Welcome to thecannon, your online community at the University of Guelph! This section attempts to answer some of the most frequently asked questions about the website. Please refer to the FAQ to receive the quickest possible response to your questions.
If you can’t find what you’re looking for, please contact us.
Account Questions
How do I sign up for an account?
Click “create account” at the top of the main page and fill in the required fields. You will be brought to a page indicating that an activation email was sent to the address provided. You will not be able to log in before you access the activation email and click on the link provided.
I didn’t receive an activation email for my account.
Please check your spam folders to ensure the activation email wasn’t filtered out by your email provider. You may also have to adjust your email filter settings to allow emails from thecannon.
Is the log-in information for thecannon related to my log-in information for the University of Guelph website?
No. The website is entirely separate from the University of Guelph. If you are a U of G student, you will still have to create an account in order to post content on thecannon.
When I try to log into my account, the page just refreshes.
Please ensure that you have Java Script enabled on your web browser, that your browser accepts cookies and that your web browser is up-to-date. Sometimes, these can cause problems with the site.
I have forgotten my username and/or password.
Visit the Reset Password page and enter the email address used to create the account. You will receive an email with instructions for how to reset your password.
Classifieds questions
I recieved an email saying my classified was removed, and am not sure why.
If you received an email that your classified was removed, you’ll have noticed there are three possible explanations listed: discriminating tenancies by gender/other protected groups, incomplete or inaccurate housing classifieds, or selling intellectual property (this includes but is not limited to class notes, tests, and PDFs under Article 52 of the UGFA Collective Agreement, mandated by the University of Guelph). These are the three most common issues with classified ads, but may not pertain to your specific ad.
If you read through this prompt and are still unsure of why your classified was removed, here are a few additional reasons and more information on classified removals:
Additional reasons for removal
- content or items in an inappropriate category on the classifieds section
- multiple classified ads for the same item in the same category
- classified ads for corporate or commercial ventures such as retail outlet sales, mail order or online businesses, job agency recruiting drives, etc. Individuals and agencies that manage rental properties are the sole exception to this rule.
- classified ads for items or services that originate outside the country of Canada
- classified ads containing information that is false, inaccurate, misleading, defamatory, libelous or invasive of a person’s privacy
- material that is abusive, vulgar, hateful, harassing, obscene, threatening, or otherwise in violation of any law
- classified ads that do not offer an item or service
- classified ads offering the for-profit sale of instructional materials produced by faculty, librarians, veterinarians, staff and student Creator(s), as defined in Article 52 of the UofG-UGFA Collective Agreement. (See “Intellectual Property” below).
- classified ads that promote giveaways, random drawings, lotteries, raffles, prizes or bonuses.
- classified ads that violate applicable laws, or the policies of the cannon, the CSA, the GCC or The University of Guelph.
- classified ads soliciting sexual actions or services.
Intellectual Property
Article 52 of the Collective Agreement between the University of Guelph and the University of Guelph Faculty Association outlines the rights of faculty members to own creative and academic works they produce.
The preamble of Article 52 states that “The fundamental principle of the University’s policy with respect to ownership is that Intellectual Property is owned by the faculty, librarians, veterinarians, staff and student Creator(s) who create it, subject only to the specific exceptions set out in this Article…”
Article 52.1.3.2 further defines Intellectual Property as “communication signals and works including but not limited to: publications, notes, books, texts, articles, monographs, glossaries, bibliographies, cartographic materials, modular posters, study guides, laboratory manuals, correspondence course packages, interactive textbooks, websites, course work delivered on the Internet, including distance education, multimedia instructional packages, syllabi, tests and work papers, lectures…”
As the owners of intellectual property, the members outlined in the UofG-UGFA Collective Agreement have the exclusive right to distribute, sell or resell creative and academic works they produce. Posting these works for sale on thecannon could result in legal liability for both the site and the User.
