General WINGS Portal FAQ:

WINGS Calendar FAQ:


WINGS Email FAQ:


WINGS Groups FAQ:

 

General WINGS Portal FAQ:

Q: What’s a good way to get started with WINGS and its services?

A: Feel free to simply explore WINGS first. To make the most of it though, there are a few good references:

  • The Tutorial channel in the About WINGS tab has some excellent basic explanations of the various features and functionality found in the Portal.
  • The Help in WINGS is very well written. You can find a lot of good, quick and to the point information behind any Help link, typically found in the upper right-hand corner of most WINGS windows.
  • This FAQ document should also be a helpful resource since it contains a number of good “tips and techniques” from those that have been using WINGS for a while.
  • CaTS provides training on WINGS and specific services such as Calendar and email. Check the CaTS Training channel in the About WINGS tab for a schedule.

 

Q: What are the future plans for WINGS?

A: WINGS was released to the campus community on March 23rd, 2004. This was only the “Introduction to the University Portal” phase. Many channels with new services and content are planned over the coming years. Once you have become familiar with WINGS, please send us your feedback via the channels provided in the About WINGS tab. Also, check the WINGS News channel in About WINGS frequently to find out about newly developed channels. WINGS will be evolving quickly so continue to visit our Portal on a regular basis. In fact, we recommend that you make WINGS your home page. In time, we hope that you have found it to be such a useful site, because of the many and diverse content options and ability to customize it around your needs and interests that you naturally go to WINGS whenever you access the Internet!

 

Q: Where is ROX in the portal?

A: Go to the Academics tab, click the link inside the Univ. Academic Services channel. You will find a ROX link there along with many other links and information for your convenience. When you click on the ROX link from within the Portal you won’t need to sign on again. Note: Because of this seamless logon into ROX, you must remember to logout of WINGS to properly secure your ROX records.

 

Q: When I logon to WINGS I get a username/password error, then I try again, being sure I've typed the correct username and password but still get the same error. What's wrong?

A: Assuming you haven't changed your password and the username/password combination is correct, try the following:
If you are trying to login to WINGS using Internet Explorer version 6.0, a patch that should remedy this error is available for download at: http://novell.wright.edu/cats/. Double click on the Q831167.exe link. Note: downloading this patch will require your computer to reboot, so make sure that you save anything you were working on prior to downloading the patch.

Q: Why does a “Browser Unsupported” screen display when I try to access WINGS. What are the browser requirements?

A: Go to http://www.wright.edu/portal/supportedbrowsers.html for the latest list of supported browsers.

 

Q: My browser asks if I want to save my username and password when I logon to WINGS. Is this OK?

A: NO! Never save your CAMPUS username/password in the browser or any other automated logon software. This potentially permits anyone to logon to that PC with your credentials, allowing them to assume your identity and access to university services and content, including email. This is a clear violation of university policy. You are always responsible for all activity conducted under your username.

 

Q: The Portal doesn’t appear to be using SSL (secure socket layer). Is this a security hole?

A: SSL is in effect, but runs in the background. It is invoked when needed, such as during login to the Portal or when sensitive information is being passed.

 

Q: Why do some pages require that I use the horizontal scroll and others, like in Calendar, open where the OK button is below my screen? It seems like some of the pages just don’t fit properly in my monitor.

A: Many of the portal pages are designed for a 1024x768 screen resolution display setting. Web content today is increasingly designed for this resolution and many of the future services from SCT Banner (the web-based application suite that will be replacing all primary university application systems) are designed for this higher screen resolution. To view and/or change your desktop resolution, open “Control Panel” from the Start menu, open “Display” by double-clicking the icon, click the “Settings” tab in the “Display Properties” window and view/change your screen resolution. If you were previously running an 800x600 resolution or lower, pages and text will now appear much smaller. You may want to try this setting for a few days to see if this is a workable solution for you. For many it is just a matter of getting used to it. If not, you may want to consider a larger monitor, such as a 17” or 19” monitor. This will allow you to run at the higher resolution but the content will be more readable. This is especially recommended if you will be frequently interacting with the university’s new Banner administrative system services. For more information or assistance, contact the CaTS Help Desk.

