IPTN new website: handling of the new site - some help -

Dear members of the IPTN network,

it is a pleisure to know that many of you are on their way to Frankfurt now. Welcome and I wish your meetings a good athmosphere and success.

Just in time we have a new website for IPTN members and the public. The site provides a lot of options but also needs some understanding to use them. This newsletter provides a help text dealing with basics to use the site successfully, please read it! (On the site, click "help" to read a similar text.)

Enjoy reading!
IPTN Webgroup

A short introduction to the basics and help text for www.playbacknet.org

This site is a fresh new development. Your comments on usability, navigation and architecture are welcome.

We did set up member data recently (18th Nov 2011). As a member you got an email from the system with a link for login and setting up your account. You should change your password and you should check the data we have for you (see below). Address information for indivuals are only visible to others if you consciously decide so. Parts of the site are only available for logged in users. So as a member you may always login first to have the full range of options available. If your feel you have no login data available, please contact the site adiministrator.

Navigation
The primary content menu is located in the upper right corner of the window: HOME - ABOUT US - COMMUNITY - INTERPLAY - FORUM and BLOG SPHERE. »interplay« is a journal dedicated to practitioners exchange and reflection about their work. Priviledged access and download of »interplay« publications may be reserved for IPTN members.

Setting up your profile as a member
The MyPTN-Link in the sub-menu is for login to the site but after login, it brings you to your profile page. There you will control and change your personal data. Click the edit button (top of the page) and chose different sections like "address data", "additional info". It is of some importance that you check all these settings, since they have an effect on the appearance of this website to you. You also decide, which newsletters you want to subscribe for.

Your appearance in the COMMUNITY member lists
Member lists are generated from data in your profile. On your personal card we show by default: your name and city. In your profile you can input more details about your activities. Please consider to upload pictures and have a look at the "How you are seen by Members and Public" section in your profile. There you are empowered to input your contact data for the public and for members exactly according to your wish. "Your text" would be visible to all visitors of the site, as a part of your personal card in the member list.

Setting up IPTN Groups
Groups are related to the user account of an individual; in general this will be the contact person of that group. In the profile of that person a "group info" button is displayed. In this section you will input the specifics of your group and also text and visuals. You may input a photo and a logo of your group. Each contact person can input one group. Please consider that the group email is displayed on member lists, whereas your personal email as a contact person identifies your account but will not be displayed unless you give this information consciuosly. Teh webmaster will support you with adjustments if need is.

Member list navigation
In the member list ("Community") you may browse by country. This list is limited to the countries where IPTN has active members. Albeight that list is not complete at present. Especially missing are data for our members from Eastern Europe. We appoligize for this but we got no confirmed data so far.

Have your say: FORUM and BLOG
We set up two forums so far: A Japanese one and a Chinese one. The idea behind this is that we want to offer a space for native language conversation that would be confusing when mixed with other channels. Other forums are possible. The webmaster is open to your proposals. So far forum entries would be possible for members only.
The BLOG was set up as a multi-layer tool for announcements and exchange of opinions. As a logged in member you can write blog entries. Visitors can comment on blog entries. After some experience we may adjust these things. "IPTN Announcements" are visible only to logged in members! "IPTN Announcements" and "IPTN News" are written by asigned IPTN personnel. Special announcments in the columns left and right side (blue headline) of the page are also visible only to logged in members.

Contact Tools
To reach your fellow member you will use the envelope symbol in his or her personal card ("Community"). In the profile of a member - visible by clicking on the picture in his or her card - you see a button "contact". This brings you to the same form, where you may write to that person but the email of that person is kept confidential.
Visitors to the site have a similar option: via envelope symbol they can contact whatever member of the IPTN network for questions and advise. To get a reply visitors should keep attention and input their email address so they can get a reply.

Member payment with Paypal
Your payment is made visible in your profile after a check (done by your membership secretary). You cannot change this setting by yourself. If you feel your status does not fit with your actual payments, you should contact your membership secretary.

If you have basic problems with this site and need specific help, you should use the contact form or write to the webmaster.

I P T N s h a l l b e h a p p y t o g e t h e r i n F r a n k f u r t !