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General Questions | Photo Questions | Photo Answers
What is PolyLink?
What benefits does PolyLink offer?
How can I find a list of which alumni are PolyLink members?
How can I find one specific alum in PolyLink?
I'm a Mac user and I logged in to PolyLink but I can't get the 'Locate a Classmate' page to work. What's the problem?
I went to Cal Poly but I didn't finish my degree. Can I still use PolyLink?
Do I have to be a member of the Cal Poly Alumni Association to use PolyLink?
Which areas of PolyLink are private – viewable by registered members only?
What are non-member accounts?
How can I sign in to PolyLink?
When I visit PolyLink for the first time, what if I don’t see my name on the PolyLink alumni list?
I lost the e-mail containing my first time login ID code. How do I get my code?
I have to fish my Cal Poly Update e-newsletter, and my college e-newsletters, out of my bulk mail/spam folders. How can I keep Cal Poly e-mail & e-newsletters out of my spam folder?
Do You Yahoo? Special Instructions for Yahoo mail users
How much of my personal information is displayed to other members in PolyLink?
How do I control/edit the display of my personal information in PolyLink?
I want to change my name back to my maiden name (or use my new married name) in PolyLink. My Personal Profile form won't let me do that. How do I change my name in PolyLink and Cal Poly records?
What kind of information can I post on my personal page?
Will the information I post in the "mentoring" section of my personal profile be seen by everyone in the community?
Under mentoring, the form asks for professional memberships - am I correct in assuming you want to know what organizations I am currently a member of?
On my Personal Profile, in the "Resume/Job Search Information" section - does this replace the Cal Poly Career Services website?
How can I find out about events for alumni and other Cal Poly friends on PolyLink?
Are there any restrictions on using PolyLink?
Is my personal information secure on PolyLink?
What's the quickest way to see if I have Instant Notes waiting for me?
What if I don't see my question here on the FAQs page?
Photo Questions
How do I create my personal page photo albums?
How do I set my 'Personal Page' photo icon?
Can I pull in my Flickr photostream on my Personal Page?
Photo tips
Why does it say my photo is "Unverified" after I upload it?
What is the Photo of the Month?
General Answers
What is PolyLink?
PolyLink is the free, secure Cal Poly-sponsored online social network open only to alumni and selected Cal Poly faculty, staff and friends. Plans call for expanding membership to all campus employees and seniors in the near future.
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What benefits does PolyLink offer?
- Mustang-to-Mustang Career networking and job leads. Get the inside track on a new job for yourself, or hire a fellow Mustang who knows the value of learning by doing.
- Monthly leads to 150 to 200 job openings from employers looking specifically for Cal Poly's recent graduates and alumni.
- Mentoring. Pass along your career-related wisdom to young alumni and – later this year – to current seniors. Help them write resumes, find internships and their dream jobs. Just join the PolyLink Mentoring Group inside.
- Look up more than 35,000 Cal Poly alumni to send them e-mail. Do an Advanced Search for all the alumni in your geographic area -- or all the alumni from your major, or all the alumni from your class year. Just use the Locate a Classmate database in PolyLink.
- Sign up and buy tickets online for alumni events in your area, events on campus.
- Start a new group on the PolyLink site with fellow alum who share your current interests – whether it’s a mountain-biking group, a baby-sitting co-op or a wine tasting group. You can instantly create a new group and manage it within the PolyLink community.
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How can I find a list or listing of alumni who are PolyLink members?
Click on the "Locate a Classmate" link in the left navigation bar to go to the PolyLink alumni database search page.
The "Locate a Classmate" link and database will only work for PolyLink members. Before you can locate other alumni, you will have to sign in to PolyLink and create your own PolyLink personal page.
(The general public and other Cal Poly friends, including parents, cannot look up, see or find any alumni personal page or contact information in PolyLink.)
If you are a PolyLink member, and you've created your personal page, and you'd like to see a list of every alumni who is already in PolyLink:
1) Go to the "Locate a Classmate" page.
2) Look for the "Advanced Search" link up above the boxes and "search help" area. Click on it.
3) You'll wind up on the Advanced Search page
4) in the "Has Registered Online" box, click "Yes"
5) Scroll down to the "Major" box. Pick a major to highlight.
6) Hit "Search"
You'll get a list of every alum in that major who is a PolyLink member, and you can click on their names to go to their personal page, see their photos, send them email, etc.
