What can I see on Every Square Mile? (Back to Top)
You will be able to see any entry that you have created on Every Square Mile.

You will also be able to see any entry that someone else has created, as long as it is not a 'Draft/Private Only' type entry. You will not be able to edit or see an entry of 'Draft/Private Only' type.

Every Square Mile is full of content - stories, photographs, recordings and video - contributed by members of the public and organisations like museums, the BBC, local history societies and heritage bodies.

How do I find content on Every Square Mile? (Back to Top)
Every Square Mile is full of content - stories, photographs, recordings and video - contributed by members of the public and organisations like museums, the BBC, local history societies and heritage bodies.

Anyone can add to Every Square Mile. We believe that everyone has something to contribute - including you.

There are several ways to find content on ESM. You can:

Move your mouse over a marker on the map (Back to Top)
Each marker on the map represents an entry in Every Square Mile. If you move your mouse over a marker on the map [IMAGE] a 'bubble' will appear containing a summary of the information for that entry, including an image, if one has been included. (If the entry has more than one image, only the first one will show in the bubble.)

Click on 'More' at the bottom of the bubble to read the whole entry

Move your mouse over a cluster of markers on the map (Back to Top)
A 'congested' area where many markers are clustered together on the map is represented by [IMAGE]. Mover your mouse over a cluster, and a 'bubble' will appear that contains one of the entries in that cluster.

Click on the arrows at the bottom of the bubble to see other entries in the cluster.

Click on an entry in a list (Back to Top)
Each of the markers visible on the map is listed in the column to the left of the map. Click on the entry in the list that you are interested in to read the whole entry

(More than 10 markers may be visible on the map. In this case, only 10 will appear in the left-hand column. Click on the 'More' button at the bottom of the list to see further results.)

Use the 'search' facility (Back to Top)
You can use the 'search' facility at the top of the map to search the entire Every Square Mile database for specific entries based on keywords related to the subject you are interested in. At the moment, this box does not allow you to search for a place you are interested in. Search for places using the map.

The results of your search will appear in the column to the left of the map in the form of a list. Simultaneously, the corresponding markers for each of these results will appear on the map.

Either click on the entry in the list that you are interested in, or click on the marker on the map that you are interested in, to see more about that entry.

(If your search has generated more than 10 results, you can click on the 'More' button at the bottom of the list to see further results.)

Click on a keyword (Back to Top)
At the bottom of the column to the left of the map you will usually find a list - or 'cloud' - of keywords. Click on a keyword to see a list of Every Square Mile entries with that keyword.

The entries with that keyword will appear in the column to the left of the map in the form of a list. Simultaneously, the corresponding markers for each of these entries will appear on the map.

Either click on the entry in the list that you are interested in, or click on the marker on the map that you are interested in, to see more about that entry.

(If your keyword has generated more than 10 results, you can click on the 'More' button at the bottom of the list to see further results.)

Click on a member's name (Back to Top)
Every entry in Every Square Mile is created by a member. If you click on their member name, a list of entries they have created will appear in the column to the left of the map in the form of a list. Simultaneously, the corresponding markers for each of these entries will appear on the map.

Either click on the entry in the list that you are interested in, or click on the marker on the map that you are interested in, to see more about that entry.

(If the member you clicked on has created more than 10 stories, click on the 'More' button at the bottom of their list to see further results.)

What are keywords? (Back to Top)
You can attach keywords to stories to make them much easier to find.

For example, if you have a story about the cricket club flooding in Chertsey, you can attach the keywords 'cricket', 'flood' and 'Chertsey' to that story.

The keywords will then appear in the keyword lists, or 'clouds', usually located at the bottom of the column to the left of the map.

When another user clicks on these words - in our example either 'cricket' or 'flood' or 'Chertsey' - your story will be found (as well as any other story with the keywords 'cricket' or 'flood' or 'Chertsey').

The more often a keyword is clicked by users, the bigger it grows in the list, so you can see at a glance what the most popular keywords are.

The keyword idea takes a bit of getting used to, but it's really useful for shortcuts to your favourite content, or just browsing the site and seeing where it takes you!

