Frequently Asked Questions

How can I obtain a copy of your editorial calendar?

Consumer Directed Health Care Solutions magazine uses a standard editorial calendar to schedule articles for both our print and online publications. We have 15 communities that are filled with articles, case studies, white papers, wikis, forums, polls and blogs. Let us know what you are looking for and we can help to find it. Send an e-mail to tmercer[at]fieldmedia.com for assistance.

Do I have to be a member of your site to contribute articles or blogs?

No, but if you want to have a bio along with your article or blog, we recommend that you sign-up as a member. Membership is free, and it's easy to join. Become a member and you can input your articles or blogs on the site.  To join, go to our registration page. As a member, you'll have access to all of the articles, blogs, discussions and webcasts on site and become part of a growing community. If you have an article idea, you can submit it to our editor at tmercer[at]fieldmedia.com.

How do I submit a blog and have it posted right away?

You must be a registered member of Consumer Directed Health Care Solutions magazine to write your blog on the site using our user-friendly content management system. To join, go to our registration page and sign-up for a free membership. Once logged in, you'll need to go to the blogs main tab and look to the right of the screen for a link called Create Blog Article.

How do I become an expert?

Simply click on the link on the side navigation called Become an Expert. 

How do I access your experts?

You must be a registered member of our site to access our experts. Once logged in, click on the left navigation button titled Ask the Experts and join in a forum discussion.

What do I find under my profile?

When you register with us, you will be asked for your contact information. This is stored in the My Profile section for each individual member. Whenever you'd like to change or update your contact information, you can do it here.

What are "My Contacts"?

"My Contacts" are the community members you have agreed to let view your profile. These may be compensation or benefits professionals that you have worked with previously, met at an event, interacted with online or people with similar interests. You decide whom you want to add to your contacts and whose contact list you wish to be added to.

What happens when I send a request to someone asking to add them as a contact?

A message will be sent to their in-box letting them know that you would like to add them as a contact. They may choose to accept or decline. You will be notified of their response.

What happens when I agree to add someone as a contact?

They can view your profile and you can view theirs. You also can make notes on your new contact and send private messages.

On my Profile Information page it says "Visitors of my Profile."  What does this mean?

This shows the name and date of recent visitors of your profile. It helps you know which community members are viewing your profile the most often.

On my profile information page, it says "Members Who I Visit." What does this mean?

This is the number of members you have visited. To view more detail on the date and member visited simply click on the number next to "Members Who I Visit".

What is "My Contact´s List of Contacts"?

You can click on this to see who your contacts have added to their contact list. This is a great way to see if you have any of the same contacts. Or maybe you will notice that many of your friends and colleagues are in touch with someone whom you should also add to your contact list.

What are my "Messages"?

These are private messages between you and other members. You can view sent messages, new messages, and received messages.

What are "New Members"?

You can see the name, title, company and profile image of the most recently added community members on the profile information page. This is a great way to see who is joining. You never know who might see there!

What are "Next Birthdays"?

When you enter your profile, you will be asked to enter your birthday. The "Next Birthdays" feature allows you to see which members have upcoming celebrations. It is a great reminder for you to send them your best wishes. It´s just another way to stay in touch with your community friends.

What are "My Forum Messages"?

We encourage all members to participate in our forums. A forum is an online discussion that allows you to comment and respond to different questions from other community members. You can see your posted comments and the thread responses to your comments under "My Forum Messages."

What is "Portal News?"

This section showcases the latest news in your community.

What are "Groups"?

This is where you can start a networking group and invite friends to join your group.

CONTACT DETAILS

Use this page to enter your contact information. This is where you can set your privacy levels and decide what contact information you want your personal contacts to see.

What is my "Network Contact Data"?

If you use Skype, ICQ, AIM, Yahoo or MSN to engage on online chat or VOIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol), you may enter this information here. This allows other community members that use the same tools to contact you.

What do I enter under "I want to meet people who"?

If you are looking to connect with individuals who have a specific skill set, work for a specific organization or have recently solved a particular business challenge, enter it here. This is just another tool you can use to connect with other professionals who have the solutions to the challenges you are facing.

