HELP:
SEVEN COMMON PROBLEMS
AND
HOW TO SOLVE THEM
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1. I am having a problem creating an account
2. I did not receive a verification code or when I click the verification code it does not work
3. I cannot get the pull-down menu for country/state/school to work correctly
5. I cannot log in and see my personal web page
6. The links are not working on my personal web page
7. I am uncertain if I submitted the assignment correctly and do not want to be penalized
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1. I AM HAVING A PROBLEM CREATING A NEW ACCOUNT AT www.publicanthropology.net WHEN I CREATE AN ACCOUNT OR WHEN I CLICK ON THE VERIFICATION LINK THAT IS SENT ME (after creating my account), I AM BOUNCED BACK TO THE WELCOME PAGE. I need a password to proceed into the website and I do not yet have my password yet. I FEEL STUCK.
a. Have you followed the directions for setting up your account? Before you set up your account, please read the directions listed on the WELCOME page. These directions are essential for insuring you do not make any mistakes.
i. Here
is a link to the directions:
http://www.publicanthropology.org/Yanomami/DirectionsForStarting.htm
b. Be sure you are not using AOL as your (a) internet browser or as (b) your internet service provider. This is the MOST COMMON SOLUTION for students who fill out the Create an Account form and then get bounced back to the main page. AOL uses special propriety codes that do not work with the Public Anthropology's Community Action Website. It would be best if you also avoided AOL as your email address. The easiest way to do that is to use your university account, Yahoo, or Hotmail.
(1). IF YOU ARE USING AOL AS YOUR INTERNET BROWSER and you have a PC, please change your INTERNET BROWSER to a different internet browser (such as MS INTERNET EXPLORER or FIREFOX by Mozzila). IF YOU ARE USING AOL AS YOUR INTERNET BROWSER and you are using a MAC (by Apple), please change your INTERNET BROWSER to SAFARI (by Apple) or Firefox.
(2). How do I do this?
(a) The easiest way would probably be to use FIREFOX (an open source, or free, internet browser from Mozilla). To download the latest version, that is 1.5, of FIREFOX click on: http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/ . On the Mozzilla web page, click on DOWNLOAD FIREFOX. It is a very simple process. It should only take a few minutes and FIREFOX is an excellent browser. (If you have an earlier version of FIREFOX than 1.5 it would be wise to update your web browser to version 1.5. Sometimes earlier versions have trouble operating on the Public Anthropology's Community Action Website.)
(b) If you prefer MS Internet Explorer with your PC, you should have it among your software programs. Version 6 is the current version of Internet Explorer and can be downloaded from:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?
FamilyID=1e1550cb-5e5d-48f5-b02b-20b602228de6&DisplayLang=en(c) Safari is the Internet Browser that came with your Mac. Safari is made by MAC(3). IF YOU ARE USING AOL AS YOUR INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER, please use a different Internet Service Provider. You can either go to school or try an internet café (but be sure the café does not use AOL).
c. Be sure you are not clicking on the pictures in the instructions. This caution might strike you as funny but it sometimes happens. Be sure you are registering at www.publicanthropology.net and NOT ON A PICTURE of that web page (such as on the picture that is provided, for example, in the directions). You know you are on the real/correct web page if, when you click on CREATE A NEW ACCOUNT, you are brought to a new page. (If you click on a picture, nothing happens.)
d. If the above steps do not work, TRY TO REGISTER ON A DIFFERENT COMPUTER. You might try a friend's computer. But WHAT IS MUCH MORE CERTAIN TO WORK IS TO GO TO ONE OF YOUR SCHOOL'S COMPUTER LABS AND USE A COMPUTER IN THE COMPUTER LAB. THIS IS THE MOST COMMON SOLUTION for people who click on the verification code sent them and then get bounced back to the home page. Sometimes your computer has some special settings on it and trying a different computer to set up your account allows you to get around the restrictions these special settings place on your computer. A friend's computer may have the same settings. But IT IS UNLIKELY THAT YOUR SCHOOL'S COMPUTERS WILL HAVE THE PROBLEMATIC SETTINGS.