 

Q: Why can’t I move or remove certain channels in the Portal?

A: The few channels that are locked down are done so to improve communications. We have locked down very few and encourage you to access WINGS regularly to check Personal Announcements, your email and Calendar appointments. The Portal should be considered a communications and collaboration center and as such can enhance and streamline university operations.

 

Q: Why does the Portal sometimes send me a message that it will log me out, even when I am still using it?

A: The Portal automatic “inactivity” timeout is currently set to 60 minutes. If you don’t take any actions that require interaction with the Portal servers, it’s not aware you’re still there and for security reasons will timeout unless you respond. Note: To secure your records and your privileges to the campus network, make sure you always Logout of WINGS when you leave your workstation, especially in any open area. Do not depend on the timeout to secure your access. You are responsible for any actions taken under your account in WINGS, including if someone assumes your session when away from your workstation.

 

Q: Why do I have a different set of tabs and channel options from my friend?

A: The initial tabs/layout and the channels you have access to can be different, based on your role(s) within Wright State. For example, student content may differ from faculty, staff or alumni content. Further, you can customize your layout by moving, adding and removing channels and tabs to better meet your needs. See the About WINGS tab for more information about customizing your layout.

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Calendar FAQ:

Q: Can I sync my Calendar with my Palm or Windows CE device?

A: Yes. A Windows PC requires install of a program from Sun available in the Network Application Launcher. A Mac can simply use the Export/Import features found in Calendar. Contact the CaTS Help Desk if you need assistance.

 

Q: Is there a way to define a group of people that I frequently schedule into meetings (or a subset of) so that I don’t have to search and invite the same list of people for each meeting?

A: Subscribe to each of the Calendars you frequently schedule into meetings and then create a Calendar Set for any common groups of these individuals. When you create a New Event, Invite the Calendar Set and all members of that set will be added to your Invitee list. Add or remove members as needed. Note – we are in dialog with the Calendar vendor to improve support for group meetings.

 

Q: How can I easily check availability on one or more calendars when trying to schedule a meeting?

A: There are two ways to check availability.

  1. When creating a New Event, populate your Invitee list with those you wish to attend the event and then click on the Availability tab. If members on your Invitee list are “Busy”, you can view other potential dates by changing the date in the Availability tab.
  2. If you have created one or more Calendar Sets, you can view the combined availability of all Calendars in a Calendar Set by selecting that Calendar Set in the dropdown Calendar list in your View tab (labeled “Current Calendar” in upper-right), then click on a desired view to see the combined calendars. The “Comparison” view can be very useful for this purpose.

 

Q: How do I schedule a conference room?

A: Conference rooms have Calendars just like people do. They can be scheduled in the same way but require unique search criteria. When creating a New Event, click on the Invite Search button and follow the instructions for searching for resources. Note that you must have “Invite” permissions by the resource Calendar owner (typically someone in your area) to reserve it.

 

Q: Why do “All Day” events not block availability for the whole day? This is not like the OnTime Calendar “All Day” appointment option I’m familiar with.

A: The vendor for the Luminis Calendar has defined “All Day” events as what you may think of as “No Time” events. These are appropriate for birthdays and events that do not require a specific time assignment. To block out your calendar for a complete day, specify a start time and a long duration. If you have an event that doesn’t have a specific time, set it as an “All Day” event.

 

Q: I’m in one of the Groups in the Portal and tried to schedule a meeting using Calendar by scheduling the Event on the Group Calendar. I also tried inviting the Group Calendar in the New Event window. However, all it did in both cases was put the appointment on the Group Calendar and didn’t “invite” all of the members of the group. The members then weren’t notified of the event and further, since they aren’t in the Invitee list they can’t RSVP. Did I do something wrong?

