Welcome to the H-Net Commons Quick Start Guide
Below are instructions to help you start reading and contributing to the H-Net Commons. This series of very short guides is intended to get you up and running as quickly as possible. For more detailed guides that included images, see the links after each of the Quick Start topics below.
Were you subscribed to one of our previous listservs? If so, an account is waiting for you: login to activate that account.
- We emailed a login link to your subscribed address when we created the account. Don't have the password or link? Reset the password and then log in.
- The first time you log in we ask you to accept the Terms of Use and the Creative Commons License.
- If you used a temporary login from our email, you should change your password. Follow this guide to change your password.
- Fill in your profile.
- Need more help? Write us.
Subscribe to Get Email and to Post - Anyone with an account can request subscription to any network.
- Log In through the Log In button in the upper right of any page.
- Click “All Networks” at the top of any page, locate the desired network in the listings, and click on its title.
- Check the network's "About" page for specific qualifications, if any, to subscribe. Make sure your profile displays those qualifications.
- Click the "Subscribe" button in the right sidebar, jot a request in the text box, and click "join." An Editor will process your request and you'll receive a notification if the request is accepted or declined.
Click here for a more detailed guide to Subscriptions.
Starting a New Discussion - Subscribers can create a new discussion on any of their networks. Other subscribers can respond.
- Log in at the upper right of any page.
- Find and click on your network in the “List of Networks.”
- At the network, click “Start a Discussion with Fellow Scholars" at the top of the Network homepage under the banner.
- Give your post a title, write it using the text editor, enter a keyword or two, preview it, and submit to the editor.
Click here for a more detailed guide to Starting Discussions.
Reply to an ongoing Discussion - Join the conversation!
- Log In at the upper right of any page.
- Discussion came by email? Click on "read more or reply" in that email. Otherwise, navigate to the Discussion to which you want to reply.
- Use the quick reply form at the bottom of the page to join the conversation. Click Add Formatting to Your Reply at the bottom fo the page if the quick reply form is not sufficient to format your post.
- Give your post a title, write it using the editing toolbar, enter a keyword tag or two, preview it, and submit to the editor.
Click here for a more detailed guide to Replying.
Managing Your Account - Change email address or password.
- Log In at the upper right of any page.
- Click on the My Profile in the upper right and choose “Account” from the drop down menu.
- Input your account information and click save.
Click here for a more detailed guide to Managing your Account.
Managing Your Profile – Many networks require a completed professional profile for their subscribers! Manage it here.
- Log in at the upper right of any page.
- Click on the My Profile in the upper right and choose “Profile” from the drop down menu.
- You will first see your profile as others will see it. Click "Edit Profile" on the right to edit your profile.
- Add any desired profile information and click save.
Click here for a more detailed guide to Managing your Profile.
Resetting Your Password – Lost or Forgotten Password?
- Click the “Request New Password” link in the right sidebar of the Login page.
- You'll receive an emailed link that logs you in. Make sure you are logged out before you click that link.
- If you are stuck in a “loop” and are unable to reset your password, follow this guide to reset your password.
Managing Your Subscriptions - Need to unsubscribe an account from a network?
- At the upper right of any page, log in to that account.
- Click on the My Profile button in the upper right and choose “Networks” from the drop down menu.
- Click the Unsubscribe link next to any of your Networks to unsubscribe.
Click Here for a more detailed guide to Managing your Subscriptions.
Managing Your E-Mail Notifications - Choose the way you receive e-mails when new discussions are posted to your Networks (or choose to turn off notifications).
- Log in at the upper right of any page.
- Click on the My Profile button in the upper right and choose “Notifications."
- Choose a setting for each of the subscriptions listed there.
Click here for a more detailed guide to managing your E-Mail Notifications.
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Using My H-Net – My H-Net is your customizable “Inbox” for the H-Net Commons. See all the new content on the Commons that interests you at a glance!
- My H-Net is the landing page when you Log In to the Commons. Alternatively, click on the My Profile in the upper right and choose “My H-Net” from the drop down menu to navigate to your My H-Net page.
- Click “Add a Widget” to start Customizing your My H-Net page with blocks of content that will automatically update with new content as it is posted to the H-Net Commons.
- After choosing a new Widget to add, click the gear that appears in the upper right of the newly appeared box to choose your settings (for example, Network).
- Add as many Widgets to your page as you like, and arrange them in the order you prefer. Using this method you can even choose to turn off your e-mail notifications and rely on My H-Net to see all the new content in your Networks!