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Getting Started

Welcome to Utsukta Hub! This section will guide you through joining our community, accessing your account, and setting up your profile. As a new member, we also encourage you to explore our hub’s policies and rules to understand how we operate—details are just a click away in About. Let’s get started!

Signing Up

To join Utsukta Hub, you’ll need an account. Here’s how to sign up:

  1. Visit our homepage at https://hub.utsutka.org.
  2. Click the “Register” or “Sign Up” button (usually top-right).
  3. Fill out the registration form:
    • Email Address: Enter a valid email you can access.
    • Username: Pick a unique name (e.g., “jane_doe”).
    • Password: Create a strong password (at least 8 characters, mix of letters and numbers recommended).
    • Reason on why you want to join: Describe in brief how you plan on using the platform.
  4. Agree to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy by checking the box.
    • New Member Note: These documents outline how we protect your data and what we expect from you. Take a moment to read them in full under Policies in the About section.
  5. Click “Submit” or “Create Account”.
  6. Check your email for a verification link and click it to activate your account. After activation, manual approval is required by admin which happens within a day. After approval you will be able to login using your credentials.

Screenshot:

The registration page on hub.utsukta.org, showing fields for “Email Address,” “Username,” and “Password,” a checkbox for “I agree to the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy,” and a “Submit” button

Email verification page requiring verification code

Logging In

After account approval, logging in is straightforward:

  1. Go to https://hub.utsukta.org.
  2. Click “Login” (near the “Sign Up” button).
  3. Enter your Username or Email and Password.
    • Sign in with Utsukta Account is a feature limited to internal users of Utsukta. Use this only if you've signed up for an account on utsutka.org previously.
  4. Click “Login” or press Enter.
  5. You’ll arrive at your dashboard or stream page.
    • New Member Note: Once logged in, we recommend visiting About to read our Rules and Community Guidelines. They’ll help you get the most out of our community!

Troubleshooting Tip: Forgot your password? Use the “Forgot Password?” link to reset it via email.

Screenshot:

The login page with fields for "Email or nickname" and "Password", checkbox to remember login and Sign in with Utsutka Account link.

Profile Setup

Your profile lets others know who you are on [Utsukta Hub]. Set it up like this:

  1. After logging in, click your Username or profile icon (top-right).
  2. Select “Edit Profiles”. Select your default profile. (See Advanced Features for setting up multiple profiles)

  3. Add your details:

    • Display Name: What others see (e.g., “Jane Doe”).
    • Short description: A short intro (e.g., “Artist, traveler, coffee lover”).
    • Profile Picture: Upload an image (click “Profile Tools" on top and select "Change profile photo").

    • Cover Image: Upload an image (click "Profile Tools" and select "Change cover photo").

    • Set privacy options:

      • Select checkbox "Publish my default profile in the network directory" if you want your profile to be included in the directory.
      • Select checkbox "Suggest me as a potential contact to new members" if you want your profile to be recommended to people with mutual connections.
      • Select checkbox "Reveal my online status" if you want your presence to be dislplayed on your profile page (online/offline indicator next to your name).
      • Select checkbox "Hide my connections from viewers of this profile" to hide your connections from others. Click “Save” or “Update Profile”. Check your profile by clicking your username again from top right and selecting "View Profile".
      • New Member Note: Want to know what’s okay to share? Review our Rules and Community Guidelines in About before posting.

Tip: Add more details (like interests or a banner) later via the same menu.

Screenshot:

The “Edit Profile” screen with fields for “Profile Name”, "Full Name", “Description”, "Gender" and "Birthday" an upload button for a profile picture, and a privacy dropdown. Profile picture, Cover image on the right with connections below, with a “Submit” button below. More optional fields below.

Getting familiar with the Interface

Now that you’re in, let’s explore the Hubzilla interface so you can navigate with ease:

  1. Dashboard/HQ: After logging in, this is your home base. It shows an overview of your Photos, Webpages, Files, Recent posts from your connections, Private messages, and Notifications.

    • Just below the message widget (right) is the button to create a new post (pencil icon).

    create post icon

  2. Top Navigation Bar:

    • Sidebar Collapse: Collapses the sidebar.
    • Current Location (HQ): Reloads the present page.
    • Search: Search for people, hashtags, import posts from the fediverse(by link), search posts and content.
    • Profile Section: Opens more options like edit profile, channels, settings or logout.

    Top navigation bar

  3. Sidebar (if visible):

    • Dark/Light mode switcher.
    • Quick links to channels, files, or apps your hub supports.
    • Click on "+Apps" to configure pinned apps, featured apps and to add new apps(covered in detail in ../user/advfeatures.md).

  4. Posting: Click “Post Editor” to write a post, add photos, or share links. Use the padlock icon to set who sees it (e.g., “Public,” “Connections”).

  5. Take a moment to click around - hover over icons for tooltips if you’re unsure!