Intellectual property as defined in Article 52 of the UofG-UGFA Collective Agreement includes but is not limited to:
- assignments, tests, midterms, and finals
- lab manuals
- course notes
- study guides
Prohibited Items
Current prohibited items/services in addition to those outlined above include:
- PDF, eBook and online versions of textbooks
- Previous course materials (all forms of coursework including notes, assignments and evaluation material)
thecannon makes available a classifieds section on The Website to allow users to advertise and view items or services for sale. The classified section is meant to help members of the community connect with individuals who may wish to buy or sell an item or service. It is not intended as a forum for corporate or commercial advertising.
The content in the classifieds section is provided on an “as is, where is” posted basis by users. thecannon, its Employees and Owners provide no endorsement or representation of any kind regarding the products or services bought or sold on The Website. Each user of The Website is responsible for verifying the accuracy of any information the user may desire to use from the classifieds section.
By using The Website classifieds section, you accept any risk or injury or loss of any kind relating to or arising out of your use of the classifieds section. You agree to release thecannon, its Employees and Owners from liability of any kind relating to or arising out of the use of the information in the classified section.
Ads containing adult, erotic, or mature products, content, or services are also forbidden.
How do I post a classified on thecannon?
After you sign into your account, click “My classifieds” at the top of the page, then click on the “post a classified” link and fill in the required fields.
My classified won’t submit – the page just refreshes.
If there is an error with the way the form is filled out, the classified will not submit. Please look for red error messages on the form. When the classified is successfully submitted, you will be taken to a new page.
I can’t find my classified after successfully submitting it.
Depending on site traffic, it may take a few hours for your classified to go live. The best way to determine if your classified was posted is to check your “My Classifieds” section.
I want to edit or delete my classifieds.
After signing in, click “My Classifieds” at the top of the page to see a list of current posted ads. You can use this feature to edit or delete your classifieds.
I want to renew my classifieds.
Classifieds posted on thecannon will remain live for three weeks (except for textbook ads, which run for two weeks). Three days before your classified is set to expire, thecannon will automatically send an email reminder to renew your ad. At that point, you can go to “My Classifieds” after logging in and renew your classified for another two weeks.
I want to show/hide my email address when posting a classified.
After logging in, go to “My Account” at the top of the page. Under “show email address with post” you may choose whether to show your email address with classified postings. If you choose to hide your email addresss, users will be shown a contact form instead.
I’m having trouble posting a picture to go with my classified.
There are file type restrictions for photos (GIF, JPG, BMP or PNG.) Photos should also be no larger than 540 x 360 pixels, and will be scaled to fit when possible.
I would like to place a paid advertisement on thecannon for my business.
Unfortunately, thecannon is mandated to keep its website free of third-party advertising. This is a condition for the funding thecannon receives from undergraduate students.
I think a classified posted on thecannon might be innapropriate, illegal or fraudulent.
We rely on the help of users to help moderate postings on thecannon. If you suspect that a classified is innapropriate, illegal or fraudulent, click the “Flag abuse” button located on the classified’s display page. The ad will be reviewed by a staff member.
I have received a suspicious response to a classified ad I posted – I think someone might be trying to scam me.
Thecannon keeps track of reported scams and fraud on the website and provides warnings to users about suspicious activity. We strongly encourage you to contact thecannon if you believe someone has or is trying to scam you. You should also consider contacting Phonebusters, an RCMP-run phone and email fraud center, to report online scams and fraud. We strongly encourage users to consult thecannon’s Best Practices Guide before conducting any kind of business through online classifieds.
General Questions
What is thecannon?
Founded in 2002, thecannon is an organization operated through a partnership agreement with the Central Student Association and the Guelph Campus Co-op. Thecannon is mandated to provide free access to news, classifieds and event listings for University of Guelph students and the City of Guelph.
How is thecannon run?
Thecannon is run by an Operating Committee comprised of elected officials from the CSA and the GCC, as well as individuals from the membership of those two organizations. Thecannon also has paid staff who oversee day-to-day operations.
Where does thecannon receive its funding?
As the result of a referendum held in 2002, every undergraduate student at U of G pays a small fee to thecannon each semester as part of their student fees.
I think your website would be better if you…
We are continuously updating the website to meet the needs of our users. If you have a suggestion on how to improve thecannon, please contact us.