FindCE FAQ

REGISTRATION

          Membership with FindCE.com

• I need some help with registering!
• How much does it cost?
• What benefits are there for me ?
• Can I use the site without registering?
• I registered a while back, and can't remember how to edit my page.
• How do I change my User Name?
• Why are there fees for some registrations?

          For Meeting Planners

• How much will it cost?
• Do we have to answer ALL those questions?
• I need help registering.
• Can someone register for my meeting on FindCE.com?
• Can you register my meeting(s) and save me time?
• I would like to edit or change the level of my registration. How do I do this?
• I have quite a few meetings I need to register. Is there an easy way to do this?
• Some information about my event is incorrect. What can I do? 
• The registration process seems to ask for too many details, and it is too confusing.
• My photo seems pfuzzy!

           For Speakers and Presenters

• How much will it cost?
• Do I need to have special credentials to obtain CE status for my talks?
• I need help registering.
• The registration process seems to ask for too many details, and it is too confusing.
• Some information about me is incorrect. What can I do?
• I would like to edit or change the level of my registration. How do I do this?
• How do I get those who have attended my talks to grade me on FindCE.com?
• Can you register my item(s) and save me time?
• My photo seems pfuzzy!

          For Online CE Sites, Audio-Visual Materials, Newsletters, Home-Study Courses, TeleCourses, other Online offerings

• How much will it cost?
• I need help registering.
• Do we have to answer ALL those questions?
• Some information about my item is incorrect. What can I do? 
• Can you register my item(s) and save me time?

REPORT CARDS

• What are your rules on rating CE items?
• What grading system does your report card use?
• When would I want to "combine" a report card for different items?

FORUMS

• What is the "Interdisciplinary Forum"?
• See the Forum FAQ  for more

SEARCHES

• Why do some events have so little information?    
• How do your searches work?   

OTHER

• Why are some areas of the site limited to licensed professionals only?
• Will my e-mail address be sold?
• Is my personal information safe from spammers?
• This FAQ is a nice idea, but it just doesn't answer the question I had.
  
  
  

I need some help with registering!

This is understandable. Let's see if we can help you through it by giving you a few step-by-step instructions. However, first things first. Have you done a general registration yet? If not, this is required before registering as a speaker, registering a meeting, etc. On the home page www.FindCE.com, click on "Register With FindCE" at the top of the page, then follow the instructions.

Are you back? Did you ever leave? OK, let's assume you are here because you have already registered on the site, and now want to register an event, register as a speaker, or something along these lines.

         Speakers and Presenters

On the home page www.FindCE.com, there is a column on the left, with a heading called "Register" (Make sure you are signed in with your username and password before you proceed). Choose "Presenter/Speaker", and click to begin the registration process. 

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to ask us by sending an e-mail to registration@FindCE.com

         Meeting Planners

On the home page www.FindCE.com, there is a column on the left, with a heading called "Register" (Make sure you are signed in with your username and password before you proceed). Choose "Meeting/Event", and click to begin the registration process. 

If you have further questions, please do not hesitate to ask us by sending an e-mail to registration@FindCE.com

Do we have to answer ALL those questions?

Not at all. You would only need to fill out the answers that you feel prospective attendees would want to know or would benefit from knowing about your meeting. We have provided many different questions in an effort to accommodate as many different types of events as possible, and you should not feel burdened by feeling you need to answer them all.

How much does it cost?

Registration as a member on FindCE is absolutely free. In fact, thanks to some generous sponsors, we have changed the format so that there is no longer any fees for registering as a speaker, or to register your event.

Speakersand Presenters -There is now only one option, and it's free!

Additionally, any listing includes a free listing with www.Find-Speaker.com.

*Become a "Featured Speaker": We have designed an awards program that is based on your non-monetary contributions to FindCE.com. We want to reward those who send their friends and acquaintances our way, so the point system works this way.

The speakers are listed on our "Featured Speakers" page ranked by total score accumulated.

See our past issues of Speakers News

*Incentive Program - If one or more of the speakers who will present at your next meeting sign up with FindCE.com and choose the enhanced listing, your meeting will be given a Masters listing (improved appearance and functionality), and be featured on the home page as a "Featured Event" until your meeting takes place, giving you added exposure.

