Logging on tutorial

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Logging on for the first time

If you had an id on our previous website

We were able to carry over everyone’s userid to this new site. But your passwords were one-way encrypted. They couldn’t be carried over. You’ll need to set a new password before logging on.

If you joined the system or changed your email address after January 2020 your details may not have carried over. See “What could possibly go wrong” below.

Q&A

(click to expand items)

We are asking all members to logon now at least once to make sure that their userid works.

After that, only occasionally.
But most of the information on this site can be read by anyone without logging on, so you won’t normally need to logon.

The items for which you do need to logon are shown on the menu under Membership/Members’ Area.

Some pages contain sections of members-only information. For example, joining instructions for online meetings. There should be a clear note to prompt you to logon, if you haven’t already done so.

You will also need to logon for instructions about entering PDI and Print Competitions and for uploading winning/placed images.

You should have received this new-style welcome email with your logon user name.

It contains a link which takes you straight to step 5 in the sequence below.

Step by Step

Logging on Step 1

There are some short instructions under the Login menu dropdown.

They now say this (subject to further tweaking)

Click on RESET PASSWORD to go to the Forgot password screen

Logging on Step 2

On the Reset Password screen, enter your username (if you remember it) or your registered email address.

You username and email address are not case sensitive.

Then click “Get New Password”

Logging on Step 3

You should see this confirmation screen:

Then wait for an email to arrive with the subject

[Winchester Photographic Society] Password Reset

You may need to wait a few minutes.

The Password Reset email should look like this:

Click on the link, or copy and paste it into your browser’s address box.

Opening the link should display the screen shown in Step 5.

Logging on Step 5

The system gives you a suggested password.

You may not want to use that suggested password unless you have a tool for remembering passwords.

You can overtype it with a password of your own choice.

It will warn you if you try to set a weak or very weak password.

This is not the place for a long tutorial on picking a good password. Try an internet search for advice. Or use several short unrelated words separated by digits or punctuation marks.

When you have chosen a password (that you can remember), press Reset.

After clicking Reset Password you should see this confirmation screen

Now you can login using your userid and new password.

Note:

  • The userid/email address field is not case-sensitive. For example, if your username were JohnSmith you could also use johnsmith
  • The password field is case sensitive.

What could possibly go wrong?

  1. You can’t remember your userid (or password) and have several unsuccessful attempts at logging in.
    • What happens: The system thinks that multiple failed logins in quick succession could be a hacking attack. It blocks your access for a short time.
    • Solution: wait 15 minutes. Then try again or use the password reset process.
  2. The password reset email never arrives
    • Why? This could be because your userid is registered to an obsolete email address, or because the email was put into your spam/junk folder, or discarded without notice by your mail service.
      • If you’d tried before and the password reset email never arrived, please try the Lost Password process again.
      • If you still find that the password emails still don’t arrive, please let me know.
    • Solution: try again to see if it was a one-off error. Then if that doesn’t work, email the webmaster who’ll be happy to help you.
  3. You get an invalid email address error when you try to reset your password
    • Why? Maybe you changed your email address, or you’re a fairly new user and your updated details didn’t carry over to the new website.
    • We are also checking the membership database for consistency with members’ registration details on this website.
    • Solution: email the webmaster who’ll check your registration details are up to date.
  4. Any other problem
    • email the webmaster with details. He’ll be happy to help you.

Website tips of the week

  1. If you ever want to change your password in future, use the lost password procedure.
  2. The logon panel has a “Remember Me” checkbox
    • If selected, the computer sets a long-lasting cookie so that you don’t have to logon again next time you come to the site.
    • Depending on your browser’s privacy settings, this might not work)
    • If you don’t need to access members-only information, pages will load more quickly if you aren’t logged-in.
    • And don’t use “Remember Me” on a shared device.

Adrian Walmsley
WPS Webmaster
ku.co1713422447sotoh1713422447pniw@1713422447retsa1713422447mbews1713422447pw1713422447

This is reprinted, with minor amendments, from WPS Member Newsletter 264, 2 August 2020.

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