A: Inviting a Group Calendar or placing a Group Calendar in the Invitee list unfortunately doesn’t invite or notify all of a Group’s members. We are working with the vendor to address this issue. Until then, when scheduling appointments for Groups, if you want to include them in the Invitee list so that they get notified and can RSVP for your event, you will need to add them manually, like you would with any other group meeting. As is, Group events on a Calendar are for publishing purposes, not for inviting its membership, at least not yet. We will continue to work on the vendor for this one.

 

Q: When I move through different views of my Calendar, is there a way to quickly jump back to today’s date?

A: Use the Quick navigation links on the right side of the Calendar View dialog. For example, click on the date in the “Today is” to jump to today’s date.

 

Q: How do I know if I’ve been invited to an event?

A: In the Calendar View, if you have any Invitations, an “Invitations” link will be highlighted. Click it to view the event(s) you’ve been invited to. In the future, the Calendar channel should also contain this information.

 

Q: Is there a way I can be notified when someone has scheduled me into an event?

A: You can receive an email notification when an event has been added to your Calendar. In the Options tab, make sure the “Event Notifications” checkbox is checked and your correct email address is entered. This should be your WSU email address.

 

Q: How do people know if I’m going to attend an event, and if I can’t attend, how can I indicate that?

A: Click on the Invitations link or the event in your Calendar. Select “I will attend” or “I will NOT attend” from the Reply dropdown list to RSVP and click OK. If you won’t be attending, you can now delete the event from your Calendar, but make sure you RSVP first. If you delete an event before you RSVP, you can’t indicate your intention to the one that scheduled the event.

 

Q: When viewing my Calendars in the Calendars tab why do some of the Calendars I’ve subscribed to have a “View” link and others have an “Edit” link.

A: You can change the properties only on the calendars you own. These will have the Edit link next to them. Typically this is only your own calendar.

 

Q: Can I grant others the permissions to Read my Calendar so they can see where my appointment is?

A: Yes. Click on the Calendars tab, click the Edit link for your Calendar, click the Permissions tab and add the usernames with appropriate permissions. Click the Help link for more detail.

 

Q: I have an administrative assistant that I’d like to grant all access to my Calendar, including helping me to maintain it. Is there a way for me to grant the appropriate privileges so that they can do so?

A: Yes. You can add other “Owners” to your Calendar so they can act on your behalf and maintain your Calendar for you. Click on the Calendars tab, click the Edit link for your Calendar, click the Owners tab and add the username(s) that you wish to be co-owners for your Calendar. Click the Help link for more detail.

 

Q: I’d like to create another Calendar to maintain certain activities in my office and I’d like others in the office to see it. How can I do this?

A: Such a Calendar can be created to meet your needs and you can contact CaTS with this request. However, you may want to consider creating a Group in the Portal, which includes a Calendar along with many other services that may be of use to the group of individuals in the office. Learn more about Groups by clicking on the appropriate links in the Tutorial channel in the About WINGS tab. You may also want to check out a Group or two by going to the Group Index in the Groups window (via the Groups icon in the WINGS header) and see what possibilities exist. Groups are a great service center for sharing and collaborating.


Email FAQ:

Q: Why doesn’t the My Email Inbox channel reflect my latest actions to my inbox, such as when I delete messages?

A: The My email In-Box channel is set to internally refresh its most recent 5 emails every 10 minutes. After this internal 10 minute timer passes, the next refresh of the Home tab where the My email channel resides will reflect the latest view of your In-Box. The My email channel is intended only as a quick view of your latest email and optional launch point for any of the five latest emails or other email services such as Compose and Address Book.

 

Q: Why aren’t all my folders showing up in my folder list?

A: You may need to Subscribe to your folders. Click the Subscribe link and follow the instructions in that dialog.

