Frequently Asked Questions

What is this site?

WindyCitizen.com is a service that shows you what's hot in Chicago right now based on the votes, submissions and comments of hundreds of Chicagoans just like you. 

What can I do here?

Once you create a Windy Citizen account, you can post, rate and discuss local links, photos, videos, events and more.  You can also find other members you like to see what they're posting.  All new stories first appear on the New Stories page.  The top-rated, clicked on and discussed stories rise up to the front page, which updates automatically every 3 minutes to recalculate the top stories.

What kinds of stories should I post on the Citizen? 

We welcome any posts that link to interesting local stuff.  If that sounds vague, it's because it's meant to.  You are welcome to post anything you find interesting or you think others might enjoy checking out.  If you spot an interesting apartment listing on Craigslist, share it.  If you spot an interesting Yelp review, share it.  If it's a story from a local newspaper that deserves a closer look, share it. 

The stories that perform better are typically those that haven't shown up everywhere else on the web.  If you can bring interesting, fresh links to the Citizen, they'll be popular.

How does the voting system work?

Two arrows next to all stories let Windy Citizen users vote posts up or down depending on the quality of the post.  If you think something's interesting and relevant, vote it up.  If something's off-topic, spammy, or just plain boring, vote it down.   Stories on the home page are ranked based on a proprietary algorithm using on clicks, votes, comments and several other factors including time.  24-hour old stories with 20 votes will usually rank below newer stories with 5-6.  We do this to keep stories moving on the front page.

What's "clout" and how do I get more of it?

"Clout" is what we call the points earned by Windy Citizen.com users.  You earn clout anytime a story of yours is voted up, you post a story, or you vote on a story.  It's a built-in reputation system.  When you see a user with lots of clout, it's a safe bet they're a regular contributor and active part of the community.  You can browse the users with the most clout on our leaderboard.

How can I promote my blog or business on WindyCitizen.com?

You are welcome to create a WindyCitizen.com account and post links to your personal blog or business.  If people like what you post, they'll vote it up.  If they don't, they'll ignore it or vote it down.

If you'd like to step beyond the voting system, WindyCitizen.com offers Chicago business sponsorship programs that will put your brand in front of our audience in fun, interesting, affordable, and effective ways.  You can read about these programs here.

Who's behind this?

WindyCitizen.com is owned and operated by Brad Flora, a Chicago-based journalist and web developer who lives in Old Town.  You can follow him on Twitter at http://twitter.com/bradflora