HOW TO

We're going to attempt to help you learn the ins and outs of the PLWP website and Yahoo Groups. Once you have the idea how to move around and what does what, we think you'll have more fun. Today is February 20, 2003...why is this important? Because it may be 2006 before we finish this page. So bear with us and help us by giving us suggestions HERE.

To Topics

TOPICS
Website Front Page (partial)
	...Intro (partial)
	Drop Down Menus (empty)
	General Mobility Tips (empty)
	Hyperlinks (partial)
	Member Services (empty)
	Photo Show (empty)
	Side Menu Panel (empty)

Communications Center (partial)
	Message Board (The Fridge)
	PLWP Forum on MGH
	Parkinson's Forum on MGH

Yahoo Groups
	Chatrooms (partial)
	Messages (partial)

We've been maintaining this website for over three years. The one thing we've learned is that people enjoy change in the website, but not change just for "change sake". We desperately need your input. What would you like to see changed with the site...larger font...more compatible colors...better organization...better accessibility or even less change. Of course, cosmetic issues are in the eye of the beholder; but, if it's hard for you to read, etc., that's an important issue. As far as content goes, what's missing that you would like to have at hand? Possibly links to valuable sites, additional info from or about PLWP.

Feel free to use the form HERE for your suggestions or questions.

We are attempting to consistently show all hyperlinks in red text. It eliminates the need to use the cumbersome wording "Click on" or "Click this or that". Until we feel all of the website is consistent, you will notice some redundancy.

The Center is an attempt to make it easier for members to move around the many interactive tools we offer. As we've said so many times, Communication is the key.

Brief Description of the "current" links on the Communications Center:

Message Board (The Fridge) This is just a friendly place to keep up to date on everyone. Leave messages for one another or whatever comes to mind. This is not as public as the PLWP Forum on MGH.

PLWP Forum on MGH This forum site is provided to PLWP by Massachusetts General Hospital. The intended use of this site is for Parkinson's Disease information on meds, symptoms, etc. It is much more in the public eye than our Fridge, as we hope it will remain.

Parkinson's Forum on MGH Though PLWP has no jurisdiction over this forum, many of our members are active participants. This forum is up to date with what's going on in the Parkinson's arena as far as research, advocacy, meds etc. You will find a variety of postings made by either people who have Parkinson's or people who care about people who have it.

Yahoo Chat, though it's the best we've found to date to serve the needs of our members, still has it's idiosyncrasies (thank goodness for spell check, LOL). We will attempt to give you tips to help you with some of the problems. I do believe, however, this will be an ongoing compilation of tips! LOL

One of the most common complaints is only seeing one line of type at a time. Here's a couple of things to try. If you find another, please let us know. You will need Yahoo Messenger...if you don't have it installed, there's a link on the Communication Center. The following instructions come from our very own Chatroom techy, Terry Bowers:
- This is meant as a quick down and dirty tutorial on how to set up the chat room full screen. You begin by using yahoo messenger, remember that's the little box usually over there on the right hand side of your screen with the lists of all your chat friends. The first way to do this is to know if someone is currently in the chat room. Point to their name and right click. This will bring up a pop up menu. Select the choice that reads " join user in chat ", and viola! You are magically transported into the chat room. Another way to do this is to have one of your friends invite you into the chat room. This is done by selecting from the top menu, friend, then invite to chat room. Follow the prompts and you will join the conference. Now most important to keep from having to do this over and over again is to save this chat room. you do this by selecting from the Main menu, file , favorites, add. That way when you start yahoo messenger you can come back to this very room by selecting, tools, Yahoo's chat, favorite rooms. And again viola! You're back in the PLWP2 chat room.

Messages are more functional than they appear. At the time you join the Yahoo Group, you are asked to choose from a couple settings. The one we are interested in here is:

Message Delivery

	Individual emails. Send individual email messages.
	Daily digest. Send many emails in one message.
	Special notices. Only send me important update emails from the group moderator.
	No email. Don't send me email, I'll read the messages at the Web site.

Notice that Individual emails is the default. If you leave the default marked, you will receive every message left on the board as an email.

If you mark Daily digest, you will receive every message left daily on the board compiled into one email.

If you mark Special notices, you will only receive messages posted by the Moderators that we specifically mark as Special Notices. In the case of PLWP, Nan and Bren.

And, of course, if you mark No email, you will not receive any messages at all. We hope you won't choose this one. Eventually, we hope to use this function to communicate major PLWP and/or general Parkinson's news here.

If you want to change the way you receive your email, you can do that by clicking on "Edit My Membership" on the front page of plwp2 Yahoo Group.