What is East of Borneo? Is it a magazine? A wiki? A blog?

Yes and no. While East of Borneo bears some of the characteristics of a traditional art magazine, it is also a collaborative website that depends on you to activate and enrich its editorial content. We commission and publish original essays but also invite our readers to upload relevant texts, images, videos and links. For more on us, take a look at the introductory essay by Thomas Lawson (editor-in-chief).

Do I have to register in order to use the website?

You can access all of our content, including essays and multimedia items, without registering for the site. We hope that you will also be interested in uploading, commenting, and using some of the other site features that allow you to join in the conversation. In order to do this, you must register and sign in. It only takes a minute.

Is it free?

Yes.

How often is the site updated?

You can expect that we'll upload new content daily, in the form of links, images, videos, texts and editors' notes. Featured essays will be added a few times a month. To find the most recent content, you can browse alll items and sort them by date using the top tabs.

Is there a printed version?

There is not a printed version of the material on the website but we will be publishing books. The first, the selected writings of Esther McCoy, edited by Susan Morgan, will be published in early 2011.

What is your relationship to CalArts?

East of Borneo is published by the School of Art at the California Institute of the Arts. We are not a student publication and are not editorially focused on covering school activities, faculty or alumni, but nor do we have a policy about excluding them from our view.

What does it cost to sign up?

It's free.

How do I change my login email address?

You can do this on your account settings page. Just type the new email address in the "email" field and be sure to submit your changes. You'll see a confirmation message when your settings have been changed.

It says that there is already an account registered with my email address.

You are only able to sign up for one account per email address. If you've forgotten your password for an existing account, click here to retrieve it.

The "captcha" words in the box won't load.

This is probably an issue with your internet browser. Try upgrading your browser and clearing your browser's cache and cookies.

I registered for the site but never received a confirmation email.

Be sure to check your spam or junk folder—it is possible that the email was blocked by your internet service provider. Also be sure that you are logging in with the exact email address you registered with. If you are still having trouble, contact us at help [at] eastofborneo [dot] org.

I received an email asking me to confirm my East of Borneo account, but I never signed up.

It is possible that someone mistakenly tried to register using your email address. If you receive a confirmation email in error and do not want to create an account, simply discard the email. If you do not click the confirmation link in the email, no account will be created.

How do I create a profile?

Do you see a welcome message in the upper-right corner of the page? Click on your name and you'll be directed to your profile page, which includes a link to edit your information. You can only create and edit your profile if you are registered and signed in.

How do I edit my profile?

Edit your profile at any time by visiting your profile page and clicking on the “edit” link in the upper right corner. This will take you to your account settings page. When you are finished making changes, don’t forget to click the “submit” button at the bottom of the page. You’ll receive confirmation that the changes have been made.

I changed the settings to hide my full name and email address but it still appears on my profile page. What’s wrong here?

First, visit your account settings page and be sure that you have set your preferences correctly. Don’t forget to click the submit button at the bottom of the page! This is the most likely reason when settings are not updated. After clicking “submit,” you should see confirmation that the changes have been made. If you are still having problems, please send us an email at help [at] eastofborneo [dot] org and we’ll correct it right away.

How do I upload a profile photo?

Visit your account settings page and use the button below the default image to upload an image from your computer. Select your file and the image should update automatically.

Do I have to upload a profile photo?

Nope. It is just a way to personalize your page if you choose to do so.

I want to change my profile photo. How do I do this?

Use that same button on your account settings page, next to your current photo. Your page should display a confirmation message when the new photo has been uploaded.

I changed my mind. I want to use the first photo instead.

It’s gone; but you can upload it again using the same process as above. We aren’t set up for choosing between multiple profile photos, just one at a time.

What is the recent activity that shows up on my profile page? Can I turn it off?

This is just a quick view of items you’ve recently uploaded, liked or commented on. You can’t turn it off but you can collapse it using the +/- toggle to the right of each section header.

How do I change my username?

It isn't possible to change your username on East of Borneo. Since we hope you'll be uploading, commenting and otherwise participating with the site, fixed usernames should keep things less confusing for everyone.

But I really, really hate my username. What do I do?

You can delete your account and start over with a new one. We encourage you not to do this because we want to minimize the number of deleted accounts that populate the site—all of the activity (uploaded items, comments, etc.) linked to your first username will no longer be attributed to you. So if you need to do it, you need to do it; but we ask that you please don’t do this more than once.

How do I change my password?

Your password can be changed on your account settings page. Look for the link that says “change password” above the password field. Don’t forget to click the “save changes” button at the bottom of the page after you have entered and confirmed the new password.

I forgot my password. Help!

Sure thing. Click here and request a link to reset your password.

How can I contact other users?

There is no way to contact users directly through East of Borneo but some users will choose to share their email addresses and personal websites with other users on their profile page.

What kind of material should I upload to East of Borneo?

You can add images, videos, texts and links to material on other websites. In all cases, we'd ask that you focus on material that is relevant to the editorial focus of the site and enriches the existing material.

Why am I required to add a title and description?

Adding an accurate title and description will make finding and reading material on East of Borneo a better experience for everyone. We want to make uploading an easy experience, so whenever possible our system will grab data for the item you are linking to. For most items it will auto-fill the title and description fields as well as adding thumbnail images for you to choose from. For other items, you’ll need to add your own title and description.

Can I edit the title and description that was generated by my linked item?

Yes, you can and should if you think it would better describe the item you are uploading.

Do I have to add tags?

You don't have to add tags to your item, but we recommend it. Tags will make your item more visible on the site.

Can you explain the content tabs so I know which one to choose?

