SPE Connect FAQs
What is my login and password?
Your login is the email address you have registered on your SPE.org profile. Use the “Forgot Password” option if you have problems logging in.
How do I update my profile?
You should update your contact details on your SPE.org profile. You can also add or change your Education and Employment, and Communication Preferences there. To add other interesting things about yourself such as a photo and bio, add them to your SPE Connect profile.
What information appears in the Member Directory?
The Member Directory only shows the information that you have selected to be shared. This may include your contact details, bio, photo, education, job history, professional associations, honor and awards, etc.
How do I change the information that shows in the Member Directory or on my profile to other members?
1. Go to your SPE Connect Profile.
2. Select the drop down menu for My Account and click Privacy Settings.
3. On the Privacy Settings page, you can opt-out entirely from the Member Directory, or you can select who can view each part of your profile.
4. Scroll down to the bottom of the screen and click Save Changes.
Do I need to be logged in to access the Member Directory?
Yes, this is a member-only benefit. If you are not already logged in when you click on the Member Directory, you will be sent automatically to a login page.
How do I search for someone by Section or Student Chapter?
1. From the Member Directory main page, click the tab for Advanced Search.
2. Scroll down the page to Section/Chapter and click the drop-down menu for Community Type. Select “Section” or “Chapter”.
3. Then click the drop-down menu for Community Name and select the name of the section or chapter you wish to find members of.
How do I contact another SPE member?
To contact someone from a Member Directory search, you must send a private message through SPE Connect. To send a private message, simply click the Send Message button to the right of the person’s details. This will send a message through SPE Connect as well as an email to their designated email address. You can also request the person as a contact by clicking Add as Contact.
How do I respond to a message that I have received through SPE Connect?
You can read and reply to messages by logging in to SPE Connect and clicking Inbox at the top right of the web page if you do not wish to reveal your email address to the other person. You can also respond directly to the email you receive at your designated email address, but this will allow the person you are responding to to see your direct email address.
How do I join technical communities and sections?
1. Go to the Professional Online Communities page of your SPE member profile.
2. Mark the checkbox next to all technical communities or sections that you’d like to join.
3. Scroll to the bottom and select Save.
4. Go to your Community Notifications page and choose the notification type that you prefer.
How do I join a non-technical community?
1. From the SPE Connect homepage click on the "Non-Technical Communities" button in the main menu and click on the community you are interested in.
2. Click the blue “Join Community” button found at the top right of the page.
3. Choose your email notification preference.
4. Click the “Yes Join the Community” button to complete the process.
How do I manage the types of emails I receive from SPE Connect?
1. Go to your SPE Connect Profile.
2. Select the drop down menu for My Account and click Email Preferences.
3. Toggle any type of email to NO that you do not want to receive. Changes are automatically saved.
How do I change the emails I receive from my communities?
1. Go to your SPE Connect Profile.
2. Select the drop down menu for My Account and click Community Notifications to manage your subscriptions. Changes are automatically saved.
You have the option to receive real time emails, meaning you will receive one email notification for each discussion post that is made; a daily digest, meaning you will receive one email per day for each community you are subscribed to that includes all of the posts from the last 24 hours; consolidated daily or weekly digests, which allow you to receive fewer emails overall from SPE Connect while remaining in the loop of active conversations; or you can choose the no email subscription, which means you will only see updates about your communities when you log on to SPE Connect.
How can I find content on a specific topic within SPE Connect?
At the top of the website, type a keyword topic into the search field. Notice that the search pulls results for all types of content, use the filters on the left side to sort for the type of content you are interested in to narrow the search results. Also, clicking on a hashtag found on related content within the site will run a search for all content with that same tag applied. This is a good way to find other content related to what you are viewing.
How can I upload a file to a library?
1. Navigate to the community where you want to share your file or document.
2. Select the Library tab.
3. Click Create New Library Entry from the top right of the page.
4. Follow the prompts on the Add to Library page and click Next to continue. All typical file uploads will use the Standard File Upload option.
5. Choose and Upload your files.
6. Click Finish to complete the process and save your file(s) to the library archive for other members to access.
You can also attach files to a community discussion post. Simply attach a file to your post using the Attach button at the bottom of the message editor before clicking Send. Files shared this way will also automatically be archived in that community’s library.
How can I download a file from SPE Connect?
1. Navigate to the community where you want to download a file from.
2. Select the Library tab.
3. Click through the different folders on the left side to see the existing files you are able to access and double click on the title of a library entry that you want to open.
4. Within a library entry, you will see all the associated files and choose to download individual files or choose to download all.
Why should I click Recommend on a post?
Recommending content in SPE Connect is similar to clicking Like on a Facebook post. When you recommend a post, you are telling the community how popular a topic is and that you have an interest in it. The number appearing next to the Recommend button shows how many others found this topic to be helpful.
Why should I tag my posts and how do I do it?
Tag your posts using a hashtag, just like Twitter. Put # in front of keywords in your post and you'll notice they will turn into hyperlinks. Adding tags helps the site search function show the best results and you can even click on a tag you see anywhere on the site to launch a search of all content with that same tag. This is very useful when looking for related content.
Can I follow (i.e. receive immediate notifications for) a specific discussion thread and keep my daily digest or consolidated email subscription for the rest of the posts in a community?
Yes. You will automatically receive immediate notifications for all discussions that you participate in and for any comments to content that you've added to SPE Connect. To follow a discussion thread that you have not participated in, open the thread on the website and click on the star icon to the right of the discussion's title at the top of the page. You can also click this same star to unfollow the conversation.
What browsers are recommended when accessing SPE Connect?
Recommended browsers include: Internet Explorer 11, Firefox, Chrome, and Safari. Please allow cookies and JavaScript for the best experience.
Don’t see an answer to your question here? Please contact speconnect@spe.org