What do I enter under "Organizations"?

This is where you can add the names of any organizations you may be a member of. This tool will help you find other members who share the same interests.

What do I enter under "Interests"?

You don´t have include specific information here. It´s always nice to meet other professionals who share your passion for benefits and compensation or other interests.

What if I have attended multiple educational institutions or hold multiple degrees, diplomas, etc.?

No problem. Simply list them all and separate them with a comma. This will ensure that our search function is able to read your entries properly. Please be as specific as possible in this space in order to ensure that we can correctly locate other individuals that share your background.

What is "Notes on this Person"?

This function enables you to keep PRIVATE notes on an individual. They will never be able to view the notes that you have made on them. This is a great way to keep track of your contacts and what you have discussed.

What is "Add to Contacts"?

Use this button to send a request to an individual asking them to be added to your contact list.

What is "Report Abuse"?

The Consumer Directed Health Care Solutions’  community is an online social network that is dedicated to helping individuals, professionals, and organizations solve challenges and learn from each other. Personal attacks are strictly prohibited. If you feel that an individual is making hateful, disruptive or inappropriate comments or contributions, report them by clicking on "Report Abuse."

What does the "Introduce this Contact" button do?

This allows you to introduce a contact to another contact. For example, if one of your contacts is an expert in outsourcing and you know of another community member that has outsourcing challenges, you can use this function to introduce them.

What does "Send Message to This Contact" mean?

This allows you to send a private message to a particular contact. To send a message, check the box next to the individual or individuals' names and click "Send Message to This Contact" to write your message.

What does "Remove" mean?

You can use this button to remove a contact from your contact list. A message will be sent to the person indicating that you have removed them from your list. When you remove a contact, you will no longer have access to their profile and they will no longer have access to your profie.

What does the "Introduce this Contact" button do?

This allows you to introduce a contact to another contact. For example, if one of your contacts is an expert in outsourcing and you know of another community member that has outsourcing challenges, you can use this function to introduce them.

What happens when I click on "Accept Marked Request"?

The person who has requested to add you to their contact list will be notified that you have accepted their request. They will now be able to view your profile and you will be able to view theirs.

What happens when I click on "Decline Marked Request"?

The person who has requested to add you to their contact list will receive a message letting them know that you have declined their request. You will not be able to view their profile and they will not be able to view yours.

What happens when I "Cancel Marked Requests"?

If you have sent out a contact request and wish to cancel it, you can do so my clicking on the box next to the contact and then clicking on cancel marked request. The contact request will then be removed from the individual´s inbox.

What do I use the "Invite" feature for?

This tool allows you to invite your colleagues and friends to join the community. Simply enter their name, their email address and a personal message telling them about what a fantastic resource this is!

What do the stars next to my story title mean?

Consumer Directed Health Care Solutions community members are encouraged to vote on each piece of content. This allows others in the community to quickly assess the value of content. It also ensures that the most helpful content is the most popular. The more stars you have, the more valuable the community finds your content.

What is my "View Count"?

Your "View Count" is the number of times that your content has been viewed onsite.

What does the number under "Comments" mean?

The number indicates the number of comments left by community members in response to your content.

How do I edit, copy or delete my story?

Click on the pencil icon to edit. Click on the double page to copy and the trash can to delete.

Can I create my own story template or do I use one of the three options?

You must use our existing template. The platform is very specific and will not allow user-designed templates. Should you have a creative streak, feel free to use it on your content!

What do the stars next to my blog title mean?

Community members are encouraged to vote on each piece of content. This allows others in the community to quickly assess the value of content. It also ensures that the most helpful content is the most popular. The more stars you have, the more valuable the community finds your content.

What is my "View Count"?

Your "View Count" is the number of times that your blog has been viewed.

What does the number under "Comments" mean?

The number indicates the number of comments left by community members in response to your blog.

How do I edit, copy or delete my blog?

Click on the pencil icon to edit. Click on the double page to copy and the trash can to delete.

Can I start a blog and then save it for posting later?

Yes, simply click on the "Save" button on the bottom of the page.

How will I know what my blog will look like on site?

Click on "Preview."

