Frequently Asked Questions

Getting started

What is a social network?
In a web context, a social network is a website that helps you connect with like-minded people and to stay in touch with your friends and colleagues.
How do I learn more about Nature Network and ways it could be useful to me?
As well as this FAQ page, you will find additional information in our 'About' section and on our 'Getting started' page. If you’ve registered, you can ask questions in the Nature Network Newcomers forum. One of the editors or another user will quickly answer your questions. Beyond that, just have a play!
Do I have to register and login to Nature Network to use it?
No. You can still read and search all forum discussions, blogs, news, people and group profiles, as well as the local events and jobs listings. But to have your own profile, post any comments or create a new group or forum, you need to register and login.
Why do I have to log in to post anything?
We want to build an online community of scientists so it's important for all users to know who is saying what on Nature Network. When you log in and post comments, your name will be attributed to your comments (with one exception, see next question). This is also one way to stop spam.
Can I post anything anonymously?
Yes, you can hide your identity when posting replies in the discussion forums. All other content you post, such as a topic to begin a discussion in the forums and comments on blog posts, will be clearly attributed to you.
Logging in with my nature.com account for the first time using the red login box doesn’t work. Why?
All first-time users, including those with nature.com accounts, need to register with Nature Network. You can use your nature.com username and password to register with Nature Network.
Can I post content in a language other than English?
No. Nature Network is an English language website. We may allow posts in foreign languages if accompanied by the English translation.
Does everything I post have to be about science?
The site is designed for discourse about the practice and culture of science and related fields. You are encouraged to stick to this, but occasional posts about other matters are acceptable, at the editors’ discretion.

Networking

Why should I fill out my profile?
You will get a richer experience from the site if you fill in the various fields in your profile. For example, adding tags to describe your interests allows Nature Network to highlight other researchers who share those interests on the People page. Your comments will also carry more weight if people can see who you are. As a minimum, we suggest you give a job title, affiliation, location, image and list a few tags.
What is 'My network'?
Clicking on 'Your network' (in the blue menu box in the left-hand margin) shows your list of contacts and people on Nature Network you're interested in. You can add people to the list by clicking on the link ‘add to your network’ that appears below their name on their profile.
Why should I add someone to my network?
Adding people to your network allows you to keep up-to-date with their activity on the website. 'Your network snapshot' shows all the comments, blog posts, and forum activity of the people in your network over the past few days. You’ll find the link for this page in the blue menu box in the left-hand margin.
Who can I add to my network?
You can add friends, colleagues, collaborators, fellow lab members and other contacts to your network. You can also add a new person you've met on Nature Network.
What happens when I add someone to my network?
That person will receive an email notifying him/her that he/she’s been added to your network. You will not be automatically added to that person’s network, but he or she will be presented with this option in that email.
What happens if someone adds me to his/her network?
You will receive an email informing you of this. You will have the option to add that person to your own network.
Can they add me to their network without my permission?
Yes, although you will be notified by email. Being part of someone’s network simply means that they will be able to view your recent activity on their 'Network snapshot' page. On your profile page, you can decide whether or not to display your contact details to people whose networks you belong to. Just click on ‘edit your profile’ from your profile page to do this.
Someone I don't know has added me to their network. What does that mean?
Usually, it means that they are interested in the things you’re saying on Nature Network, and want to be alerted to future comments you make.
Can I remove myself from someone's network?
Yes, you can. Go to the person's profile page and click on the link "remove yourself from this person's network." Once you have removed yourself from someone's network, that person will not be able to re-add you. And the person will not be notified that you've taken yourself out of his/her network.
To see who has added you to their network, use the "your network" link in the user navigation menu. From your network page, click on "whose network am I in?"

Tags

What is a tag?
Tags are another name for keywords. On Nature Network, you can apply tags to your personal profile, groups you’ve created, forum topics, events and blog posts. When you click on the link for a particular tag (eg. ‘genetics’ or ‘physics’), you can find all the content across the whole website bearing that tag. It’s a quick way to find people and content matching your research interests. You can also see the current 'buzz' on Nature Network by checking which tags are being used most often.
How do I add tags?

You can add tags to your profile, groups, forum topics, blog posts and events. You will find text-entry boxes to do this when creating each type of item.

You can also add tags to other people's items: forum topics, blogs posts and events. You’ll find a link “edit tags” on the pages for these items.

Please separate individual tags with a space. If the tag contains two or more words, use double quotation marks to clarify. For example, tags for an item on the structure of DNA might be entered as: DNA "double helix" Watson Crick Cambridge "base pairing". If you're talking about black holes, the tags could be: "black hole" "event horizon" spacetime Einstein cosmology.

