HOW DO I? FAQs & HELP!
Below, you will find the answers to these questions:
- What is LinkShelves.com?
- How do I sign up?
- Why do I need a profile name?
- Lost your password?
- Can I change my password any time and as often as I want?
- How do I sign in?
- What happens once I sign in?
- I'm ready now, how do I save web site links?
- I don't understand TAGs. Can you tell me more?
- Ok, I've TAG'd a link, how do I find it again?
- Can I change the TAG on a link I already saved?
- Tell me more about the PUBLIC LIBRARY.
- Tell me more about the MY PRIVATE LIBRARY AND LOCKS.
- How do I LOCK a web site link in MY PRIVATE LIBRARY?
- More instructions to help you with links.
- Help! I just saved a LINK. Can I find it quickly?
- Need more information, help or support from us?
What is LinkShelves.com?
LinkShelves is a FREE service that offers you Internet shelves on which to save VISUAL web site links. There is a PUBLIC LIBRARY for sharing web site links with others in the LinkShelves community. There is also a feature called, 'MY PRIVATE LIBRARY' so that you can save links in your own secure area. You can even 'LOCK' the links in your PRIVATE LIBRARY if you want to keep the links for your eyes only.
Every time you save a web site's link, you have the opportunity to categorize it by entering a category in the TAG box. That way you can FIND YOUR LINKS AGAIN! To learn more about TAGS and FINDING YOUR LINKS AGAIN, please read on.
You will also learn more about the PUBLIC LIBRARY, and about the MY PRIVATE LIBRARY section, further below.
(LinkShelves reserves the right to remove web site links that are found to be offensive or pornographic from the Public Library. Our request to you: If it's private, keep it private. For more on this see our Terms of Service on the LinkShelves web site. Thanks.)
How do I sign up?
Our site is a FREE web library service for you to use. However, first you must sign up so that you will have your own personal LinkShelves account. There is NO cost for having a LinkShelves account. By signing up, you are agreeing to the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy found on the bottom of the web site. Just enter your email address, a profile name that you like (i.e., Mary or Mary_Jane or QueenMary), and choose a one-word password. Having a problem, click on 'FOUND A BUG?' on the LinkShelves web site and send us a note so we can get it working for you. It is on the bottom of the screen and looks like this:
Why do I need a profile name?
When you save web site links in the Public Library, users can access an information box that gives them a brief description of the web site and it also includes the profile name of the person who first saved the web site link to the LinkShelves Public Library. The description of the web site link also includes an option to email the web site link to someone else, a 5-star rating system to vote if you think the web site is valuable, and an option to add TAGs to the link so you can include it in other categories. More information about TAGs is coming below.
Lost your password?
Just click on 'LOG IN' at the top right of the LinkShelves web site. Underneath the 'SIGN IN NOW' box you'll see 'FORGOT PASSWORD?' Click the blue letters that say 'RESTORE IT HERE.' You'll be asked for your email address and an email will then be sent to you with instructions.
Can I change my password any time and as often as I want?
Yes, just click on SETTINGS at the top of the LinkShelves web site and a page will appear with a short series of boxes so you can change your password at any time.
How do I sign in?
Once you have setup your LinkShelves account, you can sign into the web site any time you want. Just click on 'LOG IN' at the top right of the LinkShelves web site. Underneath the 'SIGN IN NOW' box enter your email address and password. If you check the box that says, 'REMEMBER ME,' you won't have to keep re-entering your password every time you use the web site.
Don't worry, your password is secure and no one knows your password but you. Also, you are the only one who can enter your Private Library. Even if you lose your password, we don't have it to send to you; we send you instructions and a link so you can reset it. As always, if you are having a problem, click on 'FOUND A BUG?' and send us a note so we can get it working for you.
What happens once I sign in?
The first page that opens for you is your personal profile. If you want, you can include a photo that will appear on the description page of the links you save in the PUBLIC LIBRARY. In this way, we hope to inspire more social interaction and communication with others about the information we all share. You can edit your information and change your picture any time you want. You'll also see a gray box on the right that contains your TAGs so you can go right to a category of links you are looking for. Here are some hints:
1. Click on MY PRIVATE LIBRARY to go to your full library of saved links.
2. Click on PUBLIC LIBRARY to check out what links other users are sharing with the LinkShelves community.
3. Go to the gray box on the right side of a LinkShelves page and you will see a gray box of TAGs. If one interests you, click the topic and you'll see web site links about that topic. They are listed by most popular of the day so you can get good insight as to what others are finding on the web right up to the moment. For more on TAGs, please read on.
I'm ready now, how do I save web site links?
There are two ways to save links to LinkShelves.
FIRST WAY TO SAVE A LINK:
The first way to save a link is to CLICK this 'ADD A NEW LINK' green box that appears in your PUBLIC LIBRARY and on the MY PRIVATE LIBRARY page. Then just type in a web address, i.e., like www.LinkShelves.com or if you have copied a web address just paste it into the box. CLICK on 'CONTINUE,' to add the link to your library. LinkShelves will usually pick up a title and description for you and save it along with the link. But you can add to the TITLE BOX, or add more to the DESCRIPTION BOX to help you refer back to the link. Also, you can add TAGs, in the TAG box. These are categories for the link to be saved within so you can easily find the link again.
Before you finish be sure to complete the SPAM PROTECTION box to protect yourself from spam. Then, to save the link, at the bottom of the page be sure to CLICK on 'ADD THIS BOOKMARK.'
SECOND WAY TO SAVE A LINK:
You can save links directly from the web! Just LEFT CLICK on this orange box that you will see on the upper right side of your LinkShelves screen. HOLDING THE LEFT CLICK down, drag the orange box with your mouse across your screen to ANY open web page. On your web page is a tool bar with other tools like your back button; drag the orange box there and UNCLICK. From then on you should see the words, 'BOOKMARK AT LINKSHELVES!' on the top of your web pages. When you are on the web and you want to save a page you are looking at, just CLICK, 'BOOKMARK AT LINKSHELVES!' and it will save the link for you.
