Short answers to the most common questions. For the full rules, see the Terms and Privacy Policy.
The basics
What is grassvalley.app?
A community network for Grass Valley, Nevada City, and the surrounding foothills — a single place for the feed, events, meetups, clubs, the business directory, chatrooms, and direct messages. Built by locals, free to use.
Do I need an account?
You can browse a lot of the site without one. To post, comment, RSVP, message, join clubs, claim a business, or enter the chatrooms, you'll need to sign in. Use Google or an email + password from the login page.
Is it really free?
Yes for members. Businesses can pay for featured placement — see Advertise.
Posting & the feed
How do I post something?
Hit Submit from the header or any feed page. Posts can be plain text, photos, or links. Keep it relevant to the area and follow the community rules.
Can I bookmark posts?
Yes — tap the bookmark icon on any post and find it later under Bookmarks.
How do notifications work?
When someone replies, mentions you, RSVPs to your meetup, or messages you, it shows up in Notifications.
Events & meetups
What's the difference between an event and a meetup?
Events are public happenings around town — shows, markets, festivals. Meetups are member-organized hangs (hike Saturday, board games at the brewery) with RSVPs.
Can I host my own meetup?
Yes. Sign in, head to the events page, and create one. You're responsible for what happens — keep it legal and welcoming.
Clubs
What are clubs?
Long-running groups around a shared interest — trail runners, knitters, parents of toddlers, etc. Browse them at /clubs or start one at /clubs/new.
Are clubs private?
Most are open. Some require approval to join. Posts inside a club are visible to members of that club.
Direct messages
Who can message me?
Any signed-in member can start a DM with you. We're working on finer-grained controls; in the meantime, you can block users you don't want to hear from. Threats and harassment violate the Terms — report them.
Are DMs end-to-end encrypted?
No. DMs are transmitted over HTTPS and stored in our database with row-level security so only you and the other participant can read them. Moderators may review reported threads. Don't share passwords, payment info, or anything you wouldn't want a moderator to see if reported.
Chatrooms
What's the difference between the two rooms?
The general chatroom is family-friendly and open to anyone signed in. The 18+ room requires a date of birth confirming you're an adult.
Business directory
How do listings get there?
Many are seeded from public sources. Owners can claim their listing and edit it after verification.
How do I claim my business?
Find your business in the directory and tap "Claim". We'll verify ownership before granting edit access.
How is the phone number handled?
Business phone numbers are only shown to signed-in members. They aren't exposed in the public listing view to reduce scraping.
Moderation
How do I report something?
Use the report option on any post, comment, message, or listing. Reports go to our volunteer moderator team. For anything urgent (safety, illegal activity), reach us via the contact page and call local authorities if someone is in danger.
Can I become a moderator?
Yes — apply at /apply-moderator. We're looking for level-headed locals who know the area.
Advertising
How does paid placement work?
Local businesses can sponsor a slot in the feed, the directory, or a category page. Sponsored content is always labeled. Details and pricing live on the Advertise page.
Account & data
How do I delete my account?
Reach out through the contact page and we'll remove your account and personal data. Posts you made in public spaces may remain attributed to "deleted user" unless you ask us to remove them.
What data do you collect?
The minimum we need to run the site — see the Privacy Policy for the full list.
Still stuck?
We're a small local team. Drop us a line at the contact page and we'll get back to you.