I’M NO EINSTEIN! “GPS for www.usps.org “

Tools, Tips, Tricks and Resources for Navigating the National Website

United States Power SquadronsFall 2011

Stf/C Kristi Anderson, PITCom Help Desk

National Information Committee

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USPS Needs?

What Do You Think One Of the Most Often Requested Concerns are in USPS?

COMMUNICATION

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Lack of Communication Comments

“National Doesn’t Pass Info To Districts”

“Districts Don’t Pass Info To Squadrons”

“Squadrons Don’t Pass The Info To the Members”

“Squadrons And Districts Aren’t Answering Questions or Responding To National”

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COMMUNICATION

Common Philosophy: You can’t depend on others so you have to be able to do it yourself. NOW EVERYONE CAN!

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SOME SOLUTIONS (OPPORTUNITIES): • Monthly Email Broadcast• SailAngle• www.usps.org

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COMMUNICATION – Opportunity #1

EMAIL NEWS BROADCAST • Easiest Way To Keep Up with What Is New With USPS

and Each Department• Anyone Can Receive It• Monthly • Contains Operational Info, Announcements, Deadline

Reminders, Links to more information• Text Format so Not A Large Sized Email• Can Easily Be Forwarded To Another USPS Member or

Squadron Mailing List

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COMMUNICATION – Email Broadcast

TO SIGN UP:• Go to

www.usps.org• Click on Menu

Option “Member Stuff Subscribe to Monthly Broadcast”

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COMMUNICATION – Email Broadcast

Enter:• First Name• Last Name• Email Address• Certificate

Number

Choose: ”USPS Monthly News Broadcast”• Click on

“Submit”

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COMMUNICATION – Email BroadcastNext:

• You will receive a confirmation web page.

• You will receive an email asking you to confirm that you signed up for this email list

Choose:In email, click on the link and a web page will come up saying your subscription has been confirmed.

That is it! Just watch your Email Box!

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COMMUNICATION - Opportunity #2

SailAngle• Communicate in your own words to

those with common interest• Share ideas, resources,

files/presentations• You wanted a community based on

boating, and you got it in High Technology, sharp looking

• Users maintain their own “subscription”

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COMMUNICATION - SailAngle

SailAngleWhat do we want you to know about

SailAngle?To access, login to the USPS website.

Once successful, go to www.usps.org home page and click on the SailAngle button. Do not logoff of SailAngle, just shut down with the X in top right corner. Always access via www.usps.org button.

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COMMUNICATION - SailAngle

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Let’s Talk About … Opportunity #3

www.usps.org

akaTHE

WEBSITE

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COMMUNICATION – The Web

Purpose of the Web Site:• To sell USPS to the Public• To have a main page for connection to

all squadron and district websites so public can find local courses easy

• Doors to a world of information, activities and ideas for all members

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COMMUNICATION – The Web

HISTORY OF WWW.USPS.ORG

The Web site was originally for the public. So that is why you don’t see “IT Committee” on the main page.

We try to place member items in a variety of areas.

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COMMUNICATION – The Web

GPS FOR THE WEB

The web is basically two areas – • Public (accessible to everyone)• Private (Member Area – requires login)

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COMMUNICATION – The Web

GPS FOR THE WEBThe most common feedback about the

web is that “we cannot find anything”!The member site is organized by

departmentOther items have been thrown in trying to

help those who don’t know what departments items may belong (aka the Public)

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE – Find?

At the top of almost every page is a navigation bar with “Site Index” and “How Do I…” - Click to access

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE – Site IndexAn alphabetical

listing of common items that people search for

Links for each Department listed at top

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE - How Do I...

An alphabetical listing of common questions asked

Takes you directly to the page

Great to use when you don’t know what dept owns it

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE - SearchUse the Search

box to search for “keywords” on the entire web site

Takes you directly to the page

Great to use when you don’t know what dept. owns it

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE – Challenge 1

Where would I go to find:

-The new Member Benefits being offered?

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE – Challenge 2

Where would I go to find:

-Information about a National Meeting?

-What department does it belong to?

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE – Options

There are many ways for you to find what you seek on www.usps.org. These are just the main tools to make your life easier.

Some links are directly on the main web page as they may have some exciting news being announced (i.e., National Meetings, New Member Benefits coming out, PRO-Log)

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE – Who Owns?

The main pages of the web site that are available to the public are maintained by the National Secretary Department.

Each Committee has their own webmaster and maintain their own sites.

The Committee must use the same page template (look and feel) as the public pages but can have their own layout inside the committee pages

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE – HELP!

You are on the Membership Web Page and you notice that the link for squadron statistics does not work. Who do you contact?

