Help & Support

Guides, FAQs, and how to get in touch. This platform is non-partisan and not affiliated with any political party, government, or commercial entity.

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Getting started

Iranian Students & Friends Network is a volunteer-run, non-partisan community platform. This deployment is independent — your account lives only here, and no data is shared with any sister community platform.

Who can join?

Anyone is welcome to sign up. The primary audience is students, academics, alumni, and professionals linked to the community, but friends of the community are also welcome. Community members must briefly state why they are joining during signup.

How do I get verified?

Open Settings › Verification and submit your student ID, institutional email, or workplace credentials. The moderation team reviews submissions and you will be notified once approved or if more information is needed.

What does an approved account unlock?

Approved accounts can post to the feed, create marketplace and borrow listings, post ride offers and requests, claim governance positions, and run or vote in elections.

Can I hide my name or personal details?

Yes. In Settings › Privacy you can toggle "Hide my name" so only your @username is shown publicly. You can also control the visibility of bio, LinkedIn, CV, and other profile fields individually.

What languages are supported?

The interface is localised into English and the community languages of the region this deployment serves. Terms of Service and Help pages are available in every supported language; non-English versions are currently machine-translated and may contain inaccuracies.

Is this platform political?

No. The platform is strictly non-partisan. Party campaigning, promotion of armed groups, and propaganda for any state are not allowed. Civic items (petitions, polls, public statements) must be constructive, factual, and rooted in community interest, not partisan politics.

Chapters

What are chapters?

Chapters represent student associations at different levels: university, state/region, country, and global. Each chapter has its own leadership, feed, and governance settings. Your account is linked to a chapter based on your institution and location.

How do I set or change my chapter?

During signup you pick your institution. You can update it later in Settings › Profile. Your chapter determines which elections you can vote in and which local content surfaces in your feed.

My university doesn't have a chapter yet — what do I do?

Email [email protected] and we can set one up. Chapters can be created at any scope: university, state, country, or global hub.

Governance & leadership

Each chapter can have an official leadership structure with named roles. Leadership is always visible to all members in Connect › Governance.

What are governance roles?

Roles are named positions within a chapter (e.g., President, Treasurer, Student Representative). They can be filled through elections, official appointments, or both, depending on the chapter's governance model.

What is an Official Association?

Some chapters have a formally registered student association recognised by their university or institution. When an official association is registered on the platform, its leadership structure can be officially recorded and verified.

How do I claim my position?

If your chapter has a registered official association, go to Connect › Governance, select your chapter, and click Claim a position. Choose your role, add a short supporting note, and optionally attach a supporting document (PDF, JPEG, PNG, or WebP up to 10 MB). An admin will review and approve or reject the claim.

What governance models exist?

Community Elections — roles are filled by member vote.
Official Appointments — roles are assigned by admin based on official records; elections are disabled.
Hybrid — some roles are elected, others are appointed.

Can I message chapter leaders?

Yes — if a leader has messaging enabled, a message button appears on their card in the Governance view. You can also reach out via Connect › Messages.

Elections

Elections let chapter members democratically choose their leaders. They are only available for chapters using a Community Elections or Hybrid governance model.

Request an election

Go to Connect › Elections and click Request an Election. Pick the chapter and the role, and add an optional reason. Your account must be approved.

Community vote on the request (3 days)

Eligible members vote yes or no on whether to hold the election. For university elections, all approved chapter members vote. For state/country/global elections, only elected representatives from sub-chapters vote. If more than 50% say yes, the election opens automatically.

Candidacy phase (7 days)

Eligible members apply by opening the election and clicking Apply as Candidate, then writing a personal statement of up to 2,000 characters. Candidacies can be withdrawn any time before voting begins.

Voting phase (7 days)

Eligible members cast one vote for their preferred candidate. You cannot vote for yourself or change your vote. For representative elections, only elected representatives from sub-chapters may vote.

Results

When voting ends, the candidate with the most votes wins and is assigned the role. A tie requires admin resolution. An election is cancelled if no candidates applied. Past elections are archived under Connect › Elections › Archive.

Who can run as a candidate?

Your account must be approved and you must belong to the chapter holding the election. For state, country, or global elections you must already hold an elected representative role in a sub-chapter.

What is a Representative Election?

Higher-level chapters use representative elections. Only members who hold an elected role in a sub-chapter may run or vote.

What if there is a tie?

If two or more candidates share the top vote count, the election enters a tied status. An administrator must resolve it — either by declaring a winner or scheduling a run-off.

How often can elections be held?

There is a 30-day cooldown per chapter and role.

Marketplace, Borrow & Rides

Verified members can list products, services, and items to borrow, and can also post or search for rides. Transactions happen off-platform and at your own risk.

What can I list?

Products — items for sale or to give away for free.
Services — tutoring, translation, design, tech support, etc.
Borrow — items you can lend to others, or items you would like to borrow. For borrow listings you can optionally specify a return date.

How do I list an item to borrow or to lend?

Open Connect › Marketplace, click New listing, pick "Borrow" as the item type, then pick whether you are lending (Offering) or looking to borrow (Looking for). Fill in the description and, optionally, the expected return date. No price is needed for borrow listings.

Is the return date enforced?

No. The return date is informational only so both sides can align expectations. The platform does not track returns or mediate disputes. Keep your own records.

Can I post rides?

Yes. Connect › Rides lets verified members offer or request rides with route, date, seats, and contact details. Drivers and passengers are solely responsible for safety, insurance, licences, and any agreements.

How do I report a bad listing or user?

Use the flag icon on any listing, ride, or profile. Moderation reviews reports promptly. Urgent safety issues: email [email protected].

Privacy & safety

Who can see my profile?

By default your profile is visible to other members. In Settings › Privacy you can individually hide name, bio, LinkedIn, CV, and other fields. Toggling "Hide my name" replaces your display name with your @username everywhere.

How do I report a member, post, listing, or message?

Use the flag icon / overflow menu on any post, listing, ride, message, or member profile. Reports are reviewed by the moderation team. For urgent concerns, email [email protected].

Can I block someone?

Yes. Visit a member's profile and use the overflow menu to block them. Blocking hides your content from them and prevents them from messaging you.

How is my data handled?

Your data is stored on servers hosted in the US and is never sold to third parties. Supporting documents uploaded for position claims are stored securely and only accessible to platform administrators. Contact [email protected] with any data-related requests.

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