(1) PLEASE NOTE: It is very important if you have had trouble registering and use a school computer, that you register (i.e. create a new account) again rather than trying to use the verification link from your earlier effort. As a safety precaution, the verification link only works for 24 hours after it is sent. It will not work after that (note 2c below).
e. If you still cannot solve the problem, please EMAIL ME AT: webmaster@publicanthropology.org with a telephone number and a time you will be in front of your computer (remembering that Hawaii, where I live, is six hours behind, or minus, East Coast time). I try to answer all questions within three to five hours of receiving them (unless you write me early in the morning from the east coast. I will still be asleep since I live in Hawaii.)
2. I DID NOT RECEIVE A VERIFICATION CODE . OR WHEN I CLICK ON THE THE VERIFICATION CODE IT DOES NOT WORK.
a. Recently, some students have been having trouble recieving the verifying email with a HOTMAIL OR YAHOO ACCOUNT. The best things to do, if you are having this problem, is to use your UNIVERSITY ACCOUNT (or a G MAIL ACCOUNT). While we have spent several hours trying to understand the specific nature of the problem, we remained puzzled as to the reason some students have trouble with their hotmail and yahoo accounts while others do not. If you have any ideas what is happening, we would be glad to hear from you.
c. A verification code is sent immediately after you have filled in the information requested for creating an account (or changing your password). BUT it may not arrive immediately due to certain security features on your school’s servers. (These security features seek to prevent the transmission of junk mail. They insist that the verification code be sent twice so the server knows it is not junk mail. This takes, depending on the situation, up to twenty minutes. The process is called GREY LISTING.
d. Your verification code may not work on a few rare occasions, because it is split up on to two or more lines in your email. YOU NEED COPY THE FULL CODE INTO YOUR BROWSER WINDOW. If you only copy part of it, understandably, the verification code will not work.
e. The public anthropology website may be sending you the verifyication email and your email host -- such as your school -- may be accepting the email, but you do not receive it because it is being listed as spam by your email account and totally dropped out from your account without you even knowing it.
(a) What you need to do is go to your email account and list publicanthropology.org as a safe address. There is no set rule for exactly how do to this -- it various with the email host you use -- hotmail has its own unique system, etc. So you need to fiddle around a little until you figure out how to list certain addresses as safe. (As a hint, it shold be on the same menu list as the option to list certain addresses as spam.)
(b) You can see if this fixes the issue by sending yourself a new verification email. To do this, click on RESET YOUR ACCOUNT at the bottom of your www.publicanthropology.net account and follow the directions.
(c) If you do get a verifying email, than click on it and follow the instructions of how to proceed from there on.
g. If you still cannot solve the problem, please EMAIL ME AT: webmaster@publicanthropology.org with a telephone number and a time you will be in front of your computer (remembering that Hawaii, where I live, is six hours behind, or minus, East Coast time). I try to answer all questions within three to five hours of receiving them (unless you write me early in the morning from the east coast. I will still be asleep since I live in Hawaii.)
3. I CANNOT MAKE THE SELECT COUNTRY/STATE/SCHOOL DROP-DOWN MENU WORK CORRECTLY IN REGISTERING.
a. By far the most common problem is that you have your java script turned off. (The pull-down menu needs to have your java script enabled to work properly.) To turn it on, you need to go into your internet browser and change a setting. Do not worry, the problem is easily solved.
(a) Exit out of the Yanomami Action Website. Then, with your internet browser open: (b) Click on TOOLS on the top bar, (c) click on the bottom bar, INTERNET OPTIONS, then (d) click on the SECURITY tab at the top, and (e) click on the bottom of the page DEFAULT LEVEL.To be safe, (f) exit MS Internet Explorer now and then (g) start up MS Internet Explorer again and (h) proceed to the Action Website, (i) log in with your email and password, and see if that works to get the pull-down menu to work.
