http://www.officearrow.com/forums Feeling a little overwhelmed by all of this great stuff? Don’t worry! We’ll walk you through it and show you all of the cool things you can do on OfficeArrow. It’s all easy but there’s a lot to know! Sit back, relax and let us show you how OfficeArrow can work for you. en Sat, 21 Nov 2009 03:29:32 GMT vBulletin 1 http://www.officearrow.com/forums/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.officearrow.com/forums http://www.officearrow.com/forums/maximize-oa/2146-how-submit-article-idea.html Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:32:13 GMT So you’ve got a great idea for a story, huh? We want to hear it! Share your thoughts with us. It’s as easy as sending an email. Chrissy Scivicque,... So you’ve got a great idea for a story, huh? We want to hear it! Share your thoughts with us. It’s as easy as sending an email.

Chrissy Scivicque, our Senior Content Manager, is all ears. Send your idea to Chrissy@officearrow.com.

And, if you’d like to write an article, let her know! We’re always looking for new, fresh voices here at OfficeArrow. ]]> Maximize OA Chrissy Scivicque http://www.officearrow.com/forums/maximize-oa/2146-how-submit-article-idea.html http://www.officearrow.com/forums/maximize-oa/2145-whats-breakroom.html Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:28:30 GMT The OfficeArrow Breakroom (http://www.officearrow.com/home/community/the_officearrow_breakroom) is one of the most entertaining parts of our website.... The OfficeArrow Breakroom is one of the most entertaining parts of our website. Here, you’ll find several helpful, interesting, and downright fun things to do.

News from OfficeArrow
In this section of the Breakroom, you’ll find up-to-date information from the OA staff. This is where we’ll tell you about new features when we add them to the website. It’s also where you’ll find information regarding the contests that we hold on a regular basis. So check this section often – you don’t want to miss out on these fun and rewarding competitions!

Welcome New OA Members
This is the area where we welcome those who are new to our community. If you haven’t stopped by the Welcome Center, do so right away! It’s a wonderful way to introduce yourself and meet others.

Get the Most from OA
You already know about this one! This is where you are right now. In this section of the Breakroom, you’ll find detailed information about how to make the most of your experience here on OfficeArrow. We’ll walk you through how to do things and explain what’s what around the site. Stop by whenever you have a question or just want to learn more about this awesome resource.

The Water Cooler
This is one of the most popular areas of the site. Why? Because it’s where we all gather to chit-chat! You know how the water cooler is in your office – it’s a great place to catch up with your pals and take a breather. Well, that’s what it is on OfficeArrow as well! Stop by here to enjoy a little light-hearted conversation.

Member Feedback
This is just what it sounds like, folks. Stop by this section to offer your valuable feedback on the site. We want to hear it all – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Share your thoughts and opinions and we promise we’ll listen. ]]> Maximize OA Chrissy Scivicque http://www.officearrow.com/forums/maximize-oa/2145-whats-breakroom.html http://www.officearrow.com/forums/maximize-oa/2143-what-my-dashboard-why-do-i-care.html Wed, 03 Dec 2008 15:08:48 GMT You’re looking at the tab at the top of your screen labeled “My Dashboard” and you’re wondering: what the heck is that?? No worries! We’re about to... You’re looking at the tab at the top of your screen labeled “My Dashboard” and you’re wondering: what the heck is that?? No worries! We’re about to tell you…
Your Dashboard is the central destination for customizing your OfficeArrow experience. Here, you’ll find all kinds of things. Let’s go through each, one at a time.

My Dashboard
If you just click on the My Dashboard tab, you’ll come to a page that is full of useful stuff. On the top left hand side, you’ll see your OfficeArrow inbox. This is where new messages and friend requests will appear. Below that, you’ll see the words “Discussions I’m Following.” This shows a list of all the discussions you’ve participated in. This is where you’ll be notified when there has been new activity in a discussion you’re involved with.

At the top right hand side of the page, you’ll see the words “User Profile Quick Links.” These will allow you to quickly do some of the most common activities – such as editing your profile, sending a private message, or inviting a friend. Below that, you’ll see your “Friends Online.” Anyone that is listed as a friend of yours who is currently on the OfficeArrow website will appear in this section.

