Members Guidance Notes

GUIDANCE NOTES ON THE NEW WEBSITE AND FORUM
 
BACKGROUND

As many of you will know the Yahoo site has become difficult to use and is increasingly unreliable with frequent down times. This coupled with the fact that our website is woefully out of date has caused us to re-evaluate how we keep the group functioning in the future.

We have decided that the best way forward is to construct a dedicated website with an integrated forum for members.

The process of constructing the new website and forum has now been completed and we are ready to move to our new home.

With any move of this type, despite the intricate planning that has taken place, there are likely to be minor issues that we will need to resolve along the way. Please therefore be patient with us whilst we address any issues that arise in the process of moving.

As a backstop, we will not be discontinuing the Yahoo Forum immediately. This will run on for a few weeks whilst members become used to the new forum and website. There will however be a cut off time and we will advise all members well in advance of this date.

The new website and forum can be found at https://www.fuchs-dystrophy.org.uk

MEMBERS MIGRATING FROM YAHOO. 
(This section is only applicable to previous members who were registered on the Yahoo system) 
  1. As an existing member of Yahoo, we have tried to transfer as much of your existing membership details as we can. As such, we have created you each an account on the new Website using your current Yahoo Username and the primary E-Mail address linked to your yahoo profile

  2. When the new website goes live, then we will enable your account, and you will initially receive an email advising you that “your membership has been approved”, and also a 2nd Welcome email

  3. For obvious reasons, we have not been able to transfer your yahoo login password, and therefore you must set this up yourself before you can gain access to the new website as follows. To complete this step you must have access to the E-Mail account, where the password reset link will be sent to.

    1. Click on the "Login" link on the email you receive
    2. Click on the "Forgot your password" link
    3. Either select and enter your username or e-mail address. ( note we recommend using your e-mail address) 
    4. Providing your account can be found, then the system will send you an e-mail. This email will have a subject "Confirm Password Reset", and will come from "FuchsFriends UK", having an e-mail address of "staff@fuchs-dystrophy.org.uk". Please ensure you check your Spam / Junk folders incase it does not arrive in yout inbox
    5. To further confirm the identity of the e-mail the 1st line of the email will confirm your username
      ie ( Someone has tried to reset your FuchsFriends UK password (username: ?????).
    6. Click on the confirmation link you have received by e-mail.
    7. This link will take you directly to your profile page where you can enter a new password. For security your password must be a minimum of 6 characters
    8. Enter your new password ( and Confirm your password ) and click save at the bottom of the page
    9. The Password reset link may only be used ONCE. If you were unable to save your new password, then repeat the process by requesting another  "Forgot your password" link
    10. You may now login, by clicking on the "Login" link and now entering your details

  4. If at any time in the future you want to change your password then after tou have logged in 
    1. Click on the Profile ( the red person on the menu bar)
    2. Click My Profile
    3. Click on the Edit tab
    4. then enter your new password, ( and confirm it) , and finally click Save
** NOTE1** if this is the 1st time you have gone into your profile, then due to the limited amount of information we were able to automatically transfer, there may be some fields that are currently blank ( ie First name, Last Name, County) where it would be appreciated if you could update these.
Also if we have got any of your details incorrect, then you have the ability to update them accordingly. 

** Note2**. For your personal protection we discourage the use of your e-mail address in any forum posting, and some members use their e-mail address as their displayed name in yahoo postings.
The system allows you to have a separate “Site Display name”, which for all users has been set to a temporary value of “Temp????????” where ? are random characters. We strongly recommend you change this to something of your own liking, and will help in others
  1. We suggest that you watch the video at  https://www.fuchs-dystrophy.org.uk/c10/index.php?page=members-getstarted-video
If you are still having difficulty accessing the new site, then please contact us by e-mail at admin@fuchs-dystrophy.org.uk
 
THE WEBSITE

          Generally
  1. The following relates to accessing the website on a PC. It is recommended that you complete the relocation from the Yahoo site using a PC.
     
  2. The primary difference when accessing the website using a tablet or mobile phone is that rather than having a series of headings along the top of the page such as “About Us”, “Symptoms”, “Joining” and “Members” these are accessed via a “Menu” on the left side of the page which when tapped provides a drop down list to choose from.
     
  3. When first accessing the site look to the bottom right corner of the page and you will see a series of “A’s” in ascending size. This feature enables you to set the size of the text by clicking on the letters. – the larger the letter “A” you click on the larger the text you will be reading on your screen.
     
  4. If you are viewing the website on a tablet or mobile phone you also have the option to click on the words “Mobile Version” at the bottom of the screen which will take you to a version that is suitable for mobile phones and tablets. Depending upon the search engine you are using (Safari etc.) you may be able to make the text larger.
     
