• Sweden edition

Frequently Asked Questions

Site changes

Registration matters

Editorial

Discuss

Miscellaneous

Site changes

What the heck have you done to the site?

You may notice that we have made some changes to The Local. We have made it wider, so that we can present more content, we have added new sections (such as Travel, Weather and Dating), we have improved other areas (such as Jobs and Search) and ditched a bit here and there too. We hope you like the changes and bear with us through any teething issues.

Where are Classifieds and Meet @ The Local?

These sections have been combined into one new free ads section, which we call Noticeboard. Recent entries on these two sections will appear on Noticeboard. We have also improved the way it works, with a clearer list of notices and covering all the regions in Sweden. If you just want to make friends or chat to people about Swedish matters, try our Discuss section.

Why is my notice not published immediately?

Oh yes, that's the other thing we've changed. Meet and Classifieds were often bombarded with spam, so now all ads are checked before they appear on the site. That process means that your ad will usually appear on the next working day.

Registration matters

Why should I register with The Local?

There are plenty of good reasons here. Or you can just take our word for it.

But remember that you won't be able to join in any discussions or put classified ads on the site unless you do register. Oh, and it's free!

How do I unsubscribe?

Not telling you. Oh, OK.

I forgot my password!

Luckily, you can click here for a reminder.

Why can't I log in?

Make sure you are entering your e-mail address and password exactly as you did when you registered. It's case-sensitive, remember.

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How do I change my registration details?

Sign in using the email address and password you gave when you registered. Then click on 'UPDATE DETAILS' in the left-hand menu, and you'll be able to change your email address and your name.

To change your password, click on 'CHANGE PASSWORD', also in the left-hand menu.

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Editorial

Why do you have so many stories about equality, feminism, homosexuality, ethnicity and booze?

Welcome to Sweden. We do our best to reflect the stories which are making the Swedish headlines, so that our readers have a good grasp of the country's current affairs. Certain issues are big news here - that's just the way it is.

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Why are all your stories about Stockholm?

They're not. But there probably are more stories based on events in Stockholm than in any other city in Sweden. And there's one simple reason: more events happen there. We do try our best to include stories from elsewhere and if it's of national interest, we'll cover it.

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Why can't you spell 'skeptical'?

Ah yes, you've spotted it! The Local's readers and its journalists come from all over the world, but in the interests of consistency (and as a consequence of having a British editor), articles are written using British spelling conventions. Despite this, we try our best to avoid confusion, and avoid British words like "lorry", when "truck" will do just as well. Still, sometimes we have to make a choice, and in those cases, "tap" will always beat "faucet".

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How do I go about writing for The Local?

We welcome submissions. E-mail the editor.

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Where should I send a press release?

If you have a press release about an interesting story related to Sweden, please feel free to e-mail it to us:

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Discuss

Why have you taken comments off articles?

For months readers were asking for a larger and more flexible way of commenting on the news stories we publish. We were also swamped with requests for a general disussion forum.

So in September 2005 we created a new area of the site called Discuss where you can debate current news items and share your views and experiences on a whole range of Swedological subjects.

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So how does this 'Discuss' section work?

First of all, while anybody can read items in the discuss section, only registered users may add to it.

There are a number of categories and those categories are divided into many forums. You can see a full list of these here.

Within each forum are a number of topics. These can be started by The Local staff or by readers. Topics may be news articles for discussion, questions or suggestions for new discussions.

As a registered user, you may add comments, or posts, to topics to your heart's content by clicking on "Post reply".

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I've just registered, so why can't I post for another 48 hours?

You need to have been registered for at least 48 hours before you are allowed to post on Discuss. This measure has unfortunately become necessary to stymie nuisance users, including those promoting commercial services (spammers) and malicious or intentionally disruptive users (trolls).

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How do I post a topic in a forum?

Easy -- click on "Post new topic" on either the forum or topic screens. You need to register before you can post a message. The facilities available to you are listed at the bottom of the forum and topic screens (the "You can post new topics, You can vote in polls" etc. list)

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How do I edit or delete a post?

Unless you are The Local's administrator or forum moderator you can only edit or delete your own posts. You can edit a post (sometimes for only a limited time after it was made) by clicking the edit button for the relevant post. If someone has already replied to the post, you will find a small piece of text output below the post when you return to the topic that lists the number of times you edited it. This will only appear if no one has replied; it also will not appear if moderators or administrators edit the post (they should leave a message saying what they altered and why). Please note that normal users cannot delete a post once someone has replied.

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You deleted my post! It's censorship and I DEMAND an explanation!

The Local is all about Sweden and for people interested in discussing the hot issues in Sweden today. And there are certain house rules.

