**FIRST EMAIL**/FRC TIMS Team Profile Opens Thursday at 12:00 pm EST!

[Mark McLeod]

Greetings Teams:

The FRC TIMS Team Profile Section will be opening this Thursday, August 26th, at 12:00 pm EST. Prior to opening, we want to share with you two new enhancements:

1. Unique email required for all FIRST Accounts
2. New FRC TIMS contacts must be invited using the "Contact Invitation Process"

I - Unique Email Required For All FIRST Accounts
For security reasons, FIRST now requires a unique, not shared, email address for each FIRST User Account. If you and another user share an email account, you will receive a "Duplicate Account Error" message upon login this season. Once you create a user account you will be able to access most FIRST registration systems (i.e., FRC TIMS, FTC TIMS, Jr.FLL TIMS, VIMS) using the same email and password (exception: FLL TRE).

We trust you will find this improvement helpful!

What happens if I get the "Duplicate Account Error" message?
This means you have (previously) created multiple accounts that share one email address; this must be resolved before you can login. Contact FIRST Team Support at frcteams@usfirst.org or 800-871-8326, Option 0, and a Team Support member will be happy to assist you.

Tip! A FIRST system user can assume multiple roles such as being both the Main and Shipping Contact for a team or multiple teams. However, two different people cannot use the same email address!

II - Contact Invitation Process


To better improve data accuracy and security, FRC TIMS requires all new contacts (Main, Alternate, Shipping, Contacts, Other Mentors) to be invited by the existing Main or Alternate team contact. Here is an overview of the process:

1. Existing Main or Alternate team contact invites a new contact

2. The Invitee receives email requesting he/she accept or decline the invitation

3. The Invitee clicks on the Invitation link in the Team Contact Invitation email

4. The Invitee must login prior to accepting/declining the Team Contact Invitation

a. If the new contact already has a FIRST User Account, invitee logs in

b. If the new contact does not have a FIRST User Account, the invitee must create a user account and then login

5. The Invitee accepts the invitation and becomes a new contact on the team. The invitee also has the option to decline the invitation.
6. The new team contact, and pre-existing Main, and Alternate Contacts will receive notification of the invitee’s decision!

Important: If you are the Main or Alternate and are inviting another contact (e.g., mentor) please DO NOT enter your email address on behalf of the mentor. You must enter his/her unique email address!

Tip! Don’t forget to use the "HELP" feature in TIMS. Instructions on the Contact Invitation process, including detailed instructions for Main, Alternate and Shipping Contacts, can be found there!

***

Mentor Recognition Reminder: When TIMS opens on 8/26, please be sure to send Mentor Invitations to all your team mentors and adult volunteers. It only takes a minute, and they will receive a 2011 Mentor/Coach recognition certificate and pin in January for National Mentor Month if they sign up. Please help us thank them for all their hours of hard work on behalf of your team and FIRST.

Go Teams!

[Foster]

For security reasons, FIRST now requires a unique, not shared, email address for each FIRST User Account. If you and another user share an email account, you will receive a "Duplicate Account Error" message upon login this season. Once you create a user account you will be able to access most FIRST registration systems (i.e., FRC TIMS, FTC TIMS, Jr.FLL TIMS, VIMS) using the same email and password (exception: FLL TRE).

We trust you will find this improvement helpful!

Umm It's pretty unlikely that I'll find this helpful, most likely a new huge pain to create individual email accounts with a shared password (a security hole with flashing lights). So help me out here, we run multiple teams at each level, under a central organization. Why would requiring a unique user ID help US out? Having a single point does not help us get or respond to information in a timely fashion.

[KathieK]

Originally Posted by Foster

Umm It's pretty unlikely that I'll find this helpful, most likely a new huge pain to create individual email accounts with a shared password (a security hole with flashing lights).

I don't see why you would create different e-mail accounts with a shared password...
I think in the past we've had main and alternate contacts register in TIMS with the same e-mail address. That limits the ways we can contact teams if necessary. I believe the intent is to have each person affiliated in TIMS with a team use a different e-mail address so as to give us multiple access points to a team. (For example, if FIRST sends a blast to a teacher who cannot access his e-mail during school vacations, having a different e-mail address for the alternate contact would be very beneficial.)

[KathieK]

Also, please note that this year FIRST is encouraging mentors on teams to register in TIMS again so FIRST can provide them with mentor recognition items in January.

Another benefit is that when a mentor is invited by the team leader to register in TIMS, (s)he completes the personal information section and can choose to receive e-mail blasts from FIRST by checking the "Email Broadcast Opt-in" box. I often hear from mentors that they are not kept in the loop from their team leaders/alternate contacts and this will enable them to choose to receive these important e-mails as well!

[waialua359]

I'm glad that since last season, they started doing this.
A pain at first, but once everything is inputted, its a much more organized way of contacting people and keeping everyone in the loop.

I would imagine that since FIRST is so enormous now, it was inevitable.