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FAQ on Uploading Public/Legal Notices
Q: How do I start uploading public notices?
A: Contact
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at 217-241-1300 and he will give you instructions, logins/passwords and assistance.
Q: Why is IPA doing this?
A: All state press associations are keenly aware of the need to address the growing pressure by state legislatures and local government units to post public notices online rather than publish them in newspapers. There are 33 states that have some version of a statewide public notice Web site. The PNI Web site will address the online concerns by government while preserving the traditional role of newspapers as the first source for publication.
Q: Will I need any special software or other technology to participate?
A: No, notices are uploaded as text-only files so no special program is needed, just access to the Internet. There are two methods for uploading the notices, and IPA staff can show you how to do it within your existing system.
Q: I’m a small operation. Is this easy to do, or will it require a lot of work?
A: It is extremely easy.
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, IPA’s technology & online coordinator, is available every day to assist member newspapers with anything they need. This may include trips to newspapers to provide hands-on training as needed. It is critical that a specific person at each newspaper be identified to do this every day or every week, depending on one’s frequency of publication. Otherwise, consistent uploading will fall through the cracks.
Q: Who will be able to access this Web site?
A: Everyone. All members of the general public, including businesses, government officials and private citizens, will be able to access the Web site and view any public notice published in an Illinois newspaper.
Q: Is the PNI Web site available for viewing by the public now?
A: The site was announced on August 1, 2008 - view it at www.publicnoticeillinois.com.
Q: Will there be a charge to the public to access PNI?
A: No. It is free to everyone. However, down the road we will be adding a “Smart Search” component to PNI. That will enable commercial users to search the PNI database for specific notices. That service will be offered for a fee.
Q: This sounds like a potential money-maker for me. Can I add an “up charge” over and above what I currently charge for publishing in my newspaper?
A: Absolutely not. That would be a terrible mistake. The purpose of this new service is to pre-empt any efforts to take away notices in newspapers and replace them with online alternatives. To charge for this would clearly send the wrong message that this is just about our own self-interests.
Q: Who should post public notices to PublicNoticeIllinois?
A: Any publication that publishes public notices in Illinois should upload their notices to the site.
Q: Why should I participate?
A: We want to keep public notices in newspapers. By uploading your notices to our site, your public/legal notices reach a wider audience, increasing the value of the notice. Anyone with access to the Internet can access your uploaded notices.
Q: What types of public/legal notices should be uploaded?
A: ALL public/legal notices you publish.
Q: When should we post our notices to the site?
A: You should post your notices the day they are published in your publication. Each time you publish notices, they should be uploaded to the site. For example, if you publish public notices twice in a week, you should upload to the site each time.
Q: Does this take anything away from my newspaper?
A: No. Notices cannot be uploaded to our site until they have been published in your publication. Anyone, anywhere, with access to the Internet can then search for your notices by using our site.
Q: We close our classifieds two days prior to printing, so when do we upload the notices to the site?
A: The date is the publication date of the newspaper. That way when people search by date, it is the date that it ran in the newspaper.
Q: Do I upload each notice individually, or in one file? For example, if I have 10 foreclosure notices, is it 10 files or one?
A: If those 10 notices are published in your newspaper on the same day, then one file. If they are 10 notices that are all published on a different day, then you need to have them in separate files based on the date that they are published.
Q: When uploading the notices manually, what does the file need to be named?
A: Manual uploading doesn’t need a specific file name, it just has to be a .txt file.
Q: What do I do when I posted a notice on the wrong day or had a misspelling and need to delete it?
A: Contact
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at the IPA and she can remove the notice for you. Just let him know what notice needs to be deleted.
Q: How can I sign up and who do I contact if I have questions?
A: Simply contact
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, technology & online coordinator, to receive your username and password. You will also receive step-by-step instructions on how to upload your notices. You may contact
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at 217-241-1300.
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