Groups and forums

What's the difference between a group and a forum?
Groups are collections of like-minded people who might share an affiliation with an institution, lab or society. A group page includes a short profile and list of members, plus a discussion board. Forums are conversation areas where anyone can join and discuss scientific topics.
What's the difference between a group administrator and group a moderator?

The person who creates a group is designated as the group administrator. Administrators are in charge of the group and its forum, and have full control over the group preferences (e.g. group icon, description, etc.). They have the ability to grant additional powers to existing members, such as making them administrators or moderators.

Moderators, appointed by the administrator, only have access to moderation tools such as taking down contentious forum posts.

Can anyone join any group?

When you create a group, you can set the level of accessibility. Open groups can be joined by anyone. These are ideal for topic- or discipline-based groups.

Members-only groups are suited to a specific lab, department, institution or other organization with controlled membership. The administrator allows only legitimate members of the organization to join.

Private groups are by invitation only, and are not visible to anyone except members of those groups.

Who can post to a forum?
Any Nature Network member can post to any forum. For discussion boards within groups, only members can post to them.
How can I find out about the latest updates to my groups and forums?
After joining a group or a forum, you will find options for subscribing to email alerts on the group's or forum's profile page (click on the link 'receive email updates'). Alternatively, every group and forum has an RSS feed. To subscribe, click the orange icon in the right margin of the group's or forum's profile page. A third option would be regularly check the "Your groups and forums' page. You'll find the link to that page in the blue menu box in the left-hand margin of all pages.
Can someone be removed from a group or forum?
You can remove yourself from a group or a forum at any time by clicking 'leave this group' or 'leave this forum' on the group's or forum's profile page. If you are an administrator and would like to remove a member of your group or forum, please contact the Nature Network editors on network@nature.com.

People

How do I find and get in touch with people?

To find users of the site, go to the People section and search by name, interests, or affiliation. You can also look through and click on the tags in the People section to find people who share your interests.

Users who wish to be contactable can display their email address on their profile page. You can also send them a personal message through Nature Network (see ‘Messaging’ [link to the messaging section) below)

Can I or a Nature Network staff member delete my profile and account?
Please email network@nature.com if you wish to delete your profile.

Messaging

How can I send a Nature Network member a private message?
If a Nature Network member has agreed to be contactable through the site, you can send them a message by clicking the appropriate link (‘send user a message’) at the top of their personal profile.
How do I make sure I'm contactable on Nature Network?
Go to your profile, click ‘edit your profile’ and make sure the appropriate box is checked.
I have received strange or spam messages through Nature Network. What can I do about it?
Please forward the message(s) to network@nature.com and we will take the appropriate action.

Blogs

Who gets a blog?
Anybody can apply by clicking the 'Request a blog' button in the blogs section. We're looking for anyone with an interesting angle on the scientific world, good writing skills, and good ideas that can sustain a regularly updated blog.

Moderation

Is this website moderated?
Yes, we monitor all activity and discussions on Nature Network. We reserve the right take down anything that contravenes our Terms and Conditions. We encourage administrators and moderators to flag and take down content in their forums that they feel is not keeping with our Terms and Conditions and our Community Guidelines.
How do I report something for moderation?
You must be logged in to report a comment for moderation. When you are logged in, you will see, next to each comment in the forums and blogs, a link called "moderate". Click on that link and you'll be able to write a message explaining why you think that comment should be hidden from view. That message will go to the forum moderator(s), or the blogger, as well as to the website administrators, who will decide whether to take the comment down. You will be notified of the action taken by the moderators.
My comment or group has disappeared. What happened to it?
It is likely that we removed it, because it contravened the Terms and Conditions or it was inappropriate for Nature Network.
I can't seem to log into the website anymore. What happened?
Try again later, in case there is a fault with the server. If the problem persists, please contact network@nature.com. If you have forgotten your password, you can request another one.

Events

What do the "add to calendar" links on events mean?
The "add to calendar" links on individual events pages link to an iCalendar (or .ics) file. This is a standard format for recording calendar information, and will allow you to import details of the event into modern calendaring programs. Microsoft Outlook 2007, Apple iCal, Mozilla Sunbird and Lightning are known to work. Earlier versions of Microsoft Outlook require additional software to support the Internet standard iCalendar files; see the Wikipedia iCalendar page for further details.

Search

I'm having trouble searching and finding a local event and news story. What do I do?
The website contains a large amount of content. If you’re looking for local information, you are advised to go to the local homepage (e.g. Boston, London) and use the search box there.

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