Frequently asked questions

Log in to CommSy using your uni username (e.g., Bae1234). Important: Choose “STiNE” as the source.

You have never used your uni username before?
No problem. When you first log in to CommSy, the system automatically creates an account based on your uni username. You do NOT have to apply for a new username or use the “Create new username” link. Once you have logged in to CommSy with your uni username, you will be shown the “New Terms and Conditions.” You must accept them before you can use CommSy. To accept them, scroll to the end of the page and click the button labeled “I accept the above Terms and Conditions.”

Now, click the “Welcome” button with your name. It is in the gray CommSy bar on the top right. Your personal profile page will open. Click the first tab, “Profile settings,” to combine your old CommSy username with your uni username. The relevant function is in the lower section of the page. Merging your usernames will transfer all rooms in which you are a member to your new, combined account. Are you sure that you are logged in to CommSy with your uni username? Great! Enter the details of your old CommSy username into the form. You need to specify the authentication source (CommSy) and provide your username and password. Make sure that you are entering the details of the username you have been asked to (or want to) give up. This username will be combined with the username you are currently using. Once you have completed the form, click “Connect.” This process may take a while. If it concludes successfully, the project rooms that you joined with your old username will be listed together with the project rooms that you joined with your current username. The HUL website contains more detailed instructions with accompanying graphics.

Do you get an error message stating “User not found” when trying to combine your usernames?
Please check if you have entered all details of the old username correctly and try again. If you are certain that all details are correct, you might have accidentally blocked your CommSy account. In this case, use the support form to contact the technical support team. Explain your problem and, if possible, add a screenshot. Our team will unblock your username.

If you did not join any rooms with one of your accounts and do not have any material in your personal room, you can simply delete the username. See: “How can I delete my username?”

If you are sure that you want to cancel your CommSy membership, follow the steps below: Log in using the username you want to delete. Enter one of your project rooms. Now, click the link with your name that is displayed in the CommSy bar in the top right. Go to the “Profile settings” window. Click the button labeled “Cancel membership” right next to the button “Save preferences.” You will be asked whether you want to cancel your membership in the active room only (“Cancel membership in this room”) or for the entire CommSy platform. If you are sure about deleting your CommSy username, click the button labeled “Cancel membership (CommSy platform).” Your username will be deleted permanently. Your entries will be retained, however. If you want your entries to be anonymized, click “Delete username (CommSy platform).”

If you cannot remember your username, use the button labeled “Forgot your username?”. It is underneath the entry field for your username in the CommSy bar on the room overview page. After clicking the button, enter your email address. You will receive an email listing the usernames that are connected to your email address.

Note: This only works for local usernames that use “CommSy” as an authentication source. If you are a member of Universität Hamburg and you log in to the system with your uni username, use the account administration to change your password.

If you want to know which usernames are linked to your email address on our portal, click the button labeled “Forgot your username?”. It is underneath the entry field for your username and the “Login” button. The system will send you an email listing all usernames known for the email address.

Tip: If you have multiple usernames, we recommend that you combine them to avoid confusion. To find out how, read: “Can I combine two usernames into one?”

CommSy usernames that have been inactive for a long time are automatically deleted after a while. This measure ensures greater data protection and a lighter load on the servers. Affected users receive a notification email 30 days before their account is scheduled to be deleted. They receive another notification immediately before the deletion.

If you no longer need the associated username, you do not need to do anything. After the 30-day period, your username will be deleted automatically.

If you still wish to use the username, log in to CommSy during the specified period. This will reactivate your username and stop the deletion process. If you cannot remember your password, click here.

Have you received the email even though you are currently active in CommSy? This means that you are using a different username than the one that is scheduled for deletion. Only usernames that have been inactive for a very long time are deleted automatically. If you have any questions about your existing usernames, contact beratung.dll.hul"AT"uni-hamburg.de.

On the right-hand side of the CommSy homepage, you will find the field “Search for room.” It contains a search box that allows you to enter one of more terms from the name of the room you are looking for. You can also enter the name of the teacher or room moderator, which is useful for general events such as introductions.

Make sure that you select “All rooms” from the dropdown menu. Some CommSy platforms set this selection to “My rooms” by default.

