Hello PLUG participant!
Note: To print these instructions in full, click the "Print" button on top, right-side margin of this page.
You have recently accepted an invitation from the Canadian Paralegal Institute, to join the PLUG project. This document contains the following instructions:
Welcome to PLUG Online
The Canadian Paralegal Institute has created a set of online resources that will be used in the creation and management of PLUG documents and discussions.
In order to participate in, and access, these online resources, we ask that you do the following:
1. Follow the instructions further in this message, to set up a Google account for accessing GoogleDocs.
2. Once you have set up your Google account, please send an e-mail to plug@canadianparalegalinstitute.com, to let us know which e-mail address you are using for your Google account profile.
3. Set up a member account on the Canadian Paralegal Institute website, by going to http://www.canadianparalegalinstitute.com, and clicking “Member Application”. If you already have an existing member account, let us know and we will arrange your access to the appropriate PLUG subcommittee webpages and discussion forums.
If at any time you are having difficulty setting up these accounts on your own, please e-mail us at plug@canadianparalegalinstitute.com and we will assist you in the process.
How to create a Google account or use an existing Gmail account to access GoogleDocs
This section will explain:
About Google accounts vs Gmail accounts
A Google account is an account you can use to access a number of different services hosted by Google.com. These services include iGoogle and GoogleDocs. Over the course of the PLUG project, participants will be reading and editing draft working documents shared through the use of the GoogleDocs tool on Google.com. GoogleDocs has been selected because it tracks and displays the history of edits to each document we will create for PLUG.
Note: If you already have a Google account, and know what this is, then please notify us which e-mail address you are using as your Google account userID. We can then send you an invitation to access the appropriate PLUG documents on GoogleDocs.
A Google account is not necessarily the same as a Gmail account. You can actually use any existing e-mail address you regularly use to create the userID for a new Google user account. Any messages we send you relating to GoogleDocs, or any verification e-mails you get from Google, will be sent to the e-mail address you use to create this account.
However, if you already do use a Gmail account regularly for e-mail, your Gmail login can also be expanded to access GoogleDocs. If you have never used GoogleDocs or other Google services before, you will need to complete additional steps and profile details as part of your Gmail/Google login, according to the directions on the Google.com site.
How to set up a new Google account:
1. Go to http://www.Google.com in your web browser.
2. In the top right corner of the webpage, click “Sign In”.
3. You will then see a login page. Underneath the login box, is a link that says “Don’t have a Google account? Create an account now.” Click that link.
4. Follow the instructions on the site to set up your user account, using the e-mail address of your choosing (or your Gmail address as previously noted).
5. After you have followed Google’s instructions to set up your account, please send an e-mail to plug@canadianparalegalinstitute.com to notify us which e-mail address we should send your GoogleDocs invitation to. This e-mail address should match the one you used to set up your Google account.
6. Make sure to access/login to the e-mail account you used for your Google login. You should have received a verification e-mail from Google.com. You will likely need to click a link in the verification e-mail in order to properly activate your Google account and access GoogleDocs.
How to use an existing Gmail account to create a Google account for the PLUG project:
1. Go to http://www.gmail.com
2. Login to your Gmail account.
3. When you are logged in, go to the top of the Google webpage and click the link that says “More”.
4. From the drop-down menu, select “Documents”
5. If you have never used GoogleDocs before, you will see a screen that says:
“Welcome to Google Docs. Welcome back, ____________. Before using Google Docs, we need to know a little more about you. Please enter the additional information...” etc.
6. Click the button that says “Continue” in order to set up the remaining information needed for your Google account profile. You will only need to do this the first time you are setting up your account.
7. Make sure to check the e-mail account you used for your login, to look for a verification e-mail from Google.com. You will likely need to click a link in the verification e-mail in order to properly activate your Google account.
8. After you have set up your account, please send an e-mail to plug@canadianparalegalinstitute.com to notify us which e-mail address we should send your GoogleDocs invitation to. This e-mail address should match the one you used to set up your Google account.
How to Access GoogleDocs with your active Google account
Once you have verified and activated your Google account, we will send you an invitation to share documents on GoogleDocs.
To access GoogleDocs on a regular basis:
1. Go to http://www.google.com
2. In the top right corner of the webpage, click the link that says “Sign in”.
3. Login to your Google account.
4. When you are logged in, go to the top of the Google webpage and click the link that says “More”. (The link for “Docs” might also appear in the middle of the page, under “My Products” or “Try something new”).
4. From the drop-down menu, select “Documents”.
5. You will now see a list of any documents you are currently sharing or have access to. To access a document in the list, click on its title and the document will open in your browser. The toolbar for GoogleDocs is very similar to Word with slightly more limited formatting.
6. For help with using the GoogleDocs toolbar, you can click the “Help” link in the top right-hand corner of the webpage, or you can go to:
http://docs.google.com/support/?hl=en
or visit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRqUE6IHTEA
How to create an account for access to members-only PLUG resources on the Canadian Paralegal Institute website
To set up a new account, please visit http://www.canadianparalegalinstitute.com and click the "Member Application" link. Follow the instructions on the website to submit your application.
Once you have been approved for access to the site, we will also set your permissions to access the webpages and online discussions for your PLUG subcommittee
To access your account on the CPI website:
1. Go to http://www.canadianparalegalinstitute.com
2. In the top right corner of the webpage, fill in your userID (e-mail) and password, and click “Login”.
3. In the main menu on the left side of all webpages, click the link that says PLUG.
4. Underneath the PLUG link, in the left-side menu, you will see a list of the PLUG pages you are permitted access to. This will include a PLUG members page, a resource page for your subcommittee, and an online discussion forum for your subcommittee.