As of September 2008, there are 3,800 alumni who are PolyLink members.
How do I find a specific alum in PolyLink?
Click on the "Locate a Classmate" link in the left navigation bar and go to the "Locate a Classmate" page.
In the appropriate box, fill in the alum's last name, or maiden name, or both if you know them. Make sure you spell the names correctly. Then hit the "search" button.
You will see a list of all alumni sharing that last name (or maiden name). Click on the name to see the alumni's personal page.
If the person you are looking for doesn't appear on the list, try spelling the last name differently, and/or removing the first name, or removing the maiden name. Or typing in the maiden name only, and removing other names.
If you wish to find a larger group of people -- for example, all Journalism majors in California from the Class of 1985, look for the "Advanced Search" link at the top of the "Locate a Classmate" page and use the advanced PolyLink database search options. (See question above.)
I logged in to PolyLink but I can't get the 'Locate a Classmate' page to work. I have a Mac. What's the problem?Mac users: Are you having trouble getting the 'Locate a Friend' page to work in PolyLink -- or are other PolyLink pages refusing to show on your screen?
Some Mustang Mac users have reported that they are unable to see the "Locate a Friend" look-up page or get other pages to work in PolyLink.
The good news: Your trouble is most likely your Safari browser. Especially if you're using an older Safari browser.
A quick and easy fix: Download Firefox, one of the newer, free, Internet browsers. Even if you have an 'older' Mac, you can still download Firefox -- which works much better viewing PolyLink.
Click Here to learn more about Firefox and download for free.
If you have a newer Mac, you may be able to download Firefox 3.0 for an even better viewing experience. Check the operating system info on your computer, and then check the Firefox download web site for specifics.
Our PolyLink alum with older Macs spotted this issue and reported it recently, downloaded Firefox 2.0, and have been happily looking up old friends on the 'Locate Classmate' search page ever since.
Fun Facts: As of December 2008 there are 10,090 alumni in PolyLink. About 30 percent are using Internet Explorer 6.0 to view PolyLink; Another 30 percent are using Internet Explorer 7.0; 25 percent are using Firefox; 10 percent are using Safari; and the remaining 5 percent are using a variety of boutique browsers.
PolyLink is best viewed in Internet Explorer 7.0 above or Firefox 3.0 or above.
I went to Cal Poly but I didn't finish my degree. Can I still use PolyLink?
Yes! Cal Poly considers all former students who satisfactorily completed at least one year of coursework to be Cal Poly alumni. If you don’t see your name on the PolyLink alumni list, go to http://www.alumni.calpoly.edu/network/update_address.html.
Enter your contact information and then type “Verify for PolyLink” in the Comments box before you click the Submit button.
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Do I have to be a member of the Cal Poly Alumni Association to use PolyLink?
No. PolyLink is free and open to all Mustang alumni – regardless of whether they are members of the Cal Poly Alumni Association or not.
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Which areas of PolyLink are private – viewable by registered members only?
The general public (parents, university supporters, friends, spouses of alumni) will be able to view only these PolyLink pages:
- The Login page (www.calpolylink.com)
- The Events Calendar (registration for events requires login)
- The Public Photo Gallery (photos controlled by Cal Poly staff)
- The Travel page
- The CPAA page
- The Official CPAA Chapter pages
- The Give Back page
- The Advocacy page
- The My College pages
- The Athletics page
All other areas of the PolyLink community are PRIVATE, and require a login to view.
These include, but are not limited to:
- Al Personal Profile pages
- All member personal photo albums
- All Group and Club areas
- All Class Notes
- All Career Center postings
- All Message Boards
- The Community Home Page (contains news, event listings, message boards and jobs posting links.)
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What are non-member accounts?
University friends, parents and supporters who wish to sign up as a Cal Poly advocate through the Give Back pages, register for an event, or buy tickets to an event can sign up for special guest accounts that will also allow them to receive e-mails and e-newsletters via PolyLink.
These individuals will NOT have access to the private areas of the PolyLink community outlined above.
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How can I sign in to PolyLink?
You will need your 1st Login/First Time Login ID Code to get in for the first time. If you are alumni and you are not yet a member of PolyLink, your 1st Login code is included in your edition of the Cal Poly Update E-Newsletter, sent to you the second Wednesday of every month.
