As you can see, the Federation of Canadian Naturists (FCN) website has been refreshed. In addition to the visual changes, there are a few structural/functional changes, for which this page provides a primer.
WHAT’S NEW
One of the significant differences in the new website design is that the member area is separated from the public FCN site. Rather than adding a “Member Area” submenu to the main website, member-only content and features are now available from a separate “member portal” site. These features include access to:
- Going Natural magazine
- Your profile information, including name, address, email and phone number
- The Member Directory
- The Member Forum
Another significant change is that partners may now access member content using a separate login. Before, a member and their partner shared a single login and password, but each can now have their own username, password, email, and phone number, while other settings - such as address - remain shared between the two linked accounts. This change should make it more convenient for many users, allowing each member to use their preferred email account for notifications from the FCN rather than some “shared” account they rarely check. It is also hoped that this change will help encourage each partner to become more active, independent participants in the FCN community (such as in member forum discussions). For all accounts that had an assigned “Partner First Name” and “Partner Last Name,” a separate login account has automatically been created.
Accounts on the old site were associated with an email address, which was required to log in. The new member portal instead uses a “username,” which does not need to be a valid email address (although it can be).
LOGGING IN
If you are a member, you are probably eager to log in to the new member portal. (If you are not a member, what are you waiting for? Click here to join.) To access the member portal, click on “MY FCN PORTAL” from the menu at the top of the pages of the public site (“ fcn.ca”).
All active accounts from the old member database have been transferred to the new website. However, you must select a new username and password.
Click the “FORGOT YOUR PASSWORD?” link from the portal’s login page. In the “Username or Email” field, enter the email address you previously used to log in to your FCN member account and click the “RESET” button. This will send a message to the given email address. For accounts with a partner assigned, there are two emails, and you must select the email corresponding to the account you wish to access.
If you have forgotten the email address that you used to register with the FCN (or if you need to change it), please contact webmaster@fcn.ca or membership@fcn.ca.
Click on the link in the email to return to the portal login page, and select a new password.
UPDATING PROFILE INFORMATION
When you first log in to the portal, you are brought to the “MY ACCOUNT” page, which is the “home page” of the portal site. It provides access to basic account information, the latest issue of Going Natural, and upcoming events.
You must review and verify the information transferred from the old database and provide any missing data. Click the “EDIT PROFILE” button for a popup with profile information. The new membership database contains some information that is different than what was in the old database. Some information, such as “Date of Birth,” is required and must be set before saving any changes to your profile. A red star indicates the required fields.
Some fields of note:
Profile Image / Avatar 2 / Avatar 3 - These images may optionally be displayed within the Member Directory.
Forum Username - This alias identifies any posts you make in the Member Forum. It may also be used as your name within the Member Directory if you so choose.
Date of Birth - The FCN is a member of the International Naturist Federation (INF). One of the planned initiatives of the INF is to require that membership cards of member organizations contain a full name and birth date, which is verified against another piece of ID. In preparation for this requirement, “Birth Date” has been made a required field within the FCN member database, and it is now shown on the updated FCN membership card.
Username - A randomly assigned username is provided for you during the initial login process. We suggest changing this to something more memorable, such as a name or an email. This username is not visible to other members (but is visible to the database administrators). NOTE: If you don’t see a place to change the username and password, click on the down arrow to the left of the heading “Login Information.”
MEMBERSHIP CARD
You can access your membership card from the “MY ACCOUNT” page of the portal by clicking the “PRINT MEMBER CARD” button.
There are a few changes to the FCN membership cards. The card no longer lists both the primary and partner members on the same card. Instead, each member now has their own card.
As part of the transition to the new website, your FCN Member Number has changed.
Also, your account has been assigned a new INF Number, which expires at each year’s end. If you are planning any travels and need to show your INF membership, you will want to reprint your membership card before leaving on vacation.
RENEWALS
The terms of your existing FCN membership have remained the same.
For security reasons, the automatic renewals of your membership were not transferred over from the old website.
As before, when it comes time to renew your membership, you will be sent an email reminding you of your upcoming membership expiry. The email will contain a link to the site page to renew your membership. At that time, you will have the option to setup automatic renewal of your membership.
Automatic renewals are standard for all individual members. Opt out of Automatic renewal in your profile.
LET US KNOW WHAT YOU THINK!
This new website will continue to evolve, with some new features to be added in the coming weeks and months. We welcome your feedback. If you have suggestions or feedback, you can email the webmaster@fcn.ca, or if you wish to be more public about it, you can add a reply to the discussion in the member forum.
We hope you enjoy the website!