Beneath that, on the right hand side of the screen, you’ll see “OA Community in Real Time.” This is a list of all the most recent posts – questions, answers, discussions, and articles. This is a great place to see the most up-to-date activity on the site.

Lastly, at the bottom right hand side of the screen, you’ll see 5 tabs labeled: Questions, Answers, Discussions, Articles, and Favorites. Each tab breaks down the recent activity in each category. The Favorites tab shows all the items you’ve selected as favorites. (Hint: You can add an article to your favorites by selecting the link labeled “Save to Favorites” with a heart by it. This appears at the top of the article, below the title.)

My Tools
This section is a customizable page where you can add widgets. You can do so by clicking on the “Add Widgets” button at the top. For more information about widgets, read “What is the OA Toolbox All About?”

My Inbox
This section is where all of your private messages will appear. You can delete old messages by clicking on the box next to the message you wish to delete, selecting “delete” in the drop down menu on the bottom of the page, and clicking the box that says “Go.”

My Friends
This page is where you’ll see all of your OfficeArrow friends. The top is where you’ll see incoming friend requests. To approve a friend request, check the box on the person’s avatar, select the button next to “Accept selected friend requests” below, and then click on the “Save Changes” button.

You can view the public profiles of your friends by clicking on their names.

My Groups
This section is where you will see a list of the groups you are a part of. From here, you can also create a new group, view all groups, or search for a group by name or keyword.

About Me
This section is where you can edit your public profile – the information people see about you. Remember, whenever you make changes be sure to click the “Save Changes” box at the bottom of the page.

My Options
This section is where you can change your settings, including your photo, avatar, signature, email, password, privacy information, notifications, and date/time preferences.

The Dashboard is a hugely useful area of OfficeArrow! Explore and enjoy all there is. ]]> Maximize OA Chrissy Scivicque http://www.officearrow.com/forums/maximize-oa/2143-what-my-dashboard-why-do-i-care.html http://www.officearrow.com/forums/maximize-oa/1199-notes-group-leaders.html Fri, 15 Aug 2008 17:58:08 GMT *What does it take to start a group on OfficeArrow? * Starting a group is easy! It doesn’t cost anything and it doesn’t require any special... What does it take to start a group on OfficeArrow?

Starting a group is easy! It doesn’t cost anything and it doesn’t require any special technical knowledge. It does, however, take a time commitment. The success of your group depends on your personal participation and your ability to stimulate activity among your members. As a leader, you also have a responsibility to supervise your group. An ideal group leader has passion for the topic and enjoys meeting others who share similar interests.

Making your group successful
A “successful” group is an active one. Keep your members talking! By starting new discussions and inviting others to become members, your group will have many lively conversations and will thus, attract even more members.

A leader’s responsibility
As a leader, you will need to moderate your group. Keep an eye out for inappropriate conversation or language and report it to the OA Community Manager immediately. Do your best to keep the discussion respectful. At times, you may need to contact members directly to help keep them on track. Any member who violates the OfficeArrow code of conduct should be immediately reported to the Community Manager.

Recruit new group members
Simply invite your friends and colleagues to join OfficeArrow. Once they register on the site they can join your group and participate in lively discussions. In addition, in the near future, you will have the ability to search for other members with similar interests and job functions.

Are you a leader?
The role of a leader is critical; it’s an opportunity to have an influential voice here at OfficeArrow. With a little effort, you can create a dynamic, lively group. However, without the proper care and attention, your group will stagnate and remain quiet.


OfficeArrow would love to give you an opportunity to show off your leadership skills! Start a group today. ]]> Maximize OA Chrissy Scivicque http://www.officearrow.com/forums/maximize-oa/1199-notes-group-leaders.html http://www.officearrow.com/forums/maximize-oa/885-getting-started-officearrow.html Fri, 27 Jun 2008 21:48:33 GMT Welcome to OfficeArrow! And congratulations! You’ve just joined the world’s first online community created for office professionals, by office... Welcome to OfficeArrow!

And congratulations! You’ve just joined the world’s first online community created for office professionals, by office professionals. Pretty exciting, huh?

