Answers to some Frequently Asked Questions

How does MyWineCircle work? MyWineCircle is a free, easy-to-use web-based system for wine group leaders to manage their members and schedules.

What do Group Leaders do with their accounts? Group Leaders define who is in their group(s) and set schedules, which are then made available to the group members. Gone are the days of the group coordinator calling all their members when schedules change - MyWineCircle now handles all of this for you automatically.

What is the benefit for MyWineCircle group members? In addition to receiving automatic reminders for events, group members get their own login, where they can manage all of their MyWineCircle Groups from one account. Members can update their own profile information and attendance, as well as communicate with each other and with other wine circles using the Forum.

How is MyWineCircle different from an email distribution list? MyWineCircle saves the back-and-forth banter from clogging your inbox. Group members are given all the information they need automatically - if they want to banter, they have the Forum. Plus, with a web-based calendar, it's easy for group members to see all upcoming events at a glance.

What makes MyWineCircle special? MyWineCircle is a user-friendly application built specifically for organizers of wine-related events. Our goal is to make your job as the Group Leader easy with a web application that's fast, effective, and powerful.

How many Groups can a leader manage? A Group Leader can manage as many Groups as he or she would like to manage.

How many Groups can a member be on? A member can be on as many groups as he or she would like. MyWineCircle will automatically provide a single account that the member can use to access all of his or her Groups at once.

How do automatic email reminders work? Email reminders are sent before every event to all the members, at which point members will respond with whether or not they can attend the event. All of this is designed to be automatic, so that the Group leader does not need to expend any additional effort coordinating the Group.

What is Outreach? Outreach is a function through the MyWineCircle Forum that allows members of one Group to send messages to members of another Group via the MyWineCircle forums. All Outreach is in a specific folder in the Forum. You can search for other Groups, post messages, and respond to any other Group's Outreach folder.

How can I make sure my members get their emails? You may need to send them an email first from your personal account, asking them to whitelist your email address in their spam filtering software.

Can I download my schedule? Yes, schedules can be downloaded in vCalendar or iCalendar format for easy integration into everyone's calendar software (Outlook, Palm, Google Calendar, etc).

What information do members receive in their emails? Automatically-sent emails to your members provide you with peace of mind that your Group will know what's happening. Emails have a link to confirm whether or not the member will attend the event, so you get a head-count early. If you provide a Zip code with the location of the event, the predicted weather for the event will be included in the email. Also included with every email is a link to the Member Login, so members can easily access their schedules, get maps to event locations, and post messages in the forum. MyWineCircle automatic emails stimulate the kind of involvement that most groups only dream about.

Why do some images I upload into my account not change? In order to properly use MyWineCircle, you need to ensure your browser does not store images and pages in your cache. In Internet Explorer, the best way to do this is to go to Tools - Internet Options - General, click on the Settings button under Temporary Internet Files, and select the button for "Every visit to the page".

How much does MyWineCircle cost? MyWineCircle is free. Really.

How does MyWineCircle survive if it's free? We make money when you support our advertisers. If you see banner ads for products or services related to your interests, we encourage you to check them out! We also offer a low-cost premium account upgrade that opens up some very beneficial functions (like accepting event payments, sharing management functions with group members, and additional file storage space). With automated online event payments (you can have group members pay to attend events or open events up to the public for open registration), we charge only $1 per transaction plus any applicable payment processing fees (usually below 3%) to event attendees as a convenience fee.

How do I advertise on MyWineCircle and to MyWineCircle members? Simply send us an email at sales@MyWineCircle.com and let us know what you would like to advertise, and who you would like to advertise to.

Why do all accounts require a password to log in? MyWineCircle is dedicated to protecting the privacy of the members on each Group. Your personal information is only available to people on your Group.

Do I need to download anything to use MyWineCircle? No - MyWineCircle is entirely web-based.

Which web browsers can I use with MyWineCircle? MyWineCircle has been tested with Microsoft Internet Explorer 6 and 7 (it works much better with IE7 and we strongly recommend the upgrade to IE7), Firefox 1.5, and Apple Safari 2.0. Be sure you have the latest version of your web browser, as MyWineCircle uses cutting edge technology to bring you state-of-the-art Group management. For the best user experience, we strongly recommend your screen resolution be at least 1024 pixels wide.

How do you safeguard the information stored in the MyWineCircle account? First, we will never sell, distribute, or share any specific personal information about you or your Group without asking your permission FIRST (and no, we won't bury that permission in fine print). Secondly, we realize that your personal information should be kept that way and have endeavored to create the most secure system, with state of the art firewall protection and very restricted access (each account is in its own database, separate from all others). Lastly, we will always communicate with registered Group leaders when we have major upgrades or maintenance being done to the system. All members of MyWineCircle can elect to be on our mailing list.

Sign up for an account and see for yourself how MyWineCircle can help your wine group today!