All you would need to do is invite the presenters through e-mail or alternate correspondence to visit us and register, further increasing their own exposure, and your encouragement alone might produce optimal results. Even their own registrations could link to the meeting, further improving your visibility. To qualify, they would need to list you as their referral when they sign up.

Online CE Sites, Audio-Visual Materials, Newsletters, Home-Study Courses, TeleCourses and other Online offerings - There is no longer a fee for this service. In addition to your page, you also receive a link on our "CE Links" page.

*Incentive Program - If one or more of the speakers who are represented in your online CE programs/materials sign up with FindCE.com and choose the enhanced listing, your registration fee will be waived as long as they remain listed. This would also include a refund of the $35 you may have already paid. They could also link to your site from their own page, giving you added exposure.

All you would need to do is invite the presenters through e-mail or alternate correspondence to visit us and register, further increasing their own exposure, and your encouragement alone might produce optimal results. To qualify, they would need to list you as their referral when they sign up.

How do I change my User Name?

Otherwise known as your "Login" name, the User Name may be changed by first going to the forums. This happens automatically when you log in, but otherwise you may get there by clicking CE Forums in the left column or by clicking here. Next, you will see "User Options" among the options along the top of the screen. Choose this, and you should see your "login" or user name, which you can change. Be sure to save your changes.

Can someone register for my meeting on FindCE.com?

Yes, they can, as long as you choose that option when you register your event. There is already a basic form adapted for this function. You will be able to edit this form to suit the details of your own meeting. You may see a sample here.

Can you register my item(s) and save me time?

We would be glad to help in any way, and if the registration process seems too burdensome or complicated, you may have the support staff at FindCE do this for you. There will be a $20 charge per item attached to this task. Follow these directions:

1. Someone will need to register with findCE who will be called the "owner" of the item being registered. If this has not been done, go to the home page and choose "Register with FindCE" at the top of the page, then follow the directions from there.
2. Send all materials to the address below. This would include:
  a. any brochures or other information that would be helpful in adding details to your page
  b. the name of the "owner" assigned to the item, along with their username
  c. a check to FindCE.com for $20 per item 
3. Alternately, you may e-mail your information inside the body of an e-mail, or in a Word document or pdf file. Send it to registrations@findce.com. Credit card information should not be e-mailed, but you may send a check via "snail mail" under separate cover. Alternately, once we complete your registration, you could then enter your credit card information, which acts like a "switch", and "turns on" your registration.
4. If you would like a photo on your page, this must be e-mailed, or you may send the url where the photo may be located. Photos mailed will not be returned nor scanned, so please do not send these via "snail mail".
5. Registrations will be finalized and uploaded to the site within 48 hours of details and fund receipts.
6. Once your item is registered, the "owner" should be able to edit any details with relative ease, but we are always glad to help.

Should you have any questions about this process, send them to registrations@findce.com.

FindCE.com
4301 N. MacArthur Blvd. #100
Irving, Texas 75038

Will my e-mail address be sold?

We highly respect your privacy, and we never sell or rent our e-mail lists. Please see our Privacy Policy for further information.

Why are there fees for some registrations?

In order to ensure complete objectivity, findCE.com is not funded, operated or owned by any corporation or other entity with interests that would conflict with that purpose. It is necessary, therefore, to make findCE a self-funded resource to enable its continuation.

Do I need to have special credentials to obtain CE status for my talks?

Each trade or professional organization typically has its own accreditation process. However, usually, the speaker's topic and materials are considered, not the actual speaker for accreditation purposes. We would recommend that you contact the board or accreditation committee if you are interested in a specific field. Alternately, as long as your registration on FindCE.com states the topics and material you generally cover in your deliveries, meeting planners can decide whether your material would be acceptable for their needs.

Can I use the site without registering ?

Yes. There are, however, some functions you will be unable to avail yourself of. These include posting messages on the forum, grading/rating events, speakers and media and receiving e-alerts and newsletters.

What are your rules on rating CE items?

This is a function of findCE.com that we take very seriously, and strict adherence to protocol is not only expected, but demanded. Variations from this guiding principal will have negative repercussions, which we do not feel need to be detailed here. These are the parameters on which our rating system depends:

1. You do not stand to benefit in any fashion at any time from the grades you will be assigning to the item
2. You have not previously graded this item on findCE.com
3. You have personally experienced the CE represented by this item, and that
4. You are honest in your assessment.

