GoGreenGuru Portal FAQs
Introduction: What is GoGreenGuru?
GoGreenGuru is a social enterprise network dedicated to the cause of sustainability. We are an integrated, community-led portal that provides a platform for all things related to sustainability.
GoGreenGuru provides a platform for community members to share their ideas, expertise, experiences, successes, and challenges. It is also a platform to share about various initiatives, sustainable brands, products, services, NGOs, and community groups.
We aim at leveraging the power of media, communities, social networking, and e-Commerce to inform, educate, inspire, collaborate, transact and make an impact in the sustainability space. We intend to provide a streamlined experience, connecting the dots, and presenting a holistic picture of sustainability. Our mission is to make sustainability a part of everyday life across homes, establishments, industries, and society at large.
Let us support each other and embark on this mission together!
Why GoGreenGuru, when there are so many blogs, companies, and eCommerce sites, that provide sustainability-related information, products, and services?
Siloed information
Focus on a specific topic or product
Promote specific aspects or products.
Scientific or technical
Informative but not relatable or actionable.
No holistic end to end picture
Regular eCommerce sites do not focus on sustainable products.
What are the gaps in other sites?
It is true that there are many blogs, Information sites, NGO websites, product/service companies websites, eCommerce sites that provide information on various aspects of sustainability or various products on sustainability. Many of these sites are focused on specific areas or topics on sustainability. They provide excellent in-depth information and analysis. Language in many cases is scientific or technical and not very easy to understand. While they are quite informative and good, most of the information on many of these sites is not easily relatable or actionable. Specific product/service company websites focus on the specific area of sustainability and promoting their product and service. They may not cover all the alternatives. Many regular eCommerce sites do not focus on sustainability or sustainability-related products. It is just another product among the vast catalogue of products that are sold. One cannot get a holistic end-to-end picture of sustainability or the practice of sustainability from the above sites unless one researches multiple sites.
How does GoGreenGuru address these gaps?
GoGreenGuru is envisaged to address these gaps. It has come about through our own struggle to understand sustainability end to end and adopt the practices. Instead of the vertical approach of most sites, GoGreenGuru adopts a horizontal approach to sustainability. It breaks the silos of information by putting the user or consumer in the centre. All the information articles are aligned by various categories and structured to provide a holistic end-to-end picture for that category.
Can you explain how GoGreenGuru addresses the end-to-end information gap?
Articles consist of simple How-Tos and information pieces on various aspects of sustainability. How-To articles explain sustainable practices in simple, clear, detailed steps, such that people can easily practise them. Information pieces explore different topics of sustainability and explain concepts, analyses, and outcomes in simple and easy-to-understand language, These are supported by relevant stories of individuals and organizations that have done this before, and the learnings from their experiences are documented very clearly, Most of the articles and stories on the GoGreenGuru portal have a clear call to action and takeaways for the consumer or reader. It also tries to address the important question: “What is in it for me?”.
Can you explain how GoGreenGuru addresses the end-to-end information gap with an example?
For example, the article on Water Conservation talks about the water crisis, the reasons for the water crisis, and the impact of the same on individuals and society. It then addresses the question of what an individual can do about the water crisis in the form of easy-to-follow steps. For each of these steps, where necessary, further detailed articles like rainwater harvesting or water conservation, explain these topics more. This is supported by stories where individuals and communities have successfully done rainwater harvesting or water conservation and the benefits that they achieved are clearly articulated. Also, links to additional resources, community groups, advisors, product vendors, service providers who support the adoption of rainwater harvesting and/or water conservation are provided.
How is the GoGreenGuru marketplace different from other eCommerce sites?
For large eCommerce marketplaces, sustainability products are just another product among the thousands of products that are listed on their site. As mentioned earlier, individual product eCommerce sites have a listing of the specific products. GoGreenGuru marketplace will be carefully curated to include sustainability vendors and social enterprises across India and the world. The products and services of these vendors are carefully sourced keeping in mind their sustainability aspects and their eco-friendliness. The product listing would highlight all the sustainability aspects clearly, including the packaging. Supporting buying guides, brand features, and community feedback would help in making product research easy. All this would help consumers make informed buying choices.