Now, click “Search.” A list of results will be displayed underneath the search box, under the title “Room overview.” Click the name of the room you want to join. Underneath the room title, you can see the description of the room. It contains a door symbol. If you are not a member of the room, the door will be closed. Click the link “Apply for membership” underneath the door.

If the room moderator has not set any entry restrictions, you will be taken to the room right away. In most cases, however, access to rooms is restricted. Moderators can choose from two options, one of which you are now encountering:

Option 1—Provision of a reason for membership: A text box will open. Please briefly explain why you are interested in the room (reason for membership). After submitting your application, you need to wait for the room moderator to admit you manually. You will be notified by email as soon as you can enter the room. If you are not admitted within a reasonable period of time, contact the room moderator. To do this, click the link “Contact via email” underneath “Contact persons” to the right of the door symbol.

Option 2—Provision of a membership code: You will be asked to enter a membership code. This code is available from the room moderator or the person who told you about the room. After entering the correct membership code and clicking “Become a member,” you will be taken to the room.

Please note: The eLearning office and the DLL advice team do not have membership codes for any rooms. If you need a membership code, you must contact the room moderator.

To cancel your membership in a room, first enter the room you wish to leave. Move your cursor to your profile picture or the circle with your initials on the right side of the CommSy bar. Now, click “Room profile.” The menu items in the rubric bar on the left side change. A wastebasket symbol appears on the bottom. If you are using the full-screen version of the portal, it is labeled “Cancel membership.” Once you click this button, you have two options:

Option 1—“Lock room membership”: If you want to cancel your membership but leave your entries visible with your name attached, choose the first option: “Lock room membership.” To do this, type “LOCK” into the text box and click “Confirm.”

Option 2—“Delete room membership”: If you want your existing entries to be anonymized when you leave the room, select “Delete room membership.” To do this, type “DELETE” into the text box and click “Confirm.”

If you do not want your entries to be retained in any form, you need to delete them manually before ending your room membership. We recommend that you leave your entries in the room. This will make it easier for others to understand a discussion, for instance.

You can only enter a project room while you are logged in with your username. If your login was successful, you will see “Welcome, *your name*” in the top right corner on the CommSy bar.

If you cannot enter the room even though you are logged in, your membership code might be incorrect. In this case, email the room moderator and ask for the membership code.

Please note: To protect data privacy, the eLearning office and the DLL advice team do not have membership codes for any rooms. If you need a membership code, email the room moderator directly or ask them personally during your next meeting.

Every member of a project room can open a group room within it, provided that the corresponding rubric has been activated. Before you open a group room, you need to create a new group. In the project room, click “Groups” in the rubric bar on the left. Now, click “New entry” in the “Choose action” menu on the top right. An editor window appears. In the text box, overwrite the words “Enter title” by typing in the name of your new group. You can choose this name freely. Select whether others can edit the room or not. Click “Save changes.” If you want, you can enter a description for your group. To do this, click the “Edit” symbol in the “Description” section.

To open a group room for your new group, click the “Edit” symbol in the “Group room” section. Check the box labeled “Activate group room.” Now, click “Save.” Your group room will be created. You can enter the group room by clicking the arrow symbol in the “Group room” section.

You have opened a room within a room. It functions exactly like a project or main room. You can set the same entry restrictions, for instance. 

Tip: The group room function is especially useful in situations where some members of the main room want to share information they do not want the other members to see. This could be the materials and information required for a presentation group.

1. First, become a member of the group. To do this, click “Groups” in the rubric bar on the left-hand side of the project room. Select the group you wish to join. In the action menu in the top right, click “Join.”
2. If this group has a group room, you will see an arrow symbol a little further down on the page. Click it to join. If the moderator has not set access restrictions, you will be able to join immediately. In most cases, however, you will have to provide a membership code or a reason for membership—just like you probably did for the main room. (For more details, see: “How can I find and join an existing project room?”)
3. Once you have joined a group, you can enter the group room at any time. The functions of a group room are identical to those of the main room. Use the breadcrumb navigation on top of the page to return to the project room. If you want to leave the group and the room permanently, use the action menu on the top right of the group entry. You can find it within the project room.

Create a new material entry by selecting the “Materials” rubric within your room. Now, click “Choose action” on the top right and then, click “New entry.” You can now enter the title of your new material entry. Save the title before you continue editing your entry. At the right edge of the page, you will find a button labeled “Edit” next to each section of the entry (e.g., “Description”). To add files, edit the “Files” section. You can either drag and drop the files or use the file selection dialog. Do not forget to click “Save.” This will store and publish your files.