For an explanation of the report card, click here .
If you have any questions about this grading process, you may contact us here:ReportCard@findCE.com

How do I get those who have attended my talks to grade me on FindCE.com?

There are two ways to get this done. First, you can get them to the site. Secondly,  we could get them to the site.

If you do the deed, you would need to contact them in some way, either by e-mail (the best, so they could just click on some links to take them to the right place) or by a more traditional method. If by e-mail, we could provide you with some wording and link help.

Alternately, we could do it for you, but you would need to supply us with the e-mail addresses of the prior attendees, and we would contact them for you.

They would need to register on the site ("Register with FindCE" at the top of the home page) before they could rate you. This is to avoid "stuffing the ballot" by a single individual.

If you already hand out evaluation forms to your attendees, you could always say "If you don't have time or would rather fill out an evaluation at a later time, you can go to FindCE.com and search for my name to rate me. I have listed the web site on the form you have, along with some instructions." The "instructions" would simply tell them they need to register as a member first (free), before searching for your page.

My photo seems pfuzzy!

First of all, you need to learn how to spell fuzzy. It's no wonder your picture is a bit out of whack. OK, when you upload a photo, FindCE.com's intuitive software resizes it to be max 250 pixels wide, in order to keep speakers and meeting planners from uploading a disproportionate photo.  We recommend that you use Photoshop or another good image editor to resize the photo to 250 pixels in width.  Then, re-upload the newly resized photo.  If you still do not like the quality, simply email the photo and we can put it up there for you.

Why are most areas of the site designed for licensed professionals?

We subscribe to the definition of a professional as "a person following a profession, especially a learned profession" and of a licensed professional as "one given official approval to act" within the confines of that learned profession. This site is exclusively in place to aid professionals in furthering their education, and any other benefits are circumstantial and/or tangential in nature. If you are not required, implored, or even nudged to continue your education through the policing body of your profession, as most of us are, this site was not borne out of consideration for your needs, and therefore would not likely be of interest to you. This implied deference to licensed professionals is not meant to shun anyone, but instead proffer upon individuals the respect due them for the concerted diligence a professional license signifies.

What is the interdisciplinary forum?

Most of your forum questions can be answered in the Forum FAQ. The most significant difference between the findCE forum and other forums or message boards you might have participated in revolves around the participants. Each forum participant is professionally licensed in one of many disciplines, and in order to keep the discussions on a professional level, it is expected that everyone will incorporate their field or discipline within their signature when they post a message.

Some information about my event is incorrect. What can I do? 
(this also applies to speakers, media and online CE)

From time to time, we will receive incorrect information from 3rd parties, encounter an ex-employee of an organization with nefarious intentions, or simply make errors in transcribing information about meetings, speakers, materials, etc. There is also a possibility that you will need to update your listing, but are unable to do so for whatever reason, whether it is a lost password, a crashed server on your end, or any other number of reasons.

If you find yourself in this predicament, please alert us at errors@findCE.com and we will attend to your problem in an efficient manner. Keep in mind that we will need to verify that you are the responsible party, as we need to protect the integrity of the information as much as possible. Any information you can provide to ensure us that we can communicate with you about said information would be helpful.

I would like to edit or change the level of my registration. How do I do this?

There may be times that you choose to either upgrade your registered item (event, speaker, etc.) or downgrade to a lower level. This can be done by first signing in, then going to the home page and clicking on "Edit Your Registrations" in the left menu. Assuming you are correctly logged in, you will see a list of your registrations and the word "Edit" beside each one. Choose the "edit" button, then choose "Edit Details".

Any questions about this should be directed to registrations@findCE.com

The registration process seems to ask for too many details , and it is too confusing.

It is, indeed, a bit detailed, and can be time-consuming, especially if you do not have all of the details at your ready disposal. Our philosophy revolves around the precept that an informed professional needs an adequate amount of information in order to make an informed decision. If you prefer, you may send the information you have via e-mail, and we can set up the registration for you. However, there will be an added charge of US$20 for this service. Send registration details to registrations@findCE.com, along with any questions about registration. Send brochures, along with credit card information or checks to FindCE.com to 4301 N. MacArthur Blvd., #100, Irving, TX 75038.