Looking around, you may feel a little overwhelmed. Never fear! We’ve created this brief article to help show you around the site and get you started meeting people. Don’t worry – it’s easy!

Now that you’ve got a username and password, you’re ready to start exploring.

1. Complete Your Profile
Your profile is where you get to share information about yourself with the OA community. Once you’re logged in, you can access your profile at any time by clicking on the “My Dashboard” tab which can be found at the top right hand side of the screen. From here, you can do quite a few things! But we’ll focus on the most important things for right now:

Edit Your Public Profile
On the right hand side under “User Profile Quick Links,” click on the words “View My Public Profile.” From there, you’ll be able to edit your information by clicking on the word “Edit” next to each item. Fill in the spaces with the information you’d like others to know about you. Try to be as complete as possible. In order to meet people, you’ll want to share enough about yourself to interest them! Be sure to select “Save” after you’re done! To change your notifications, date/time preferences, or login information, you can click on the “Edit My Public Profile” link under My Dashboard.

Upload a Photo
Now, you’ll want to show your new friends what you look like. To add a photo, click on the “Edit My Public Profile” section in My Dashboard. You’ll find another link at the top left labelled “Edit Profile Picture.” This will take you to a page where you can upload a photo from your computer or pull a photo from another webpage. Don’t forget to click the “Save Changes” button when you’re done!

Choose an Avatar
What’s an avatar? Good question! An avatar is a cute little icon that represents you around the site. You can upload your own if you have one or select one of ours to use. Again, go to your dashboard. This time, under the "User Profile Quick Links" section, select "Edit My Options." There, you’ll find the “Edit Avatar” link. If you don’t choose one of our avatars, you can upload one of your own (any photo will work), or use one from another website. If you choose nothing, a blank silhouette will appear as your avatar. Make yourself stand out! It’s very easy to pick an existing avatar so browse around in our different categories, and select one that represents you. Once again, don’t forget to click the “Save Changes” button when you’re done.

You can continue to browse around your Dashboard if you’d like. That list on the right hand side allows you to do quite a bit. Don’t be afraid to click on the links and see what you can do. You can’t hurt your profile just by clicking!

2. Participate
Once you’ve completed your profile, you’re ready to jump right in and participate in the community. This is where OA really gets fun!

Ask a Question
One of the most useful things about OfficeArrow is the ability to ask questions of your peers. Got a sticky situation at work? Get some advice! Got a problem you’ve never encountered before? Get some help! Chances are, at least one of your fellow OA members has been there, done that.

To ask a question, click on the “Community” tab in the top left corner of the screen and proceed to the “Discussions” section. From there, you will find a link labeled “Ask a Question.” Here, you can select a category and a forum for your question. Then, add a title and write your question in the big blank box.
Click the button that says “Submit” and voila! You’re question is posted for the OA community!

Start a Discussion
Starting a discussion is just as easy! Under the same “Discussions” section, you’ll find a link labeled, “Start a Discussion.” Again, just select the category, forum, a title for your question, and then write what’s on your mind in the big blank box. When you start a discussion, you’ll want to choose what type of discussion you’re starting. You can do this in the drop down box that says “Category”. Choose “Discussion” or “Idea/Hot Tip” or “Question”.

Answer a Question
Now it’s time to share what you know with others! From any screen on OA, you’ll see lists of recent questions, answers and discussions on the middle right hand side of the page. Browse around by clicking on questions to see if there are any you can answer. Share your knowledge with the OA community!

Join a Discussion
You can also join a discussion already in progress. In the same box where you’ll find the questions and answers, you’ll also find the discussions where our members are commenting on posts and articles. Click on the discussions that sound interesting and add your thoughts and opinions to the mix by typing in the big empty box that says "Quick Reply." Or, select the "Go Advanced" button for some more formatting options.

Start or Join a Group
The OA groups allow you to connect with people who have similar interests. Within groups, you can hold private discussions that specifically interest you and your fellow group members. You can either start your own or join an existing group (or do both!). To do either, first click on the “Community” tab and proceed to the “Groups” section. This will take you to a page that shows all “Available Groups.” Take a look at the list and see if any appeal to you. To see the members of any group, just click on the group name. Once you’ve done that, you can join by simply clicking on “Join Group” at the bottom of the page. You can even search for groups by entering a group name or keyword in the “Search for Groups” box at the top of the page.

