Navigating the site and talking with other members

In this discussion
Replies
12
Views
2527
NJ Bain

I just thought I'd post this tutorial on how to navigate this site. I am NOT an administrator for this site, I'm an ostomate just like you, and I'm just trying to help others out.

As some of you may have already noticed, in order to send emails or private chats, you have to be a paying member. I believe there are monthly, yearly and lifetime memberships. I myself bought the lifetime membership which was around 50 US. If someone else can post the amounts for the monthly or yearly memberships, it would be greatly appreciated. This is by no means a ploy to get you to buy a membership. If you are a non paying member, you can still communicate with other members. You can reply to emails or private chats that are sent to you, but you just can't initiate them. And if you really want to get in touch with someone, you can always post it in the forums but remember, everyone can see that post.

Also, if you are one of the top 10 people to contribute to forum posts or blogs, you will receive a 1 month full membership for free allowing you the full benifits of a paying member for one whole month!

On your smart phone or tablet, there is an icon for your avatar or profile picture in the UPPER RIGHT hand corner of the screen once you log in. Just below that, there are 3 horizontal lines with little circles in them. If you click on these lines, you'll see a selection of links to manage your account, upload pictures, etc, etc. I will try to edit this post with pictures so you can see what I'm describing. But if you click on it, you'll see what I mean....lol

In the LOWER RIGHT corner of the screen, there is a box that says "Mobile Chat". If you click on this box, it will open a new page for general and private chatting. Once you've logged in, you are automatically in the general chat area.

In the UPPER LEFT corner of the screen, there is a box with 4 horizontal lines. If you click on this box, you will see a selection of links to the site, and if you scroll down, you can see who is online. If you click on a person that IS online, it will open up their profile and show you a brief description about that person, given they have taken the time to fill out the profile. Please note whether or not that person is here for friendship or support, etc, etc and please treat them accordingly. Not everyone is here looking for a relationship unless they specify so.

If you send someone an email/private chat or talk in the general chat area and no one responds, don't take it personally. Most members, especially those on smart phones or tablets aren't aware they are being talked to or where to check their email. Others might just be shy.

Like I said, this is just a basic post on how to get around the site. Feel free to correct me, add to this post or just ask questions and everyone here, myself included, will do their best to help you with an answer. I am normally online Monday through Friday between 9AM-5PM EST. Thanks for reading and have a great day!

Bain

Gray Logo for MeetAnOstoMate

Why Join MeetAnOstoMate?

First off, this is a pretty cool site with 33,107 members. Get inside and you will see.

We're not all about ostomy. Everything is being discussed in the forums.

It's a very special community, embracing all ages and backgrounds. People are honest and truly care.

Privacy is very important - the website has many features that are only visible to members.

Create an account and you will be amazed.

NJ Bain

One last thing. Occasionally, you may have to refresh the page to chat or see who just came online.

Gray Logo for MeetAnOstoMate
Jo714

Thanks so much Bain for posting that! Just an FYI, I've found that mobile chat doesn't work too well at times or at least it doesn't on my phone. Also, I'm glad that you mentioned for people to not be offended if they do not receive a reply. I found I was blocked by someone and I'm not sure why. It took me a couple days to respond to a message they sent due to my crazy busy schedule and when I was able to get around to replying I typed up a nice message and when I hit send it informed me that I had been blocked. ‍ We're all ostomates, we're all friends, we've all been through so much and sometimes continue to struggle daily so it's nice that we can all be here for each other.

NJ Bain

You're very welcome Jo714!I've noticed that the mobile format is not my favorite. That's why I prefer to use a personal computer. But as you know, with advances in technology, most of the members I've seen on here prefer the mobile version out of convenience.

But I agree. We've all been through so much and are friends and yes, this platform is a great way to support one another. Thanks for replying!

wcde

?