What are the different parts of the GoGreenGuru portal?
Articles
How-Tos: How-To articles explain sustainable practices in simple, clear, detailed steps, such that people can easily practise them
Informative pieces: Informative pieces include explanations on topics of sustainability that are based on research and analysis.
Opinion pieces: Opinion pieces include sharing perspectives and insights on particular topics of sustainability. They also include critiques on policies and practices keeping sustainability in mind. Sustainability and its connection to various domains can also be explored.
Expert Columns: Columns by Sustainability Experts and Practitioners on various sustainability topics.
Videos:
Video How-Tos Guides: Videos that explain sustainable practices in simple, clear, detailed steps.
Video Explainers: Videos on specific sustainability topics.
Podcasts: Discussions on specific topics on sustainability
Stories
Personal Stories: Personal stories include life experiences, thoughts, reflections, philosophies, dreams, challenges and successes of people in the sustainability space.
Brand Stories: Brand stories include stories of brands in the sustainability space.
Community action and NGO Stories: Community action and NGO Stories include community or NGO initiatives in the space of sustainability, which could include campaigns, movements, awareness initiatives, efforts to conserve/rejuvenate a certain ecological space or community-level sustainable practices.
Interview: Interviews of sustainability experts, practitioners and activists.
Short stories and Poetry: Short stories and Poetry on themes of nature and sustainability and encouraging consciousness, individual and community action in this space.
Photo Stories
Video Stories
Stories Podcast
Community Groups: GoGreenGuru allows members to organise themselves into public, private or hidden social groups with common interests and goals. Each community group has separate activity feeds and member listing. Community groups can have activity feeds which are a steady stream of posts from community members. Community groups can also have associated Forum where members can structure threaded discussions on specific topics.
Community Forums: GoGreenGuru has discussion forums to allow members to communicate in a structured, bulletin-board style fashion on specific discussion topics. Forums can be associated with Community Groups or can be stand-alone.
Marketplace: The products on the GoGreenGuru marketplace will be carefully curated to include sustainability vendors and social enterprises across India and the world. The products and services of these vendors are carefully sourced keeping in mind their sustainability aspects and their eco-friendliness.
What kind of posts are allowed on the GoGreenGuru portal?
Articles and Stories are the 2 major categories of posts on the GoGreenGuru portal. Apart from that, there would be posts from users in various community groups, and discussions on various topics in the different community forums.
Please refer to community guidelines before making any posts on the GoGreenGuru portal. Do not post any content which violates the community guidelines. Any posts deemed to be violating the community guidelines would be taken down, providing an email notification to the registered email address. If you believe that it has been taken down in error, please write to grievance@gogreenguru giving your details like telephone number, and e-mail address, details of the content takedown and the justification why the content does not violate the Community Guidelines.
Can I contribute articles, stories, or content to the GoGreenGuru portal?
GoGreenGuru portal is a community-led platform, created to promote community sharing and learning on different aspects of sustainability. We encourage community members to share their learnings and experiences through their submissions. Please refer to the submissions guidelines FAQs for more details,
What can I do if I find an error in one of the posts?
We at GoGreenGuru do our best to verify articles and stories before they are posted on the portal. In case you feel there is an error in any article or stories, please email us at submissions@gogreenguru.com with relevant details and supporting information. We will review the same and take corrective action if necessary and update you of the action taken. If the concerned post is found to be okay, we will inform you of the same with the necessary justification. Give us 4-5 working days to respond with an appropriate response. We might contact you to get additional information or clarifications if required.
What can I do if I find objectionable content in any post?
Notice and Procedure for informing GoGreenGuru regarding Objectionable Content
If you believe that any content on, or advertised for sale on the Website contains any Objectionable Content as defined above, please notify us immediately. You can copy the Notice to GoGreenGuru of Objectionable Content given below, into your word processor program for editing. You can complete it as per the instructions set out in the Notice and send a signed copy in PDF or jpg format via E-mail to the Grievance Officer at the below email address:
grievance@gogreenguru.com
Please note that this procedure is exclusively for notifying GoGreenGuru of Objectionable Content on or advertised for sale on the Website. Please provide your address, telephone number, and e-mail address when sending the notice to us, so that we can provide a response or contact you for additional details.