If you’d like to start your own group, click on the “Create a New Group” link. You’ll be taken to a screen where you can choose a group name and write a brief description of what your group is all about. Once you’re all set up, be sure to invite your friends!

3. Connect with Others
So, you’ve set up your profile, you’ve participated in some discussions, and you’ve even joined a group or two. Now what? How do you really get to know your fellow OA members? You become friends!

When you’re reading discussions on OfficeArrow, you’ll notice that people’s names are actually links. If you click on the name of a person, you’ll be taken to their profile. So, if you really like what someone is saying and you think they’d be a good friend to have, click on their name. You’ll be taken to their public profile and the first thing you’re likely to see is their photo. You’ll notice that there are several tabs under the picture:

• My Network – These are his or her friends
• About Me – This is the profile information
• Contact Me – This is where you can send the person a private message through OfficeArrow
• My Activity – This is where you can see how active the person is on OfficeArrow
• My Groups – This is where you can see the groups to which he or she belongs

Another cool thing to note: The person’s username appears at the top next to their picture. You can click on that and pop up box will appear. You’ll have more contact options (including IM if the person has supplied their address for public viewing). You’ll also see a spot that says “View Content”. From there, you can see all of the posts a member has created – discussions they’ve started or participated in. So, if you really think someone has valuable information, you can check out everything they’ve contributed throughout the entire OA site.

In that same pop up box, you will see a line that says “Add [this person] to Your Contacts”. By clicking on that button, you’ll add them to your personal OA network. Next, you’ll be given the option to send that person a friend request. In order to become friends, they have to approve the friendship. When you request friendship, the other person will be notified that you’d like to become friends.

To see all of your friends and contacts, just click on your name at the top right hand corner of the screen. This will take you to your public profile (what others will see when they click on your name anywhere around the site). You can see all of the same things you see on other people’s profiles: My Network, About Me, Contact Me, My Activity, and My Groups.

4. Explore
Now you’re all set to jump into the OA community. Don’t be shy! Get out there and explore. There’s really no “right” or “wrong” way to do it. Just be nice and follow the OA Community Guidelines. Remember that this site has been created for you to improve your life at work. Your experiences will help others. There’s no such thing as a silly question!!

We also would appreciate your feedback. Tell us what you like, don’t like, want more of, less of, etc. If something is broken, let us know! You can do all of this in the Member Feedback forum or by simply clicking on the orange “Report a Bug” button at the top right hand corner of every screen.

Now, if you haven’t done so yet, head over to the Welcome Center and introduce yourself (by clicking the button that says “Start a Discussion”). Or, click the big Office Arrow banner at the top of the screen. This will take you back to the homepage where you can read our recent articles and view the latest discussions.

Go on, now! Have fun and don’t forget to invite your friends to join the OA community! The more the merrier! ]]> Maximize OA Chrissy Scivicque http://www.officearrow.com/forums/maximize-oa/885-getting-started-officearrow.html http://www.officearrow.com/forums/maximize-oa/629-what-rss-feed-how-do-i-use.html Fri, 30 May 2008 03:31:25 GMT RSS stands for "Really Simple Syndication". It's a tool that helps you organize and stay up-to-date with online information. You can use RSS to subscribe to all of your favorite websites (like OfficeArrow). RSS allows you to view the latest headlines from each website all in one place - your RSS reader. It's pretty cool, actually.

How Does it Work?

When you subscribe to a website via RSS, you are simply telling the website that you'd like to receive the latest headlines in your reader. If you like a headline, you can click on it and read the whole story - either in your reader or on the physical website.

RSS Readers

Your RSS reader will consolidate all of the latest headlines from each website all in one place. There are several different RSS readers you can use. Personally, I really like Google Reader because it's very easy to use and organize, and it looks similar to an e-mail inbox. Each morning, I go to Google Reader and browse through the latest headlines from my favorite websites. Some sites even let you read the entire article from your reader, so you're not bouncing around the internet, getting distracted by advertisements and pop ups. Other sites will require you to click on the headline in your reader and then you'll be taken to the physical site to read the rest of the story.

