Community FAQ

Top Tips to Make the Most Out of Your Community

	Directory Build Groups/Communities Inbox My Contacts Add Contact(s)/Find Contact Set your Privacy/Notification Preferences Create a Blog Glossary Resource Libraries eGroup Discussions Become Familiar with the eGroups Discussions Post a Test Message and Attach a Document

	Directory: Access your "Profile" page by directing your browser to the link below. This will be your IPPA Professional Social Profile: http://community.ippanetwork.org/IPPANETWORK/IPPANETWORK/Community/Directory/Profile/Default.aspx Add your photo: Adding a photo to your profile is simple. To begin, make sure the photo is a maximum of 600x600 pixels. You can easily re-size your photo in Microsoft Windows. On your computer’s desktop, select Start -> Programs -> Microsoft Office -> Office Tools -> Microsoft Office Picture Manager. Once you open Microsoft Picture Manager, make sure the top of the screen shows “100%” as the view. Sometimes a photo appears smaller than it actually is because it is zoomed out. Once you have zoomed to 100%, select “Edit” and change the size accordingly. Update your bio: Your bio doesn’t have to be pages long, just a paragraph or two. Try giving a brief history of your career and achievements. This is not supposed to be a resume per se, but it is supposed to give people a snapshot of your professional history. Select your interests, certifications, education and job history: The Community allows you to update all of this information on the same page. Updating these selections can be very beneficial to you as a member. For example, if you select the interest "Positive Health", the system will create a network of "like" people who have selected this same interest. You will see the link to various networks in the left-hand column. This also applies to careers (people who work or used to work in the same company), education (people who went to the same University or college), and location (city and state/province). By updating your profile, you will be expanding your network and broadening opportunities Recent visitors: View who has recently visited your profile by looking at the "Recent Visitors" heading over the left-hand side of your profile, directly under your photo. Also, see the number next to the "Recent Visitors" heading to see the total number of visitors your profile has received. Browse your networks: Take a look at the other dynamic networks which have been created for you based on information such as your event history, interests and communities. All are displayed below your picture, at the bottom of the left column. To see a more detailed view, click on "Groups" at the top of the page. Once you have selected “Groups”, you will be directed to a new page. Simply scroll to the bottom of that page to see the numbers of people in your networks.
	Build Groups/Communities: http://community.ippanetwork.org/IPPANETWORK/IPPANETWORK/Community/Directory/GroupsAndNetworks/Default.aspx Part of IPPA’s mission is to facilitate communication and collaboration among researchers and practitioners around the world. eGroups are one form of this communication and collaboration. 1. Browse existing groups by selecting "Groups" and then "All Groups". Try using the "Advanced Search" option to help you sort and filter the results. If you see a group you are interested in, feel free to join it! 2. If you would like to create a new group, you may send your proposal to info@ippanetwork.org A form will be sent to you with a few brief questions. After completing the form and returning it, you will be notified about the status of your proposed eGroup.
	Inbox: http://community.ippanetwork.org/IPPANETWORK/IPPANETWORK/Community/Directory/Inbox/Default.aspx Click on your Inbox in the Directory to view any: 1. Messages sent to you 2. Contact (friend) Requests which you have not responded to 3. Community/Group Invitations which need to be accepted or declined You can also reply/delete, mark as unread, etc. any outstanding messages.
	My Contacts: http://community.ippanetwork.org/IPPANETWORK/IPPANETWORK/Community/Directory/Contacts/Default.aspx Browse your contacts to see who you have established a relationship with professionally. You can also see who has sent you a contact request or accepted one which you've sent to them. and any who have not responded. The "My Contacts" system provides you the ability to rate your contacts. This is only for your personal use and cannot be seen by others.