Important Warning: Giving false, misleading, or inaccurate information in the Notice to GoGreenGuru may result in civil and/ or criminal liability.
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Notice to GoGreenGuru of Objectionable Content
Re: Objectionable Content on GoGreenGuru
I, [Please set out your full name] of [please give your postal address], [please set your occupation] , says as follows:
I refer to the website www.gogreenguru.com (“the website”). I make this statement in support of my giving GoGreenGuru notice that, via the website, it is causing or contributing to the publication of Objectionable Content.
The Objectionable Content (delete whichever paragraph is not applicable): (a) appear in a [Book/Product] being sold by GoGreenGuru via the website entitled [please state the book name and its author if book/please state product name, product ID and supplier, if product]. The Objectionable Content appears on page [please state the page number(s) where you consider the words constitute Objectionable Content in book/specify what part of the product has objectionable content]. OR (b) appear on the website at [please cut and paste the address of the relevant Web page from the website where the Objectionable Content appears].[Ma1]
The words/ content that I consider to be Objectionable Content are [please repeat the exact words you are complaining about].
This content is Objectionable Content because [please state why you consider the content is Objectionable Content].
I understand that this statement may be used in any court proceedings that may arise out of or relating to the Objectionable Content which I have complained about.
Statement of Truth
I declare the facts stated above to be true.
Signed:
Dated:
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What can I do if I find a copyright violation in any post or product?
If you believe that your rights are being violated by an item or information on the GoGreenGuru Websites, you may fill out and submit the Takedown Notice (as set out below). This signed form can be sent via E-mail in PDF format to grievance@gogreenguru.com:
Please note that this procedure is exclusively for notifying GoGreenGuru to take down any content posted on the Website or any product or content listed in the marketplace which violates your copyright Please provide your address, telephone number, and e-mail address when sending the takedown notice to us, so that we can provide a response or contact you for additional details.
Important Warning: Giving false, misleading, or inaccurate information in the Notice to GoGreenGuru may result in civil and/ or criminal liability.
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Notice to GoGreenGuru to takedown content/product for Copyright Violation
Re: Takedown notice for Copyright Violation on GoGreenGuru
I, [Please set out your full name] of [please give your postal address], [please set your occupation] , says as follows:
I refer to the website www.gogreenguru.com (“the website”). I make this statement in support of my giving GoGreenGuru notice that, via the website, it is causing violation of my/our copyright.
The Copyright violation (delete whichever paragraph is not applicable): (a) appear on the website at [please cut and paste the address of the relevant Web page from the website where the Objectionable Content appears]. OR (b) appear on the product listing in the marketplace at [please cut and paste the address of the relevant product listing page from the website where the copyright violation occurs ]
I believe that the above violates my copyright because [please share the full details of copyright].
I’m sharing the following evidence to support my copyright claim [please list the supporting evidence for the copyright claim and attach the same to email].
I request you to take down the content/product which violates my/our copyright.
I understand that this statement may be used in any court proceedings that may arise out of or relating to the copyright violation which I have complained about.
Statement of Truth
I declare the facts stated above to be true.
Signed:
Dated:
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If the claim is found true, GoGreenGuru would takedown the said content or product from the website.
How can I use the GoGreenGuru portal effectively?
GoGreenGuru portal is a community-led platform created to promote community sharing and learn of different aspects of sustainability. It is also aimed at increasing individual and collective conscience, and gearing up individual and community action towards making the world more sustainable every day.
We request each and every community member to participate actively by:
Reading the articles and stories posted on the site and commenting and sharing the links with their circle.
Implementing the ideas and practices given in the call to action, sharing the same in relevant community groups and forums.
Starting a discussion or debate in the appropriate community forum if more information or clarification is needed. Reach out to the author or community members if you need any additional support.
