1 | Immigrant Nation | FAQ

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS ������������������������������������������������������������������������2

ACCOUNTS �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������3

Create an account ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������3

Login ��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������4

Forgot your password ���������������������������������������������������������������������������4

Stay logged in �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������������5

STORYTELLING ���������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������6

Uploading Images �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������6

Add Data and Tags ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������8

Writing a Compelling Story ��������������������������������������������������������������������9

Managing Stories ����������������������������������������������������������������������������������10

Exploring Stories �����������������������������������������������������������������������������������10

CONTENTS (click to navigate)

FAQ

2

The Immigrant Nation platform was designed and built to run on the most current versions

of modern browsers including Internet Explorer, Firefox, Chrome and Safari. We recommend

you run it with the most current version of your computer’s operating system (be it Mac OS or

Windows).

A high-speed internet connection is required (T1, DSL, or Fiber). The minimum recommended

data rate is 1Mbps, but site performance will increase greatly with higher data rates.

The site will work best with no firewalls installed on your local area network. If Facebook is

blocked on the computer’s local area network there will be issues with story playback. For this

reason we recommend not using the site on a network that has social media sites blocked.

The Immigrant Nation platform uses Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) which a more

secure connection than regular http.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS

3

Create an accountClick on the “Add Your Story” Tab from the homepage. You will be directed to a new screen

that invites you to create an account. First time users click the “Create an Account” button and

accept the terms and conditions. You can create an account using Facebook, an email address,

or an anonymous login. By creating an account you can create multiple stories, edit, and delete

your stories at any time.

Facebook account: Easily log in and have access to all of your Facebook photographs to create stories.

Email account: Use your email address and create a unique password for your account.  Then you will receive

an activation email. Upon activating your account, return to the iN platform, click ‘Add your

story’ and sign in using your email address and password.

Anonymous login: Click ‘Skip this’ and you can create a story anonymously and keep your identity private. Once

you have submitted your story, you cannot go back to change or edit it in the future.

ACCOUNTS

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LoginIf you’ve already created an account, you can log into the website by either clicking “Add your

story”, “My Stories” or “My Profile” from the main menu tab.

As with creating an account, you may log in either with Facebook or the email and password

you used to create your Immigrant Nation Account.

Forgot your password

If you want to log in with your Immigrant Nation Account but you forgot your password click

the “Forgot your Password?” button.

ACCOUNTS

5

Forgot your password (Cont’d)

You will then be asked to enter your the email address you created your account with. After

you submit that, an email will be sent to you with a link that allow you to reset your password.

Note if you click the link in the email make sure the entire url is loaded in your browser window.

Stay Logged In

If you are using a computer that is yours and one that you use frequently, you may check the

“Stay Logged in” button.

This will then set a cookie on your browser that will not require you to log in on repeated

future visits to the site.

ACCOUNTS

6

Uploading ImagesSpecifications:

You can upload GIF, JPG or PNG images. The file side should be less than 5 MB. To reduce the

file size of your photo so that it’s less than 5 MB, use a photo editing program to compress it.

How to add your photos:

• Facebook: By creating an account  and logging in through Facebook, you can access photos

from your Facebook account for direct uploading.

• Fromyourcomputer: Upload photos from your computer by clicking the “Add an Image”

button. A pop-up will invite you to select the image file from your computer.

• Preloaded onto a USB Drive: Preload a file onto your USB drive and insert into your

computer. Upload photos from your computer by clicking the “Add an Image” button. A

pop-up will invite you to select the image from your the USB drive.

• Scanyouroldphotographs: You can scan a printed photo with a scanner, save the file on

your computer or USB drive, and upload it.

• Useyoursmartphone: Take a picture of an old photo with your smartphone and email it to yourself. Then, get on your computer, log in to your email and download the photo to

your hard drive. Upload photos from your computer by clicking the “Add an Image” button.

A pop-up will invite you to select the image from your computer.

• Access photos in your email: Log into your email

account, find photos that have been sent to you, and

download them onto your computer. Upload these

photos by clicking the “Add an Image” button. A pop-up

will invite you to select the image from your computer.