If you do not receive Cal Poly Update, it is most likely because the university does not have a current e-mail address for you. To 
subscribe to Update (and receive your 1st Login ID Code), click here to give Cal Poly your e-mail address. Cal Poly will not share your e-mail address or any other contact information with third parties.
If you have your 1st Login ID Code, go to www.calpolylink.com and look for the big green "1st Login" button near the top. Click the button and follow the instrutions.
If you would like step-by-step directions on how to log in for the first time, click here.
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When I visit PolyLink for the first time, what if I don’t see my name on the PolyLink alumni list?
If your name is not our list, you may be one of our "lost" alumni. Go to PolyLink's "Verify My Alumni Status" form.
Once there, enter your contact information, and hit the "submit" button.
Once this process is complete, you will receive an email to let you know that your name is in our Cal Poly database, and you now can enjoy PolyLink.
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I lost (OK, I deleted) the e-mail with my first time login code. How can I find out my code?
If you lost or deleted the initial email containing your PolyLink first time login code, click here and fill out this form. We will e-mail your First Time Login ID code after we look you up in the Cal Poly Database and verify that you are, indeed, you.
If you alumni, and you are NOT yet in PolyLink, your first time login ID code appears highlighted next to your name in Cal Poly Update E-Newsletter, e-mailed to you the second Wednesday in every month.
If you do not receive Cal Poly Update, the most likely reason is because the university does not have your current e-mail address, or your e-mail program is routing it into your spam folder.
Click Here to subscribe to Update and give Cal Poly your current e-mail address. Cal Poly will never share your e-mail or other contact information with third parties.
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How can I keep Cal Poly e-mail & e-newsletters out of my spam folder - and going straight into my inbox?
Did you find your copy of Cal Poly Update in your Spam or Bulk Mail folder instead of your inbox?
Please add noreply@imodules.com and @imodules.com to your address book, "safe sender" or allowed list in your e-mail reader program.
If you use Yahoo! mail, please see our special instructions for Yahoo users.
As of September 2007, iModules is Cal Poly's official external e-mail carrier. Cal Poly has contracted with iModules to host PolyLink, Cal Poly's Online Community for alumni. iModules is also Cal Poly's "e-mail carrier" for all communications between the university and alumni, parents, donors and friends.
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Do You Yahoo? Special Instructions for Yahoo! mail users
If you have a Yahoo e-mail account, Cal Poly e-mails and e-newsletters may still wind up in your bulk mail folder, even if you take the step above. If you have a Yahoo mail account (like mollymustang@yahoo.com), you'll also need to do this:
In your Yahoo! Mail program, go to:
- Mail Options, then
- Filters, then
- Add, then
- From Header contains, then type in
- "@imodules.com"
By taking these steps in Yahoo mail, you will create a "client-side rule" within your mail reading program to always allow e-mails with the invisible "from header" of "@imodules.com." Only Cal Poly will send you email via imodules.com
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How much of my personal information is displayed in PolyLink?
All alumni on record will have their name, class year and primary major listed in the PolyLink community.
Alumni will always have full control over whether to display any additional personal information in PolyLink.
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How do I control/edit the display of my personal information in PolyLink?
When you log in for the first time and enter your temporary password, you will be directed to your personal profile page, which will be set to display only your name, class year, and primary major.
You can choose to add no further information – or you can answer any or all of the questions on your profile page to add more information. Check the box next to the questions/information fields, and other alumni will be able to see this when they view your profile page.
If you uncheck the box next to the information fields displayed on your profile (birth date, address, etc.), the information will NOT be displayed to anyone in the PolyLink community.
If you have married or changed your name since you attended Cal Poly, you might want to add your maiden name or previous name to be displayed on your profile page, so former classmates can find you more easily.
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I want to change my name back to my maiden name (or use my new married name) in PolyLink. My Personal Profile form won't let me do that. How do I change my name in PolyLink and Cal Poly records?
You can change your official name of record in the Cal Poly Database, but right now it takes an extra step.
Please email us at polylink@calpoly.edu
Tell us in the e-mail what your current name of record is, and what you would like it to be.
Cal Poly staff will then make a change in the university database. You should see the change reflected on PolyLink within several working days after you e-mail polylink@calpoly.edu.
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What kind of information can I post on my personal page?
You can share as much information as you'd like about your career, your family, your interests, and more. You can also create photo albums to share with other PolyLink users.