 
Living with Your Ostomy | Hollister
NJ Bain

Thank you for posting that information!!

wcde
Paying by Credit Card or PayPal
* The Full Membership Fee is in US dollars. If you do not have a USD credit card - no problem, you can still proceed with the transaction and use your non-USD credit card. The PayPal system will convert the funds into your local currency.
Select a product:

6 Months Full Membership
Gives you full access to all features of the site for 6 months. $ 35.00

1 Year Full Membership
Gives you full access to all features of the site for 1 year. Regular price: $49.00
Special offer: $39.00

Lifetime Full Membership
Gives you full access to all features of the site forever. Regular price: $89.00
Special offer: $59.00

Pay by:
Credit Card or PayPal

Note: We use the PayPal system to process your payment. You DO NOT need to have PayPal account to use this system.
PayPal will provide you with an option to pay by Credit Card.
mild_mannered_super_hero

great post bain. iv been a member here for years and i finally did the lifetime thing, its a bargain in my book!i often send a welcome greeting to new members in my age range or fellow cancer survivors regardless of age.....surprisingly very few respond, as you mentioned 30 or so never even read the message and i belive they simply didnt see it, know how to open it, or know that they CAN reply even with a basic membership. i learned quicky to not take it personal. keep up the good work ! mmsh

NJ Bain

mmsh,

Thank you sir!I'll probably revamp the post as for some reason, it won't let me edit it. I didn't say anything about the PC format as it's basically self explainatory. If anyone has any questions though, here's the place to ask!

Bain

Ostomate wife

Good Morning, Thank you for all the info on the site. I am somewhat new to the site and am navigating through it day by day.

I did see a Private Chat from someone to me. I don't know how long it had been there but the person that sent the message seemed a bit upset with me for not replying. When I tryed to reply and appologize for not replying earlier, it would not send because I am not a member.

Have a great day,

NJ Bain

OW,

You are quite welcome. Yes, if you try to reply to a private chat message and the person is no longer online or has closed the message window, it won't go through. Try not to feel bad though. As I stated, with the convenience of cell phones and tablet format for the site, it's a bit dodgy to navigate and half of the time, people aren't aware of the chat feature.

Just try to explore the features of the site and see what you can and can't do. Just because you aren't a paying member doesn't mean you can't enjoy the benefits of the site. Let me know if you have any other questions. You have a great day as well!

Bain

dls

Thank you for the information, I am a new, full lifetime member and have a great deal to learn. However, not wishing to be negative, I must tell you that your excellent post gave instructions for ACCESSING this site, but gave no information as to how to actually navigate the Ostomate site.

As a semi-geek I have a MacBookPro (from which I am writing), a Kindle Fire, a Microsoft PC (laptop) and an aging but lovable HP Desktop. Thus, I carry a simple flip-phone and keep my personal life at home. There are enough options, including internet access to kepp me ocupied and get me where I need to be w/out carying my personal life around for all to see (Phone screens are getting as big as my tablet). That's just me.

So, as one Techie to another, would you post information on how to navigate THIS site?As a newbie I don't know what is public, private, forbidden or how to just browse the site without getting myself into trouble (AKA = lost).

As you really know this site you may also throw my way any little tips that will help me and everyone reading this, how to get the mst out of this site.

I love Technology, IT, and Systems, but things change so fast that even the most educated consumer cannot keep up. Most people use less the one-third of their phones' capabilities.

This is a great site, and all the better for prople like you who are willing to help a newbie find her way around.

Thank you for your patience.

NJ Bain

dls,

Welcome to the site!And yes, the purpose of my post was to help others get in touch with one another. But I would be happy to help you get the most out of the features of this site. Or at least the features that I use....lol

You already seem to know how to post in the forums which is great!And there is nothing forbidden about this site. If for some reason you get lost navigating the site, at the top of the page, you will see tabs labeled HOME, MY MENU, FORUM, BLOGS, COLLECTIONS, THE SOCIAL and CONTACT US. Click on the HOME page and it will show all the options for the site.

As a lifetime member, you have access to the entire site. You can browse past forum posts or blogs, look at pictures or profiles that members have posted, email and private message other members and fill out your profile and add pictures if you like.

If you would like help with getting the most from the site, you can do a search for my screen name. To do so, on the left side of the screen there is a link labeled "Search by Name or Number", click on it and enter NJ Bain. Perform the search and then click on my screen name. Once my profile comes up, select "Send Message" and write what you would like to know. Just let me know when would be a good time or day for you and I will do my best to accommodate. Take care and have a great day!

Bain

All times are GMT - 5 Hours