  5. When you have logged in look to the top right corner of the page and you will see the image of a person next to the search bar. Click on this and a small window appears, and you will see at the bottom of the window the words “My Profile”. Click on these words and you will be taken to a page containing details about yourself. 
     
  6. Along the top of the window just under your username are a series of words and each will take you to a different page in your profile. The “Edit” page is perhaps the most important and contains further sub-pages. Under settings you have the option to change the colour of text and background to suit your preferences. Half-way down the page is the word “Themes”, click on the arrow next to the box and this will bring up alternative options for you to select such as black text on a white background; white text on a black background and blue text on a white background. Once you have selected your preference click on "Save" at the bottom of the page and then left click the Fuchfriends logo in the top left corner of the screen.
     
  7. The sub-page titled “Profile” contains all of the personal information you provided when joining the group. You can change this at any time but do remember to click on the word “Save” at the bottom of the page to save the changes.
     
  8. The sub-pages “Avatar” and “Signature” give you the ability to upload an avatar of your choice and to add a signature to your messages
     
  9. The “Privacy” sub-page is not used as this is a closed group with no public access.
     
  10. The “Notifications” sub-page sets the frequency with which you receive information from the forum. You can elect to receive information as it occurs by placing a Tick in the E-Mail box, or not at all.
     
  11. The final sub-page is headed “Delete” and this enables you to delete your membership of the group. This action is permanent, and cannot be reversed even by staff. All of your profile information is deleted, but any posts that you have made will remain.
     
  12. There is a search facility with which to search the entire website. This is located to the top right of the page. You can filter your research by filling in the different boxes.
     
  13. The website operates very much as all websites do with a series of drop-down menus and pages. Each of these pages is referred to below.
Non-members Pages
  1. The “Home Page” is the first page you will see when accessing the website. This has some general comments about Fuchs’ Corneal Dystrophy and tells visitors about the condition.
     
  2. Along the top of the page, slightly to the left are three words – “About Us”, “Symptoms” and “Joining”. These are explained separately below.
About Us
  1. If you hold your cursor over the words “About Us” you will see a small window appears with the words “Home”, “Where to get Support”, “How much does it Cost to Join”, “Legal” and “Privacy Policy”.

  2. If you click on these words individually you will be taken to a new page in each instance.

  3. “Home” will take you back to the “Home Page”.

  4. “Where to get Support” will take you to a page with general information for first time visitors to the website including information about Fuchsfriends UK and how we can help.

  5. “How much does it Cost to Join” – this contains information for new visitors about Fuchsfriends UK and the joining process.

  6. “Legal” – this is the legal disclaimer page.

  7. “Privacy Policy” – we ask that all members new and existing read this page as it will tell you about the information that we hold about you and what we do with it. It also contains information about how we comply with the General Data Protection Regulations.
Symptoms
  1. If you hold your cursor over the word you will see another small window appear with the words “Newly Diagnosed”, “Visual” and “Diagnosis”

  2. If you click on these words individually you will be taken to new pages each with different information about the condition primarily for first time visitors to the website.
 Joining
  1. Holding your cursor over this word will bring up a window with the words “Logging in and out” and “Join Now”

  2. Clicking on the first words will take you to the logging in page for members where you will need to enter your username and password to gain access to the members section of the website and the forum.

  3. You can use your email address rather than your username to gain access but it must be the email address that is logged on the website in order to gain access.

  4. If you have forgotten your password, you can reset this by clicking on the words “Forgot your password?” just below the box where you enter your password. This will take you to a page where you can reset your password.

  5. To the right of the place where you enter your username/email address is a white box. If you click on this box you will remain permanently logged into the website. This is not recommended when using shared computers as it compromises security.
Members Pages
  1. The members pages are much more comprehensive than the non-members. You will find these once you have logged onto the website. They are only accessible to members who have completed the process of transfer/joining and are able to log-in to the website.

  2. The first thing you will notice after logging in is that a further section appears at the top of the page titled “Members”.

  3. If you hold your cursor of over the word “Members” you see a further small window appear with a number of additional words listed all of which, when clicked on, will take you to a new page on the website. These are commented on separately below.

  4. “Forum” and “Search Forum Posts” are covered elsewhere in this note.

  5. On the page titled “FAQ” are a list of questions that many of our members have asked on our Yahoo forum. They provide a basic understanding of Fuchs, the symptoms that people experience and the treatments that are available.

  6. On the page titled “Useful Tips” we have listed a number of practical ideas on how to cope with the condition before and after having surgery.

  7. “Computer Tips” contains a few hints and tips to make using a computer easier. Today computers and tablets all have Accessibility features to make it easier for those with poor sight to modify how the screen appears.