You can also add files to an existing material entry in this way.

Tip: Do you have lots of classes during the course of a semester and many texts to upload? Structure your materials by adding sections to your material entry. These can be sub-folders, chapters, or seminar sessions. This will give you a clear overview of your materials.

To delete a document you have uploaded, click the title of the entry you wish to edit. A window pops up. The “Files” section in this window lists all of the files that have been uploaded for this entry. Move your cursor to the right of “Files,” and an edit button will become visible. Click it. In the list of attachments, simply uncheck the files you want to delete. Save the entry.

You can upload as many files as you want to a CommSy room. Individual files may not be larger than 96 MB.

The process for creating, editing, and deleting entries is the same in all rubrics.

When you enter your room, you will see an overview of the project room. To add an entry, navigate to the corresponding rubric (e.g.,“Materials”) in the rubric bar on the left. Click “Choose action” in the top right and select “New entry.”

Once you have saved the title of your new entry, you can edit it. This includes adding a description or files. Various additional functions and entries are possible, depending on the rubric in which your new entry is located. If you are adding a new entry under “Materials,” for example, you can enter bibliographical information.

To edit an entry, simply click its rubric (e.g., “Materials”) and select the entry. Move your cursor to the right of the title, description, etc. An edit symbol will appear. Do not forget to save your changes when you are done editing.

To delete an entry, click the entry and navigate to “Chooe action” > “Delete.” A pop-up window will ask you to confirm that you want to delete the selected entry. You can only delete entries that you have created yourself. Only room moderators can delete entries created by others.

If you want to delete a file that is attached to an entry, you can do so in the edit mode. You do not need to delete the entire entry. See: “How can I delete an uploaded document again?”

You can specify that certain materials can only be edited by their creator. Open the entry and move your cursor to the right edge of the title line. Click the edit symbol that appears. Now, check the option “Only [username]”. Click “Save.”

Open the entry and the edit menu of the description by clicking the “Edit” button on the right. In the second row of the editor on top of the page, you will see the symbol “Add image” on the right. Choose an image that has already been added or select a file from your computer. Important: Now, click “Upload.” The URL will be completed automatically. You can also resize the image during this step. After you click “Ok,” you will see the embedded image. You can drag it anywhere in the text.

Tip: For detailed instructions on inserting media, refer to our “Inserting media” tutorial.

There are two ways to group entries thematically. You can apply them individually or in combination and within a rubric or across rubrics.

Option 1—“Linked entries”: If you have thematically related entries, it makes sense to cross-reference them against each other. Each entry will contain a list of all linked referenced entries, which you can access directly.

To link entries with each other, select one of them, navigate to “Linked entries” and open the editor view. You can search for entries or view recently edited entries. Check the entries you wish to link with the entry that is currently open. Confirm your selection by clicking “Save” at the end of the list.

To see the linked entries, expand the “Linked entries” menu by clicking the arrow on the right-hand side.

You can use this method to link a document to the date on which it will be used or to a discussion about the document. It is also useful to link tasks to the dates on which they will be discussed or to documents that are useful for completing the respective task.

Option 2—“Tags”: To group multiple entries that share a topic, you can also add tags to them. This will make the room much more orderly. It also allows users to see all entries that have similarities in form or content.

To tag an entry, navigate to the “Linked entries” section in the entry itself (third tab, “Tags”). Check or uncheck existing tags to select or deselect them or add new tags. Save your changes.

When you navigate to a rubric or the homepage of your room, a list of tags will be displayed on the right side. You can use it to access individual entries and, if available, other entries carrying the same tag.

Tip: You can use the tags to see, for example, a list of all homework, presentation dates, documents by a specific author, articles, discussions about a specific topic, material entries linked to discussions, etc., as long as these entries carry the same tag.

Access the rubric from which you wish to copy an entry. Open the menu “Choose action.” Click “Copy.” Now, check the entries you wish to copy. Click “Exceute action.”

The copies are now available under “My copies” in your CommSy bar on the top of each page. Navigate to the room to which you wish to add the copied entries. Open the menu “My copies.” Now, select “Paste to...” and the entry, then click “Execute action” again.

