It's easy (and free)! All you need is a unique email address. Your email address will be your login ID. To sign up, visit the Sign up page. You will need to enter your email address and a unique username. Usernames can only be alphanumeric (letters and numbers only - no spaces or other characters). You will also need to provide your first and last name, but that information is for our records only; it will not be shared.

Once you've created your account and verified your email address via the link you will receive from us, you can log in to your account and go through the profile fields/tabs to enter such information as your connection to Michael (what do you love most about Michael, did you ever see Michael in person, your favorite song, and more), and you can upload your profile photo. You can change this information at any time by visiting the Edit Profile page, which appears as an additional option for logged in members, beneath the last colored menu bar. You can move through the different parts of your profile by clicking the tabs at the top of the page.

When you sign up for your dot, you will be given your own dot number, which will be shown on your profile page next to your username, just above your profile photo, toward the upper left side of the page. To check your profile page when you're logged in, click on "Profile," which appears to logged in members, just beneath the last colored menu bar. Your dot number matches to your dot on the canvas. We have a system for keeping track of which dots are placed at what day/time and exactly where. You can check the progress of the portrait and see where your dot is located by checking the Portrait Update page.

When the portrait is complete, you will be able to type in your dot number and then zoom into your dot. We are developing software to do this. Check the website for an announcement about when the "dot finder" will be unveiled.

Artist David Ilan will draw your dot and periodically post portrait updates on the Portrait Update page. David scans the portrait after a section of the portrait is complete (for example, an eye), so that we can easily see the progress, whereas showing one additional dot drawn would be less easily seen from day to day.

You can connect a message to your dot by clicking on the "My Apps" menu, which appears as an additional option for logged in members, beneath the last colored menu bar, and select Messages. You can write a message to Michael, his children, or anyone else. Or just write a general message to all fans, make a statement, share a poem…whatever you want. Your message will forever be linked to your dot by way of your dot number and profile. You can view other messages from Dot Members by selecting Search Messages in the menu bar.

The portrait is not digital; it is not drawn on the computer. It is a real canvas in the real world. It is scanned periodically and placed on the website so fans can see it evolve as more and more fans sign up for their dots. The website allows fans around the world to watch the daily progress of the portrait as it grows toward completion. You can check the progress of the portrait checking the Portrait Update page.

Artist David Ilan places each dot by hand using pen and ink. A dot is not placed on the canvas until someone signs up for it. With the success of this Tribute, we intend to schedule live events at different places around the world where fans will be invited to meet David Ilan and witness their dot being drawn on the canvas. The first public event was at the EDGE Performing Arts Center in Hollywood on August 28, 2009. At this event, the first dot was drawn on the canvas for Michael. The next dots were placed for his children. Additional dots were drawn in front of the international media for invited guests who were close to Michael. The following day, Michael’s Birthday, David Ilan took the portrait to the Grauman’s Chinese Theatre where Michael’s star is located on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. At this event, fans lined up to get their dots in person.

No. Unlike a mosaic, which is made up of many smaller pictures, this is an actual drawing, made up of dots hand drawn by the artist, David Ilan. Once we have the Dot Finder program up and running, you will be able to zoom into your dot on the portrait. You can see where your dot has been drawn by checking the Portrait Update page.

The portrait is a work of art, hand-drawn with ink on canvas. Fans can sign up for their dot online, attach a message to their dot, and visit the site to watch the daily progress of Michael's portrait as it grows toward completion. A dot is not put on canvas until someone signs up for it. The portrait is being created in Los Angeles. Participation is free!

UPDATE - Autumn 2011:
The Portrait is scheduled to be soon. David Ilan will be drawing dots ahead of some people signing up. Anyone who signs up before the portrait is complete will have their dot placed in Michael’s image. After the portrait is complete, when someone joins they will be assigned a pre-drawn dot somewhere within the portrait itself, but not necessarily in the areas making up Michael’s image. Once the portrait is complete, fans can continue to join for a long time to come. There is no cost to members to sign up and be represented in Michael’s Portrait, and it takes only seconds.

