Quick Start User Guide
MassUp.us serves communications and navigation and information needs for social and personal bicycling.
It broadcasts maps, news, weather and more, for smartphones and text messaging.
Use MassUp.us for details about local events ("masses"), to find riders, check conditions, record, share, chat and reminisce.
Also see ABOUT and MAIN MENU.
TEXT MESSAGE COMMANDS
Text ? to u@massup.us to get a help reply.
Text W to u@massup.us for WHEREabouts.
Before a mass, this returns the start location. While a mass is in progress, this returns the most recent trusted location posting. Synonyms such as "location" and "where?" and "donde" also work.
Text A to u@massup.us for AIR (weather).
Text M to u@massup.us for MAP graphic.
Depending on mass this may return the map, or the most recent photo, or simply a logo. Its a big file, mid-res, and not all phones are capable.
Text C for Cues (or I for INTRO).
Sends as much Cues / Intro text for the mass as will fit in a text message.
Text ON to u@massup.us to follow updates.
Text OFF to stop.
Following sends you all subsequent updates to the mass from sources deemed trustworthy.
Optionally instead text ALL to follow every posting, or NEWS to follow only admin postings. Synonyms such as join, start and quit also work.
Text ON tags to u@benear.me to follow a subject.
tags can be any search target, including twitter style @name and #hash tags or ANY word (such as bike or beer), use - (or) / + (and) to compound.
Notes:
1. MassUp.us uses the modern method of TEXTING to an EMAIL address. Use your text messaging screen (NOT your phone's email) and enter u@massup.us as the recipient's number. See Caveats for more details.
2. u@massup.us and the hotline# always refer to the current mass. Specific masses (non-current or out-of-state for example) can also be reached at their direct addresses. This is shown on the POST page for a mass. Chicago Critical Mass (ccm) for example is MassUp.us/ccm and ccm@massup.us
3. u@benear.me is a special address refering to ALL feeds, especially useful for follows, but can also be used for other commands.
POSTING
Postings to Chat can come from many sources.
To post by text messaging simply text
some useful posting to u@massup.us
Don't post messages like "wazzup!" - Do post messages like "Westbound passing 1200 W Addison"
EMAIL (not MMS) photos to u@massup.us with caption in subject.
Users can also post from Twitter or Facebook or web or auto-GPS, etc. Methods include:
Manual GPS: Tap to post the displayed location. For GPS enabled smartphones.
Automatic GPS: Continuously post your location. For GPS enabled smartphones. Posts about every minute, also shows speedometer.
Text Messaging: Handles commands and postings.
Email: Upload photos with geolocation.
Hotline: Special phone number transcribes voice postings.
Web: Simple form, also logs your location.
Facebook: Postings to the wall for a mass appear in chat.
Twitter: Tweets with target hash tags appear in chat.
RSS: Admin may configure additional syndication sources.
MORE: Now supports CSV/JSON/XML dataset overlays.
DETAILED HELP for each is on the POST page for a mass (click the "?" buttons).
Also see caveats about posting.
FACEBOOK CONNECT
Several major social features are on the Facebook tab. Simply tap the button at the bottom right of every page.
There you can "Like", login, share and post, and visit the Facebook page for the mass (if any).
To share or post any MassUp.us page, even chat messages, photos, maps and plots, simply be on that page then tap the Facebook button.
To track your PERSONAL activity, use the LOGIN link on the Facebook tab.
Using Facebook Connect gives smartphone and web users an automatic MassUp.us personal login.
This allows you to track and share YOUR riding (and download KMLs), maintain your postings, and be considered more trustworthy.
On first time use, Facebook connect will prompt you to confirm sharing required data detailed here, do accept.
Once Facebook connected you have access to a User Menu (click on "Welcome..." from the Facebook tab).
Subsequent web and GPS postings will be associated with your login.
From your User Menu set your phone and email addresses to also associate your text and photo postings.
Once you've posted some locations, try the "Your Posts" and "Your Plots" links to see and share your activities.
See caveats about making sure to post to the right mass.
BeNear.me
BeNear.me is a shortcut to MassUp.us's Chicago Communities features.
BeNear.me goes directly to the Find Nearby page, where a user can quickly first find themself,
then overlay any of the many datasets of important local sites, services, events and info.
One can also use shortcuts directly to finding anything near you, just remember http://BeNear.me/ID where ID is
beach,
crime,
fire,
fun,
graffiti,
landmark,
library,
market,
park,
police,
rack,
senior,
service,
traffic,
train,
ward.
ALSO u@benear.me functions specially. It refers to the aggregation of ALL of MassUp.us's several dozen live community feeds.
Follow commands texted to u@benear.me will subscribe the user to postings from any feed.
For example texting ON lakefront to u@benear.me will forward you any pertinent messages posted
from any sources such as the many monitored Facebook and Twitter feeds. By including identifiable words or tags in your postings, and publishing what to follow,
BeNear.me users can create spontaneous and ad hoc communications channels to coordinate short notice community and social events.
Add hash tags such as #news or #311 to your postings to potentially feed city and media monitors.
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ALSO SEE
MAIN HELP MENU
ADVANCED GUIDE
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