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Here are the answers to some Frequently Asked Questions about The Hub.
If you have a question that is not answered here, be sure to send it to the
Hub Staff and they'll try to give
you a decent answer. If it's an excellent question, we'll add it.
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Why do I have to register for The Hub if it's free? Why can't I be anonymous?
The purpose of The Hub is for you to use your English with real people and have real conversations. Communication in any language is better and easier when you are speaking with real people.
For all the activities in The Hub, you will see the login name of the author. When you click on the name of the author, you will go to his or her personal information page where you can learn more about that person.
Where can I see a list of all the people online right now?
After you log in, you can see everyone else logged in at the top left of the page. Click where it
says, "Logged in." Click on some one’s name to see his personal information.
What do all those icons mean?
There are 3 types of members in The Hub, and each has a different personal icon:
1) Hub administrators and Harmon Hall teachers,
2) Harmon Hall students,
3) Any English students from around the world.
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Hub administrators (we call them "puppet masters") have this icon. |
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Harmon Hall students have these types of icons. The number on the icon is
the course level of the student. |
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Some Hub members who study in special courses in Harmon
Hall (courses for children, conversation, business and teachers)
have these icons. Remember that all icons for Harmon Hall students are yellow and black. |
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English students who don't study in Harmon
Hall (or maybe they didn't register as HH students) have these icons. "BAS" means
Basic level of English, "INT" means Intermediate, "ADV" means Advanced, "PRO" means
Proficiency. |
Here are some other icons that you should recognize in The Hub.
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Add this person to your contact list. |
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Remove this person from your contact list. |
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This person is online right now. |
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This person is not online. |
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This person is on your contact list. |
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You don't know this person. (He is not on your contact list.) |
I study in Harmon Hall, why isn't my icon the same as my level?
Your school registration usually doesn't finish until the end of the first week of classes. So the Hub doesn't have an "official"
list of students and levels from your school until then. Your icon should always be updated after the first week of
classes. We are working to make this time shorter to recognize your new level immediately.
I study in Harmon Hall, but why should I register in The Hub as a Harmon Hall student?
There are a few advantages for Harmon Hall students in The Hub. For example, The Hub always recognizes your level and will
suggest forums and stories specific to your course level. This way you can practice grammar and vocabulary that you will also be
studying in class. Also, help forums are only available for Harmon Hall students. |
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The Post Office is your center for communication in The Hub. This is where you organize your contact list, send and receive messages in the Mercury Messenger and search for new Hub friends.
What is the Mercury Messenger? Is it like email?
The Mercury Messenger is the internal messaging system for The Hub. Use it for sending messages to your Hub friends.
I only receive alerts from the Mercury Messenger when I change pages in The Hub. Why?
The Mercury Messenger is a web (HTTP) application, not like AOL Instant Messenger or ICQ, so you must reload the page to get new information
like the alerts for new messages. If you are expecting an urgent message from some one, be sure to reload the page often to see
immediately when the message arrives.
Can I send a message to more than 1 person at the same time?
No. You can only send a message to 1 person at a time.
How can I remove some one from my Contact list?
There are 2 ways:
1) Go to that person's personal information page and click "Remove from my contact list."
2) In your contact list, click the
I only receive alerts from the Mercury Messenger when I change pages in The Hub. Why?
The Mercury Messenger is a web (HTTP) application, not like AOL Instant Messenger or ICQ, so you must reload the page to get new information
like the alerts for new messages. If you are expecting an urgent message from some one, be sure to reload the page often to see
immediately when the message arrives.
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Why can't I find very many stories for my level?
Hub will always return fewer results if you add more words or options to your search.
Can I send a short story to be included in The Hub Library?
Yes, absolutely. Send any short stories or essays to the Hub Staff.
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Why does the Hub recommend some forums?
On the Hub home pages for the Forums, the Library, and inside the Roving Reports, The Hub will
suggest forums, stories, and reports that are good practice for your level of English.
Nobody writes in my forum. Why?
Making a good forum requires planning. Remember these points when you make your forum:
1) Make sure you have an interesting point to make or an interesting question to ask for your argument.
2) Make the argument short, but long enough to explain your idea.
3) Don't write in all capital letters.
4) Give the forum readers something to talk about to give their opinions on. Don't simply make
a statement and hope somebody else writes something interesting.
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