Hub FAQ

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Logging into The Hub
My Profile
Contact List
Directory
Communities
Discussions
Libraries

Logging into The Hub



Q: How do I log into The Hub?

A: On The Hub’s home page at http://thehub.nacs.org, click “Login to see members only content” in the upper right corner. Enter your username and password, the same ones you use to log into members-only content on the NACS web site at www.nacs.org.


Don’t remember your username or password, or never set up a password? There are two places to easily register for a password or reset a forgotten password:

  • The Hub home page: Click “Login to see members only content.” Click on “Forgot Password?” underneath the login box or click the link beneath “Need a Login?”, depending on your situation.
  • NACS home page at www.nacs.org: Click the blue Login button in the upper right corner, then click “Forgot Password” in the popup box. Or click “Need a Login?” under the blue Login button.
In either case, follow the pop-up instructions. Once you are registered with a password, you’ll be able to log into The Hub.

My Profile


Q: How do I update my profile?

A: In My Profile on the main navigation menu, click “Profile” to open your profile. To add or edit information in your bio and other sections about you, click the Options icon next to each section.


Include as much or as little information as you like. You can make changes any time. If you already have a profile on LinkedIn and would like to use the same profile information in The Hub, just click the link designated with the LinkedIn icon.


Q: How do I update my contact information at the top of my profile?

A: Click “Edit NACS Membership Info” under your contact information. This will take you to the login page for the online Member Directory on www.nacs.org where you can make changes. The online directory is powered by the central NACS database and is the only place online for updating membership-related information.


Q: Who can see the information in my profile?

A: You can manage who sees which portions of your profile. In My Profile on the main navigation menu, click “My Privacy Settings” to set your preferences. You can change them at any time.


Q: Do I have to enter dates for my education or job history?

A: No, it’s not required. Just fill out what you would like to appear.


Q: My photo won’t upload. What’s the problem?

A: The image must be saved in a .jpg, .gif, or .bmp format and must be no larger than 600 pixels wide by 600 pixels tall (600x600). You can use programs such as iPhoto, Photoshop, Microsoft Paint, and Microsoft Photo Editor to check the dimensions and edit them if needed. The file size (kilobytes, megabytes, etc.) doesn’t matter.


Q: Do I have to upload a photo of myself?

A: Personal photos are intended to help members get to know each other by putting faces with names. But it’s OK if you’d rather upload another photo or image to represent you, or just leave the silhouette in place. Make sure you obtain permission before posting a photo or image copyrighted by someone else.


Q: I set “My Privacy Settings” to hide some sections of my profile page from view. Why do I still see those sections when I log in?

A: As the owner of your profile, you always see all the information sections available. That allows you to fill them out or change your privacy settings in the future, if you wish. No one can see those parts of your profile if you selected “Nobody” for them in “My Privacy Settings.”


Contact List


Q: What is a contact list?

A: Members of The Hub can ask another member to become a “contact.” All of your contacts are displayed in a list under “My Contacts,” accessible from the main navigation menu and your profile page. You can sort your contact list alphabetically by name or by city or state.

A contact list is a way to keep a personal directory of selected members. This makes it easier to send a private message to contacts to ask a question, solicit advice, or just stay in touch. You can also create a private community with your contacts (see the section on Communities and Discussions).

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

A: In My Profile on the main navigation menu, click “My Contacts” for a list of your current contacts. To add a contact, click “Add Contact(s)” on the right. This opens a box to search The Hub Directory for members you would like to invite to become a contact. The search results will show a link to “Add [Name] as contact.” Click the link to send a contact request to that person.

A link to “Add [Name] as contact” also appears on each member’s profile page in The Hub.

You can also rate your contacts with one to five stars as a way to help organize your contacts. For instance, give people you contact the most five stars. Your highest-rated contacts will then show up on the left of your profile page, making it easy to message them. Your star ratings are only visible to you; none of your contacts can see the ratings.

 

Directory


Q: How do I find other NACS members in The Hub?

A: In Directory on the main navigation menu, click “Find a Member” for a quick search by first name, last name, company name, and/or e-mail address. Click “Advanced Search” to use additional criteria to find people, including: city, state/province, country, community type, community name, education, years of experience in collegiate retailing, or areas of professional interest, or use keywords to search for bio/demographics, areas of professional expertise, campus roles, and professional involvement goals.

To find vendor companies who are NACS members, in Directory on the main navigation menu, click “NACS Buyers Guide.” Clicking will take you out of The Hub and to the Buyers’ Guide on www.nacs.org.


Communities


Q: What is a community?

A: A community is a group of members within The Hub. The main community is the Hub Global Community, which includes all NACS members in The Hub.

For links to the Hub Global Community and to a list of all communities, look in Discuss and Share on the main navigation menu.

Some communities have been created to facilitate collaboration by members of NACS volunteer boards, committees, task forces, and councils. Others are work groups used by NACS staff. And still others are built around common interests of members in The Hub.