I have quite a few meetings I would like to register. Is there an easy way to do this?

This can certainly become complicated with the typical registration process. However, you can simplify this somewhat by first registering one meeting, then going back in to edit the meeting. When you do this, you will notice an option to copy the details of the first meeting to a second one. After this is done, you can edit any details that are different, such as address information, speakers, etc. This may be repeated as many times as you have meetings. Alternately, if you have a large number of meetings, we have constructed an excel spread sheet that will allow you to copy/paste all of your data into multiple columns. If you then return it to us, we will import the data for you. If you have questions about these processes, or need to be sent the excel sheet, send your questions to registrations@findCE.com

When would I want to " combine" a report card for different items?

Within the confines of this site, combining report cards is termed LINKING ITEMS . If you represent an organization that offers multiple events, courses or meetings, you may want a single report card (grade) for all of your events. You may also be an online CE provider, and you want your site to have a single report card where all graded items/courses are funneled to one grade (linked). Media materials may also be linked together for this purpose. As you register items, you will be given the option to link to other items you have registered, so that this common report card can be produced. Send any questions about this process to   ReportCard@findCE.com

What grading system does your report card use?

Items are graded using a variety of indices, but the G.P.A. (Grade Point Average) is actually an average of the grades given to a particular item. The scale ranges from 0 to 4.0, with a 4.0 being the maximum grade (or G.P.A) an item can earn. These grades are not given by FindCE.com or its representatives, but rather by those who have actually heard the speaker, attended the event or otherwise experienced the continuing education material.

How do your searches  work?

There are two methods of searching for information (speakers, events, etc..) on FindCE.com.

The first involves the home page "Basic" search, which can be easily found in the upper left corner. In the white box, typing in a word will bring up items of interest, but only if the item (speaker, meeting, etc..) has placed that word in their "description". The "description" is the 3 lines of text you see when a page of search results is displayed. Typing in more than one word in the basic search will also return results, as long as those words are used together (in succession) within the "description".

The second method of searching involves a "Targeted" search . You can see these inside the column on the left of any page. You may select to search for a specific type of resource, such as "Presenter/Speaker", "Meeting/Event", "Media/Written Material" or "Online CE". After choosing which type, you will see several parameters on the next page. These vary, depending on the type of resource you are targeting. They all include a box called "keywords", however, and using this will bring results from keywords used when the resource registered with FindCE.

Why do some meetings have so little information ?

If you notice that some meetings, symposiums, events, congresses, seminars, conferences and workshops have very little information, it is most likely due to the fact the meeting planner has not registered and added details. We have loaded over 9000 meetings to enable those searching to at least locate the name, location and date of the event, if that information was made available to FindCE.com.

Is my personal information safe from spammers?

Yes, it is. Your personal profile, which holds a few pieces of personal information, such as your e-mail address, is hidden by default to all but yourself. If you choose to make your profile visible on the message boards, you may certainly do so, but your e-mail address may then be "harvested" and used by spammers.

I registered a while back, and can't remember how to edit my page.

This is very common, so we hope you are not establishing feelings of inadequacy. All you will need to do is remember your username and password you used when first registering, and "Sign In" from the top right section of the home page. If you have forgotten your username, password or both, you may select "Forgot my password" from the "Sign In" screen, and both will be e-mailed to you.

Next, you will need to find your page. There are a few ways to do this. You can search for your information by typing a word or words into the search box in the upper left corner of the home page. When you see it (if you are properly "signed in"), you will see the word "edit" by your name. You are the only one seeing the word "edit", because the computer recognizes you after signing in. Click this, and you have begun the editing process.

The other way to locate your page is by going to the left dark blue column and finding "Edit Your Registrations". Click this, and your name should come up (assuming you are correctly "signed in"). Click the word "edit", and continue.

What do I gain from being a member of FindCE.com?