Sharing any new ideas or practices which would help others.
Sharing individual, community, NGO success stories that would inspire others.
Sharing details of brands that are doing stellar work in the field of sustainability, so that we can list their products and services in the marketplace and showcase them under our brand stories.
Participating in community groups and forums discussions.
Participating in the community actions posted in the community groups and forums.
If you are initiating any community action or initiative, sharing in relevant forums all the necessary details so that other community members can participate and contribute effectively.
Creating or sharing events for specific drives in the relevant community groups.
Creating forums under relevant communities to drive community action on specific initiatives.
Sharing webinar/training details on sustainability and community actions in relevant community groups.
Encourage vendors of sustainability products and services with your patronage. Provide them feedback and encouragement to improve their products.
Refer and promote these sustainability products and services vendors to your circles. Convince your friends and relatives to switch to sustainable products and practices.
What is the difference between a community group and a forum?
GoGreenGuru portal allows community members to organize themselves into public, private, or hidden social community groups, based on specific interests or focus areas, with separate activity feeds and member listings. Members can make posts on the activity feed to share updates, ideas, images, videos, events, links, etc.
Forums allow members to communicate in a structured, bulletin-board style fashion on specific topics of interest based on the forum charter. Forums can be part of a community group or independent of community groups. Forums have discussion topics, with a more structured form of discussion than activity feed. Discussions can be on specific topics, queries, debates, campaigns, activities, or events.
What is the difference between Public, Private, and Hidden Groups and Forums?
Public groups and forums are visible to all and everyone can browse them, but only members of the group can post in the same. You can use the Join Group button to join any public group or Forum. You can also join using the invitation link sent by an authorized group member. Since these groups are public and anyone can browse and join/or please ensure that you do not post any private details which you would be uncomfortable sharing with a wider audience.
Private groups and forums are visible to all. Only members who request membership using the Join Group button, and are approved, can browse them or post on them. You can also join using the invitation link sent by an authorized group member.
Hidden groups and forums are not visible to all. Only members who are invited can join them. Only members of the hidden group or forum can see them and post on them.
How can I find and join a community group or forum of my interest?
All GoGreenGuru Community Groups are listed under the Groups. All Forums are listed under Forums. You can browse through the names and descriptions of Groups and Forums and click to join the ones that interest you.
I’m part of many Facebook/Reddit groups on sustainability Or I’m part of many WhatsApp/Telegram groups on sustainability. Why should I join GoGreenGuru Community groups & Forums?
GoGreenGuru Community Groups are similar in functionality to popular social media groups. The primary difference is that all the community groups and forums on the GoGreenGuru portal are focused on sustainability and related social causes. These groups and forums are very easy to discover on the GoGreenGuru portal. Apart from regular posts in the activity feed like the other groups, GoGreenGuru Forum provides a platform to have detailed structured bulletin board-style discussions. These can be used for detailed discussions on specific topics, queries, debates, campaigns, activities, or events. These are very difficult to conduct, follow and track in individual post-type format of other groups.
While the use of messaging apps groups is convenient for immediate discussions, multiple discussions can get intermingled making it very difficult to follow these discussions. They are also very difficult to track and search. The groups are very difficult to discover and many cases need access to an invitation or a link to join. Also, a person joining later misses out on earlier discussion topics. Since the forums offer topic-based discussions, it is very easy to follow each discussion thread. They are easy to search and can be archived for future reference. So newcomers to forums can browse earlier discussion topics and contribute to the same. Even the group posts are visible or archived. WhatsApp and Signal the data is stored locally which can lead to your device running out of space quickly and needing to clear older discussions frequently.
Are there any privacy concerns with the GoGreenGuru portal?
The GoGreenGuru portal is a community-based platform for sharing information, ideas, discussions, products in making the entire world sustainable. Given the nature of the platform and its purpose, there should not be any privacy concerns. Please apply discretion and only share the information which you are comfortable sharing in public forums or messages. Please do not share any private information including your contact details, intimate details, banking or financial details, in any of the groups and forums including private or hidden groups and forums, and in any reviews or messages.
