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USING CYNF

 

    
1.

User Headquarters

User Headquarters is the blue tabbed section of CYNF where all the action occurs. Use a combination of the top and the left tabs to navigate around CYNF.

Across the top are the ten tabs for the asset categories:

Movies, Books, Music, Games, Software, Electronics, Indoor, Outdoor / Auto, Tools & Other

Down the left-hand side are the eight tabs:

My CYNF - A summary of your Assets, Friends and Network Assets
My Assets - See and edit your asset details
Network Assets - See and borrow assets from friends
Catalog - Search the catalog, purchase, recommend-to-friend
Loans In - View requests to borrow and items on loan from friends
Loans Out - View incoming request to borrow and items you on loan
My Friends - See and edit your relationships with friends
My Account - Edit your details, membership, and settings

Examples:
Select Movies and Loans In to see the Movies you have borrowed.
Select Electronics and My Assets to see all the electronics you have registered in CYNF

For more details on user headquarter functions <click here>

 
2.

Pop-up Help

Pop-up help is available on all main pages of the User Headquarters which explain the basic functionality and processes. Just press the button next to the top tabs marked with a question mark - "?".

It is important that you do not have any restriction on pop-ups when using our site for this reason. In return we promise not to serve up pestering pop-ups or pop-unders.

 

3.

Borrowing Process

If you want to borrow something, go to "Network Assets" and search for the item you wish to borrow or just browse the categories you have.

Once you have found an item, click on its title. Then complete the form by selecting a start and end date from the calendar, entering pick up information, a message and then press the "Request borrow" button.
 

 

CYNF then sends an automated e-mail on your behalf to the owner of the item, who can "Decline" or "Confirm" the loan.

The owner's confirmation officially books the item out from the start date to the end date. The owner or the borrower may "Cancel Loan" prior to its start.

After the loan start date CYNF assumes that the loan went ahead, in which case the owner can extend or shorten the loan by pressing the "Edit Loan" button and the borrower can "Arrange Return"


Once the item has been returned the owner can confirm this in his Loans Out, by ticking the item and pressing the "Return Selected" button. Once this is done the loan is considered completed by CYNF and the item available again.

If the item is overdue, an automated e-mail is sent on a regular basis until the owner has confirmed that the item is returned as descibed above.

If an item is lost the owner must mark its return first before it can deleted the asset from "My Assets"

 
 

 
4.

Using the Search Function

While there are slight differences in the search functions of "Network Assets", "Catalog" and "Add Asset" it is important that our search function will not search for items less than 3 letters/characters in length, due to the stress it places on our database.

 

5.

Invite Friends

From either My CYNF or from the top right hand menu you can invite a friend. Use My CYNF to when you want to quickly send an invite, and use the top right menu when you want to write a note along with the invite.

The invite process:

  • You enter the e-mail address of the friend that you want to invite.
    [We will add this person to your direct friends as a close friend, you can change this from the friends tab]

  • We send an invitation on your behalf to this friend, with a copy to you.
    [The e-mail will be date and IP address stamped for security. Please be aware that the e-mail sent will say it is from you. This is so that your invite is more personal and not be confused as SPAM]
  • Your friend, if interested will click a link in the e-mail and be brought to the User Registration page, much like you did.

  • Once registered, if the user has linked you as a friend their assets will appear on your network assets and likewise your assets will appear on his.


6.

Indirect Friends

Besides your invited friends (or Direct Friends) your network will also become populated with Indirect Friends. These are friends of friends and friends of friends of friends. CYNF allows up to three levels of friends to connect to you. These indirect friends add substantially to your network. Take the example of where you have invited 5 friends how have added 10 assets that is potentially 50 "Network Assets", but if those five friends invite five friends who invite five friends each with 10 assets then your "Network Assets" will have grown by 1,200 asssets.

Likewise the number of people who can see your "My Assets" has grown potentially 25 fold, but that is Ok, you have total control over this network and who can see what. CYNF naturally groups friends together so that while you have a large number of friends in your network it is not difficult to handle.

For more information regarding your control over how you share, see the section "Safe Sharing with CYNF"

 
7.

Add Assets

From either My CYNF or from the top right hand menu you can add assets.

In the search box provided search the CYNF Catalog for your asset, tick the assets you want to add and then press the "Add Asset" button. They are then automatically added to "My Assets", where you add such information as the purchase details, warranty details, hyperlink and notes.

[You can add more than one item from a search, if you have 5 rolling stone albums, don't search for each one by title - rather search our catalog on artist and tick all 5 albums and press the "Add Asset" button. Its quicker.]

If you can not find an item you have in the catalog you can add it manually by clicking the link under the search box. Please take the time to enter all the information you can on this page, especially the rating as we filter network assets for children using this field.

[Make sure you are searching in the right area, you will not find a CD under the "Movies" tab.]

Once you have added an asset, go to My Assets and:

  • click on the title to add purchase, warranty, serial number, web link information and notes.
  • change the distance on your asset so that you can restrict who can see it
  • change the status to invisible to make it not visible by your friends
  • change the status to reserved to make it not borrowable by your friends

Note: If for whatever reason the asset you added is incorrect, or you made a typo just delete the asset and add it again.

 
8. My Account

My account is where you are able to change your user details, settings and extend your membership.

 
9.

Catalog

Using the Catalog, you can search and identify an item that you might want to see or use. You can by clicking on the title either:

  • buy it via our special links
  • recommend that a friend/s buy it instead or make it a group purchase.
  • send us a message to correct some information against a particular item in the catalog
10.

Suggest a Feature

From the menu at the top right of the screen you can suggest a feature or report a bug. We are happy to hear any suggestions you wish to make, and where practical we will incorporate those suggestions in to the next release.

Bugs will all be assessed and rectified appropriately.

 
   
 
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Patent Pending. All rights reserved.