(a) first exit out of the Yanomami Action Website. Then, with your internet browser open, (b) Click on TOOLS on the top bar, (c) click on the bottom bar, OPTIONS, then (d) click on CONTENT. (e) You will see the fourth and fifth boxes down on the left (excluding the indented one), ENABLE JAVA and ENABLE JAVA SCRIPT. (f) Check both of these boxes so there is a green check mark in them.To be safe, (g) exit FIREFOX now and then (h) start up your FIREFOX internet browser again and (i) proceed to the Action Website, (j) log in with your email and password, and see if that works to get the pull-down menu to workd.
To UPDATE your version of FIREFOX, (a) click on http://www.mozilla.com/firefox/ OR go to the FIREFOX website of Mozilla and (b) click on DOWNLOAD FIREFOX .To be safe, (c) restart your computer (so the update is effective), (d) proceed to the Action Website and (e) log in with your email and password.
(a) go to security in Safari and (b) click on Enable Java, (c) click on enable Java Script and (d) click on enable plug-ins as well.
f. If none of these above steps work, TRY A DIFFERENT COMPUTER, especially one at school. You might try a friend's computer. But the real SOLUTION IS TO GO TO ONE OF YOUR SCHOOL'S COMPUTER LABS AND USE A COMPUTER IN THE COMPUTER LAB.
h. If you still cannot solve the problem, please EMAIL ME AT webmaster@publicanthropology.org with a telephone number and a time you will be in front of your computer (remembering that Hawaii, where I live, is six hours behind, or minus, East Coast time). I try to answer all questions within three to five hours of receiving them (unless you write me early in the morning from the east coast. I will still be asleep since I live in Hawaii.)
4. WHEN I TRY TO PAY WITH MY CREDIT CARD, I GET AN ERROR MESSAGE AND AM TOLD TO CONTACT THE WEBMASTER. WHAT DO I DO?
a. There could have been an input error on your part given the error code. It is a common problem and some students who have problems are able to re-submit there registrations and resolve the problem. Please log in to the web site -- using your above email and the password you created -- and try submitting your credit card information again being sure that it is all correct. (The financial company that processes the transaction is the one that rejects your information, not us.)
b. You also might try another computer. For some reason, several students have found that changing computers makes things work fine. There could be something about the computer settings on your computer that is causing the problem.
c. if you are sure you are inputting the information correctly and you have tried another computer, you should try another credit card. If you do not have another credit card, you can pay a friend $10 and have your friend use his or her credit card to register. That should work.
d. If you still cannot solve the problem, please EMAIL ME AT webmaster@publicanthropology.org with a telephone number and a time you will be in front of your computer (remembering that Hawaii, where I live, is six hours behind, or minus, East Coast time). I try to answer all questions within three to five hours of receiving them (unless you write me early in the morning from the east coast. I will still be asleep since I live in Hawaii.)
5. I
CANNOT LOG IN AND SEE MY PERSONAL WEB PAGE.
When I completed the
registration process, I was able
to see my web page. NOW, WHEN I TRY TO LOG
IN AGAIN, I GET BOUNCED OUT OR IS SEE A TOTALLY DIFFERENT PAGE.
a. Be sure you are USING THE CORRECT EMAIL AND PASSWORD. The correct email and password are the ones you initially used to set up your account.
(1). IF YOU FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD, (a) click on FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD? RESET YOUR ACCOUNT. (b) Fill in your correct email address and (c) click on RESET ACCOUNT.
(d) You will get a verification email sent to the email address you gave. (e) Be sure to check for the email fairly soon. The email should arrive within five minutes thought sometimes, because of problems with a special security feature on your school’s server, the email may take up to twenty minutes. (f) You will see a verification code in the email. You need to click on the verification code within 24 hours of when it was sent. If you fail to do so, the verification code becomes invalid and you need to start the process all over again. (g) When you come to CREATE NEW PASSWORD, you should create the password you will be using on the website.
It is strongly recommended that you USE THE SAME PASSWORD AS FOR YOUR EMAIL SO YOU DO NOT FORGET THE PASSWORD.