How do I add my stuff to Every Square Mile? (Back to Top)
It's easy. All you do is go to 'CREATE' (one of the big tabs at the top-left of any page). Click on 'CREATE' and follow the on-screen instructions.

You must register with Every Square Mile to add content. You can do this EITHER before you create an entry, by clicking on the 'Register' link at the top right of any page OR at the end of creating an entry, when you will be prompted to follow the on-screen instructions.

What can I write about on Every Square Mile? (Back to Top)
ESM isn't about dates, or monarchs, or famous battles (although there's a place for that too, should you choose). It's about the stories in your area that you consider to be important.

Your entry could just as easily be the story of your local pub or sports team, your house, an infamous scandal, a colourful personality, crime and punishment, social trends, urban sprawl, changing fashions, local legends, the ancient past, festivals, benefactors, food and drink - you name it, it's all welcome.

When planning what to write, we ask you to adhere to the following guidelines:

1. Contribute for everyone. Your contribution will form part of a big, collaborative picture of your local area. Think about how to make your contribution interesting and enjoyable for other people.
2. Be relevant. Every Square Mile is about the rich tapestry of events, places and people that have made your local area what it is. Consider whether your contribution will help capture an aspect of this bigger picture. Please do not contribute content that is not relevant to the project.
3. Verify where possible. Include references and sources for your contributions when you have them, so that they can be shared with others. Feel free to include your own original research.

Some contributors may even want to write something about their own lives. That's also fine, but you should still try and write it for the whole ESM audience.

So instead of making an entry on the map that says: 'My nan lived here', try and flesh the story out a bit, to make it interesting for everyone.

For example, you could write:

'My grandmother, Irene Dobbs, lived here on Grove Road for about 70 years. She said the house stands where the stables of the old manor house used to be, which is why the ground is so good for growing vegetables. She remembers watching the big horses do the Thursday delivery from the brewery to the White Horse on Windsor Road. Here is a photo of her with the horses standing outside the pub. '

It's also fine to ask questions. For example, you might want to add to the piece above:

'Does anyone know if the stables did stand on Grove Road? Why did they knock them down? What sort of beer did they deliver to the White Horse?'

Let your curiosity lead you!

Don't forget, the purpose of the site is to arrive at a consensus on any particular entry, so we would urge you to allow others to edit and contribute to your content. Your original work will never be lost because previous versions are always saved!

What kind of entries can I make? (Back to Top)
When you create an entry on Every Square Mile, you can make it one of five types. These types allow you to control who can see your entry and who can edit it. (You can change your entry type at any time, for example by changing a 'Draft entry into a 'General Article' entry.)

General Article (Back to Top)
This allows everyone to see your entry and anyone to edit it. This type should be used for entries that are intended to form part of the general history of the area (personalities, places and events), but would benefit from constructive editing by other members of ESM.

Original Research (Back to Top)
This allows everyone to see your entry, but only you can edit it. This type should be used for complete entries of a high standard - detailed and thoroughly researched - that form part of the general history of the area, but would not benefit from further editing by other members of ESM.

Original Research (Back to Top)
This allows everyone to see your entry, but only you can edit it. This type should be used for stories about yourself or a subject primarily of interest to you or your friends and family. It is more like a 'diary entry' and as such would not benefit from further editing by other members. (You should consider carefully if your story is relevant to ESM before adding it.)

Draft/Private Only (Back to Top)
Only you can see this entry and only you can edit it. This type should be used to save rough work and draft entries prior to making them available for everyone to view.

Question (Back to Top)
This allows everyone to see your entry and anyone to edit it. This type should be used to pose questions about the history of the area for other members of ESM to answer. This is a means of prompting other users who may have knowledge of a subject to contribute what they know.

Please do not contribute content that is not relevant to the project.

When can I edit entries on Every Square Mile? (Back to Top)
To edit anything on Every Square Mile, you must register first.

Once you have registered, you will be able to edit any entry you have created.

You will also be able to edit any entry that someone else has created, as long as it is either a 'General Article' type or 'Question' type entry.

An 'edit' button will be visible at the top of any entry you are permitted to edit. Click on the 'edit' button and follow the on-screen instructions.

You cannot edit any entry that someone else has created if it is an 'Original Research' type or 'Personal Story' type entry.