	Add Contact(s)/Find Contact: http://communityippanetwork.org/IPPANETWORK/IPPANETWORK/Community/Directory/FindContact/Default.aspx The new Member Directory allows you to search positive psychology related profiles. While it is only available for members to search, both members and non-members are included in the directory. 1. Try searching for a Positive Psychology related colleague or peer by first and/or last name. Try adding them as a contact. Once you add them, they will receive notification of a contact/friend request. 2. Once the results appear, select "Show on Map" to view the results geographically. 3. Try a new search, but this time scroll to the bottom of the search screen and explore people based on "likeness". 4. In addition, likeness is based on criteria such as certifications, interests or location. In order for it to be accurate, you should ensure your "Professional Social Profile" is up-to-date. Note: The more search criteria you enter the fewer results you will get. For example, try putting someone whose name is “Bobby” as “Bob”, because a search for "Bob" will include anyone whose name is "Bobby". As a general rule, you should leave most fields blank - perhaps just search by last name and the first initial of the person's first name.
	Set your Privacy/Notification Preferences: http://community.ippanetwork.org/IPPANETWORK/IPPANETWORK/Directory/Preferences/Default.aspx When in the Directory area, you will see a navigation link for "Preferences". This is where you set your email notification preferences for the Directory, such as Community or Contact requests. This is also the screen where you specify which parts of your Professional Profile should be visible to the public, including search engines. The choice is yours as to what you want to display to your Contacts, other members or the public. Since this profile will be part of your online professional resume (similar to LinkedIn) IPPA recommends reaching the widest audience possible by making as much of your profile public as your feel comfortable with.
	Create a Blog: http://community.ippanetwork.org/IPPANETWORK/IPPANETWORK/Community/Directory/Blogs/Default.aspx Despite popular belief, blogs do not have to be long. To get started on your blog, go to the "Blogs" tab in the Directory and click on "New Blog" on the right-hand side of the screen. Create a one or two paragraph blog simply providing a high-level view of what is most interesting to you in the Positive Psychology world right now. One important feature of the blog is related to the permissions. As a IPPA member, you choose who can see your blog posting when you create the entry. You can decide whether you want the entry to be publically searched using online search engines), or if you want to restrict access to members only. While in the blog area, select "Most Recent" and browse through the latest member created blog entries. Remember to rate and comment on them when appropriate!
	Glossary: Go to the Glossary by selecting "Community", then "Glossary Terms" in the left-hand menu. You may also direct your browser to the following link: http://community.ippanetwork.org/IPPANETWORK/IPPANETWORK/Community/Glossary/Default.aspx The IPPA glossary provides the ability for members to maintain (edit/add/update) the glossary phrases and acronyms. We now need your help to ensure it is up-to-date.
	Resource Libraries: Enter the “Resource Libraries” area of the site by selecting "Community" then "Resource Libraries" in the left-hand navigation. You may also direct your browser to the following link: http://community.ippanetwork.org/IPPANETWORK/IPPANETWORK/Community/Resources/Default.aspx Select the Resource Library by locating it in the list, then selecting the link. Use the Advanced Search by selecting “Search Library” at the top of the “Resource Libraries” page, or direct your browser to this link: http://community.ippanetwork.org/IPPANETWORK/IPPANETWORK/Community/Resources/SearchLibrary/Default.aspx Search for all documents by file type by selecting the specific file you would like to view across all libraries. Search for all documents by subject or industry by selecting your desired “Tag.” Add a Document/File by selecting the “Add Document” tab at the top of the “Search Library” page. You may also direct your browser to the following link http://community.ippanetwork.org/IPPANETWORK/IPPANETWORK/Community/Resources/AddDocument/Default.aspx Enter the title and a brief description of the file you are sharing, select your preferred library, the select “Save”. Upload the file(s). It is recommended to give them a “friendly” name, especially if the uploaded item contains a meaningless file name. Add appropriate tags/keywords to help others find the shared files. Select which "Creative Commons" license you wish to allow. Save/Continue to upload the file. Enter the Resource Library location where your document was uploaded and to confirm it is shown.
	eGroup Discussions: To access the” eGroup Discussions” area, select “Community” on the IPPA homepage, then choose "eGroup Discussions" in the left-hand navigation. Or, direct your browser to this link: http://community.ippanetwork.org/IPPANETWORK/IPPANETWORK/Community/eGroups/Default.aspx
	Become Familiar with the eGroups Discussions: Take a look at the homepage to get a general idea of the types of eGroups available and their activity. From the homepage you can see how many postings there are and when the last message was posted, as well as the number of documents attached to each eGroup. Click on the "Info" link to the right of the individual eGroup, under “Actions”. Take note of the amount of subscribers, and the types of companies which have subscribed.