This will be announced soon!

No, the portrait will not be sold. It belongs to the fans!

Yes, the portrait poster will be available for sale well beyond the completion of the portrait. Funds from its sale will support keeping the website up, the worldwide tour, and our commitment to making charitable donations to some of the approved charities that were dear to Michael.

The first dots were drawn on a blank canvas on August 28, 2009 at the Ribbon Cutting Ceremony, which was attended by some of Michael's friends. We decided to place the first dot for Michael and the next three dots for his children. Having a dot for Michael in this portrait means he's not only in the portrait in spirit, but also physically represented in the portrait, forever united with all the dots from the fans who are also represented in the portrait.

All of the VIPs/celebrities listed on the site have personally offered their support and agreed to a dot being placed in Michael's portrait in their name. Some are helping us in other ways. We have had personal contact with all of them.

The Tribute Portrait and website are possible thanks to YOU. It is run day and night by the generous work of a team of unpaid volunteers and funded only by your purchases and donations made at the Tribute Store.

100% of the donations and all proceeds from our website store purchases, including the Patchwork Blanket patches, go directly to fund costs associated with the Tribute Portrait project, for expenses such as website subscriptions and maintenance (both monthly and trouble-shooting expenses), Portrait travel, live events (such as the charitable event at the Magic Johnson Theater for the 60 kids from the inner city of Los Angeles), and other necessary expenses to promote and complete the Portrait project.

If you can't login, check to make sure that your "caps lock" key is off. To login, you must use the email address we have on file; this and your password are CaSe SeNsItIvE. If you still cannot login, you can request to reset your password or Email our Help Desk: HelpDesk@MichaelJacksonTributePortrait.com.

To update your profile, you must visit the Edit Profile page, which appears as an additional option for logged in members, beneath the last colored menu bar, under the "Profile" drop down menu. You can move through the different parts of your profile by clicking the tabs at the top of the page.

You can update your email address on the Settings page, on the "Settings" tab.

If you are absolutely sure that you want to delete your account, you can do so here. Please note that your account will be permanently deleted and irrecoverable!

You can change your password on the Settings page, on the "Change Password" tab.

To edit an album, once you're logged in, go to the "My Apps" option (beneath the menu bar). From the drop down menu, select "Photos." You will see a list of your albums, their titles, and any album description you entered. You can either just click on the cover photo of your album, or select "Edit Album" from the list of three options showing beneath the album details.

You will then be in the "Edit Photos" screen. You can "Add Photos" or "Edit Album Info" (which takes you to "Edit Album Details," where you can change the album name, description and privacy options). The "Edit Photos" screen is also where you add titles and captions to your photos, delete photos, or select a photo as an album cover.

Beneath the photo you wish to tag, click the link that says "Add Tag". A drop down menu box labeled "Add Tag" will come up (in which you can type a tag or select a friend from the list of names). Next to that "Add Tag" box is a selection box in the photo. Before you type a tag or select one of your friends from the drop down menu, click and drag the selection box to the part of the photo you wish to tag. Then select a name from the drop down menu. That's all there is to it!

Log in to your group, click "Edit group", then click "Group Settings". Under "Allow group members to invite users?" select "No, only the group leader and group officers may invite users to join." Then click "Save Settings". Once that's changed, the next solution is to try to not send out requests to the same people. The easiest way to do this is to only send to new friends, either when you accept their friend request, or after they accept yours. If you aren't keeping track of who accepts your friend requests, then maybe they will invite themselves to join your group after looking at your profile or find your group when searching the groups.

Once logged into your account, to approve or reject member requests to join your group:
1. Go to the group you want to edit (My Apps/Groups).
2. Beneath the group picture, find and click on "Edit Group".
3. Click on the "Members" tab.
4. To the left of the screen, you'll see a box with three fields. The second field is "View". Click on the drop down menu and select "Membership Requests". Then click on the Search button just above and to the right of that. You should see the members pending approval.
5. To the right of the screen (you may need to use the bottom scroll bar to see the far right), for each member, you see two options: "Grant Membership" and "Reject Request". Click the appropriate choice. NOTE: If you do not see these options, even with your screen scrolled as far right as possible, you might have an issue with your browser, as some browsers have been known to cut off information. Try a different browser.