We value and respect your privacy and take utmost care to ensure your privacy is not violated and everything is done with your informed consent. We only collect information with your consent that is essential to operate the site and conduct the transactions. Please refer to our Privacy Policy for more details.
Can I start my own community group or forum?
Yes, you can start your own community group or forum on any sustainability category or related social causes. Please apply discretion in creating new groups, especially if there is already a similar group. One of the objectives of the GoGreenGuru portal is to bring all the various groups working on similar causes into one single platform, breaking the silos between the various groups. One way to achieve this is to follow the approach outlined below:
There is Friends of Tree Community and Forum in the GoGreenGuru which can be a pan-India community for all tree lovers. The community members consist of all tree lovers, people who organize tree plantation drives, people interested in micro forests, Miyawaki forest enthusiasts and practitioners, people who practice urban & peri-urban forestry or rural forestry, NGOs who conduct afforestation initiatives in rural areas, etc. can all be part of the Friends of Tree community and participate in the activities and discussions in the Friends of Tree group & forum. Specific location-based tree lovers groups and associations like a Tree Lovers group in Hyderabad or Bangalore can have a child forum under the Friends of Tree forum to discuss and drive specific initiatives in Hyderabad or Bangalore respectively. This creates a federated community of all Tree Loving groups pan-India. This way common discussion points, ideas, achievements, event notifications, initiatives can be shared in the common group and forum as appropriate. Specific child forums can focus on specific discussions linked to a cause or activity and drive respective actions.
Can I post details of an event in the GoGreenGuru Communities?
Yes, you can post details of any event related to sustainability and related social causes in the respective community and overall GoGreenGuru Community. Posting in a specific community would enable you to reach individuals and groups who share the same interest and get a better response. Sharing in the overall GoGreenGuru community would help you to reach the entire GoGreenGuru community. You could share events like webinars, conferences, workshops, special drives, campaigns, initiatives, etc. You can add the event to the calendar.
Can I create a poll in the GoGreenGuru community group?
Yes.
What kind of items are sold in the GoGreenGuru Marketplace?
GoGreenGuru Marketplace has been carefully curated to include sustainability vendors and social enterprises across India and the world. The products and services of these vendors are carefully sourced keeping in mind their sustainability aspects and their eco-friendliness. The catalog includes items across various categories like Sustainable Homes & Kitchens, Sustainable Lifestyles, Garden, Sustainable Fashion, Footwear, and Accessories, Sustainable Energy, and many more.It also contains products created by various self-help or social groups.
Products: These are physical products which would be shipped to the buyer.
Combo Products: It is a combo of 2 or more products like for example a Gardening toolkit.
Variable Products: These are products that are available in various sizes or color options.
Virtual Products or Services: These would be a catalog of sustainability services like installation or service of sustainable devices, consultancy, workshop/seminar/webinar, memberships, etc.
Downloadable Products: These are virtual products which can be downloaded to various devices like software, apps, digital media like documents, ebooks, movies, audio files, games etc.
Subscription Products: These include products like magazine or membership subscriptions, or recurring purchase of any products at specific frequency.
I cannot find the item I’m looking for? What can I do?
GoGreenGuru is building a comprehensive catalog of sustainable products and services. If you cannot find any specific product or service you are looking for, please write to you us at sales@gogreenguru.com. We will try to add the same to our catalog. We will also try to share alternatives options if any with you. You could also post the request to relevant community groups or forums for suggestions from the community members.
How can I become a GoGreenGuru Marketplace Vendor?
If you are a sustainable brand and would like to list your products or services on the GoGreenGuru Marketplace, please sign up as a vendor. You would need a valid GSTIN number and a valid bank account to open a vendor account. You can upload your catalog through the vendor dashboard. Once approved, you can start selling on the GoGreenGuru Marketplace. All orders would appear in the vendor dashboard, which you need to confirm with a valid delivery date. Once the order is delivered and confirmed, settlement is made as per the terms of the vendor agreement.