Each community’s page features a roster of its members. A community also offers:

  • Discussions: Members can share comments and questions in threaded conversations.
  • Events: Upcoming dates, such as meetings or conference calls, can be posted here.
  • Library: Documents and other files related to the community can be uploaded for sharing.


Q: How do I join a community?

A: In order to participate in a community’s resources, you must join it first.

Some communities are limited to certain groups, such as council members. There are a couple of ways to find out which communities you are eligible to join:

  • In Discuss and Share on the main navigation menu, click “Join Communities.” This will display a list of all the communities you can join.
  • In My Profile on the main navigation menu, click “My Communities.” This will show all the communities to which you already belong, followed by the communities you’re welcome to join.

In either case, to join a community, click the green “Join” button to the right of each community name. A pop-up box will appear where you can manage your e-mail subscriptions for the community’s discussion:

  • Real Time: One e-mail in HTML for each message posted to the community’s discussion.
  • Daily Digest: One e-mail in HTML per day combining all the posts from the previous day.
  • Legacy: One e-mail in plain text for each post. You cannot attach documents if you’re using this.
  • No e-mail at all. You can still view or participate in discussions by logging into the community in The Hub.

You can change your e-mail preferences at any time by going to My Profile on the main navigation menu and clicking on “My Subscriptions.” You can also opt to receive e-mails via RSS feed by clicking the orange icon.


Q: How do I leave a community?

A: There are a couple of ways to sever your involvement in a community:

  • Enter the community you wish to leave. On the “Recent Activity” tab, click “Leave Community.”
  • On the main navigation menu, in My Profile, click “My Subscriptions.” Select “Unsubscribe” and click Save.


Discussions


Q: What is a discussion?

A: A discussion involves messages shared by the members of a community. A discussion in The Hub is very similar to the topical e-mail discussion lists NACS used to host before The Hub opened, but with more options.

Just like the lists, a discussion starts when a member of the community posts a message with a question or a comment. Others in the community can respond to that post, or can begin a new topic.

Discussion messages are saved in The Hub in threaded groups, so you can view an original post and all the replies in one spot. Messages can be searched by keyword or author. You can also attach files to discussion messages, a bonus that wasn’t available with the old e-mail lists.

You must join a community first in order to view the community’s previous discussion threads or to post a discussion message of your own. [See Communities for details on joining and setting e-mail preferences.]


Q: How do I reply to a message in a discussion?

A: The easiest way is to use the right-hand menu in the message to which you’re replying. Click “Reply to Discussion” to share your message with the entire community or click “Reply to Sender” to send a private response just to the author of the message. You will be prompted to log into The Hub to complete your reply.

If you already deleted a message from your e-mail and now want to respond to it, log into The Hub and go to the discussion. You can view the topic threads to find the message again.


Q: How do I start a new discussion topic (thread)?

A: Before beginning a new thread, check to see whether a thread on that topic already exists. A previous thread may already have answers to your questions, or you can continue the conversation on that thread.

There are several ways to open a new message form to kick off a brand-new topic:

  • In any existing discussion message, click “Post Message.” If you aren’t already logged into The Hub, you’ll be prompted to do so. A new message form will open.
  • On The Hub’s main navigation menu, in Discuss and Save, click “Post a Message.” You might want to bookmark this link or add it to your web favorites list for easy access.
  • On a community’s discussion tab, click the “Post New Message” button.
  • In Discuss and Share on the main navigation menu, click “All Discussions.” Next to each discussion on the far right is a choice of actions, including “Post” to create a new message. You will not be able to post messages in communities you haven’t joined.

Be sure to fill out the subject line with a descriptive phrase and choose a discussion. The Hub automatically adds your signature. You can also cross-post the same message to one additional discussion without opening a new form.


Q: How do I change my preferences in receiving discussion e-mails? Can e-mails be sent to another address?

A: On the main navigation menu, in My Profile, click “My Subscriptions.” Each community and discussion that you joined will be listed. You can set different preferences for different discussions.

Options include:

  • Mail format: HTML or text. HTML is recommended in order to take full advantage of The Hub’s capabilities.
  • Real Time: One e-mail per message posted to the discussion.
  • Daily Digest: One e-mail per day, combining all discussion posts from the previous day. You won’t receive a daily e-mail if there were no posts the day before.
  • Legacy: One plain-text e-mail per message posted. You will be able to reply to messages from a legacy e-mail, but you cannot attach documents.
  • No E-mails: Select this if you want to remain a community member but don’t want to get discussion e-mails. You can still log into The Hub to view discussion threads and post messages.
  • Unsubscribe: Choose this only if you want to leave the community entirely. If you unsubscribe, you will no longer be able to view discussion threads or access the community’s library.
  • RSS Feed (orange icon): You can have e-mails delivered through an RSS feed of your choice.
  • Address: Click “change” to have discussion e-mails sent to a different address (personal or work).


Q: I opted to receive discussion e-mails in HTML but the messages don’t look right. How do I fix this?

