If you have a Humanities Commons account that is not linked to your MLA membership, and thus you don’t have full access to MLA Commons, contact mla [at] hcommons.org.
Category Archives: Profiles and Accounts
How do I bookmark things on the Commons?
Want to create shortcuts to certain activity items on the Commons, or bookmark things to read later? Just star them! Go to mla.hcommons.org/activity (here’s a guide to the Activity Page) or the Activity tab on any group page and star the items you want to save.
When you want to view your bookmarked items later, hover over your avatar, then Activity, then click on Favorites.
You can also bookmark your bookmarks by saving this URL: https://mla.hcommons.org/members/me/activity/favorites/. Click that, and any time you’re logged in, you’ll be brought straight to your starred bookmarks on the Commons).
What’s in the feed shown on the Humanities Commons home page?
At hcommons.org, on the left-hand side of the page, you’ll see an activity feed,
a list of recent activity tailored toward your interests. Your feed shows activity across the network, but it will prioritize activity that corresponds to groups you are in, members you follow, and CORE deposits that are related to these groups and members. You can personalize your feed by joining more groups and by following members who share your research interests.
What’s in the Activity section of the Commons?
An Activity page on the Commons can be accessed by clicking Activity in the main, left-hand menu. On this page you’ll see a list of different types of site activity, including works deposited in CORE, the creation of sites and blogs, and discussion topics added to groups. You can use filters to select specific types of content you want to see. One set of filters runs across the top of the page and allows you to see activity related to members you are following, groups you are in, or discussions and status updates you were mentioned in.
The second set of filters is a drop-down menu that allows you to look at activities by specific type: Updates, Posts, Comments, New Groups, Group Memberships, New Members, New Deposits, New Group Deposits, New Group Files, Group Files Edits, Topics, Replies, New Docs, Doc Edits, and Doc Comments.
Can I share an event with a group?
Yes! To create and share an event, simply hover over your name and avatar at the top right of the screen and choose New Events from the Events menu.
After entering the date and details of your event, you’ll see a Groups section toward the bottom of the page. From there you can select the groups that you’d like to share the event with. You can only share the event with groups you belong to.
Alternatively, you can go directly to a group’s page and click Events in the menu that runs across the top of each group’s page. Click the New Event button to add your event. The settings determined by an admin or group creator may affect your ability to connect events to a given group. For more on this, read our guide to Managing Group Roles and Memberships.
How can I edit my profile?
After logging in to the Commons, click on the image or icon in the top right-hand corner. This will take you to your profile page. Now, click Edit. From here you can update your academic interests, Web sites, and additional profile fields. To edit your name, title, or institutional affiliation, please log in to mla.org.
A more detailed guide on editing your profile can be found here.
How do I upload a picture of myself to use on the site?
After logging in to the Commons, go to the black toolbar at the top of the page and select the image at the upper-right-hand corner (next to My Commons). This will take you to your profile; click on the image on this page to upload and replace it with a new one. For more information about editing your profile, read this guide.
What are “mentions,” and how are they used?
The @mention system links others to the hyperlinked profile of the individual mentioned while notifying the individual of the mention by e-mail. If you are in a group and want to reach out to specific members, simply put the @ symbol in front of their username to send a notification to their e-mail address, and the mention will show up in their @mention activity stream.
How do I reply to e-mail notifications?
To reply to an e-mail notification, click on the link supplied in the notification, log in to the Commons (if you’re not already logged in), and reply.
Who has access to MLA Commons?
Most of the material on MLA Commons is public and can be read by anyone. Only MLA members, however, can join private groups, participate in discussions, and publish on blogs.
To join the MLA, visit our Web site. Annual dues for regular members start at $28; graduate student dues are $23.
How do I post an update?
When logged in, you can post brief status updates or announcements from the My Commons page. Simply click on My Commons on the top right-hand corner of the page. Type your update in the text box next to your photo, then click Post Update when finished. The post will be publicly visible in the activity stream. Your most recent update also appears in your portfolio.