Q: What is USpeak and how can I use it?

A: USpeak is service allowing anybody to create anonymous and confidential discussions. The discussions on USpeak are anonymous because all messages posted on a discussion are anonymous. The user who created the discussion itself also remains anonymous. However, all participants see who is participating in the discussion, they just don't know who said what. Discussions are also confidential because a discussion is only visible to its participants. With USpeak, we hope to make it easier for people to talk about delicate, unpopular or taboo subjects. Here are few scenarios:

• A corporation wanting its employees to give anonymous and interactive feedback about things that could be improved in the organization.
• A family member expressing his/her views on a taboo subject.
• An individual in a group wanting to change things and trying to create a momentum.

Q: How much does it cost?

A: It's free.

Q: Can USpeak tell me the identity of the author of a discussion or the author of a message?

A: No, the goal is to be anonymous.

Q: I am willing to pay $$$, can USpeak tell me who's the author now?

A: No. USpeak is designed to preserve the anonymity of the author of discussions and messages. So on purpose, USpeak does not record the author of any discussion or message. Even with a direct access to the USpeak database, it is not possible to know who are the authors of discussions and messages.

Q: Is it possible to add or remove users to an existing discussion?

A: Unfortunately, this is not possible. Adding or removing users to/from an existing discussion may not be what the author of the discussion want. However, you can always create a new discussion with different participants.

Q: I am the author of a discussion, can I add add/remove user to that discussion?

A: Well, the system cannot validate that you are the author of the discussion because that information is not recorded. Again, you can always create a new discussion with different participants.

Q: I created a discussion or I posted a message on a discussion, why does USpeak send me a notification about it?

A: Here again, USpeak is designed to "forget" about who is the author of a discussion or message. When USpeak sends notifications to users participating in a discussion, it already has forgotten who was the author, therefore the notification is sent to every participant.

Q: Since my identity cannot be revealed, does this mean I am free to break the law without consequences.

A: Listen, you are always fully responsible of your behaviour, even on USpeak. This service was not built to encourage crime or other offences. And if you do break law so badly on USpeak that the feds show up at our door with the right papers, USpeak will cooperate with them. Always remember this: The fact that we do not record the authors makes it extremely hard to trace the authors of a discussion or message, but nothing is impossible.

Q: I want to create an anonymous discussion, but I don't want to be listed as a participant. How can I do that?

A: Such feature is not implemented because we could not think of a valid, legitimate and constructive use case for it. This also guarantees that all messages you see in a discussion come from a participant. Participants also have to be authenticated (logged-in) in order to post messages.

Q: I know there is a anonymous discussion going on, but I was not invited. Can I just read what people posted?

A: No, if you're not invited, you can't post and you can't read. Discussions are confidential and anonymous.

Q: Is there any code of conduct to follow on USpeak?

A: We are fully aware that anonymity can worsen bad behaviour of some people. For instance, some people can become rude or even mean if they know they cannot be traced. That is not the goal of USpeak and we do not encourage that. On the other hand, we are also fully aware that anonymity can also have very positive effects. For instance, some people will feel more comfortable to discuss about delicate or even controversial subjects. They will participate more and they will feel free to share their real thoughts. That is what we encourage. Basically, we encourage people to be honest and constructive on USpeak.