site administrators are also available to help mediate issues and will take over administration of groups with no other admin and in cases where an acting admin is absent or non-responsive. 

 

We don't see everything on the site, so we really rely on YOU to help us keep answerMug a positive and welcoming place to be. Please notify us via the report buttons or email if you see offensive posts or personal attacks directed towards any member. Thanks! 

Consequences for Violations

Should you be found in violation of policy, the following consequences apply:

 

In Chat

Unintentional (we all slip up sometimes): 1st time - warning, 2nd time- 15 minute chat suspension, 3rd time- 1 hour chat suspension, 4th time- 24 hour chat suspension, 5th time- 2 day site suspension.

 

Intentional (all attacks on other users are considered intentional): 1st time- warning, 2nd time- 1 hour chat suspension, 3rd time- 24 hour chat suspension, 4th time- 48 hour site suspension. *Please note that if you are on a Main room/ Clean chat suspension, you are still permitted in the other chat rooms and on the rest of the site. However, should you continue to violate policy while already on a chat suspension, you will receive a 48 hour site suspension immediately.

 

Elsewhere on answerMug

We do not presently have the ability to move adult discussions to Adultia or Free-for-All. Please take this into consideration when you decide where to post your questions, as once a moderator has deleted content, it is gone forever.

 

Posting inappropriate content- Your post will be deleted and you will receive a note to place the content in a more appropriate area. If we believe the offense was intentional or it becomes habitual you will receive:

1st offense- Warning, 2nd offense- 48 hour site suspension, 3rd offense- suspension length will be determined by a vote of the moderators and may include permanent ban from answerMug.

 

Kindly keep in mind that we're all here to enjoy each others' company and hopefully learn a thing or two. The moderation team would prefer to not have to enforce any policies and we ask that you monitor yourselves so we don't have to.

 

It's also important to note that as answerMug grows, policies may change and moderators may have to make judgement calls and issue independent decisions as issues arise. Our moderators are volunteers who want answerMug to be a pleasant experience for everyone.

 

Please enjoy your Mug responsibly.

We hate to see you go! If you're having an issue that the admin can help with, please use the feedback tab or "contact" button at the bottom of the page to notify her.


If you just aren't feelin' the Mug vibe, we understand. You can delete your account by clicking "settings" in the black bar at the top and then choosing "delete account" from the options at the top of the page.


Account deletion is permanent and most of your content gets removed when you go. Anything that stays, such as discussions others are involved in, will be relabled as being posted as "Benedict Arnold." You can always open up a new account after you've deleted one, but you can never be attached to your old content again.

At this point in time, the Mug does not make a profit and is not operating as a traditional business does. Our moderators are volunteers and most of the site's funding is paid by the site admin. However, like any other "business" we have fees to pay to keep our lights on and keep up with development projects. 


We earn revenue from a few different areas. At this point in time, our biggest generator is the Taboola ads, which link to content around the web. You'll often see them on the bottom or side of a page and we get paid each time someone clicks on a story.


We also have banner ads that you'll see on the tops of pages, which work on a bidding system. Advertisers tend to look at our traffic and then decide what they're willing to pay for a day of advertising. So, in these cases, you help us pay our bills just by being here and using the site normally.


Members may also purchase credits to buy virtual gifts. We don't encourage this, though- we'd prefer that people earn credits by using the site. However, the can be bought fairly inexpensively for those who want to help the Mug and spread some joy around the site.


From time to time, we dabble in sponsorship as well. If you run a business and would like to advertise on answerMug or sponsor us, please use the link at the bottom of the page to contact the site admin.


Lastly, we also accept donations. These are processed by PayPal, so it's safe and secure. They protect your data and answerMug never even sees your credit card information. You don't need to have a PayPal account to help, and any amount is greatly appreciated. You can access the donation portal here.

If you're viewing them in the pop out that appears when you click the bell, they go away when you click them once. If you're viewing them on the notifications page, you can clear them a page at a time with the "Mark All as Read" button on the bottom of the list.

We don't guarantee a set amount of time. We presently have one admin who approves accounts and sometimes she sleeps or leaves her computer for coffee. If you join while she's at her computer, you could be up and running in minutes. If you join while she's sleeping, it could be eight hours (Probably not. She's not that lucky.)



While this may seem like a total pain in the rear for newcomers, it helps us handle moderation better. With one admin and only a few volunteers moderating, it would get pretty nutty if anyone could just walk in at any point in time. We don't like playing Whack-a-Mole with accounts we've deactivated either, so we check who's coming in before we unlock the door. It makes for a better experience for our existing members, even though it can take a little while to get in.



It's generally safe to say that if your account has not been activated within 24-48 hours, it probably won't be. If you used privacy software or a proxy when you joined, that's probably why you didn't get activated. If this is the case, withdraw your entry/ close the account, skip the proxy, and sign up again. If you can't figure out why you didn't get in and it's been more than 24 hours, you can use the "Contact Admin" link on the bottom of the page to check with the admin. 

The easiest way to accept a friend request is by clicking the friend alert icon in the black bar at the top of the page and then selecting the "confirm" button.

Go to your profile by clicking your name in the black bar at the top. Then, look for "Edit My Profile." http://answermug.com/members/edit/profile The photo option is in there.

When you interact in the Q&A, you'll notice that members have a number below their profile photos. This represents the number of posts they've made.

Muggers can customize their experience by filtering their activity feeds.


You can select from various preset options such as just the questions, blogs, polls, or groups. You can also remove specific individuals from your feed if you don't share common interests and want to make room for more of the content that interests you. Or, you can set up your own custom filters, using all kinds of options. It's super easy to toggle between the different views or revert back to the standard view anytime you wish.

If you're a seasoned Mugger and had an account prior to 9/27/16, your friend list did not transfer. Please seek out your friends (and perhaps some new ones, too) and add some friends now.

answerMug underwent a major design change on 9/27/16. If you joined before this date, the first time you log in, you'll need to use the "Forgot Password" option and set up a new one. Please do NOT set up a new account. If you have trouble, contact the admin via the link at the bottom of the page.

The Feedback tab can be used anytime you want to speak directly with the admin. It gives you the equivalent of a private inbox, where you can talk about your thoughts, ideas, or concerns and the admin will respond by either changing the status or commenting back to you.


You can use the Feedback tab for reporting issues as well, but please be sure to include a link to the troublesome content if you do.