How can I cancel my blog and start again?

Click on "Cancel."

What formatting options do I have in my blog?

You may use the options that are indicated by the icons above the content field. These include bold, italics, right justified, left justified, centered and font size. The formatting icons used here are the same as the icons found in Microsoft Word.

What kinds of events can I add to the events listings?

This tool is for business-related events only. Events that are not of value to the community will be removed.

Can I add an event that is happening in my local area?

Of course! If it is of interest to the community then we encourage you to let other members know. Simply fill out the form on the "Add Event" page to add your event.

What if someone has already added the same event?

We ask that you do a search of existing events before adding a new event.

Do I need to fill out all of the information on the "Add Event" form?

Ideally, yes. The more information you provide, the more likely that your community members will attend.

What if I only want my contacts to be able to view the event?

You can set the visibility of the event by clicking on "Only My Contacts" at the bottom of the form.

What if I want everyone in the community to be able to view the event?

You can set the visibility of the event by clicking on "Public" at the bottom of the form.

I am currently a visitor, how do I join?

Simply click on the "Memberships" main tab at the top of the screen.  It´s easy and the value is immeasurable!

What does the "Search Access" page allow me to do?

This page offers you the ability to search multiple websites at one time. For example, if you are a member of SHRM and IHRIM then you may enter the URLs and your username and passwords for these sites here. Then, the next time you need to find information quickly, you can return to this page and click "Conduct Search" to enter your keywords. The Pure Discovery search function will then search our site, SHRM and IHRIM for the most relevant content to your keyword search. This function saves you from having to visit and search on multiple sites and it ensures that you get the most relevant information and resources for your needs.

I´m not sure I´m comfortable entering my login information here for other websites.

Your login and password information will remain private and secure at all times. Should you have further questions, please feel free to review our privacy policy by clicking on the link at the bottom of this page.

I am no longer a member of a site that I added to my "Search Access."  What do I do?

Simply click the "Delete" button next to the site information on the "Search Access" page and Pure Discovery will no longer attempt to access that site during searches.

How do I create a new group?

To suggest a new group, click on the "Suggest a New Group" button. When you suggest a group, you automatically become the group manager.

What if I suggest a group that is already in existence?

We'll run a search to see if a similar group to the one you suggested already exists. If it does, then we will notify you by email and cancel your request to start a new group.

What is a community?

A community is a group that has been pre-established by us based on the way content is organized on the site. You may join one or many communities based on your areas of interest. Simply click the checkmark next to the community and then hit the "Update" button. You may use the "+" sign to view sub-communities under each main community heading.

Do I have to receive emails from your site?

Not unless you sign up for them.

Do I have to sign up to receive a newsletter?

You don´t have to, but we certainly recommend that you do! Our community newsletters are jam packed with the most valuable content onsite. In addition, you´ll find special deals and announcements that you won´t find anywhere else. Our newsletters are a great tool to share with your colleagues and we feel confident that you will enjoy the read and find it to be a valuable resource!

Who can register to attend a webcast?

We currently link to another website for their webcasts. You must register for a free membership on HR.com in order to access these webcasts and their PowerPoints, archives and MP3 downloads.

How do I register for a webcast?

To find out what webcasts are coming up you can visit the Upcoming Webcasts section of our partner site, HR.com. Click on the title of the webcast you are interested in and click "Register."

What do I need to do to attend a webcast?

Participants in the live webcast will need access to a computer connected to the Internet. We highly recommend that you test your computer in advance of the webcasts.

Once you register for the webcasts, you will be sent an email confirmation which will provide a link to test your computer. If your computer supports sound, the presentation will be broadcast to your computer.

An alternative call-in line will be provided for those whose computer does not support this option.

What is a wiki?

A wiki is an online tool that allows multiple users to edit and add to a single document or multiple documents.

We have multiple wikis for forms and templates, presentations, and definitions. You may add a document to the wiki or take a document and customize it for your own personal use.

The wiki function allows members to share their knowledge and resources in a dynamic and interactive forum. Over time, as new items are added to the wiki, it will become larger and more comprehensive. It´s all about connecting you and your peers with the solutions you need.