Frequently Asked Questions

The following questions may assist you in managing your Member account. If you have a question that is not answered here, contact the Webmaster.

Questions

How does the new system differ from the old site?

The new access system uses a commercial Membership Management application. All of your details that we had on record have been copied onto the new system. We had to make some minor modifications as follows:

  • Your passwords have been randomly generated by the system. This is for security purposes as the passwords are encrypted in the member database on the new system and so cannot be viewed by anyone (including the System Administrator). To retrieve your password, follow the steps outlined here. You can then log in to your account and change your password to something a little more memorable.
  • In some cases, we had to make a minor modification to your login IDs. Those of you affected will receive a separate email detailing your new login ID. This was necessary because some of the login IDs were non-unique or contained spaces (which are not permitted by the new system).
  • If you have not supplied us with a current email address (and therefore will be unable to retrieve your password as described above), your password has been set to your Membership Number. Contact the Webmaster or the ISTC Office if you have any problems accessing your account or logging into the Member Area of the site.
  • IMPORTANT NOTICE FOR MEMBERS WITH AOL EMAIL ADDRESSES:
    For some reason, AOL has decided to block all emails from istc.org.uk! For those of you with AOL addresses, your passwords have also been set to your Membership Number. Again, contact the Webmaster for assistance if you require it.

How do I get access to the Member Area?

To get access to the Member Area, you must be a current member of the ISTC.

  1. Contact the ISTC Office with the required information (see below).
  2. The ISTC Administrator will create an account for you. This account is only used to validate you as a member, it is not used for any other purpose.
  3. You will be emailed with your login details (login id and password).
  4. Use these to access the Member Area of the site.
  5. You can administer your account and amend your details or change your password.

What information do you need from me?

To successfuly manage your account, we require the following information:

  • First Name
  • Last Name
  • Membership Number
  • Email address
  • Grade
  • Whether you would like to be emailed about updates to the site
  • Location (optional)
  • Postcode (optional)
  • Country (optional)

Why am I asked to supply an email address?

We require a valid email address for two reasons:

  • so that we can advise you of your login and password details
  • to provide you with information about site updates (if you asked for this)

What do you do with the information I supply you?

The information you supply us is only used to administer your access to the Member Area of the ISTC site. It is not used for any other purpose, nor is it viewable by anyone apart from the System Administrator.

Why am I being asked to log in?

You are being asked to log in so that you can gain access to the information and resources within the Member Area. These are restricted to authorised ISTC Members only.

Why can't I log in?

There may be several reasons why you cannot log in:

  • You do not have a valid user account.
  • Your account may have expired.
  • You supplied incorrect log in/password details.
  • The site may be experiencing problems

In all cases, contact either the ISTC Administrator or the Webmaster.

If you have forgotten your password, see below.

I've forgotten my password - Help!

If you have forgotten your password, click on the 'Forgot Password' link in the side navigation bar.

You will then be asked to enter either your login ID or your email address and click 'submit'. Your login details will then be emailed to you.

If you did not supply us a valid email address, contact the ISTC Office with your name and membership number. Your password will then be reset and you can log in.

What can I manage in my account?

You can use the 'Manage my Account' link in the side navigation bar to access your account where you can:

  • View your stored personal information
  • Update your personal information
  • Change your password
  • Directly access the Member Area of the site

Is my profile visible to non-members?

Your profile can only be viewed by yourself and the System Administrator. At the moment, it is not available to any other visitor to the site (either member or non-member). We may add the facility for members to search for details of other members (to facilitate the Messenging function) but this will be a future enhancement and subject to the agreement of the individual members.

How do I send messages to other members?

You can use the ISTC site to send a message to another member via the Messenger. You need to know the login ID of the member concerned.

  1. Click on the 'Manage my Account' link in the side navigation bar.
  2. Log in to your account.
  3. Use the buttons in the 'Messenger' control panel to view your messages or to send a message to another member.
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