  8. “Treatments”, this page contains details of the principle treatments available including the different types of corneal graft that you might be offered. There are links to videos of the three types of graft which you can access by clicking on the words “Useful Information”.    

  9. The “Symptoms” page has details of the symptoms you may experience pre and post-transplant

  10. The “Hospital” page contains a list of consultants that members have used. You have the option to add to this list by clicking the words “Add Entry”. Please note the requirement not to add any inappropriate comments. 

  11. The page titled “Useful Information” contains two list of information that we hope will be helpful to members. The first is a list of links to external websites and the second is a list of documents and publications.  There are also two downloadable documents that you can then print, these being a leaflet and poster about Fuchsfriends UK. These are intended for distribution to Hospital Eye Units and Opticians to help spread the word about Fuchsfriends UK and the support we can offer.
THE FORUM

          Using The Forums on a PC
  1. You can find the forum by clicking on “Members” and then “Forum” in the small window that appears

  2. You will see that there are two Forums listed these being “Yahoo Archive” and the second “General Forum”.

  3. The first of these contains the Yahoo messages from the start of the Group that have been transferred to the new website. Please note that the "Yahoo Archive" is not an active forum so you will not be able to post messages.

  4. You will note when you are in the “Yahoo Archive” that all of the messages are in descending date order. If you want to search for a particular topic in the Yahoo Archive you will need to hold your cursor over the word “Members” at the top of the page and select “Search Forum Posts”. This will bring up a page so that you can set your parameters for the search. Once you have set the parameters click on the words “Search content” at the bottom of the page and this will bring up the results.
    **Note** the search system only matches whole words. 

  5. As noted above searching the Forums is carried out using the search facility just below the Forum tab on the Members drop down menu.

  6. In order to view the messages in a topic, click the topic and this will bring up all messages posted under that topic. Click on the individual messages to read them.

  7. If you want to create a new topic in the “General Forum” you can do so by clicking on the words “Add topic” which is at the bottom right corner of the page when in the forum. This will require you to describe your topic and then create a message in the dialogue box. Once you have created your message click on the word “Post”.

  8. If you want to add a message under a topic that already exists, you can do so by clicking on the word “Reply" to the bottom of the page. This will bring up a dialogue box into which you can type your message. When you have finished typing it you can preview it by clicking on “Preview” or post it by clicking on “Post reply”.

  9. When posting a message, you will have the option to change the formatting of the text by using the tool bar above to change text font; colours etc. very much as can be done when using Microsoft Word.
    ** Note** Remember that applying formatting ( in particular colour highlighting ) may cause some members to find your post difficult to read, so please use carefully. 
Using The Forums on a Tablet of Mobile Phone
  1. You can use a tablet or mobile phone to read and post messages in much the same way as with a PC. The layout of the page is slightly different with a drop-down menu usually to the top left of the page rather than tabs across the top of the page. Remember to click on the words "Mobile Version" at the bottom of the page whcih will make it easier to use the website and forum.

  2. You can also post a reply by email to messages that you receive notification of through a mobile device but again this is limited to the email notification setting only and cannot be performed if you have set your notifications to daily, weekly or monthly digest .

  3. To post a reply you have received by email you can simply click reply, with your comment at the top of the email body, and press send in your email program. Alternatively, you can log-in to the website, and after locating the message in the forum, then you can press the reply button which will open a new page so that you can type your message and then click on the “Post Reply” button.
General Website information

This website is accessed using the HTTPS protocol meaning that your information is encrypted using standard SSL technology. This can be confirmed by ensuring that there is a Padlock in the address bar of your browser, and the SSL certificate is Issued by COMODO Secure

Even though your information is encrypted when being sent, please be careful from sending personal details on the forums ( such as personally identifiable information like your full address, Date of Birth, etc), and you should NEVER send any bank details , credit card details, Pin numbers to this site. We will never ask for it, and you should never supply it 

(Information for those more technically minded) 
Emails being sent from the site for the Forum posts, and newsletters will come from the domain name "@fuchs-dystrophy.org.uk" To prevent emails being blocked, you may need to whitelist this domain name in your email client. 

For direct assistance, E-Mails may come directly from the moderators personal e-mail accounts

Emails sent from the site are digitally signed using DMIK (DomainKeys Identified Mail ) . Some email platforms ( i.e. google) allow you to check the authenticity of the DKIM signature to ensure it is genuine.
 
Assistance

We understand that some of our members "IT Computer Skills" are better than others. If you are really struggling then we can help you. Either contact using the  "Feedback" located at the very bottom of the page, or send us an email to admin@fuchs-dystrophy.org.uk
 
We will need some basic information like your name / username, and the nature of the problem so we can get in contact with you. Please remember we are all volunteers, and will get to you when we can.

Many Thanks