Welcome to the new HonoluluAdvertiser.com. Many of you visited us during the beta period last week, and we thank you for your suggestions. We have incorporated much of the feedback in this site, and we’re not done.

We’ll continue to take your suggestions, and we would like to hear from you.

Send your feedback to: feedback@honoluluadvertiser.com

For now we hope you will spend a little time on the new site. Video tutorials on this page will help you find your way around.

Below you’ll find answers to some common questions about our new site.

Log in/become a member

By registering at HonoluluAdvertiser.com, you can:

• Discuss a wide variety of topics with other users in our forums.
• Add your comments and recommendations on articles, photos and blogs.
• Connect with fellow users, view their contributions and trade messages.
• Contribute your own articles to HonoluluAdvertiser.com.
• Post your own photos.
• Post your own blog on our site.

I am already registered on MyAdvertiser.com, HawaiiMoms.com, your current forums/message boards and/or blogs, or to submit select classified ads online. Does my registration carry over to HonoluluAdvertiser.com?

No. MyAdvertiser.com will use the same user database as HonoluluAdvertiser.com. This means that currently registered users of MyAdvertiser.com will need to re-register on HonoluluAdvertiser.com. The new login will allow you to contribute to the neighborhoods section and to the rest of HonoluluAdvertiser.com.

HawaiiMoms.com will continue to have its own user database. Any registered HawaiiMoms.com user who wants to participate on HonoluluAdvertiser.com will need to use the “Become a member” link and register.

Current users of our forums will need to re-register on HonoluluAdvertiser.com to participate in our new format.

Staff blogs will continue to be managed in a separate environment and will have a separate registration.

There is no change for those who are registered to submit classified ads online.

Who can register on the new HonoluluAdvertiser.com?

Anyone age 13 and older with a valid e-mail address can register at http://www.HonoluluAdvertiser.com. Rest assured, your e-mail is for confirmation purposes only and will remain private. See our Terms of Service for details and for other terms that apply to participating on HonoluluAdvertiser.com.

What you need in order to register:

• You need to be age 13 or older.
• You need a valid e-mail address. Your address won't be visible to other HonoluluAdvertiser.com visitors, even if they are registered themselves. But the e-mail address you supply will be used as a unique identifier by the registration system, meaning you can't register more than once using the same e-mail account.
• You'll also need to provide a screen name: the name other HonoluluAdvertiser.com users will know you by. Your screen name should include at least five alphanumeric characters and no spaces or symbols. Also note that many users opt not to use their first and last names to preserve their privacy.

Please select your screen name carefully — at this time, the HonoluluAdvertiser.com staff cannot change your screen name, so the only way you can "start over" is to re-register with a different e-mail address.

How do I register?

To register, simply go to the upper left area of any page, look for the yellow and blue icon below the “Comment, blog & share photos” header and click “Become a member.” In the form window that opens, fill out each blank. Each piece of information is required, however, only your screen name will be available to the public. You will be sent a confirmation e-mail, which completes the process. It’s that simple.

Note on password blanks: Pick a password that is hard for someone else to guess but is easy for you to remember. Type it once in the Password blank and type it again, exactly the same way, in the Confirm Password blank.

If I am registered, how do I log in?

Once you’ve registered, you can log in whenever you like by clicking the “Log in” link next to “Become a member.”

I registered for e-mail newsletters on the old site. Will I have to re-register for those?

No, you will continue to receive those e-mail newsletters at the e-mail from which you initially signed up.

Your profile

Profile pages, also known as “persona” pages, allow registered users on HonoluluAdvertiser.com to tell others in the site’s online community about themselves and to display their recent contributions to the site – such as blogs, comments or photos. Users can create communities by linking up with each other as friends, or by exchanging messages, through their Profile pages.

