Help MeHelp Me

glossary

Private chat

The ask is not a performance. When someone accepts, the conversation is two people, not a group, not a comments thread.

When it opens

The first eligible helper to accept gets the request. A private chat opens at that moment. Until then there is no thread, no audience, and no half-public “who can help?” pile-on. Offers that were not accepted do not become a conversation.

What it is for

Agree on a public place. Decide whether to share more location. Confirm what the ask actually is — jumper cables at the West Acres lot, a walk from the MSUM library, a box up a downtown stair. Then go do the thing. Chat is a tool, not a social network.

What we do not do with it

Private messages stay between the two people in the request. They are not sold. They are not used to train models. Report and block still apply if the thread feels wrong. Leave a situation that feels wrong; politeness is not a safety feature.

Questions people actually ask

Can other helpers read the chat?

No. Only you and the helper who accepted are in it.

Is chat required?

It is how the two of you coordinate. You still choose the meeting place and what location you share.

What if the messages feel wrong?

Stop. Use report and block. If you are in danger, call 911. Do not stay in a chat to be polite.

Help Me is a community app for adults in Fargo–Moorhead. It is not a K–12 student program, not a youth chat, and not campus police.