[How to] New Members: Please select an Avatar & Complete your Profile

[SuperSleeper]

Welcome to our new members!

Please select an Avatar picture and complete your "Profile"

Selecting an Avatar

After you've registered and activated your new Apnea Board member account, we'd like you to select a member Avatar.  (an "avatar" is the picture you see below your username - (like the sleeping man under my username).

We have a wide variety of avatars that you can select from.  In order to chose an avatar, click on your User CP (User Control Panel) at the top right of the forum.  This will take you to a control panel area where you can customize many options for your forum account.  On the left side, you'll see a directory tree.  Under the area called Your Profile, simply select Change Avatar.  Or, you can click here to change your avatar.

From there, you'll see a drop-down list of Avatar Galleries.  You can select one from one of those options, or you can upload an avatar that you've created yourself.  The file size limit is 100 kilobytes (KB).  The forum software will automatically re-size your avatar picture to 120 x 120 pixels.  So it's best to use an avatar that is roughly square-shaped already.  Otherwise, your avatar may be slightly distorted.  If it is distorted-- no problem, you can easily change your avatar at any time - as many times as you wish.  There are several websites where you can create your own avatar for free.


Updating your Profile

Your profile also contains things about you that others can view. Some of it appears in your posts under your avatar or username.

Note: Be aware that some of these answers are seen by non-members, too.

Viewable by non-members:

• The 'WWW' button and the 'Find' button will be under your posts. If you did not fill in the option for webpage in your profile, it will not be there, of course. The 'Find' button is always viewable.
  
  
• Information in the section with your avatar on your posts. This includes your username, your avatar, and everything else normally viewed if you filled in those options.
  
  

Not Viewable by non-members:

• Your profile. Non-members will see a screen that tells them membership is required to view it.
  
  
• The email button and the PM button are not seen.
  
  
• The Member List (link is in the top right section of nearly every page).
  
  

Edit Profile
On this page, you can make changes and choose various things to display and set as default.

We strongly urge CPAP users to complete parts of their profile so that members can see at a glance what machine, mask, humidifier, pressure, and software you are using. We are better able to assist you as well as can assist you faster.


The rest of the choices on the page have optional fields for you to fill out, if you wish.

Some answers will appear under your avatar/username. Others will appear under your posts. And still others will appear on your profile page. Feel free to visit other members' profiles to get an idea of what is available. You view profiles by clicking their username either in their posts or in the 'who is online' list at the bottom of most pages.

When you have completed the section, be sure to click the 'Update Profile' button at the bottom of that page.

Change Password
If you need to change your password, this is where you do it. For security reasons, we recommend you never use your birth date, anniversary date, or other such common things.

Change Email
If you need to change your email address, this is where you do it. This email is used by the administrator to send out infrequent group notices. It is also used by other members if you chose to have it viewable.  Keep in mind that other members will not see your email address, but will be given a link where they can send an email to you through the forum's software.  That process does not reveal your email address to anyone.

On behalf of our Wiki Editors, Advisory Members, Monitors, Moderators  and Administrators... Welcome to our group of "hoseheads"!  We hope you enjoy your membership!