Frequently Asked Questions

 

  1. What is MyHealthGate?

MyHealthGate is a web community for people who are interested in a healthy lifestyle.  It is a place for people to discuss their experiences and learn from each other. 

  1. Do I need to give an email address in order to create an account?

Yes.  We need an email address to send you your password so we can ensure you are a real person not a computer program.

  1. How do I get my password?

Your initial password will be sent to you immediately via the email to the address that you provide.  You must change your password after the first login.

  1. How do I change my password?

Once you log in with your initial password, you can click on “My account” on the right hand menu and click “Edit” on the top of the page to change your password.

  1. Do I need to choose a category for posting content?

Yes. You should at least choose one category.  Categories will allow your post to be found by other members.  If you can’t find a suitable category, please file it under “general (other)” and drop us a line. We will create the appropriate category and will move your post to it.  You can categorize a post under two or more categories.  For example, you can file a success summary under both “Back pain” and “Yoga” to describe how yoga helped your back pain.

If you are posting a blog that you do not want to be listed under any category, for example, if you just want to keep a food diary, you can do so by not choosing a category.  In such situations the post will only be accessible via your personal blog page, from the “recent posts” page and via the search results pages.

  1. How can I see the profile for other users?

Click on the user’s name and you will be taken to his or her profile.

  1. How do I upload a photo for my profile?

After you sign in to your account, click on “My Account” on the right side menu.  Then click “browse” in the upload picture box.  This will open a file browser to your computer.  You then select a real or virtual picture of yours and click ‘open’ to upload.

  1. Am I allowed to change my username?

Users do not have the ability to change username.  If you need to change your username, please contact us and we will change your username for you.

  1. Can I view the website without creating an account?

Yes.  The website is completely open to be viewed by unregistered users. 

  1. What if I find content that is factually incorrect or inappropriate?

You will find a link “flag as offensive” under all posts that you can use to report inappropriate content.  If you find content that is factually wrong, you can post comments to encourage the author to correct the issue and warn others about it.  You can also report such content to us by using the contact form.  We will investigate the post and take appropriate actions.

  1. What are the differences between content types?

We have implemented different content types so you can express yourself appropriately.  Here are the types:

  • Blogs are posts that are either a personal journal or an expression of an opinion about a subject.  They do not actively solicit other member’s responses.
  • Discussions are posts, usually questions, which actively solicit other people to respond to them. 
  • News is usually a brief summary of a health or wellness news with a link to the source.
  • Research postings are references to scholarly research articles published in scientific journals.  Make sure the research titles are the same as the source and include the names of the authors and information about the journal that published it.  Please try to follow the proper journal citation format.
  • Recipes are your favorite recipes that you would like to share with others.  Please list the recipe under the category of the major ingredient. For example, a bean taco recipe would be listed under legumes (beans).
  • Remedies are the folk solutions to specific issues.  You may or may not have used them yourself but would like to share them with others.
  • Success Summaries are detailed accounts of your success with a specific issue.  You should write success summaries when your issue has been completely resolved (or mitigated) and you have not seen a return of the issue for some time.  Success summaries should include as much information as possible about both the issue and the specific steps taken to resolve it.
  • Wikis are collaboratively written informational articles.  Anyone can create a wiki about a subject.  Once created, other users can incrementally add to the wiki and enhance it as time goes by.  Therefore, wikis are always a work-in-progress and evolving as new information becomes available.
  1. How do I know when people reply to my questions or comment on my postings?

You can subscribe to any of your posts.  Simply check the subscribe checkmark when you are creating your post.

  1. How do I know when a post that I am interested in has been updated?

You can subscribe to any posts to get notified when there is an update.  Click on “Subscribe Post” on the bottom of the post.

  1. I do not want to get notifications for some of my subscriptions anymore, what do I do?

Click on “My Subscriptions” on the user menu.  This will take you to your subscriptions page which allows you to delete subscriptions.

  1. How do I see all posts for a specific user?

Click on user’s name which takes you to his/her profile.  Then click on “Track” at the top of the page.