When the profile page opens, you'll see it has a number of clickable "tabs" (pictured in right column) — Home, Messages, Comments, Photos, Blog and Profile — with the Profile tab highlighted in white. (If it isn't highlighted, click on it.) The area below this row of tabs is where you can update your profile:

All of the blanks you can fill in here are optional; you can say as little or as much as you like about yourself. Most of them are self-explanatory. But the Image function, which allows you to create your own "avatar" picture on the site, requires a few steps:

First, you need an image file — a picture of yourself, or any image that you'd like to "represent" you on HonoluluAdvertiser.com; it can be anything as long as it's suitable for viewing by the general public (no obscene images, for example). Save this image file to your computer's desktop.

• On your profile page, click the Browse button at the right of the Image area.
• A standard computer file-display window will open (the Windows XP version is shown below); in it, click the icon or text line that takes you to your desktop.
• Locate your chosen image file, click on it to select it, then click the window's Open button.

Once you've added an image, and/or filled in any other blanks you want to use, you'll have two more choices to make by clicking the appropriate button below the blanks:

• The profile system allows you to restrict any messages you receive to those you get from people you've chosen as "friends," or to allow everyone on the site to send you messages. Click whichever you prefer.
• You can choose whether or not to be sent an e-mail whenever someone sends you a message, adds a comment to your blog or one of your photos, or adds you as a "friend." Click either the Yes or No buttons.

To save everything you've done, click the Save button at the bottom of the page. The form blanks will disappear, and the page will display "Your profile has been updated." Click the Home tab to see your updated profile.

How can I reach another user’s Profile page (or can someone reach mine)?

When a user is logged in, he or she can always reach another user’s Profile page by clicking on the user’s name wherever it appears as a link. For example: In a forum; in a listing of user blogs; a list of friends on any Profile page; or accompanying any item a user has contributed to the site.

How can I see and change my Profile information?

You can also see – and change – your own Profile page by clicking either the image next to your screen name (in the upper left area of any page) or the “Update profile” link below your screen name.

How can I see a user’s public profile information?

On a Profile page, you can click on any of the tabs (Home, Messages, Comments, Photos, Blog) below the user’s personal information to see the information described by that tab.

Are messages private between two individuals or can everyone see them?

If you send a message to someone, that message will show up on their persona page and it could be seen by anyone who goes to that persona page. The person who receives the message will have to take it down for it to disappear.

Your photos

There are two main ways you can showcase your photos as a registered user on HonoluluAdvertiser.com: Create your own photo galleries, hosted on your own personal Profile page; and contribute photos to one of the “Public galleries,” which are gathered on a page of their own. Registered users can also include photos in blog or forum posts and can include photos along with articles they submit to HonoluluAdvertiser.com.

How do I submit photos?

Once you are logged onto the site, just click the “Post photos” link appearing under your screen name (in the header near the top of any page on the site). From there, choose whether you want to create or add to a personal photo gallery, or go to the Explore Your Photo Galleries section in the right-hand rail and click on Submit your photos. Once there simply use the form provided to upload the images from your computer. Images submitted here could be used in a variety of our print products that feature community-submitted photos. The current maximum file size is 2 MB.

Your blogs

All registered users at HonoluluAdvertiser.com can create and maintain their own blog. These blogs appear on the user’s Profile page, and any visitor to the page can see the blog by clicking the “Blog” tab there. Recent blog posts are also highlighted on almost every page on HonoluluAdvertiser.com. In addition, those who read the blogs can add comments to each blog post (if the author allows), or recommend the blog to other users.

What does it take to contribute to a blog?

Once you’re registered and logged on to HonoluluAdvertiser.com, you can simply click the “Write blog” link appearing below your screen name in the header near the top of the page.

How do I get started with a new blog?

To create your blog, click on “Blog Settings” to give it a name (and optional icon). You can use the formatting controls to give your blog a distinctive look, by choosing a font, text size, color – you can even upload photos and other images to accompany your post.

How do I post to an existing blog?

If you’re adding a new post to an existing blog, click the “Write New Post” link and type your post in the blanks provided.

How will someone find my persona and blog?