For the purposes of this site, think about how you want the item to be labeled and grouped. Some items will be found using a URL (http://) but aren't best identified as links. For example, if you want to link to an image on another website you should use the image tab so that it will be grouped with other images on the site. Use the "link"tab for anything that doesn't fit neatly into one of the other categories, such as a website, slideshow, or other multimedia item.

Can I upload my own photos to East of Borneo?

Yes. You can upload photos from your computer or by linking to image files that live elsewhere on the web. As with all uploads, please focus on images that are relevant and allowed under our terms of use.

Can I upload my videos to East of Borneo?

Right now we support video sharing in the form of linking to video that is hosted elsewhere on the web, such as YouTube and Vimeo. If you want to add your video to East of Borneo, upload it to one of these sites and share it with us.

I found an article on another website that I'd like to add to East of Borneo. Is this a text or a link?

Add it as a link. Articles on other websites often have images, slideshows and other media that make them more complex than what we identify as "texts." Adding these as links will allow them to be opened in a new window and viewed as the publisher intends.

What should I upload as a text? Can it be something that I wrote myself?

We support text uploads in the form of PDF files. This can be something that you wrote yourself, something that you've downloaded from another website, or something that has been scanned from a printed source. As with other items, please only upload materials that are relevant and allowed under our terms of use.

I uploaded something but now I want to delete or edit it. How do I do this?

If you are logged in to your account, you'll see a "delete" button at the bottom of any item you have uploaded. You can find a list of every item you've uploaded to East of Borneo by visiting your profile page. Right now you can't edit your uploaded items, but that's a feature we'll be adding soon. Until then, you can delete the item and upload it again.

Why doesn’t the item I uploaded appear in search results?

One way to correct this is to be sure your item is tagged well.

I have a great collection of materials that I’d like to share on your site but none of it has been digitized. Can you do that for me?

Possibly, yes, but we do this only in very special cases. If you have material you’d like to share and it can’t be uploaded directly through our upload forms, email us at editors [at] eastofborneo [dot] org. We’ll see what we can do.

What are tags?

Tags are keywords or labels that describe the item you are posting. Adding tags make it possible for us to sort and group related items together. It will also make your items easier to find and more likely to appear in search results. Please use them!

What kind of tags should I use?

Some examples of good tags might be artists’ names, genres, media, movements, themes, dates (probably most helpful in decade format, i.e. 1970s). Think about what other users are most likely to search. If you make your tags too narrow or obscure, the items will be less likely to appear in search results.

What kind of tags shouldn’t I use?

Well, let’s start with the obvious. Don’t label items in a way that would offend other users, artists, writers, etc. This isn’t the right place for that. Don’t use hashtags or memes, and please don’t excessively tag in order to draw attention to an uploaded item. Please only use tags that are accurate and applicable to the item they are attached to. Don’t label a work by one artist with the name of a different artist just because you see similarities, because we wouldn’t want that work to be inadvertently misattributed. For example, if a work by Joe Artist is—in your opinion—derivative of an earlier work by Susie Genius, don’t label the item “total rip-off” “#LOL” and “Susie Genius.” This would be in violation of our community guidelines and the item will be flagged and removed. Instead, why don’t you upload the other work so we can all take a look and decide? Filling in some of those art historical gaps and encouraging new connections is what we’re all about. Keep it positive, please.

Is there a limit to the number of tags I can use?

Not technically, but we’d encourage you to be sure that the tags accurately represent the item they are attached to. This will help make searching and browsing the site a better experience for everyone. Adding excessive tags order to drive traffic to that item is tag spam and we don’t like it.

I tagged an item but the tag is no longer there. What happened?

There are a few reasons this might have happened. If it is possible that your tag was deemed inappropriate and flagged by other users, it may be that it was removed by the editors. Inappropriate could either mean that the tag itself was offensive, or it could simply be that the tag was determined to be inapplicable to the item it was attached to and was creating some confusion for other users. See our community guidelines for more information on this.

Ok, but I still don’t think my tag was inappropriate. Who can I talk to about this?

If you think the tag was removed in error, you can email us at help [at] eastofborneo [dot] org and we’ll take another look. Please be sure to include a link to your item or any information that will help us locate and make a decision about it.

I found a tag on an item that doesn’t make any sense and/or it offends me. What do I do?

Flag it. The editors will take a look and remove the tag if necessary.

What are topics?

These are collections of related material that the editors want to bring to your attention. Think of them like thematic issues of your favorite print magazine, but with some added flexibility because they can continue to develop and shift and grow over time. They are a thematic way to browse the material on the site.

Can I add something to a topic?

Absolutely. Once a topic has been opened we encourage you to contribute to it.

How do I add something to a topic?

When you upload an item, you’ll see a prompt towards the bottom of the form that reads: Would you like to add this to a topic? Use the dropdown menu to select from the topics that are currently available. It is as simple as that.

How do I know if something belongs in a topic or not?

Well, use your best judgment. Take a look at the other material within that topic and see if your item would add something to the discussion. You are not required to assign your items to a topic, so don’t add it to a topic unless you think it contributes something interesting to that conversation.

Does everything on the site belong to a topic?

No. We like topics as a way to group texts and uploaded items together but don’t want to limit what we can cover. Often we’ll add things to the site that don’t immediately fit into a topic, but might inspire a new topic to be created down the road.

I have an idea for a topic that isn’t here. Want to hear it?

Yes! Drop us a line: editors [at] eastofborneo [dot] org

Who can see my profile?

Only other registered users who are logged in will be able to see your profile. It will not appear in Internet searches and will not be accessible to anyone who is not registered and logged in.

Can people tell that I've looked at their profiles or uploaded content?

No.

Do I have to share my full name and email address on my profile page?

No, only if you want to. We require this information to register but you don’t have to share it with other users. You can keep it private by adjusting the settings on your account page. Look for the checkbox above the full name and address fields.