Paramount among those is this: just as we're not in the business of offending our readers, whatever their ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or religion, so we will prevent others from doing so.

You call it censorship, we call it editorial control. Our job is to provide an interesting, entertaining, informative and relevant site for our readers - if your post conflicts with that, then it just might be deleted. For more detail, please see our conditions of use.

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But there was NOTHING WRONG WITH MY POST!

Oh, sorry. Our mistake, then. Or maybe you used upper case text all over the place. We're not keen on that either.

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Why are there so many anonymous posts?

Some people prefer to remain anonymous when they add comments. Do you need to know who someone is before you will listen to their views?

In fact, we recommend that you use a pseudonymn.

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May I put a link to another site in my post?

Absolutely. We will only delete comments with a link if the link is too long for the page, if it breaches the conditions of use by linking to something unsavoury, or if it is totally irrelevant.

It's more aesthetically appealing if you can do it in this format:

[url=http://www.website.com]Link word[/url]

Then you'll just see the link word, rather than the whole address.

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I've been banned from Discuss! Why?

The most likely reason is that you have repeatedly breached the conditions of use in one way or another.

Another reason for a ban might be that you are causing us so much work - for example, with repeated provocative postings, postings which lead to a deluge of complaints from other users, or postings which undermine our business - that our only option is to ban you.

We don't like having to block people from Discuss and only rarely resort to it. If you feel you have been unfairly treated, please email us and we will look into it.

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How do I stop my real name from appearing in Discuss?

If you would prefer to use a pseudonym when you post in Discuss (and we would recommend it), you can simply change your name.

Sign in using the email address and password you gave when you registered. Then click on 'UPDATE DETAILS' in the left-hand menu, and you'll be able to change your name.

If you have already posted to the site, your new name will appear on your old posts.

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How do I report inappropriate posts?

If you see a post which you think is inappropriate (such as advertising, or a post which may cause offence on the grounds of ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation or religion) please report it to us.

Just click on the 'Report abuse' link under the post and enter your email address and reason for the report in the short form which follows.

We will investigate as soon as possible. If the post breaches our conditions, we will remove it and warn the poster.

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Why have you locked a topic/thread?

Occasionally a thread gets out of hand. That could mean that it has been taken over by bickering or is filling up with posts which breach our conditions. When we aren't able to deal with it on a post-by-post basis, we will lock the thread.

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Miscellaneous

Can you get me a job in Sweden?

Not directly, unfortunately. But our job section contains dozens of jobs for English-speakers and is growing every month.

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Will I meet Swedish girls through The Local?

It's quite possible, since we have many Swedes among our readers. However, if that's the only reason you're looking at The Local, you may be wasting your time.

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Who is The Local for?

In brief, The Local is for anyone who is interested in finding out what's going on in Sweden and who reads English. Our readers in Sweden consist of foreigners from over a hundred nations, as well as Swedes looking for a different perspective on events.

Abroad, The Local has become required reading for people planning a move to Sweden, planning to visit or doing business with Sweden. It is also used as a resource by foreign journalists and researchers writing stories about Sweden, or looking for Sweden's perspective on the issues of the day.

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Is The Local funded by the government?

No.

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Highlights from Follow Sweden

20 things to know before moving to Sweden

As diverse as Sweden is, there are a few societal norms that are distinctly Swedish. Understanding a handful of them will hopefully prepare you culturally before you relocate. When you're invited home to a Swede, you better be on time and take your shoes off, writes expat Lola Akinmade-Åkerström. Read more »

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Sweden is a country where almost everyone can speak English. So why bother to learn Swedish? Edina Varnagy from Hungary managed with English for a whole year but then found that Swedish could open doors – to a job, a social life and greater understanding. Read more »


Blog Update: Julie's Nordic Island

12 February 21:30

The consciousness of one »

"The ice dripped in the winter sun. It was the first day when the light had been intense enough to cause dripping in the sunlight. To hear it was an extraordinary wakeup call. The cycle was happening again as it always does, always will (or so we think). I imagined that on my summer island, the bees..." READ »

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Swedish word of the day

fin

adjective

Fin means anyhting from sweet to proper. When someone says, Du är så fin it's quite a compliment.

Latest news from The Local in Germany

More news from Germany at thelocal.de

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More news from Switzerland at thelocal.ch

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More news from France at thelocal.fr

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New book about Sweden – get to know the country

Sweden – Up North, Down to Earth is a book about Sweden today. A country of natural beauty and open space, and a society focused on equality, human rights and sustainability. Meet regular and astonishing Swedes, supercars and indie rock bands, vampires and royalties.

Buy your copy of Sweden – Up North, Down to Earth from Sweden Bookshop

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