FAQ
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Who are you?!
We're 4 people (and an occasional coder) who are looking for ways to use technology to break through emotional barriers. More about each of us:
We formed The Weather Report in 2014, and this is our first product.
What's all this please?
Weather is a universal experience; it affects everyone everywhere. This service uses the metaphors of weather and nature to talk about our emotional states, which makes it easier to engage with the way our emotions move and change.
Our core belief is similar to Fred Rogers' thought that "Anything that's human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable."
When going through a difficult (or happy but hectic) time, one of the last things you want to do is repeat your story over and over to different listeners. The Weather Report gives you a shareable summary of your current climate.
One other thought: "You are the sky. Everything else--it's just the weather." Pema Chödrön
How is my weather report stored?
We use a simple script to create a plain text file that's stored on our server. Note that these files are not encrypted in any way right now. Each file is given a unique identifier for a filename, which makes it really difficult to find them if you don't know what exactly what you're looking for. That's why each report's unique link is like a password.
That file only contains the contents of your form, minus your email address. We only save your email address if you check the box that says you'd be willing to take a survey later; it's stored separately from your weather report, so that we can't associate them together.
Additionally, if you check the "You can include my weather report in your aggregated analysis" box, we store your weather report's filename in yet another location, so that it's never associated with your email address.
Our server, like most web servers, automatically logs IP addresses with the date and time they visited the website. That's also a completely separate process from the creation or viewing of weather reports, but we figured you'd want to know that.
Finally, if you're nerdy and you know it, clap your hands. Then have a look at the code our work here is based on.
Do you do anything with the information my weather report?
Only if you check the "You can include my weather report in your aggregated analysis" box. We're not sure yet what tools or methods we'll use, but at some point down the road, we'd like to see what people used this service for.
Do you have any content restrictions?
So...no. This space is intended to model the notion that it's okay to feel whatever you're feeling. As such, (for now) we aren't moderating any posts.
Really? What if I say that I'm suicidal or in a harmful relationship?
Sure, we'd love you to connect with a friend or resource to get help, but what if that admittedly catch-all solution is the very thing you don't need right now? That said, feel free to email us if you do feel that you want some referrals.
What if someone that I didn't intend to send the link to gets access to my weather report?
Email to us at info@theweatherreport.org and we'll delete it as soon as we can.
Some things you should know about creating a weather report:
- This is a test. Well, sort of, anyways. It's our very very early release, and we're kicking the tires. Get in touch if something doesn't work for you.
- When you hit "Create my weather report," our form checks to make sure that you're human, and then saves your content to our server. See the FAQ for more info on our method. Then you'll be given a unique link that you can share with others. Treat that link like a password, because it's like the password to your report.
- Anyone with the link will be able to view your weather report. There are no indexes of reports; there is no way to search for or randomly discover any weather reports.
Technically, we as server admins could also read your reports right now, but we need you to know: We're not. The only time we will is if we do data analysis in the future, which you can opt-in for when you create your report. - To be on the safe side: Forms on websites can sometimes be finicky; there is no auto-save function here, nor is there a way to save the form and come back later. If your weather report is long, consider writing it on your computer first, and then copying and pasting your work into the form.
- No HTML or any other fancy code is allowed; if the little gnomes that live in the server find some in your report, they'll clean it out before saving it.
- You won't be able to edit your weather report once you've created it. :-/ You can create a new report to give updates on previous reports and/or to share other experiences and news. If, for some reason, you need a report deleted off the website, please email us its link to info@theweatherreport.org. Note that it can take us 24-48 hours to respond to deletion requests, because we're human.
