Levels of Engagement on the TechMaine site

For those of you that have spent some time cruising the TechMaine website, you know that we have a great deal of information online. Our recent survey and a PHP User Group forum post this week point out that the TechMaine site can be a bit overwhelming to navigate and sometimes difficult to drill down into the information that you want. Here's an overview, with a focus on User Groups and Forums, of the different 'permissions' that are granted on the TechMaine site depending on your logged in status.

Many folks who attend the User Group meetings are not 'official' User Group 'members'. Attending meetings doesn't automatically subscribe you to a group - it's an opt-in process. As you see below, becoming a User Group 'member' opens up a bit more information to you. Signing up to become a 'member' of a user group is free and open to everyone. You aren't required to be a TechMaine Member to join a UG or SIG - though we hope that UG members are or will become TechMaine Members.

There are various levels of engagement on the TechMaine site:

Anonymous Users - basic functionality exists for non-logged in visitors

Authorized Users - all visitors with an online account have extended permissions:
.....Register for programs and technology events
.....Purchase eLearning courses
.....Post "People in the News" updates
.....Post "TechConnect" requests
.....Create a basic Industry Directory listing (upon approval)
.....Post a resume(s)
.....Sign up for Job Alerts
.....Create a 'folder' of favorite content
.....Post job openings (upon approval)

User Group 'members' permissions include:
.....All of the above
.....Ability to start forum topics
.....View the other group 'members'
.....See all of the UG/SIGs that they belong to on their "MY ACCOUNT" page
.....Subscribe to UG/SIG notifications and edit subscriptions from within their "MY ACCOUNT" portal
.....Edit the frequency of notifications; from immediate to 5 digest formats

TechMaine 'Members' have exclusive access to data with the following online benefits:
.....All of the above
.....Purchase discounted online courses
.....Create an enhanced Industry Directory listing
.....Create an Employer Profile
.....Review resumes
.....Research detailed salary and wage data
.....Post Press Releases
.....Post White Papers
.....A seat in the online reference library
.....View list of registered attendees for various technology events

We're working on new functionality for the site and trying to determine if the community wants us to open up personal contact forms so that folks can reach each other through the TechMaine site. Individuals would have the option to opt-in or opt-out if this moves forward.

Your input with comments with suggestions for additional functionality is welcome. Connect with us in the forums or through the site's contact form.