Tip: Do not forget to remove the entries from “My copies” afterwards. To do this, choose the action “Remove from ‘My copies’.” If you do not do this, the list can easily get long and confusing.

If you want to create an event that takes place regularly, you can set up a recurring date. This way, you do not have to enter each date individually.

First, create a new event (See: “How do I create, edit, and delete entries?”). Enter all information required for the first date of the series, just as you would for a single date.

Note: “Start” and “End” do not refer to the dates of the first and last event in the series. They specify the beginning and end of the first event only! You will add the information for the automatic repetition of the event later (see below).

Example: Starting Monday, 1 April 2018, the ABC seminar will be taking place every Monday from 12:00 pm to 1:00 pm in room 1234. For this series, enter “ABC seminar” as a title, enter “01.04.2018” and “12:00” as the beginning and “01.04.2018” and “13:00” as the end. 

Note: If some events of the series are held in different locations, use the “Place” box to specify the location where most of them will take place. You can point out any changes to the location in the text box underneath “Description.”

Below the form, you can see a dropdown menu titled “Recurring date.” Use this menu to select the intervals at which the event repeats and, if applicable, a final date.

Note: The options “monthly,” “weekly,” and “every four weeks” are different. A monthly event will be entered on the same date every month, for example: 3 January, 3 February, 3 March, and so on. An event that takes place every four weeks repeats every 28 days (i.e., 4 x 7 days).

You can add text in the “Description” field and upload documents in the “Materials” section, just as before.

Note: Please enter the date in the following format: DD.MM.YYYY (e.g. 01.01.2018), or select it in the calendar.

If you upload something to CommSy and make it available to others, the members of the room can download it. You may be able to protect your files in the program with which the document was created (see below). Even so, if another user screenshots the pages of the document, s/he will be able to save an image of your file.

Download: You may be able to apply storage protection to your file outside of CommSy. Please have a look at the options available in the program with which you created your file.

Print: To prevent others from printing your document, you need to apply protection to the document yourself. If and how this is possible depends on your program. To protect a PDF, you can do the following:

Open the document in Adobe Acrobat. In the menu bar, click “Files” > “Tools.” A new window will open. Open the “Protection” tab. Now, select “Encrypt” and choose an encryption method, for example: “Encrypt with password.” Navigate to the “Password Security Settings” and specify a password. Check the box labeled “Restrict editing and printing of the document. A password will be required in order to change these permission settings.” Enter a password and ensure that you have selected “None” from the dropdown menu “Printing allowed.” Click OK. Save the file. When you upload the file to CommSy, other users will not be able to print it without knowing the password.

CommSy cannot offer any print protection for your files. To prevent others from printing your document, you need to apply protection to the document yourself. If and how this is possible depends on your program. To protect a PDF, you can do the following:

Open the document in Adobe Acrobat. In the menu bar, click “Files” > “Tools.” A new window will open. Open the “Protection” tab. Now, select “Encrypt” and choose an encryption method, for example: “Encrypt with password.” Navigate to the “Password Security Settings” and specify a password. Check the box labeled “Restrict editing and printing of the document. A password will be required in order to change these permission settings.” Enter a password and ensure that you have selected “None” from the dropdown menu “Printing allowed.” Click OK. Save the file. When you upload the file to CommSy, other users will not be able to print it without knowing the password.Note that your document is not protected fully. If another user screenshots the pages of the document, s/he will be able to print these images of your file, for example.

Navigate to the room in which the content is stored. Open the entry. Navigate to the section or entry you want to link. You will be directed to the desired section automatically. Now, copy the URL from the address bar of your browser. When you share this link with others, they will be directed to the section you have chosen.

Note: Only room members can read entries or sections thereof. If they are not logged in, they will be asked to enter their login details first. Afterwards, they will be directed to the linked entry.

Log in to CommSy. On the right side of the CommSy platform, click “Create new room.”

If you are currently inside one of your rooms, first click the “Portal” link in the blue breadcrumb navigation underneath the CommSy bar. Alternatively, you can click the CommSy logo (upper left, on a red background).
Click “Create new room” on the right side. 

You will be taken to a page containing a form. Enter a title and adjust the “Language” setting to choose whether you want a German or English interface for your room.