You will not be able to edit or see an entry of 'Draft/Private Only' type.

What can I edit in someone else's story? (Back to Top)
You can edit virtually everything in another member's story, as long as it is either a 'General Article' type or 'Question' type entry.

You can

• Edit the location of the story
• Alter the text of the entry, including the title
• Add or remove keywords from text and photos
• Alter or add dates to the entry
• Add or remove photos and alter their captions

You cannot

• Delete the entry
• Change or delete the creator of the entry
• Change the licence of the entry
• Change the licence on images already added to the entry

How do I edit responsibly? (Back to Top)
If someone has taken the time and effort to contribute to Every Square Mile, this should be respected by other contributors, especially when editing their content.

We ask you to edit responsibly by adhering to the following guidelines:

1. Be collaborative. Welcome constructive criticism and modifications of your contributions and encourage debate. Be helpful, generous and constructive when reviewing and modifying the contributions of others.
2. Be open minded. Your opinions may differ from those of other contributors. Be tolerant and seek consensus.
3. Be patient. Users of all ages and abilities contribute to Every Square Mile.

If ESM is to be useful as a resource, entries need to be as accurate and as interesting as possible. We believe that collaboration is the best possible means of achieving this and ask contributors to help make the system work.

Is my work lost if someone edits it? (Back to Top)
No. All saved previous versions of an entry are kept in the entry's history. This is important in order to: a) preserve a record of everyone's contribution to that entry; and b) to show how consensus was arrived at for that entry.

In this way, each entry has a thorough and fully-documented history. To look back through this history, simply open an entry and click on the 'Previous version' button, located at the top of the page beneath the title.

An indication will be given of how many versions of an entry have been saved and which one you are looking at, for example: '3 of 5'.

To move forward in time through this history, click on the 'Next version' button at the top of the page. If no 'Next version' button is visible, you are on the most recent version.

Similarly, if no 'Previous version' button is visible, you are on the earliest version, or only one version of that entry has been created to date.

If someone edits my work, do they get the credit for the whole entry? (Back to Top)

No. The original creator of an entry is always credited. Editors are only credited on the version of the entry to which they have made a change.

For example, if Joe_90 created an article about land speed records at Brooklands, and Fast_Eddie was the sixth person to edit it, Joe_90 would be credited as the creator of that entry and Fast_Eddie as the editor of version 6.

If Mustang_Sally then became the seventh person to edit it, Joe_90 would still be credited as the creator of that entry and Mustang_Sally as the editor of version 7.

Looking back through the entry's history, you would still be able to see that Fast_Eddie was the editor of version 6.

Why is 'consensus' important? (Back to Top)

'Consensus' is an Every Square Mile watchword.

Every Square Mile is intended to create a 'people's history' of the United Kingdom. History is for everyone, not just an elite few.

The aim is to arrive at a consensus on any particular entry - a general agreement between everyone that the entry is factually accurate and tells us something about an aspect of the history of the area.

ESM allows you to choose whether or not other people can edit the content you have contributed. In the interests of staying true to the ambitions of the project, we would urge you to choose to allow others to edit your content.

Don't worry, your original work will never be lost because previous versions are always saved!

How do I register with Every Square Mile? (Back to Top)
You must register with Every Square Mile to add or edit content.

You can do this EITHER before you create an entry, by clicking on the 'Register' link at the top right of any page OR at the end of creating an entry, when you will be prompted to follow the on-screen instructions.

To edit another member's entry (including rating it) you will need to register first, by clicking on the 'Register' link at the top right of any page. Follow the on-screen instructions.

Other things you need to know:

• You only need to register with Every Square Mile once.
• You should choose a username that you are happy for other people to see. Rather than your real name, you may want to use a nickname or a pseudonym to safeguard your privacy.
• You should keep a record of your username and password for future reference.
• You shouldn't share your password with anyone else.

How do I log in to Every Square Mile? (Back to Top)

If you have already registered with Every Square Mile, you will need to log in whenever you want to add or edit content.

You can do this EITHER before you create an entry, by clicking on the 'Register' link at the top right of any page OR at the end of creating an entry, when you will be prompted to follow the on-screen instructions.

