Frequently Asked Questions

What is this place?

This site is designed such that people can store lists of various kinds so they are accessible from anywhere and optionally accessible or editable by your friends. Two types of lists are currently supported:

Current List Types Supported

To-Do Lists: This is the standard run of the mill to-do list. It has priority levels, check boxes, etc. When you finish something you check it off. By optionally allowing other people to view your to-do lists you can have other people edit, add or mark items as done.
I use them for even things like shopping lists. I frequently forget the list of minor items I wanted to get the next time I go to the hardware store, and now I have a place to keep them all as I have a specific "hardware-store" list that I can access from anywhere (even a friends house) when I'm suddenly heading to one.
Wish Lists: You can create lists of things you wish for and that other people fulfill. This is most similar to a wedding or shower registry, but can be used for any and all occasions (whether the gifts are physical or not). Your friends and family can then mark gifts as being bought/created/whatever so no duplicates are purchased/made/whatever. This list isn't tied to a particular shopping service or online store. It is entirely generic as we're not affiliated with anyone. Think of it is a shopping list for your friends to refer to. It makes organizing holidays like Christmas, for example, much easier.
I have multiple lists that I use for different purposes such as music, books, generic gift ideas, etc. I enter information into it all year long (since writing up suggestions as my birthday draws near always fills my mind with "I knew there was something..."). This way I always have a list for people to look at as events draw near.
Sign-Up Sheets: Sign-up sheets are useful for creating group todo or task lists. They are very useful for managing events where everyone needs to particpate ahead of time like pot-luck meals, auction item donation lists, etc.
Voting Booths: A Vote List lets you hold your own poll to let people vote from your list of options about a question or topic. This type of list is very useful for organizations which need voting booths.

How do I use it?

Create an account if you haven't done so, and follow the navigation buttons at the top and the side-bar buttons along the left side to navigate through the system. It should be fairly easy to use.

Things you can do:

View and edit your lists
Create new lists
Add and view your list of friends
View and maybe edit your friends lists

Who can read and edit my lists

There is a bit of difference depending on the list. All of the access rights are configurable per-list and thus you can have very-private lists or very-public lists based on your preference and need. When you are looking at any of your lists, you can edit who can view and modify the current list using the pull down menus on the left hand side of the scree (don't forget to hit "Change" when you're done). The defaults are explained below for each list type:

Additional hints about using wish-lists

Add items to "My Wish List"
This is where you specify what gifts you would like to receive. When you receive a gift, come back to this page and delete it to show that you've received it.
View My Friends and their wish lists
First, search for your friend's accounts and add them to your friends list. Then, browse your friends wish lists and optionally make a shopping list which you can print out and take to the store with you.
View My Shopping List
Finally, view the shopping list you created and print it. Take it to the store with you, and when you return from your shopping trip simply mark off the items you've purchased. Marking off the items that you've purchased will ensure that no one else buys identical items for your friend. However, your friend will not see that the item has been purchased when they view their own wish list.

If you want to make use of the wish-list system, you'll be best off if you tell your friends and family about this site for it to become useful for you too. Your gift list will only be used if you tell your friends and family to come here and find it. To-do lists on this site can be invaluable even if you don't make use of the wish-list part of the system however.

Are the wish-lists only valuable during Birthdays and Holidays?

It should be very useful for any gift giving occasions (weddings, baby showers, anniversaries, valentines day, etc...). One of the reasons that it was created is that the author has a horrible memory, and trying to come up with a bunch of ideas right before my birthday was always difficult. Using this site, you can now slowly add to my list throughout the year as you think of things rather than trying to remember it later when someone asks you for ideas.

Why is the site called sharedlists.com

The focus of the site is to share information, in list-format, with friends, family, co-workers and acquaintances. I frequently need to publish lists to friends so they can look at them or edit them, and this is how I do it.

Feel free to write us if you have suggestions for things you'd like to see soon. In the long run, this site should be a very useful utility for people to organize their lives with.