There are lots of RSS readers you can choose from and most of them are free. Here are a few to check out:

Google Reader
My Yahoo
My AOL
Bloglines
Netvibes
PageFlakes
FeedDemon not free
NewsGator not all services are free
Shrook for Mac Users, not free


The Benefits of Using RSS

Using an RSS reader can save you a ton of time and frustration. You don't have to scrounge around your favorite sites for articles that interest you. Instead, you can subscribe to the categories you actually care about. For example, here at OfficeArrow, you can subscribe to your favorite topic section or sections: The OA Toolbox, Career Development, Business Travel, Meeting Planning or Products and Services. In the future, you'll even be able to subscribe to a particular author that you like, for example - me! If you generally like my articles and want to know when I've published a new one, subscribing via RSS will help you stay on top of it. That way, you never miss one!

RSS can also help you organize and remember your favorite websites. Before I started using it, I would just bookmark my favorite sites on my computer. That was fine, until my bookmark list became one long, unorganized mess. With my reader, I can create folders for different areas of interest. For example, I have a folder for productivity where the headlines from all of my favorite productivity sites appear. I also have another one for Career Advice and yes, one for Celebrity Trash as well. Also, bookmarking is computer specific. So my bookmarks at home were never the same as my bookmarks as the office. With RSS, you can log into your reader from any computer with an internet connection. For more ways of organizing bookmarks, check out the article on Social Bookmarking.

How to Get Started

If all of this sounds interesting, the first thing to do is select a reader. Once you're all set up with one, you can start subscribing to RSS feeds on your favorite sites. Start with OfficeArrow. Below you'll find links to all of our feeds. Choose which one interests you and get started today!

OfficeArrow RSS Feeds:

All Articles
The OA Toolbox
The Career Center
Business Travel
Meeting Planning
Products and Services


And soon, we'll have individual feeds for each writer!
]]> Maximize OA OA Staff Member http://www.officearrow.com/forums/maximize-oa/629-what-rss-feed-how-do-i-use.html http://www.officearrow.com/forums/maximize-oa/628-what-oa-toolbox-all-about.html Fri, 30 May 2008 03:14:56 GMT The OA Toolbox (http://www.officearrow.com/home/oa_toolbox) is where you can access our templates, documents, and widgets. Click on the “Templates... The OA Toolbox is where you can access our templates, documents, and widgets. Click on the “Templates” link to access our templates and documents. The “Tools” link will take you to our widgets.

ABOUT TEMPLATES
One of the main reasons that OfficeArrow exists is to make life easier for administrative professionals. The templates and documents repository is perhaps the most valuable tool in this respect. Think about it: how much time do you spend creating and recreating forms and documents? Why do it all on your own? Now, you can use templates created by the OfficeArrow community!

Save Time and Energy
Our templates will help you save precious time and energy at the office every day. Now, instead of starting from scratch to produce a document, you can simply download one that already exists and make adjustments as needed. Most of these templates are very simplistic which allows you to easily customize them to suit your unique needs.

Everything You Need
Our goal is to one day have any and every form you may need to do your job (and a few extra, just in case!). The whole idea is that, when your boss comes to you and asks you to produce a new expense report form for example, you'll know exactly where to go. OfficeArrow will have templates for you to download and make your own.

Share Yours
You can help us build this incredibly valuable tool by submitting your templates today! Do you have a form you use every day that you just couldn't live without? Share it! Help the OA community and show off your skills at the same time! The process is easy. Just email it to us at Chrissy@officearrow.com. After a short review, we'll upload it to the system so the entire OA community can benefit from your hard work.

Check It Out
So, what are you waiting for? Check out the templates and documents section today and start making your job a whole lot easier!

ABOUT TOOLS
The tools section is all about productivity. We want to help you become more efficient by giving you immediate access to handy widgets.

What’s a Widget?
A widget is a super-simple online tool that helps save you time. Widgets can do any number of things and you can keep several widgets in one place for easy access.
For example, here at OfficeArrow, we offer a widget that can help you track the status of a flight. You can do this by entering the flight information, the airport, or the route. So, instead of jumping all around the internet and navigating a complicated airline website, you can simply input the information you have and the widget will return the necessary information you’re looking for.