Remember, in addition to being a place for alumni to catch up with old friends, PolyLink is a place where established alumni will be looking for alums to hire, to fill internships, and to fill co-op positions. PolyLink offers a premier place for professional networking. You probably should not post photos or content on PolyLink that you wouldn't want your potential boss or potential co-workers to see.
Photos which are inappropriate will be blocked before posting by PolyLink site editors. (See the FAQ on "unverified photos." )
To report possibly inappropriate photos or content, contact PolyLink Customer Support.
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Will the information I post in the "mentoring" section of my personal profile be seen by everyone in the community?
Whatever you write in the "Mentoring" section of your personal profile will be seen by ALL the logged-in members of the PolyLink community if they do a PolyLink search for "Mentors."
You can also join the Mentoring Group inside PolyLink to make it easier for recent grads and current seniors to find you. You must log in to PolyLink and be a PolyLink member to do this.
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On my Personal Profile page, under "Mentoring," the form asks for professional memberships - am I correct in assuming you want to know what organizations I am currently a member of?
Yes -- if You're a member of Rotary, the Society of Professional Engineers, the Society of Professional Journalists, etc., this is the place for you to list that information.
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On my Personal Profile, the "Resume/Job Search Information" section - does this replace the Cal Poly Career Services website?
No! This is the place in your PolyLink Personal Profile for YOU to place your resume information if you choose to do so, and to state whether or not you are currently searching for a job, or another job. The form lets you post information about what type of job you're looking for, what areas of the country you'd consider working, even what salary range you are seeking.
If you are NOT looking for another job -- do not put any information about yourself in this section of your Personal Profile page, and "uncheck" the Resume/Job Search Information box.
However, if you are a new grad, or soon-to-be grad, or an alum looking for a new job -- this is where you would put your resume information -- so other alumni who might be looking to hire could see your info there.
One note: if your boss is a Cal Poly alumnus/alumna, and logs into PolyLink, he/she may notice that you've posted your resume info also.
Cal Poly Career Services operates the Mustang Jobs board, a private board with hundreds of job openings posted by employers looking specifically for recent Cal Poly grads and alumni.
Mustang Jobs is free for employers and for ALL alumni. It is operated by Cal Poly Career Services and requires a separate password to get in. (It is not operated by PolyLink). Go to www.careerservices.calpoly.edu to find out about getting in to Mustang Jobs as an alumnus.
Every month, PolyLink staffers create a summary of Mustang Job postings -- by major -- and include them in the PolyLink Job Boards. The Monthly Mustang Jobs PolyLink summaries appear on the PolyLink Job Boards in addition to openings posted directly to PolyLink by PolyLink alumni.
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How can I find out about events for alumni and other Cal Poly friends on PolyLink?
PolyLink offers an Event Calendar. Check the calendar for events on campus and across California and the West. This fall, watch the calendar as PolyLink rolls out online event registration and online ticket purchasing. No login required for the calendar!
When you use PolyLink to register or RSVP for an event, you can also add yourself to the "attendees" list. This allows other Mustangs to see if their friends or former classmates are coming. If you do not want your name to appear on the list of attendees, you can opt out of the attendees list display.
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Are there any restrictions using PolyLink?
PolyLink is Cal Poly’s free, private, secure social network and online community. Its purpose is to create a virtual community where alumni can renew and maintain lifelong relationships with their fellow alumni and their alma mater.
Members must agree not to use PolyLink for solicitation or for profit. Read the terms and conditions of use for PolyLink here.
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Is my personal information secure in PolyLink?
Yes. Under the California State University System’s privacy policy, the CSU never shares or transfers your personal and contact information. Read the entire PolyLink Privacy Policy here.
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What if I don't see my question here on the FAQs page?
If you have a question that's not on this FAQs list, go to the "Site Suggestions" message board and post your question there. (You must be logged in to PolyLink to do this). PolyLink staff will be watching the PolyLink Site Suggestions message board for suggestions and any questions we haven't addressed here.
Visit the Site Suggestions/FAQs message board to add your question. (If you are not logged in, you will be prompted to log in before you can get to the message board.)
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Photo Answers
How do I create my personal page photo albums?
Automatic Photo Resizing has arrived in PolyLink! Now it's much more convenient and easier to upload and manage your photos. Your photos (up to 4 MB) will be automatically resized to a standard Web-friendly format when you upload them to your PolyLink albums.