When you participate anywhere on HonoluluAdvertiser.com — by posting a comment, submitting an article or sharing your thoughts in a forum — your persona name will appear with a link to your profile. Users with similar interests will be able to click your responses and find your persona page. Fellow users can also request to add you as a friend, so it's easier for them to keep up with your blog, photos and comments.

Can I add photos to my blog entry?

Yes, there is a tool to upload photos when you create your blog entry. Photos don’t need to be hosted on another site, but they must not exceed 700KB. You can add more than one photo to a blog entry.

Can I add videos to my blog entry?

No, but you may post a link to videos hosted on other sites.

Can I send someone a link to the blog?

You can e-mail a particular blog entry to a friend.

How do I make a URL turn into a link in my post?

Typing http:// before a URL will change it to a hyperlink. For example, www.HonoluluAdvertiser.com will not turn into a live link, but http://www.HonoluluAdvertiser.com will.

Your forums

The HonoluluAdvertiser.com Forums provide a place where users can discuss – or debate – a wide range of issues, both serious and not. You can find the Forums under Opinion in the main top navigation menu below the HonoluluAdvertiser.com nameplate.

How do I join a discussion?

Any registered user may start a new discussion within a forum, post to an existing discussion, or reply to a specific post (or user). Start by logging in first.

Can I add photos to my post?

Yes, you can also upload photos and other images to accompany your post. Simply use the form provided to upload the images from your computer.

Do you have restrictions on what I am allowed to say?

We do not restrict what opinions you can express but we do set guidelines on how you can express them. Users who post in the Forums must abide by the HonoluluAdvertiser.com’s Terms of Service, which is posted in the forum topics.

What if there isn't a forum for what I want to talk about?

Post your suggestions in the “What do you think about HonoluluAdvertiser.com?” forum, and we can open any forum that draws interest.

What is the difference between a forum and a blog?

Blogs chronicle the thoughts of one person and draw comments from people who are interested in that particular person’s thoughts. Forums are more like group discussions.

Your comments

Registered users at HonoluluAdvertiser.com may add their comments not only to articles but also to photos and blog posts on the site and in the Forums. They can also recommend articles, photos, blog posts and other users’ Profile pages.

How do I leave a comment?

It’s easy to leave a comment. At the bottom of the story, look for the large text box and a “Submit” button below it. Type your comment in the box and click the Submit button.

How do I make a recommendation?

It’s even easier to recommend a feature. Look for the “Recommend” link (it has a check mark next to it) and click it.

Navigation

In the new HonoluluAdvertiser.com design, users will find it far easier to move throughout the site. This is done by using the three-level “navigation bar” that runs horizontally beneath the HonoluluAdvertiser.com nameplate.

To use the menu:

• Point your cursor at a topic listed in the silver/gray upper bar (such as NEWS, SPORTS, ENTERTAINMENT, OPINION, etc.) and “subtopic” links relating to that topic will appear in a lower bar. If you click on the main topics in the top bar, you will be taken right to the “main page” for that topic.
• To use the lower bar, move your cursor straight down to it from the upper bar and click on it to go to that page.

Get published

As a HonoluluAdvertiser.com registered user you can contribute your own articles about local community events and people. You can even include a photo to accompany an article you submit. Recent user-submitted articles appear on a user's own home page and also on our News, Sports, Entertainment and other pages, depending on the topic.

How do I submit an article for publication?

Mouse over the Home Page link in the top navigation bar and click on “Submit story.” Just fill out the form with your information (remember: for Your Name please type your real name or user name, not your e-mail address) and click the “Submit Your Article” button.

When will my article appear on the Web site?

Articles are published after our editors review them. It usually takes us a few hours, but it can take up to a day.

Where will my article appear on the Web site?

It depends on what you wrote about. The article will appear as a reader-submitted story on the relevant page of the site. For example, if you wrote about sports, your article would show up on the sports page.

How will you prevent unwanted material from appearing on the Web site?

The review process should catch most unwanted material. If we miss something, click the “Report abuse” icon on the article page or e-mail us at feedback@HonoluluAdvertiser.com and we’ll take another look at it.