Can anyone look at Wellcommons pages? Yes, Wellcommons pages can be viewed by anyone. If you have an account on LJWorld or KUSports, you can leave a comment in WellCommons. But if you want to post content in groups or start your own group, you need to sign up for WellCommons.

How do I sign up for Wellcommons? If you already have an account on LJWorld.com, KUSports.com or lawrence.com, just sign in. However, if you've posted anonymous comments in LJWorld and want to keep them that way, create a new sign-in on WellCommons. You'll need to use a different email address than the one you're using for LJWorld. But that's easy to obtain through Gmail or Yahoo, for example.

If you don't have an account on LJWorld.com, KUSports.com or lawrence.com, click on "sign up" at the top left of Wellcommons home page or in the "register" area below the video on the right side of the home page. When you register, be sure to choose a user name that's not your email address. After you register, we'll send you a confirmation email to the address you registered with. Click on the link, and you're good to go!

We're asking everyone who signs up or signs in to fill out your profile and use your real name. We think that WellCommons will be a safer, more productive place if we all know each other. If you're using an anonymous identity on LJWorld.com or KUSports, you can leave three anonymous comments on WellCommons. Each time, we'll send you a message to ask you to sign up with your real name. If you don't respond, and leave a fourth comment, you'll be banned from leaving comments on WellCommons.

Why do I have to use my real name? We're asking each of you who signs up or signs in to fill out your profile and use your real name. We think that WellCommons will be a safer, more productive place if we all know each other. If you're using an anonymous identity on LJWorld.com or KUSports, you can leave three anonymous comments on WellCommons. Each time, we'll send you a message to ask you to sign up with your real name. If you don't respond, and leave a fourth comment, you'll be banned from leaving comments on WellCommons.

After I sign up to Wellcommons, then what? After you sign up, start exploring Wellcommons and find the groups that interest you. You can post into any group on WellCommons without joining that group. But if you'd like to join, click on "join" in the upper right corner of the group's home page. Once you've confirmed that you want to join -- by clicking on the "indeed" prompt -- then you're a member. Members can post to a group and add a resource page. In other words, if you haven't joined a group, you can't create a resource page.

After I sign up for Wellcommons, does that mean I automatically join all the groups? Sort of. You don't have to join a group to participate, i.e., post content -- such as a photo, video or text story -- or leave a comment. So, why bother joining a group? It allows you to add a new resource page on that group, and to create an identity on WellCommons. Instead of having to join a group just to add a post or comment on a post, you can join only those groups in which you have a strong interest. The posts and comments you make in the groups you've joined will show up on your personal activity feed. Eventually, we'll allow people who create groups to notify all members of an event, for example, and let people receive email updates on a group's activity. So, if you're interested in a group, feel free to join it.

If I have an LJWorld account, should I use it to sign up for Wellcommons? If you already have an account on LJWorld.com, KUSports.com or Lawrence.com, you can use it to sign in to Wellcommons. However, if you've posted a lot of anonymous comments in LJWorld and want to keep them that way, create a new sign-in on WellCommons. You'll need to use a different email address than the one you're using for LJWorld. But that's easy to obtain through Gmail or Yahoo, for example.

All about banning. We're using a three-strikes-you're-out policy. If a member of a group fails to live up to the terms of service, the administrator of the group where that person is accused of breaking the terms of service will give that person a warning. If that person crosses the line again, LJWorld staff will contact the person and give another warning. Third time, the person is banned forever from that group. If that person goes on to repeat the behavior in other groups, s/he risks being banned from WellCommons.com

Questions? Contact:

Jane Stevens -- jstevens@ljworld.com

Jonathan Kealing -- jkealing@ljworld.com

Karrey Britt -- kbritt@ljworld.com

If you're a business and want to start a group page, contact:

Alice Brewer -- abrewer@ljworld.com

Edwin Rothrock -- erothrock@ljworld.com

Or, scroll to the bottom of this page, and type in a question in the white space where it says: "Send us suggestions, bug reports or just say hi."