 

Q: Can I import my Address Book?

A: Currently the Luminis email client supports an import only from Netscape. Outlook and WebMail Address Books can’t be imported. Go to Address Book and follow the instructions on Import.

 

Q: Is there a way to automatically save the messages I’ve sent into some kind of a Sent Mail folder?

A: Yes. Go the Options tab in the Luminis email client, click on the Message Preferences link and check the appropriate checkbox. Click the Help for more information. Note: Remember to periodically empty your Sent folder so you don’t exceed your email quota.

 

Q: Is there an Undelete email feature?

A: No, but you can save deleted messages in a Deleted folder. Go to the Options tab in the Luminis email client, click the Display Settings link and check the appropriate checkbox. Note: Remember to periodically empty your Deleted folder so you don’t exceed your email quota.

 

Q: When I enter a WSU email address in the Luminis email client, it says invalid address. I know I’ve got the correct address. Why isn’t this working?

A: You may need to supply the email address domain (i.e., include the @wright.edu in the email address). If you’re already doing this, use the Address search feature in the email Compose dialog to search the list of valid WSU email addresses.

 

Q: Why can’t I sort my list of emails by subject or sender?

A: The Luminis email client does not currently support a sort feature. However, the Search feature can often be used effectively to find an email you’re looking for.

 

Q: How can I “batch” delete several emails quickly, or delete emails without having to read them?

A: Click the checkbox in the email list next to each email you wish to delete and then click the Delete link at the top of the email dialog window. This can be much quicker than using the Delete link in the message body of each email and allows you to remove any emails you’re sure you don’t wish to open. Note: If you accidentally delete a message you hadn’t intended and if you’ve set your options to move deleted messages to your Deleted folder, you can go there to retrieve it.

 

Q: When adding an attachment to an email, it doesn’t seem to work. What am I doing wrong?

A: After you Browse for the document you wish to attach, then click Add, you must then click the Attach button. If you’re successful you will see your document listed in the attachment list.

 

Q: Someone was telling me about reading their non-WSU email from within the Portal. Is this possible?

A: Yes. You can access other email accounts from within the WINGS email client. Read the Help text for setting up these external accounts by clicking on Help while in the email client. Not all email account vendors permit this though. Note: If you change your external account password, you will need to reset that password in your external account definition. Also note that your WSU email account is used to communicate official university business, such as notifications from the Registrar, Bursar, Financial Aid and by many of your instructors. You should check your WSU email account In-Box regularly. Forwarding your WSU email account to an external account is not recommended.

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Groups FAQ:

Q: I just joined a group – why doesn’t the group name appear on My Groups list?

A: Some groups are “restricted”, meaning that approval must be given before you can join (note the color of the Group icon in the Groups Index). You will automatically receive an email from the group leader once they take action on your request.

 

Q: I’d like to create a group. How can I do so?

A: Open the Groups window (via the icon in the header of WINGS) and carefully read the Groups Policy. If you believe the group you wish to request will be appropriate and of interest to members of the university community, click the Request Group tab and complete the form. Your request will be reviewed and you will be notified via email if your request has been approved or denied.

 

Q: In one of my Groups, I created a new Topic in the Message Board and it told me that I exceeded the text limit. Why is this limit so low?

A: A Topic in the Message Board is supposed to be reasonably brief. Message replies posted within a topic can be much larger.

 

Q: When reviewing the Message Board, I can’t tell when new messages have been added that I haven’t read. Is there some way to do this?

A: Messages you’ve read aren’t tagged in the Message Board. However, there is a technique to quickly review all posted messages for each topic. Open a Topic, click on the “Show all replies” link to expand the tree of message replies for your review, then click “Next Topic” to see the expanded tree for each topic. If you open a message to read it, to easily return to the previous view (because the Message Board window doesn’t have a Back button), right-mouse click in the Message Board window and click the Back menu item in the pop-up window.

 

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