FAQ

GENERAL
What is ARTCONNECT BERLIN?
www.artconnectberlin.com is a free networking platform for the creative community of Berlin. It’s a tool for berliners; where you have the opportunity to have an online portfolio, tag yourself by your skills, and find or be found by them. You will also have the possibility to offer jobs, and post classifieds about material, studios and general questions about berlin and it's creative scene.

A matchmaker for the professional art community; ARTCONNECT BERLIN intends to promote culture and communication, as well as employment in the creative sector. 
What happens to my copyrights?
All copyrights and ancillary copyrights remain to you respectively the beneficiary. ARTCONNECT BERLIN merely receives the right, to show the content uploaded by you on Portfoliopool.com. You can find further information in our terms & conditions. (make link)
Is this the definitive version?
No, we are launching now (August 2011) our first BETA version, which will evolve depending on the user’s needs.

MEMBERSHIP
I signed up, and now what?
Now you can read the classifieds, but to interact you need to create a profile.
What kind of profiles will there be?
ARTCONNECT BERLIN will give you the possibility to create different kinds of profiles:
  • ONE personal profile
  • Several collective (e.g. band, art collective, writing group, art studio)
  • Several company profiles (e.g. gallery, museum, production company, theater, magazine)
Do I have to register in order to see and create the content?
Yes, you have to register in order to create and see content .
Will the profiles be accessible to non-registered users?
Right now it's all private.
How can I cancel my membership?
To cancel your membership you can go to “Settings --> Delete Account”

USABILITY
What is the HOME section?
The HOME section is the feed from all ARTCONNECT BERLIN users.
Users will be able to post classifieds in the following sections, which will also appear in the feed on the home page:

Profiles: new profiles, updated profiles.
Projects: all works from users.
Jobs & Opportunities: jobs, internships, and collaborations in projects, joining bands, residencies, etc.
Marketplace: art material, studios, instruments, film props, desk spaces, etc.
Events: exhibitions, concerts, readings, street activities, etc.
Questions: questions asked and answered by other users.
What is the ‘STAR’ function?
You can click on the star on the left side of each classified to bookmark it.
To view all the posts you have bookmarked, you can click on the ‘STAR’ at the central menu of the HOME page.
How do I use the SEARCH TOOL efficiently?
www.artconnectberlin.com search tool is based on tags. To find anything, search it like if you were looking for tags or words, or how you would do it on google.
e.g. You are looking for a Cello player. You will go on the PROFILE section and search for Cello or Cello player, musician.
How do add a POST?
Select the category you would like to add the post in, and at the end of the search bar you will find a button with a plus symbol (+), which is for adding posts. You can also go to "My xxx" in your profile and you will find a button to add a post in each section.
What is a PROJECT?
A project can be anything like an artwork, an exhibition, a piece of music, a video, a piece of poetry, a series of photographs, a corporate design… Basically the ‘projects’ constitute a portfolio of a users work.
How many pictures can I upload in a PROJECT?
During these first months you can upload only one picture per project. Soon you will be able to upload many more.
What can I embed on the description field of my PROJECT?


SOUND
You can embed your sounds from Soundcloud, by just pasting the URL of your audio file in the description field of your project.
e.g. http://soundcloud.com/simonne-jones/make-love-to-you

VIDEO
You can embed your videos from the following services, by just pasting the URL of your video file in the description field of your project. e.g. http://vimeo.com/22933587

- Youtube
- Vimeo
- Flickr (videos)
- Myspace
-Ted Talks

PICTURES
You can embed your pictures from Soundcloud, by just pasting the URL of your image file in the description field of your project.
e.g. http://artconnectberlin.files.wordpress.com/2011/06/launching-party.jpg?w=620&h=877
How can I enrich the text in my profiles?
In the Description field of your projects, you can use some of the basic html language. 
If you want to know more check out the language MarkDown to be able to enrich better your texts, check out these links: Mark Down Cheat Sheet More info about MarkDown
What does "Tag your Collaborators" mean?
In this section, you can tag those users of ARTCONNECT BERLIN who have worked together with you in the project you are posting. It is useful to create an ongoing online CV and use it as a reference to your work and experience.
What is the COLLABORATIONS REQUESTS box in my MESSAGE CENTER?
In the COLLABORATIONS box you will find the PROJECTS you have been tagged in. You can manage your collaborations and request confirmation in your home page.
How can I SEND A MESSAGE to a user?
To send a message to a user, you visit the user's profile. On the left column under the profile picture you will find a box called "SEND NEW MESSAGE". Click on this and you will be able to send a message.
If you have already started a conversation with a user, you just need to go to the message centre and you will find there all the messages you sent to each other before and will be able to continue that conversation.
How do I edit my POSTS?
Go to your PROFILE, press on the category where you have created your post (Your xxxx), click on the project, scroll to the end of the description and press on Edit.
Can I delete a POST?
Go to your PROFILE, press on the category where you have created your post (Your xxxx), click on the project, scroll to the end of the description and press on Delete.
How long is my POST going to stay up?
The POSTS don’t have a caducity date.

MY PROFILE
Who can see the information on my profile page?
You can decide which information from your profile can be seen by other users and non-users by just not filling up the fields. Soon you will have the possibility to choose to show the information or not.
What happens to my data? What about the data privacy?
ARTCONNECT BERLIN keeps all user data strictly confidential. No data is passed on to third parties.
How can I delete my profile and my data?
Every user can delete the profile in the section “Settings, Account, Delete Profile”
Which file formats can I upload?
Pictures can be uploaded as a jpg or as a png.
I registered but do not receive an e-mail confirmation.
Normally you receive an e-mail confirmation within a few minutes after your registration. If this is not the case, please have a look in your spam filter. Should you find no e-mail there please contact us via info@artconnectberlin.com
I forgot my password / want to change my password.
In case of having forgotten your password you can click on “Forgot Password?” to receive a new password via e-mail. If you want to change your password, go to your private section “My Account / Private / Settings / Change Password”.
Can I add links to my portfolio?
Yes, you have the possibility of integrating links into the ABOUT field of your profile.
Can I unsubscribe the newsletter?
Yes, every newsletter contains a link at the end saying “Unsubscribe Newsletter”
How can I improve my chances to be found by other users?
To attract attention to your portfolio you have to be active. Here are some tips and tricks, how you can easily draw traffic to your portfolio:
  1. choose a representative and curiosity causing profile preview picture (Photographer=Photo)
  2. choose your work carefully = quality, not quantity
  3. utilise your storage space and show your work (nobody cares about empty profiles)
  4. update your portfolio continuously (listing under latest updated profiles)
  5. take care in filling your profile and add detailed text-infos
  6. build up your network (add collaborators and request collaboration confirmations)
  7. be active in the marketplace
  8. publish events
  9. leave comments on other user's portfolios