Once logged into your account,
1. Go to the group you want to edit (My Apps/Groups).
2. Beneath the group picture, find and click on "Edit Group".
3. Click the "Group Settings" tab. In the "Group Style" field, you can change the colors, fonts, and styles of your group by adding CSS code into the appropriate box. (This is intended for users who already know how to enter CSS code. We are not equipped to teach you all about CSS code on this website, however you should be able to find plenty of information available on the Internet.)
4. After you've entered the CSS code, click "Save Changes". View your group page, make sure it looks okay. If not, go back to the Group Settings and fix the code.

When logged in, hover over the "Profile" option, which appears just beneath the last colored menu bar towards the top of the page, and select "Change Profile Photo". Select "Choose File"; a pop-up should come up from your computer allowing you to browse your computer. Select a photo (be sure it's one of the acceptable formats and no more than 2 MB in size), then when back to the MJTP screen, select "Upload". Your profile photo should change.

To connect to your Twitter account, you must first log in to your MJTP profile. Once you're logged in, either select the Twitter tab from the MJTP menu bar, or go to the "My Apps" option (beneath the menu bar) and from the drop down menu, select My Twitter. You should be taken to the "Connect to Twitter" tab. Enter your Twitter Screenname (Twitter username) and your Twitter Password and click "Connect".

On Twitter, there is a "name" and then there is a "username". They are not always the same. It depends on whether you selected them to be the same when you set up your Twitter account. To check on Twitter to make sure that you are using the correct name when logging in through the MJTP site, go to your Twitter account, and under Settings, view "Account". There you will see your "name" and "username". Be sure to connect using the one that says "username". The "username" is what is on the Twitter screen and what shows up when you send tweets. The "name" is what is shown when you hover over your profile picture in someone's follow list.

To connect to your Facebook account, you must first log in to your MJTP profile. Once you're logged in, go to the "My Apps" option (beneath the menu bar). From the drop down menu, select Facebook, and click "Connect with Facebook". The Facebook login pop-up will appear. You will then need to enter your email address and password that you use to login to your Facebook account. Press "Connect" and your accounts will now be connected. Once you set this up, each time you log in to your MJTP profile, you will be asked via the Facebook pop-up whether you'd like to log in to your Facebook account as well.

You must first log in to your MJTP profile. Once you're logged in, go to the "My Apps" option (beneath the menu bar). From the drop down menu, select A/V Chat. Due to limitations with our chat room provider, a limited number of people can be in the chat room at the same time; if you are not able to connect, the chat room is probably full.

To report an error or problem with the site, Email our Help Desk: HelpDesk@MichaelJacksonTributePortrait.com.

We plan to keep this website up and running indefinitely, so long as there is interest and support.

The Tribute Portrait and website are possible thanks to YOU. It is run day and night by the generous work of a team of unpaid volunteers and funded only by your purchases and donations made at the Tribute Store.

Click here to read our Terms of Service.

Re-CAPTCHA codes help ensure that a real person is entering the information, rather than a computer, and therefore help prevent spam. If you are having technical trouble signing up due to the Re-CAPTCHA codes, it could be an issue with your browser. Try refreshing the code by clicking the "Refresh" option beneath the code.

Excellent question! You can check the Tribute Team page for a list of active Team Members. We also have volunteers who are approved official moderators. Please click here to read a short article for additional important information.

If someone is bothering or harassing you, blocking them is usually the best solution. Go to their profile page, and beneath their profile picture, click the "Block this Person" option. Or, visit the Account Settings page to learn how to block people.

If someone continues to harass you despite your efforts, go to their profile page. Click on the "Report this Person" option, located beneath their profile picture. Select the reason for the report, and please include why you’re reporting them, so we know what we’re looking for. Alternatively, you can report them by sending an Email to our Help Desk: HelpDesk@MichaelJacksonTributePortrait.com.