To edit another member's entry (including rating it) you will need to log in first, by clicking on the 'Log in' link at the top right of any page. Follow the on-screen instructions.

An easy way to check if you are logged in or not is to look at the big tabs at the top right of any page. If a tab saying 'My Stuff' is visible, you are logged in,.

What is My Stuff? (Back to Top)
My Stuff is your personal area of Every Square Mile. You will need to be registered and logged in to see your My Stuff page.

This page contains a summary of everything you have ever created on Every Square Mile, but not everything you have ever edited. Follow the on-screen instructions to view, change, add to or delete any of this content.

What if I forget my username or password? (Back to Top)
If you forget your username or password, click on the 'log in' link on the top right of the page, and then click on the forgotten password link below the 'Log in' button. Enter the email address you registered with. Your username will be emailed to you, with a link to reset your password.

What are licenses? (Back to Top)
When you add content to Every Square Mile, you will be asked to select a licence for the text you add and again for any images you add.

This may sound scary, but don't worry, it isn't - it just ensures you are properly protected as a fully-fledged publisher of content on the internet!

You should read the full text of the licences to ensure you understand how your contributions may be used by other people.

There are two types of licence you can grant for the content you add to Every Square Mile:

Limited Share/No Modifications
If you choose to grant other users this licence, they can make your content available elsewhere for personal, non-commercial use and/or educational purposes only, but they can't modify or adapt it. (For any other use of your content, they will need to seek your permission.)

Your content will then be marked with this logo See the full text of this licence.

Share/Modify If you choose to grant other users this licence, they can make your content available elsewhere for non-commercial use only, but they can modify or adapt it as required. (For commercial use of your content, they will need to seek your permission.)

Your content will then be marked with this logo See the full text of this licence.

In all cases where people wish to reuse content from Every Square Mile, we ask that the original authors and editors are credited as appropriate.

What is Every Square Mile? (Back to Top)
Every Square Mile is a BBC pilot project to create a 'people's history' in the area of Runnymede and Woking.

We are asking you, the public, to help us capture the events, personalities, legends and landmarks that make this area unique.

We believe everyone has something to contribute.

What is a pilot? (Back to Top)
A pilot is basically a small-scale trial of a project, run over a limited period of time. Its purpose is to test both the concepts underpinning the project and the technology used to deliver it, prior to a full-scale rollout.

In this way, the BBC can engage the public in helping make the most of the licence fee payers' money invested in the project. Public feedback will help us refine and develop the project to the point where it is ready to be rolled out nationally. Of course, there is always the chance that a pilot will prove the project isn't suitable for a full-scale rollout. This usually means that the project will be discontinued at the end of the pilot phase. Should this happen in the case of Every Square Mile, all contributions will be archived by the British Library, where you will be able to access them in perpetuity.

Why Runnymede and Woking? (Back to Top)
Every Square Mile is intended to create a 'people's history' of the United Kingdom. History is for everyone, not just an elite few. This project aims to help people to preserve the history that matters to them, and to allow them reach a consensus on the facts and what they mean. We believe that everyone has something to contribute.

In this way, Every Square Mile is inherently democratic, so where better to launch the pilot that the birthplace of democracy itself!

The pilot area was defined by drawing a rectangular box around the area covered by Runnymede Borough Council. This was subsequently extended south to include most of Woking after permission was given to double the population (rather than the area) covered by the pilot.

The Ordnance Survey coordinates for the ESM pilot are:

• North West corner: 498000:173126
• North East corner: 507000:173126
• South West corner: 498000: 157500
• South East corner: 507000:157500

What is a 'people's history'? (Back to Top)
Every square mile of the United Kingdom is steeped in thousands of years of history, but as people become more and more detached from the places where they live, work and play, more and more of the history of local places is being lost.

Every Square Mile aims to reverse this erosion of our rich national heritage, but this is a job too big even for a large organisation like the BBC. That's why we are asking the public to help us capture the history and heritage of their local area before it is too late. We need your knowledge!

There are good precedents for this. For example, the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary was compiled with the help of more than 5 million contributions from the public.

History is for everyone, not just an 'elite' few. Every Square Mile aims to allow people to preserve the history that matters to them, and we believe that everyone has something to contribute.