On the bottom of almost every webpage, is a link to send an email to the Web Page owner. In this case, the NMC Webmaster would be notified.

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE – HELP!

USPS Help DeskIf you have a problem with the main pages,

the webmaster link sends your message to help@usps.org aka Help Desk.

For any ITCom web page issues, you can send an email to ITHelp@usps.org.

If you have issues, you can send your issue to help@usps.org and we will forward or instruct as needed.

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE–Challenge #3

Which of the following items can you do on the website?

• Register A New Member• Change A Member’s Position• Update Your Own Contact Information• Enter Info About Your Next Course• Find a Member? Find a Squadron?

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE–Challenge #4

What items can you NOT do on the website?

Can you think of any?

1-Enter or Submit the Squadron dissolution forms

2-Change a non-modifiable members record field

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE

How many of you like to have the ability on the website to be able to change your own contact information (email address, mailing address, phone number, etc)?

How many of you think the website needs to be better organized and provide an easier, user friendly approach to find things?

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE

In order for USPS to offer your personal info online in addition to other reports, etc that contain your information and to keep your information away from the advertisers, spam/junk email folks and identity theft, we must make the site more secure.

PINS are here and they are not going away! BUT, logging in with a zip code is.

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE - PINS

How many of you know your PIN?Every Member has been given a PIN. You

can find it on your paper renewal notice each year and it is sent with your ID card.

But, if you forget or haven’t seen it yet, you can follow these steps to obtain it or edit your existing security information.

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE - PINS

Login With Your Certificate Number and Zip

Go to: http://tiny.cc/GetMyPINFollow the steps

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE - PINS

Enter the Information as Needed

Click on Continue

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE - PINS

Next click to LogoffYou will change pages and be told you

are now logged off

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE - PINS

Next Enter Your Certificate NumberChoose your Security Question, enter

your Answer and your PIN will be emailed to your email address on file.

Need more help?

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE - PINS

So, what is different than before this change?

Now, you can enter a Security Question to retrieve your PIN when you are logged in with a Zip Code.

The member has the ability to obtain their own PIN without any human intervention!

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE - PINS

Go to How Do I… pageClick on Get My PIN?

Forgot the URL/ LINK?

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE - PINS

Member Stuff Menu Get My PIN

Forgot the URL/ LINK?

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE – Information Center

Go to www.usps.org Site Index Information Center

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE – Final Word on SECURITY

Email Address Change• VERY IMPORTANT – if you change your email

address, be sure and change it in on USPS.org while the old is still active.

• If you lose your PIN, you can obtain it if you answer your security question. Your PIN will be emailed to the email address on file.

• If you don’t have access to the old email address, you can’t get it.• Will have to have someone with the squadron

Updater Password do it for you.

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE – Information Center

The Information Center is a place where a logged in member can:

• find other member information, • update their own record, • find out who is on a committee

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE – Information Center

If you have the squadron “Updater” password, you can:

• Update another members’ information online

• Update the information the public sees about your squadron.

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE – Information Center

Depending on your Squadron, District or National position, depends on what you can see.

• If you qualify to be in the National Directory, then you can see the contact info for others that qualify to be in the directory.

• No one can see passwords or PINs

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE – Update Your Info Real Time

Now, each member can update their own information and it will update the national database at that moment (aka REAL-TIME)

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE – Update Your Info Real Time

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A Rule!Real Time Member

Information Updates are not

allowed unless you are logged on with

a PIN. 46

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE - Challenge #5

How many of you were in this seminar before?

How many of you kept your commitment?

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GPS FOR THE WEBSITE - Challenge #5

I Promise to Go home and show at least 2 other members:

• How to sign up on the Email News Broadcast

• Sign In to SailAngle and ask questions and answer others

• How to locate information on the website• How to update their own profile using the

Real-Time information

Everyone Please Raise Your Right Hand

[Hands Down]

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I’m No EINSTEIN! GPS FOR USPS.ORG

Just Like You, Those Who Design These Forms of Communication Are Not Einstein’s

All are a WORK IN PROGRESSRevisions are being made daily and

definitely since this Presentation was made!

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I’m No EINSTEIN! GPS FOR USPS.ORGDid anyone notice some

new items on the National Website? Know what they mean?

• Facebook• You Tube• Twitter• Linked In

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Help Desk Support

Can’t Find Something On www.usps.org?

Contact: Help@usps.orgITCom Help Desk VolunteersP/R/C Phil Arcuni, SNStf/C Kristi Anderson, PBe nice, they are volunteers too and are only trying to help

you!

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COMMUNICATION

The Members Have Spoken – They Want More COMMUNICATIONNational is providing it,

and they need us all to join them.

Won’t you Come Aboard and Join Us? Together, Let’s Make USPS The

Best!