A: If you’re not seeing The Hub’s banner graphic at the top of each e-mail message or photos of message authors, that probably means images have been turned off in your e-mail application. You may be able to change the setting in your security or viewing options in your e-mail program.

You can also choose to receive plain-text discussion e-mails. In My Profile in the main navigation menu, click “My Subscriptions” and select “Text” in the Mail Format box. Click Save.


Q: Why do I have to log into The Hub in order to reply to a message? It was much easier with the e-mail discussion lists.

A: The login is actually just one extra step. But in return you reap a lot of benefits with The Hub’s discussions:

  • You can add attachments, which are automatically stored in a searchable library. Participants no longer have to post “Me, too!” to receive a sample.
  • There are no more “mystery” messages from people who forgot to add a complete signature, so you can contact someone privately for more information about a message.
  • If you’re receiving the digest alerts, you don’t have to wade through lengthy signatures in reading yesterday’s messages.
  • You can search previous messages in a number of ways.
  • You can easily connect with other discussion participants outside of the discussion.


Q: How do I search more than one discussion at the same time?

A: In the main navigation menu, in Discuss and Share, click “All Discussions.” Use the keyword search box or click “show advanced search” for more options.


Q: How do I leave a discussion?

A: In My Profile in the main navigation menu, click “My Subscriptions.” For the discussion you wish to leave, select “No E-mails” if you want to remain in the community but not participate in discussions. Select “Unsubscribe” if you want to leave both the discussion and the community.


Q: Can I change the information that appears in my message signature?

A: Each signature is set to a default that pulls information from the NACS membership database. It’s not possible to delete any of the lines or add other types of information. If the signature is incorrect, go to your profile page in The Hub and click “Edit NACS Membership Info” to make changes.


Libraries


Q: What are libraries?

A: Libraries are searchable digital repositories for all sorts of resources and tools provided by The Hub’s participants for other members to use. The files might be examples of templates, forms, checklists, policies, training materials, videos, spreadsheets, slide shows, marketing materials, and other items intended for all members to share. Some files may be working documents solely for volunteer boards and councils.

Each community within The Hub has its own library, but the main library is the Hub Global Library, which is available to all NACS members in the Hub Global Community.


Q: How do I access a particular library?

A: On the main navigation menu, Discuss and Share includes links to the Hub Global Library and All Libraries.

Each community also has a tab linking to its own library. You can easily navigate to that library from any page within that community.


Q: How do I search a library’s files?

A: In Discuss and Share on the main navigation menu, click “Search Libraries.” You can search for items based on keywords, posted dates, or the person who posted the file. You can also search specific libraries or for a particular type of file.

Each community also has a keyword search box that you can use to find files in that community’s library.

Search results will be listed in order of relevance, but you can also sort results alphabetically or by date.


Q: Can I download any documents or files from a library?

A: Yes, the files are there to be shared and used. However, keep in mind that many of the documents and files submitted to the library were created by your industry peers. NACS does not evaluate or verify their accuracy and usefulness.


Q: How can I contribute something to a library?

A: There are two easy ways to add a document or other file to a library:

  • In Discuss and Share on the main navigation menu, under “Libraries,” click “Add a New Entry.”
  • Add an attachment when you post a message to a discussion. All attachments are automatically added to the discussion’s library.

In both cases, you’ll be prompted to follow these instructions on pop-up forms:

1) Enter a title and brief description, and select the library and type of entry. Click Next.

2) Click “Select Your File” to navigate to your computer system to choose the file. (Repeat if you are uploading multiple files.) Click “Upload File(s)” after you’re selected all the files you intend to upload. Click Next if you want to add tags or keywords to aid members in searching for the file. If not, click Finish.

Be sure to provide a clear title for the file. Examples: Textbook Request Form for Faculty, Store Flier Promoting Buyback, Job Description: Apparel Buyer, New Student Employee Orientation Checklist

The description should explain what the file contains and any other helpful information. This will assist in returning good results for searches.


Q: What kind of materials are appropriate to share in a library?

A: In general, almost anything that other members would find helpful would make a great addition to a library. The Hub can support most commonly used file types, including Word, PDF, PowerPoint, Excel, images, and video.

However, do not upload any copyrighted materials without first obtaining permission from the rights-holder.

Some materials are not appropriate for The Hub’s libraries, such as promotional materials for a particular company or products, political or religious content, criticism of other members, anything that might be deemed offensive to others, or items that may violate antitrust regulations. If you’re unsure, check with The Hub Team by clicking “Contact Us” in the upper right corner.


Q: If I contribute a file to a library, can someone else delete or change it in the library?

A: No. The Hub recognizes you as the owner of the file. Only you or the system administrator will be able to delete the file by clicking the red X that appears when you view the document details. You cannot alter your document after uploading it. If you need to edit a contribution, delete the old version in The Hub first. Then make your changes in the original file on your computer system and upload the edited version to the library.

However, others can provide comments, links, or other resources related to the file you uploaded.