(2). If you have more than one email address and one address does not work, TRY YOUR OTHER EMAIL ADDRESS. Perhaps you forgot which email address you used to log in.
b. If you have a MAC, please do NOT USE MS EXPLORER as your browser. It creates problems like this for some reason. YOU SHOULD USE SAFARI, FIREFOX, or CHROME AS YOUR BROWSER. If you want to download Firefox, please click on this link: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/
c. TRY ANOTHER COMPUTER. You might try a friend's computer. But the real SOLUTION IS TO GO TO ONE OF YOUR SCHOOL'S COMPUTER LABS AND USE A COMPUTER IN THE COMPUTER LAB. Sometimes some setting as been change from before and rather than trying to track down exactly what has changed it might be easier to simply change computers. The most likely to work would be one of your school’s computers.
d. YOU NEED TO COMPLETE THE FULL REGISTRATION PROCESS to reach your personal web page and begin the assignment. If you are brought to a page that states one of the following: (a) Terms and Conditions, (b) Create New Password, (c) Select Class, or (d) Purchase Mini-Book, you have not completed the registration process. Fill in the rest of the registration form. When you come to PURCHASE MINI-BOOK, IF YOU HAVE NOT PURCHASED THE BOOK, YOU NEED TO. (1) IF YOU HAVE NOT MADE A DECISION ABOUT HOW TO PURCHASE THE BOOK, YOU NEED TO DO SO. PLEASE REMEMBER, PAYPAL IS THE PREFERRED WAY TO PAY. (2) IF YOU HAVE ALREADY CLICKED PAY INSTRUCTOR, YOU NEED TO PAY YOUR INSTRUCTOR OR TA. AND (3) IF YOU HAVE CLICKED PAY INSTRUCTOR AND HAVE INDEED PAID YOUR INSTRUCTOR, THEN YOUR INSTRUCTOR NEEDS TO CHECK YOUR NAME OFF FROM A LIST.
e. IF IT IS DURING THE FIRST WEEK of the Action Period -- when you are reading the background material and writing a letter -- you can, if you need to, START ALL OVER AGAIN by Creating a New Student Account.
(1). The problem with this solution is that you need to be careful NOT TO USE TWO EMAIL ADDRESSES AT ONCE. The system will work fine if you use two. But when you write your letter (during the first week) and/or do your evaluations (during the second week), the email address that you did not use to log on and complete the assignment will be placed on your teacher’s web page in the FAILED to complete the assignment category. In fact, you did do the assignment of course – but with the other email account.
(2). Having two emails may create unnecessary problems for you during grading. The system has no way of knowing which of the two emails you a really using and which you not.
(3). The easiest way to cancel the extra email address you are not using is to tell your teacher or TA to delete the email address you are not using. You can also email the webmaster at: webmaster@publicanthropology.org and ask him to delete the email address you are not using.
(4). It would be smart to CHECK to make sure the person you asked to did, indeed, delete the extra email address. Go to www.publicanthropology.net and log in with the deleted address and the password used with it. If the system does not let you in, the extra email address has been deleted. If it lets you in, you should go back to the person who was supposed to delete the extra address and, respectfully, ask them to do it.
f. IF YOU FAILED TO COMPLETE YOUR LETTER OR FAILED TO COMPLETE YOUR EVALUATIONS, you cannot log in. You are restricted from using the system. Once you have failed to complete the assignment, the best that can be hoped for is that you can have your teacher allow you to do the assignment on your own. But you cannot re-enter the Public Anthropology's Community Action website.
g. If you still cannot solve the problem, please EMAIL ME AT webmaster@publicanthropology.org with a telephone number and a time you will be in front of your computer (remembering that Hawaii, where I live, is 5-6 hours behind, or minus, East Coast time). I try to answer all questions within three to five hours of receiving them (unless you write me early in the morning from the east coast. I will still be asleep since I live in Hawaii.)
a. First try the relevant links in the pink highlighted area. ONLY THE LINKS IN THE PINK HIGHLIGHTED AREA WORK. They DO NOT WORK in the NON-HIGHLIGTED SECTIONS.
b. Second, try the MENU ON THE LEFT COLUMN. Click on MY ACTION PERIOD and then click on the exact link you need.