This new feature applies to member photos, group photos, class notes, classifieds, and job postings. Add some new photos today and see.
Remember -- you can't win the PolyLink Photo of the Month or Photo of the Year competitions unless you upload photos to your PolyLink personal albums. All uploads are automatically in consideration.
Browse through 500+ PolyLink Alumni Photo Albums (requires login)
See Photo of the Month winners -- no login required
How to do it?
You can add photos and create separate albums of your family, friends, fellow alumni, recent vacations, and more. You will find the “Create Photo Albums” section and instructions on your personal page after you have finished creating all of your personal page sections.
OR, you can click on the "My Photos" link in the yellow menu items bar at the top of all PolyLink pages, and you will be sent directly to your personal photo albums section.
OR, you can click on the "My Personal Page" link in the left navigation bar to go straight to your Personal Page (you must be a PolyLink member and have logged in already and created your personal page to do this). Then look for the "Photos" tab among the tabs at the top of your Personal Page. Click on the tab.
Once there -- in your Personal Page Photo Tab -- follow the prompts to create your photo albums.
There is no limit to the number of photos you add to your albums, but there IS a limit to the size of the individual photos you can upload.
Individual photos must be no bigger than 4 mb in size. In order to fit on the PolyLink pages.
If your photo is larger than the 4 mb size limit, use the photo-editing program on your computer (like Microsoft Image Editor or Adobe PhotoShop) to make sure the image files (.jpg files) are "low resolution" and don’t exceed the 4 mb limit before uploading them.
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How do I set my 'Personal Page' display photo/icon?
When you create a photo album, you can pick one of the photos to be your "icon" on your personal page...
After the album is all done, and your photos captioned, hit the 'edit' button underneath the photo you want to use as your icon. Scroll down below the photo and caption box and you should see a checkbox that says:
Make this the default photo for my Profile Page.
Check the box next to those words, and hit the save/submit button, and that particular photo will appear atop your Personal Page. If you want to change your Personal Page photo icon, repeat these steps with another photo in your photo album.
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Can I pull in my Flickr photos for my Photo Albums? Yes, But...
You can't pull a Flickr photostream directly into a PolyLink Personal Photo Album. BUT: If you are a Flickr user (www.flickr.com) you can create a "tab" in your Personal Page and pull in your Flickr photostream via a Flickr badge/widget.
ONLY Flickr photostreams you have set to display as "public" can be displayed on your PolyLink Personal Page.
To pull in your Flickr photostream to your PolyLink personal page, click "Add Tab." Then, on the new tab, you will see a box that says "Add Content." Click on that link and select "Widgets." Then select 'Flickr Badge' from the menu list that will display.
For more details on adding Feeds and Widgets on your PolyLink Personal Page, look for the Tutorial graphic and link atop the tabs on your Personal Page.
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Photo tips:
If your photo editing program has a "save for Web" choice (usually a menu option near the "Save" choice), use the "Save for Web" function.
If your photos aren't already in digital format, scan and size the photos you want to upload to PolyLink, and save them all in one place -- inside one folder in your computer, a portable drive, or a CD. That will help you upload your photos more easily -- you won't have to hunt for photos in different areas of your computer.
You can also use a free online photo editing web site (such as PhotoBucket) to resize and save your photos for PolyLink. You will need to upload your photos to the online photo editing web site, resize them, and save them into your computer hard drive, thumb drive, or on a CD. You can then follow the 'Upload Photos' instructions on PolyLink.
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Why does it say my photo is "unverified" after I upload it?
All of the photos you upload to your personal profile page must be approved by a PolyLink site editor before other community members can see them. Once approved, your photos are "verified" as appropriate and other community members will be able to see them. (And the word "unverified" will disappear from the top of your photo.)
PolyLink editors will be checking the community several times daily to approve any photos uploaded by members. However, if you upload your photos at night or on weekends, staff will not see/approve them until the morning of the following business day.
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What is the Photo of the Month?
Each month, the PolyLink editors select an Alumni Photo of the Month from among the hundreds uploaded by PolyLink Alumni. Winners are displayed in PolyLink and in Cal Poly Update, the monthly e-newsletter for university alumni and friends. Winners receive a way-cool Cal Poly Alumni window decal. PolyLink alumni get to vote to pick the Photo of the Year every year.
Click Here to go to the University Photos Gallery (no login needed) to see the Photo of the Month winners.
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