• Don’t have a photo? Search for historic or modern

images in online image libraries. To see some photo

collections, click “don’t have an image available” (below

the “add image” button). Browse images, select and

upload. If you use an image from the Flickr Creative

Commons, don’t forget to credit the photographer.

STORYTELLING

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Uploading Images (Cont’d)Rotating images: to change the rotation of your photo, click the rotate button.

STORYTELLING

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Add Data and Tags

You will now have to add five parts of information to your story before it is finished:

1. Create a title for the story

2. Select up to two countries or regions associated with your story

3. Select a year connected with your story (must be a four digit year like ‘1967’)

4. Choose tags associated with your story from the list of tags, or create one of your own.

Tags make your story searchable and can connect with other stories with the same theme,

community, class, family, or any other group.

5. Pose a question to future readers of your story. How do you want your story to be an

opportunity for others to reflect on their own experiences? What ideas do you want others

to consider? Can your story spark dialogue across generations and cultures?

Now you’re done! Click on the “Watch Your Story” Button.

STORYTELLING

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Writing a Compelling Story

There isn’t a set definition of what an Immigrant Nation story should be. Don’t limit yourself

to the moment when you, your family members, or ancestors arrived in the United States. The

most compelling stories are ones that reveal emotion, feelings, and beliefs. Ask yourself: How

did this experience make me feel? What did I learn? What do I want others to know about my

family’s experience?

Not all people identify with the word “immigrant” and we welcome participants to focus less

on the word and its definition, and more on the broader themes of movement, family history,

identity, culture and heritage.

Tip: Add details

• SensoryDetails: What was seen, heard, smelled, tasted or touched?

• ReflectiveDetails: What was thought and felt about the experience? What was learned,

and what changed as a result?

Tip: Structure your story

• Moment:Set a scene. Where is the story taking place?

• Characters: Describe who was there and what they were doing.

• Challengeorgoal:Was there a challenge, obstacle or goal?

• Resolutionormessage: How was the challenge overcome or the goal achieved? What was

learned? How do you feel about this now?

STORYTELLING

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Managing Stories

Once you have created an account with Facebook or email, you can add multiple stories, edit

them, or delete them. Note that if you created a story anonymously, it cannot be edited or

deleted.

To access your stories, click on the “Menu” on the bottom left corner. Go to “My Stories” button.

You will see an archive of the stories you have created. Click on a story to edit it, or click “Delete

This Story” to delete. WARNING: once you have deleted a story, this cannot be undone.

Exploring Stories

There are multiple ways to explore stories on the site.

View All Stories:

Click “View All Stories” on the lower left part of the screen to see all the stories that other users

have shared to the site, as well as iNation Films and tags.

STORYTELLING

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Exploring Stories (Cont’d)

Tags:

You can find tags on the “All Stories” page, as well as at the very end of a story. When you click

a tag -- which can include year, country, or theme -- it will bring up all related stories. These

stories will be displayed on “waves.” (For more on waves, see the search section below).

STORYTELLING

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Exploring Stories (Cont’d)

Search:

Use the search bar to find stories. When you start to type a word into the search bar, you will

see tag options appear above. These represent tags that will lead you to stories. When you

enter a tag and hit return, you will see the stories connected to the tag  displayed on “waves.”

These waves represent real immigration data, showing immigrant arrivals (x axis) over time (y

axis). Each colored tab represents a country connected to your search. Each dot is a year, and

within the dots you will find stories. To see waves and stories from different countries, click

on the country tabs. To zoom in and zoom out, click on the + and - buttons on the right side of

the screen.

STORYTELLING

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Exploring Stories (Cont’d)

Flagging and Sharing:

When watching stories, if you find something inappropriate, click “report as inappropriate” (in

the upper right corner of the screen).

To share a story on social media, click the facebook, twitter or email buttons.

Or, if you prefer, you can also copy/paste the url of the story. Each story on Immigrant Nation

has a distinct url.

STORYTELLING