c. Third, you can solve the problem by using one of the links below. These will take you to the proper location:
(1) If you are in Section One (Week One) or in Section Two (Week Two):
(a) Background (and evaluation criteria):
http://www.publicanthropology.org/CAW/General/-background.htm
(b) Examples of Op-Eds (and evaluation criteria):
(c) Write Your Own Op-Ed link: This link is personalized so there is no general link. Each student has his or her own link. If you have trouble making it work, please email me at webmaster@publicanthropology.org.(2) Evaluate the Op-Eds Assigned to You link:This link is personalized so there is no general link to click on. Each student has his or her own link. If you have trouble making it work, please email me at webmaster@publicanthropology.org.
e. A POP-UP BLOCKER MIGHT BE ON. If you know how to stop your pop-up blocker from working, please do that.
f. YOU MIGHT TRY USING ANOTHER COMPUTER, SUCH AS ONE AT SCHOOL. You might try a friend's computer. But the real SOLUTION IS TO GO TO ONE OF YOUR SCHOOL'S COMPUTER LABS AND USE A COMPUTER IN THE COMPUTER LAB. Because the settings on personal computers are so varied, it is hard to generalized about which settings create which restrictions and how you should undo them. Using another computer side-steps that problem and frequently solves the problem.
g. IF THE ACTION PERIOD HAS NOT OFFICIALLY BEGUN, you cannot click on these links and get the appropriate material. You need to wait for the Action Period to actually begin to have the links work.
h. MAKE SURE THAT YOU ARE ON YOUR PERSONAL WEBPAGE. You know that it is your web page because it has your name in the upper left corner (below the head of a Yanomami) and printed in white on the red line is “Welcome,” followed by your first and last name.. Some students try to click on the links from the WELCOME page. These links do not bring you to your personal web page. You have to log in to get to the links on your personal web page. Others may click on a picture that they assume is their personal web page. That will not work either.
i. IF YOU CLICK ON A LINK AND IT TAKES YOU TO A TOTALLY DIFFERENT WEB PAGE ON A TOTALLY DIFFERENT TOPIC, you might have a virus which forces you to go to that page anytime you click a link. You will need to talk someone who is knowledgeable about computers – such as at your computing center – to get rid of the virus. Ideally, you should have a professional anti-virus program installed on your computer (such as Norton’s or McAfee’s).
j. If you still cannot solve the problem, please EMAIL ME AT: webmaster@publicanthropology.org with a telephone number and a time you will be in front of your computer (remembering that Hawaii, where I live, is 5-6 hours behind, or minus, East Coast time). I try to answer all questions within three to five hours of receiving them (unless you write me early in the morning from the east coast. I will still be asleep since I live in Hawaii.)
7. I AM UNCERTAIN WHETHER I SUBMITTED MY LETTER OR SUBMITTED MY EVALUATIONS. HOW DO I KNOW FOR SURE I HAVE DONE SO?
a. TO SUBMIT YOUR LETTER YOU SIMPLY NEED TO CLICK ON SAVE MY LETTER. If you wish you can go back and make changes in the letter prior to the deadline for submitting it (i.e. FRIDAY). (That is why the box says save rather than submit.) But in fact, by saving it you are submitting it. If you have saved your letter, it is automatically submitted on FRIDAY. YOU ONLY HAVE TO HAVE CLICKED SAVED TO HAVE YOUR LETTER SUBMITTED. BUT PLEASE BE SURE YOU HAVE CLICKED THE SAVED BUTTON.
b. TO SUBMIT YOUR EVALUATION, CLICK ON THE SUBMIT BUTTON. A pop-up will indicate that you have successfully submitted it. And further, if you go back to do the evaluation again, a notice will indicate that you have successfully saved and submitted your assignment.
c. IF YOU FEEL CERTAIN THAT YOU SUBMITTED YOUR LETTER AND/OR YOUR EVALUATIONS AND YET YOU GET A LETTER INDICATING THAT YOU HAVE NOT DONE ONE OF THE ASSIGNMENTS, THE REASON USUALLY IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE TWO EMAIL ADDRESSES IN THE SYSTEM. You presumably completed the assignment with one email. But the system does not know you have two different emails. You need to (1) notify your teacher of the problem so you are not penalized and (2) wipe out the second email address as indicated above at 4.b.