Click here to read our Terms of Service.

You can report spam, pornography, or any other inappropriate content by clicking the "Report" link on the page containing the content you wish to report. Select the reason for the report, and please include a description of what you’re reporting, so we know what we’re looking for. Or, you can report them by sending an Email to our Help Desk: HelpDesk@MichaelJacksonTributePortrait.com.

Click here to read our Terms of Service.

Because many groups allow any of the group members to send invitations, it isn't always the group owner sending them.

If we receive reports regarding a specific group, we will attempt to work with the group owner; we will request that they change the Group Settings, "Allow group members to invite users?" to "No, only the group leader and group officers may invite users to join." We will then take further action as needed.

On your end, to prevent unwanted additional invitations, you can do a couple of things:

1. Block the group owner; this will only block them from sending you group invitations, so if they continue to allow other members to send invitations, you may still receive them. Blocking someone, however, blocks the member completely, so if they’re someone you wish to stay in touch with, this might not be the best option.

The following is a workaround (NOTE: In time, as you collect a lot of pending group invitations, you might notice that your Groups page, or other pages, load slowly. You might need to do an occasional invitation clean-up [accept or reject old ones] to keep your profile running smoothly):

2. When you receive an invitation to a group that you do not wish to join and from which do not want further invitations, do not reject the invitation. It will sit in your "Group Invitations" section under "My Apps," "Groups," until you either accept or reject the invitation.

You can then turn off the update notification you see on the menu bar. Click on the notification pop-up. "Under Group Invitations," you will see an "x" to the left. Click the "x." This will turn off the notification until you receive a new invitation.

First, capture the conversation by double-clicking in the chat window (left clicks).Then go to the offender's profile page. Click on the "Report this Person" option, located beneath their profile picture. Select the reason for the report, and please include why you’re reporting them, being sure to paste the chat conversation (right click, then select paste, or press CTRL and V at the same time), so we know what we’re looking for. Alternatively, you can report them by sending an Email to our Help Desk: HelpDesk@MichaelJacksonTributePortrait.com. You can also send a screenshot of the chat window to HelpDesk@MichaelJacksonTributePortrait.com; please be sure to also submit a report using one of the two above methods, and reference the report in your email.

Click here to read our Terms of Service.

Spam is defined as:
–noun: Unsolicited e-mail, often of a commercial nature, sent indiscriminately to multiple mailing lists, individuals, or newsgroups; junk e-mail. [MJTP clarification: this same definition fits in with notes sent and posts made on this site, and spam can be either commercial or non-commercial posts/notes. If a message is unsolicited, and/or sent to people you don't really know, and/or is impersonal, and/or repetitive, it's probably spam, and when we get complaints about spam, we will look into it. Spamming is a violation of our Terms of Service.]
–verb: To send (a message) indiscriminately to multiple mailing lists, individuals, or newsgroups.
source: http://www.answers.com/topic/spam

Should someone leave spam messages, at least you'll know where it came from, which will help should you report it to us. Please copy the comment to include the username and date/time, let us know it appears on your wall or which of your Messages it appears on, then report it to us (we will delete the comment for you once we locate it when looking into your report). The best way to report it is to go to the profile of the person who sent you spam. Beneath their profile picture, select "Report this Person." In details of your report, paste in the comment they left you, and let us know where that comment appears on so we can easily find it if you haven't deleted it (and if you have deleted it, that's okay, because you'll have provided the comment content in your report). We will then take action, most likely terminating their account due to their violation of our terms of service.

Great question. Please read an important article addressing rumors, scammers, spammers, trollers and phishers here.

Absolutely. We do not share any personally identifying information about you to any third party (other than legal authorities should it be required).

You can make your profile private by visiting the Account Privacy page.

You can block people by visiting their profile page, and beneath their profile picture, click the "Block this Person" option. Or, visit your Account Settings page to learn how to block people.