• If you are a speaker:
  1. Exposure to thousands of meeting planners looking for the ideal speaker for their meeting
  2. Up to 7700 unique visitors each day and 500,000 hits a week have the potential to give you some incredible exposure
  3. You pay no commission fees. Agreements are made between the meeting planner and the speaker/agent
  4. A free listing with www.Find-Speaker.com, a web page to which you may direct potential clients.
  5. Your report card with accompanying G.P.A allows you to boast, assuming your attendees think highly of you
• If you are a meeting planner :
  1. Locate the ideal speakers for your event
  2. Updates of speaker listings e-mailed to you routinely
  3. Deal directly with the speaker or their agent
  4. A listing provides you with a web page to which may direct potential attendees of your event (500,000 hits a week could provide you with that increased attendance you have been searching for)
  5. Allow potential attendees the opportunity to register for your event online, or direct them to your web site for that purpose
  6. Get past attendees to grade your meeting, and show off that report card to potential attendees
• If you are a professional :
  1. Locate the ideal continuing education opportunity for your particular needs, whether it be a meeting, CD or tape, book, newsletter, consultant, home study or online CE program.
  2. Evaluate the continuing education item by studying the report card of each one
  3. Participate in an interdisciplinary forum to discuss cross-sectional areas of interest
  4. Register for meetings online (if the planner chooses this option)
  5. Get e-mail alerts when a particular CE item that fits your desires is registered
  6. There is no connection with any manufacturer, organization, institution or individual who would benefit in any way from manipulation of data on the site, so you can depend on complete objectivity
• If you are an online CE provider
  1. Benefit from the traffic that 9,000 meetings, 1,000 speakers and 100,000 professionals bring to FindCE.com
  2. Get listed directly from the home page under "CE Links". No other category is extended this priviledge.
  
  

I would like tochange the level of my registration. How do I do this?

If you wish to change the level of registration for an event, you will first need to sign on to the site with the username and password that were used to initially register the event. Then choose "Edit Your Registrations" in the main menu on the left. This should bring up your event(s). Click "edit" next to the event you wish to change. The first screen you reach will have basic information on your event. At the bottom of the page, click "Save and Edit Details". If you are upgrading to an enhanced level (now free), all you will need to do is change the selected level. Note that the level you have previously chosen is the default. After changing the level, save your details at the bottom of the page, and follow the directions on the next page.

If you wish to change the level of registration for a speaker/presenter, you will first need to sign on to the site with the username and password that were used to initially register the speaker. Then choose "Edit Your Registrations" in the main menu on the left. This should bring up the name of the speaker. Click "edit" next to the name, then click "Save and Edit Details". You will notice a link to either upgrade (now free) or downgrade (if you have a self image problem), depending on the current level of registration. Follow the directions after choosing this link.

If you have any other questions about changing the level of your registrations, send an e-mail to registrations@findCE.com.

This FAQ is a nice idea, but it just doesn't answer the question I had.

Although we have made the attempt, we can't anticipate every question. If this FAQ does not answer yours, please e-mail us at info@findCE.com  and we will make every effort to satisfy your curiosity. If your question would be helpful to others, we may even add it to our FAQ!

FEE STRUCTURE

Questions? Send them to Fees@findCE.com

Type of CE	Associate	Bachelors	Masters	Doctorate
Events	No Charge Sample	Registration for your meeting is enabled from findCE.com. Fees will be collected by findCE.com, then delivered, along with registration information, to authorized party, less a 10% handling fee ($25 minimum per registrant) Sample registration form	$10/month for one event; 3 or more (unlimited by the same registrant) for $30/month; you may edit these at any time (change dates, titles, registration fees, etc.) – Benefits: Enhanced presence with photograph, unlimited information for your event, higher priority listing with searches and much more. Sample	Benefits and fees of both the Bachelors and Masters Plan
Type of CE	Basic	Enhanced
Speakers/ Presenters	No Charge	$10/month includes a photograph, unlimited biographical information, a customized web page, a direct listing of your web site(s), and a priority listing within our search engines; you may list urls for speaking engagements on this page, but they will not be linked to any searches within findCE.com unless the events are separately registered. Sample	For multiple listings of speakers by the same "owner" (training companies, bureaus, etc..), discounts may apply. Contact fees@FindCE.com for more details.
Type of CE	Basic
Media (CDs, DVDs, books, newsletters, other AV or written materials)	$35/year to list your link and much more information; also included in the findCE  search engine
Type of CE
Online CE Sites	$35/year to list your online CE site; if you also provide media on your site, you may mention these, but they will not be linked with media material searches unless they are registered.