Members' Online Tutorial

Tutorial If you have an account on this site, the system will "know" you if you put in your correct ID and password when you log on. Your ID is your account number as four digits (prefix zeros to make it up to four digits). If you have forgotten your password, you can re-set it yourself. Try to log on, and if you fail, the system will invite you to put in your ID and email address, then it will send you a message with a new password. As soon as you log on, go to My Profile and you can change that password to another one that you will remember, but it will need to contain at least one digit. If you don't succeed in accessing your account, send a message via Contact Us, and the Administrator will reset the password for you.

WHAT EVERYONE CAN DO: Everyone can see what's wanted and offered in the listings by going to the those sections of the Members Area, so do not put in anything in the text of the listings that you do not want to be viewed by the general public. Everyone can view the News and Events section of the Members Area to see when meetings and socials will be held, for example. And everyone can contact us with feedback, queries or news items or enquiries via Contact Us.

PASSWORDS: Members are given an automatically-generated password for their account, but can change it to something more memorable. Once you've logged in with the random password in the email, you can change it via My Profile - it's the first option on the list.

YOUR PROFILE: Once you are logged on, you can also update your profile, by adding or deleting a joint member, via My Profile. When you first access your account, you may find that the text of your Offers & Wants is in the About Me box, so your first task is to set up your listings properly - see next paragraph. Once that's done, go back to your profile and amend the About Me box with some general text about yourself (including a link to your own website if you have one). You can also upload a photo of yourself there.

To add, delete or edit your own OFFERS & WANTS, choose Update Listings. Here's a handy hint for when you first open up your account. Get two browsers open, in one you can keep looking at and refreshing the Directory, in the other, you can be doing the directory entries - this saves you constantly toggling back and forth to see where you got to. When you are Creating a Listing, make sure your heading is a good title. Please use a capital letter to start your heading and end it with a colon (two dots). Then add text in the box - this part can easily be amended later. If you are not sure which category to place it in, put it in Uncategorised. You can limit the duration of the listing and indicate pricing.

Updating OFFERS & WANTS: The Directory Editor will be able create or edit the categories and move listings into them as appropriate. The detailed text for each listing can be updated by you at any time, but if you want to alter the title itself, you will need to copy and save the text, create a new listing, and copy in the text you have saved. Then you can delete the old one. That's why you should take care when you first set up each listing.

EXCHANGES: You can view your own trading record and that of other members, or transfer Reekies to another member in payment for goods or services via Exchanges. If there will be any delay before you can go online to make the transaction, both parties can sign each other's copy of a Local Claim Form as an interim record. You should be able to download this from the Documents page. Once you have done a transaction you will be invited to provide feedback on that exchange.

WHAT MEMBERS CAN'T DO: Members can't update their own Reekies balance. When you've traded with another member, the person who has received the service or item is the one who records it on the Exchanges page. However, you can send an invoice through the system. Once the transaction has taken place, you will see it via "View My Balance and Exchange History".

WHAT ABOUT MEMBERS WHO ARE NOT ONLINE? Those who do not have access to the internet can be matched to a buddy, who will help them set up a web-based email address and/or help them manage their account. Meanwhile you can still use cheques as before, and the LETS Accountant will carry out the transaction online for you. Committee members can carry out other functions towards the overall management of the site, such as updating meeting notices. Any time you want to contact them, either go to the specific link if you know it, or send a message via Contact Us.