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My Information | Top

Q: What is my username and password?

A: Your login credentials are the same username and password that you use to log in to the main PRMA website. If you have forgotten your login credentials or need assistance with your login information, please contact us.

Q: How do I update my contact information?

A: On your profile page, please select the pencil icon next to "Contact Details" in the left column. Also, please upload a photo to your profile using the "Actions" button above the Contact Details and add any other information you'd like, such as your bio, education, job history, etc.

Q: How do I control what information is visible in my profile?

A: Please navigate to your profile, then select the "My Account" tab and choose "Privacy Settings" from the drop-down menu. This will let you control what information is visible to whom. After you’ve made changes, click the “Save Changes” button at the bottom of the page.


Making Connections | Top

Q: How do I find other members?

A: Click the "Directory” button in the main menu. The Directory lets you search for other members based on:
  • First and/or last name
  • Company/Institution name
  • Email address

Switch to the “Advanced Search” tab to refine your search by more specific demographics to find other members you would like to connect with even if you have not met them yet!



Q: How do I add contacts to my contact list?

A: There are several ways to add contacts. When you perform a search in the Directory, you will see an “Add as Contact” button to the right of each person in your search results. Just click this button to send a contact request. If you click another member's name or photo to view their profile, you will see an "Add as Contact" button to the right of his or her profile picture. Find your contact list in your profile under the "My Connections" tab.


Q: Why should I add contacts to my contact list?

A: Creating this virtual address book makes it easy to send your contacts messages through the community site to stay in touch, ask questions, or even build a referral network. Additionally, when you view another member’s profile, you’ll be able to see any contacts you have in common. You can also choose to let your contacts view certain demographics in your profile that others can't (see "How do I control what information is visible in my profile?" above).


Communities & Discussions | Top

Q: What are communities?

A: Communities or online forums allow you to participate in discussions and share resources with other members. This website is called "Collaborate" and houses multiple online forums, which you can find in the All Communities list.

Q: What communities do I already belong to?

A: Go to “Communities” in the main menu. Select “My Communities” to view the communities you currently belong to. Click on a community name to open it up, view the discussions, shared resources, and other members of that community.

Q: How do I join/subscribe to a community and the affiliated discussion group?

A:  Click on “Communities” in the main navigation and click on “All Communities” in order to see a list of available communities. Click on the community that you wish to join and simply click the "Join" button, then choose your preferred email notification option for discussion posts (Real Time, Daily Digest or No Email). Daily Digest is recommended to stay on top of the conversation and new topics.

Q: How can I control the frequency and format of emails I receive?

A: Navigate to your profile and click on the "My Account" tab. Choose "Community Notifications" from the drop-down menu. On that page, there are subscription options: Real Time, Daily Digest, No Email, Consolidated Daily Digest, and Consolidated Weekly Digest.

For each discussion, you have the following delivery options:
Real Time: sends an email every time a new message is posted.
Daily Digest: sends one email to you each day, consolidating all of the posts from the previous day.
No Email: allows you to be part of the group without having emails sent to you. You can still post and read others’ messages by logging into the community site.
Consolidated Daily Digest: select this option for multiple communities to receive one email per day with a summary of all posts for each of the selected communities. This is a way to reduce the total number of emails you receive if you are subscribed to multiple communities.
Consolidated Weekly Digest: select this option for multiple communities to receive one email per week with a summary of all posts for each of the selected communities. At the top of the page, choose which day of the week you prefer this digest to be delivered. This is a good way to reduce the total number of emails you receive if you are subscribed to multiple communities.



Q: How do I unsubscribe from a discussion?

A:  Go to your profile and click on the "My Account" tab. Choose "Community Notifications" from the drop-down menu. Here, you will see a list of your communities. Choose the "No Email” option for the community from which you want to unsubscribe.

Q: How do I respond to others’ posts?

A: To respond to a discussion post, please navigate to the discussion post on the website and click “Reply” to send your message to the entire community. To send a message to the only author of the post, please select “Reply Privately” (located in the "Reply" drop-down).

From an email for a particular community discussion, you can use the “Reply Privately” link located at the top right of each discussion post for a message you only want to send to the author of the post, and not to the entire community. Please use the links in the emails to respond and do not use the Reply functionality in your email client.

We recommend replying to the sender for simple comments like “me, too” that add little value to the overall discussion; and replying to the entire community when you are sharing knowledge, experience, or resources that others could benefit from.

Q: How do I start a new discussion thread?

A: Go to the “My Communities" page under the “Communities” button in the main menu. Click the name of any community listed and then click "Add" next to "Latest Discussion Posts."

From an email for a particular community discussion, you can use the “Post a Message” link located at the top of the email.

Please use the links in the emails to respond and do not use the Reply functionality in your email client.

Q: I’m having trouble viewing the HTML email messages. How do I fix this?

A: If images are not appearing, it is likely that your email client is set to suppress images. This should be something you can change in your security or viewing options. You can also click the links in the email to open the thread in the website, where you should be able to see the full content more easily.

It is recommended to add "donotreply@connectedcommunity.org" to your contact list to be sure you do not miss any Collaborate communications.

Q: Can I search for posts across all the communities?

A: Yes, please enter a keyword in the search bar located in the main menu. To refine your search results, please use the filters on the left side of the search page.

Q: How do I see a listing of all of the posts to a specific community?

A: Locate the community you are interested in viewing from the My Communities page. Click the community's name to open its landing page, then click on the “Discussions” tab. If you see a post you’re interested in, click the subject line which will take you to the entire thread.


Libraries & Resources | Top


Q: How do I find resources that may have been uploaded by other members?

A: If you know which library the resource might be located in, find the affiliated community via the All Communities page. Click through the community's landing page, then click on the “Library” tab. If you do not know where the resource might be, enter search terms in the search box in the main menu the same way you might enter search terms into a search engine.

Q: Can I search for specific file types?

A: Yes. Enter your desired keyword in the main search box. From the search results page, use the filters on the left side to refine the search. Click on "User Contact" then click on "Library Entry - File" and towards the bottom of the filters you will see the file type options to choose from.

Q: How do the libraries get populated?

A: The libraries are populated in two ways:

1.  When you include an attachment in a discussion post, the system automatically places it in the affiliated library.
2.  You can also upload documents directly to a library by using the “Add” button found next to "Latest Shared Files" on a community landing page or "Create New Library Entry" button on any community's library page. Library resources are not required to be associated with a discussion thread.

Q: How do I upload a file?

A: Select "Create New Library Entry" on any community library page. Please note that uploading a document is accomplished by completing a few steps, and each step must be completed before you can move on to the next:
  • Choose a title for your document, and include a description (optional). Then, choose an Entry Type (most will be "Standard File Upload," but be cognizant of any copyright licensed material). Once you have completed these steps, please click “Next.”
  • Upload your file.
  • Select “Next” if you want to further describe your files and/or add tags to your file. Otherwise, please click “Finish” to post your library entry to the community.



Q: What kind of files can I upload?

A: The system supports dozens of file types including hyperlinks, standard files (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), webinars, images, and YouTube videos. If you have trouble, please contact us.

Q: What are the “tags” for?

A: Tags are great way to organize and categorize content on the community website. Tags can be applied to blogs, library entries, events, and discussions. Tagged items are prioritized in the search results. To add a tag to your post, simply use a hashtag (#) like on social media platforms.