Online Community: User Guide
Be a Part of the Online Community
Become part of MTML's online community and network with people interested in literacy issues. The MTML online community is intended to enhance communications, information sharing and collaboration between literacy service providers and anyone interested in adult literacy issues.
You will be able to:
Once you sign up or log in you will be directed to your profile page.
You will also receive a confirmation e-mail with your login information.
The profile page displays your profile information, your history on the site,
your friend list, a default profile picture that you can change.
Links back to your profile page [ My Profile ] are in the horizontal submenu and the vertical right side user menu.
There are six tab options on the profile page:
To create your profile click on the Edit tab.
You will then see two sub-tabs: Account and Profile
Account
The Account page shows your basic account information as well as allowing you to upload a new profile picture and change basic e-mail notification settings.
Profile
Click on the Profile tab to enter your profile information.
Available fields are:
After finishing click Save at the bottom.
From the View tab you will now be able to see the profile you created.
From the information in your profile a number of Tags were also created. Clicking on one of the Tag links will show you all the other users from a certain area, all users of a certain member type, et cetera.
You are now ready to manage other parts of your account and start networking with other users.
Visitors coming to your profile will only see the View and Track tabs.
Visitors will also see a Connections area above your profile as will you when visiting other people's profile pages.
The Connectitons area will state whether you are friends with that user or not.
If you are not there will be an Add to Friends link.
Here is a description of the other tabs on your profile page:
Messages Tab
The Messages tab shows new and existing instant messages between you and other users. This tab only appears if you have sent or received any messages.
The side horizontal user menu has further Message navigation.
Clicking on the Messages side menu will show a seperate tabbed navigation
bar where you can view your messages and write new messages.
Under Edit > Account you can set whether you receive new Message e-mail notifications.
Notifications Tab
Here you will be view your subscriptions to content, cancel them, or disable them.
Users are by default automatically subscribed to posts of the Groups they join. These default settings can be changed at Edit > Account
Track Tab
This tab shows all the posts and content you have contributed to the website.
Community Tab
The Community tab shows all your Friends. Other tabs show Sent friend requests and Received friend requests that you can acccept or decline.
Friend requests will also be e-mailed to you.
As well as the tabs there is a side User Menu with the following links:
Groups are at the heart of the Literacy Access Network online community.
They allow you to join, post content, comment on content, receive notifications and network with like-minded people interested in literacy issues. Groups are organized around a common purpose or topic.
Click on the Network Groups link to view the Group directory.
Where available you can click on a Join or Request Membership link from the Group directory page. These links are also on the actual Group pages on the side menu in the Group Details container.
Once you have joined a Group you will see a number of options. You can now create posts, events and comment on existing content. You will see the Group name, mission statement and any posts or events that have been created.
The side menu will also now display a number of Group containers and options:
Group Details
This is the main container for options for the Group:
Group Notifications
Allows you to subscribe to Group RSS feeds and e-mail notifications about new content. Users are auto-subscribed to Groups that they join but you can change these settings globally in your profile at Edit > Account or under the profile Notificiations tab.
My Groups
This container shows what Groups you have joined.
If you are interested in creating a group and becoming a Group Administrator you can fill in a Group request online form.
If you have joined a group you will be able to post group content.
The group post links are in the side Group Details container:
Group Posts
After clicking on the Create Group Post link you will be presented with a content entry page that has a few fields to fill: the Title and Body fields.
The Body field has a Split summary at cursor button that allows you to create a post summary or teaser in the upper text field and your full content in the lower field.
Then Save or Preview your post.
It will then appear on the Group page.
Group Events
If you have an upcoming event that is related to the Group you can click Create Group Event to create an event.
There are more options to fill on the Group event creation page.
