A User Profile page represents an introduction to the community and an opportunity to express one's self.

There is a fair amount of information to sift through here, and it may appear mildly complex.

In addition to a Profile, a User's "My account" page has several tabs near the top.

The Links that actually appear on user profile pages will reflect the current User's Permissions and Role.

Anonymous Visitors:

• View is exactly that:  the node (the profile, in this case) as viewed by other Users.
• Track reflects all of a User's content as well as his or her movements about the site.

Registered Members (and Administrators):

• Edit will allow the privileged user (owner or administrator, in this case) to make changes to this profile.  Upon selecting "Edit", two more options become available:
  • Account contains system settings.
  • User Profile allows creation and maintenance of a public profile.
• Apply for role enables users to request a Role change.  While Users may choose their own level of involvement at registration (between Explorer and Contributor), any Role swapping desired at a later date is going to require approval from a more privileged user, a consensus from the community, or both.  Please note that users who do not use their Role will lose it.
• Notification settings currently allow Users to sign up for (or opt out of) a daily newsletter detailing new site content.
• OpenID identities enables our Users to use an OpenID to log into this website.
• Contact, if enabled, allows Users to email one another.  While the recipiant's email will not be revealed by the system, the sender's will be.