All other information is optional. It is intended for better user orientation. We recommend that you complete the fields labeled “Semester” and “Description.”

Tip: The “Template” field is a special feature. Select it to open a room that already has some content. In addition to the standard template, you can select templates from the ABK.

Click the “Save” button at the end of the page. Your new project room will be set up and opened immediately. You are the moderator of this room. You can start to work with it right away by posting content, approving members, changing the room settings, etc.

For further information see the tutorial "Create a new project room".

There are two ways to delete a project room.

a) Enter the room you want to delete. Click the tool symbol on the left side of the dark gray rubric bar. You will be taken to the room settings. Click the bottom tab, “Settings.” A menu will open with a red button labeled “Delete.” Enter the word “DELETE” into the text box. Click the “Delete” button to confirm.

b) Delete the room via the portal: Go to the list of rooms on the CommSy portal page. Select the room you wish to delete. You will be taken to the entry page with the door symbol. Click the link “Delete room” on the top right. If you want to delete your room, confirm your action by clicking “Delete” in the dialog box that appears.

Your entire room including all data and entries will be deleted. This process is irreversible! Deleted rooms cannot be reconstructed. When you delete a room, you usually also delete others’ entries.

By default, you—the owner of the room—need to approve each new member of your room manually. (Click the button labeled “Create new room” on the right side of the CommSy platform to create a new project room.) Anyone who clicks the door symbol to enter your room will have to submit a membership application. Their application will be forwarded to your email address. Whether or not to approve the applicant is up to you. To approve them, use the link in the email.

If you do not want to approve every new member manually, you can set up a membership code instead. This code works like a password: Anyone who knows it can enter your room. To set it up, see: “How do I set up a membership code for my room?”

First, follow the steps for archiving a room. See: “How can I archive a room?”

You can see your archived rooms in your room overview. Simply change the search from “Used rooms” to “Archived rooms.”

Enter the room you want to reopen. Click the tool symbol on the bottom left of the dark gray rubric bar. You will be taken to the room settings page. Navigate to the “Additional” tab. Under the fifth heading, “Archive room,” you will see the “Archived” option. To reopen your project room, uncheck this option and confirm your changes by clicking the “Save” button on the bottom of the page. 

If you opened a CommSy room for a course with a large number of participants and do not want to receive an email each time a student joins the room, you can disable the notification. Proceed as follows:

• Enter the room. Click the “User” tab and find your own name.
• Click it to view your profile. In the bottom, you will see “Settings (visible only for *your name*).”
• Navigate to: “Email when applying for membership: yes.”
• To change this setting, click “Edit” above your name. A window will open. Set the email notification setting to “no.”

Note that this setting only affects the room you have entered.

If nobody enters a CommSy room for a long time, the room will be deleted automatically. This measure ensures greater data protection and a lighter load on the servers. Moderators receive a notification email 30 days before their room is scheduled to be deleted. They receive another notification immediately before the deletion.

If you no longer need the affected room, you do not need to do anything. After the 30-day period, it will be deleted automatically.

If you want to continue using the project room, log in to CommSy within this period and enter the room. This will prevent its deletion.

If your list of rooms is suddenly empty and the rooms you have entered have disappeared, there are two possible reasons.

Option 1—You have logged in to the system with a uni username for the first time instead of using your existing local CommSy username. In this case, please remain logged in and combine your two usernames. Your rooms will be imported. See: “Can I combine two usernames into one?”

Option 2—Perhaps you have two identical usernames with two different sources: one uni username as a source and a separate, local CommSy username. It is possible that you have accidentally set up a second local CommSy username with your uni username at some point in the past. If you log in to the system with the “wrong” username, you will be unable to access your rooms. Either delete the unused username or log in with your active username and combine the two.

The “dashboard” is a new, central function of CommSy 9. It is a type of personal room containing an overview of all new entries and dates in the rooms of which you are a member. You can reach your dashboard by clicking the tile symbol on the right side of the CommSy bar on top, to the left of your profile picture.

This is due to the security settings of your browser. Firefox, for example, employs a security plugin called Mixed Content Blocker. To bypass it, click the shield symbol on the left side of your URL bar. Select “Deactivate protection on this page” from the dropdown menu (next to “Continue to block”). The page will refresh, and the L2G video will play. You have to repeat this process for each video unless you decide to deactivate the security plugin altogether.