Customize It
With widgets, you can really customize your OfficeArrow experience. From the OA Toolbox/Tools section, you can select the widgets you want to use on a regular basis. By clicking on the one you want, it will go into your personal tools section (which can be found under My Dashboard/My Tools). From this page, you can add more widgets simply by clicking on the Add Widgets link at the top of the page. You can fill up your personal tools section with as many widgets as you want. If you’d like to remove a widget, click on the little “x” in the upper right hand corner of the widget.

Use It
Once you have selected which widgets you want in your personal toolbox, you’re ready to get going. Each widget is very easy to use and requires little in the way of work on your part. Simply fill in the information required and watch the widget do the work.

Now, you can do even MORE on OfficeArrow. Don’t waste time bouncing around the internet. The OA Toolbox has everything you need to be effective and efficient in the office.

]]> Maximize OA OA Staff Member http://www.officearrow.com/forums/maximize-oa/628-what-oa-toolbox-all-about.html http://www.officearrow.com/forums/maximize-oa/627-what-social-bookmarking-how-do-i-use.html Fri, 30 May 2008 03:04:02 GMT So, you're probably wondering what all those cute little icons you see all over the web actually mean. Well, those are "social bookmarking" tools. Each icon links you to a social bookmarking website where you can save a copy of the article you just read.

How Does Social Bookmarking Work?

When you join a social bookmarking website, you create a profile for yourself. Then, as you stumble around the web and read articles you like, you can bookmark them to your profile (which is similar to saving something to your "favorites" on your computer). When you save it to your social bookmarking profile, you are able to "tag" the article with keywords that tell you what it's about.

Now, so far, that's just the "bookmarking" side of things. The reason it's called social bookmarking is that you can connect with other people this way. So, when you go to a social bookmarking site, you can search for articles that were bookmarked by others and tagged with keywords you're interested in. You're basically searching everyone else's favorite articles in topics that interest you. If you find someone who has bookmarked a ton of articles you really like, you can then become "friends" with them and monitor what they bookmark. It's like sharing your favorite stuff from around the web and being introduced to new stuff at the same time!

Why Use It?

Social bookmarking sites provide a number of really great benefits. How often do you print an article from the web and then lose it? And who wants all that paper floating around anyway? We're supposed to be cutting back on paper, right? Social bookmarking gives you a way to save your favorite articles without wasting precious resources and cluttering up your desk.

Social bookmarking is also better than just saving a webpage to your "favorites" on your computer. After all, when you change computers (go from home to work, or vice versa) your favorites don't go with you. If you use a social bookmarking site, you can log into your profile from anywhere and see your stuff.

It's also a great organization tool. The ability to tag an article (like the OfficeArrow keyword function) allows you to easily find what you're looking for when you need it. You also have access to thousands of other people's favorite stuff from around the web. If you've ever felt completely overwhelmed by the internet, social bookmarking will help you weed through the junk and find the real treasures.

What Now?

Does all of this sound interesting? If so, you probably want to give this social bookmarking thing a try. There are many sites for you to use but some are easier (and better) than others. Personally, I use del.icio.us. I've found it very easy and very useful. Just click on the words "get started" and the system will walk you through what you have to do. Be aware that it will prompt you to download a button for your toolbar. This button will allow you to bookmark a webpage to your profile easily and quickly from anywhere on the web.

I've used a few others as well and they all work in a similar way. Digg is a popular site that allows you to bookmark and also vote for things you like (Digg them) or don't like (Bury them). The front page of the site shows the most popular items of the day (those with the most Diggs). Digg is so popular that when a website has an article that reaches the front page, it usually gets such a huge amount of traffic it crashes before the end of the day! There are so many people reading those popular articles that the servers just die!

If you feel like jumping into the wide world of social bookmarking, check out the sites below and bookmark something on OfficeArrow today!

Digg

Del.icio.us

Stumble Upon

Reddit

Blinklist

Newsvine

Furl

Spurl ]]> Maximize OA OA Staff Member http://www.officearrow.com/forums/maximize-oa/627-what-social-bookmarking-how-do-i-use.html