SailAngle
Making it Easier
Joining is now automatic!
USPS is updating SailAngle monthly with member records. If the email address you used for USPS is valid, you will be active in SailAngle.
Not receiving SailAngle messages?
You have to be sure your USPS email address is correct on the USPS website.
(Look at the left hand margin of the Meriden website for these links).
Click on the link, "How to Edit your USPS Profile".
This will open up a PDF document that you can print out and follow. The important item is your email address. It MUST be correct, or you will not receive SailAngle messages. If you have any difficulty with this, email the Meriden webmaster (link at the bottom of the web site page) for help.
Be sure that before you leave the USPS website that you go to the Home page and logon to SailAngle. This will trigger an IMMEDIATE update of your profile. (Otherwise it will not change until the monthly update.)
What is all this profile stuff?
SailAngle has two main functions.
1) It provides a centralized method of providing email support at the Member, Squadron, District, and National level. It is this feature that is so valuable to the various officer teams that manage the Power Squadrons.
2) It provides an (optional) 'social' network feature that shares information about members interests and make it easy to contact friends. It is important to note that this is VOLUNTARY. You can participate in the (group) email functions without providing any personal information.
EDITING YOUR PROFILE
Logon to SailAngle. You are at your "Home" page.
Click on the 'Edit Profile' link.
(These four items come from the USPS website)
Your Profile page is displayed, and in the upper left-hand corner is the information that USPS sends to SailAngle. (These can be changed ONLY on the USPS website).
You will find a world of info you can enter here, or not. It is strictly voluntary. Some members fill everything out, pictures, etc. Others leave this blank. If you do nothing, SailAngle will assign your Squadron burgee as your avatar (tiny picture next to your name).
Notice that you can restrict who sees your profile information.
I do not want a bunch of junk mail
Look to the top right of your Profile page.
Click on 'Email Notification Preference'.
To get all messages, set everything "On".
You can set notification type to "Off", but be sure to leave (at least) "Group Messages - On" or you will not get anything from your Squadron or District. (Click the Update bar if you make changes.)
What is a Group?
Groups are collections of members who share a common interest. Membership within a group is controlled by a moderator. The moderator can invite members to join the group, and approves everyone who joins. You do not have to be a member of a squadron to join their group. (But, do not be surprised if a Group rejects your request. It is not considered rude to reject a request. Each group decides who they want as members).
As a Power Squadron member, you will automatically be given membership in your Squadron, District, and USPS groups.
What is a Friend?
Friends are personal contacts. You may receive a request to become someone's friend. It is ok to refuse friend requests.
One reason to keep your friend list short is that you can use your (one and only) friend list to send a message to more than one person. Otherwise, you have to type each name in, or send to a whole group. Not quite as easy as traditional email. (One way around this is to type in all the names and send a message. Then do not delete the message, but use it to send future messages).
Logging on is a pain
We are used to the ease of Outlook or other commercial email software that makes email so easy.
With SailAngle messages, you do not have to logon to receive or answer the message. SailAngle messages will be received in your normal email software (Outlook for most of us), and you can see the message immediately. If the message contains any internet links, you can click on them and they will open. If you want to reply to a message you can do it right from Outlook. (Clicking "View and Reply" in the message will take you to your SailAngle account WITHOUT having to logon.)
Other logon tricks
If you use the Internet, you probably know that you can set any web page as your home page. Did you know you can set more than one page to open? This works a little differently depending on the software used so I will show two common ones here.
Microsoft Internet Explorer
Open the sites you want to have automatically open when you start the browser. Example, I open BSPS and the SailAngle (logon page)
Click on Tools/Internet options.
On the General tab, the open pages are listed in the Home page window. Click Use Current pages and these pages will open with your browser.
FIREFOX
Open the sites you want to have automatically open when you start the browser. Example, I open BSPS and the SailAngle (logon page)
Click on Firefox/Options/Options
On the General tab, the open pages are listed in the Home page window. Click Use Current pages and these pages will open with your browser.
Even simpler?
With SailAngle open, click in the address box and drag the address to your computer screen. When you release the cursor it will leave a short cut on the screen. You can click this to get to SailAngle without starting up your internet browser.
- BSPS ITCom Team