LinkShelves will usually pick up a title and description for you and save it along with the link. But you can add to the TITLE BOX, or add more to the DESCRIPTION BOX to help you refer back to the link. Also, you can add TAGs, in the TAG box. These are categories for the link to be saved within so you can easily find the link again.
Before you finish be sure to complete the SPAM PROTECTION box to protect yourself from spam. Then, to save the link, at the bottom of the page be sure to CLICK on 'ADD THIS BOOKMARK.'
When you save a link direct from a web site, after you click on 'ADD THIS BOOKMARK,' this box below will appear.
Click on Cancel to stay on the LinkShelves page or click on OK to return to the web site you were on previously.
A NOTE FROM LINKSHELVES: When you save a link to LinkShelves, our system is capturing everything on that link page - the photos, colors, headlines and more. Sometimes it's a quick save and other times it can take about 20 seconds. Use this as a ZEN moment, relax, think how lucky we are to have the web, and then it will be done. We are working every day to make this process faster and faster for you! Thanks for being patient with us as we grow.
I don't understand TAGs. Can you tell me more?
Whenever you save a web site link to LinkShelves, you will be given the opportunity to enter a TAG that describes the link. Imagine you are setting up your own cataloging system so you can easily find and refer back to the links you've saved. Just enter as many TAGs as you want into the TAG BOX. A link about the weather in Iceland could have TAGs in the box such as, "weather, travel, Iceland." Here's a picture of the TAG BOX:
Ok, I've TAG'd a link, how do I find it again?
Using the example above about weather in Iceland, go to the Public Library, to the gray TAG box on the right side of the LinkShelves web site, and start typing the word Iceland. The tag box knows from the first few letters what you are looking for and will find the TAG that has anything saved about Iceland in it. It looks like the box below. And look, already there are 3 saved links all about Iceland on LinkShelves for you to enjoy. If the TAG doesn't appear, finish typing in the whole word and click on the MAGNIFYING GLASS. LinkShelves will do its best to find anything related for you.
Can I change the TAG on a link I already saved?
Yes, of course you can change it or add more categories to the TAG. Left click on a link in either library and a box like this will appear. See the word Tags (Edit). CLICK on the word Edit and you can change or add to the TAG categories. You can also, click on the bottom right side to add a comment about the link!
Tell me more about the PUBLIC LIBRARY
The PUBLIC LIBRARY accumulates any links our LinkShelves users save and don't LOCK as private. It is our hope that LinkShelves users will share interesting and important web site links with others by using the TAG function. If you have found an important link about a discovery affecting cancer patients, we hope you will save it by entering TAG words like Medical, Treatment, Cancer. If you see an incredible page about a band's tour, TAG it with something like, Entertainment, Chicago, Music. Or if you see a super art gallery, save its link and TAG it with words like Art, Gallery, ArtSanFrancisco.
Tell me more about the MY PRIVATE LIBRARY AND LOCKS
In this area called, MY PRIVATE LIBRARY, you have the ability to create your own personal set of shelves, categories and saved LINKS. Every LINK you save will be in your own, 'MY PRIVATE LIBRARY.' There is a TAG BOX in gray on the right side where you can search for LINKS you have saved. Just type in a word such as Medical or Entertainment and your TAGs will appear.
FOR YOUR PRIVACY: If you want to save a web site link in the section called, MY PRIVATE LIBRARY, and you do not want to share it with others in the LinkShelves community, YOU MUST LOCK IT.
How do I LOCK a web site link in MY PRIVATE LIBRARY?
On the upper right side of the LinkShelves page, click on MY PRIVATE LIBRARY. There you will see all the links you have saved. On each of your links, you will see a LOCK. Just click on it, turning the LOCK from GRAY to YELLOW. Once the lock is YELLOW, it is locked and that link is now saved only in your private library. For example:
See the link that is saved on the left. It's about vacations in Punta Cana and the lock is YELLOW. That means I have LOCKED this link so it's only in MY PRIVATE LIBRARY. (Maybe I don't want anyone else knowing about this idyllic place!)
See the link on the right. The LOCK is gray. That means the link will also be in the PUBLIC LIBRARY for anyone to see. (This link is about Iceland, which obviously I'm sharing with everyone!)
More instructions to help you with links
See the picture above again. There are some helpful hints listed there that will appear on the MY PRIVATE LIBRARY page for you.
1. If you want to see the description of a link, just left click on the picture.
2. If you don't want a link anymore, just click on the X in the red circle to delete it.
3. If you glide your mouse over your shelf of saved links, each one will pop up to give you a bigger picture of it (good for those of us with eye sight challenges).
4. Click on the stars on a saved link to rate it up to 5-stars showing how valuable you feel the information is.
Help! I just saved a LINK. Can I find it quickly?
Yes, you can! See the picture of the orange SORTING bar below. This bar is on the top of your LinkShelves pages. Just click on 'MOST RECENT' and whatever you've just saved will appear first. See the green bar below it? The word RECENT is shown there so you know what sorting tool you are using.
Need more information, help or support from us?
Please go to the orange bar at the bottom of your LinkShelves web pages. It looks like this and contains lots of good information to help you get what serves you best from LinkShelves.com:
Lastly, please don't forget, if you encounter challenges and need help, let us know. If you have feedback or ideas to share with us, we want to hear from you. It is through our users that we continue to improve LinkShelves every single day. Just click on this box (it's on the bottom of all our web pages) to send us your thoughts and questions.
Thank you from LinkShelves, Your Personal Web Library.