Frequently asked questions

If this is your first visit to this site, take a look at our FAQs below.

Can I please order Shed Online posters, mouse mats and postcards?

The Shed Online has posters, postcards and mouse mats that you can order through the beyondblue website.

NB. Our mousemats are temporarily unavailable.

When ordering smaller quantities, navigate to the following folder (or use the search facility on the page):

beyondblue Public Catalogue > Depression and anxiety > Adults > Men's resources

Where is my nearest Men's Shed?

Take a look at the Men's Shed locator tool on the Australian Men's Shed Association (AMSA) website.

Why aren't my YouTube videos aren't embedding in discussion posts?

At the moment, this won't work if the YouTube url has a https in it so please use http instead.

Below are the steps to embed a YouTube video into a discussion post:

Click on the "Add attachment" button
Select "Add YouTube Video"
Paste the URL of the YouTube video in the input field
Click the "Submit" button

How do I register?

Click on the ‘Register’ button at the top right hand corner of this page. You will be asked to choose a screen name, password and enter a valid email address. You don’t need to register your screen name using your full name – nick names are fine.

You will also be asked to fill out some other fields. Once you have completed all the steps, you will be sent an email which will contain a verification link. Open up your email and click on this link to verify your account.

Once this is done you are a registered user of The Shed Online and can sign into your account.

I am having trouble registering on the site. What should I do next?

If you are experiencing problems registering with the site, take a look at these FAQs to see if your question has been answered. If it hasn't, please get in contact with The Shed Online team via the contact form so that they can help further.

If you have any feedback or suggestions for improvement on the registration process, please feel free to post it on the feedback discussion.

Why does my first name and last name appear when I post to the discussions?

To use your screen name rather than your real name you need to change your privacy settings from 'Default' to 'Hidden'. You can do this in ‘Edit my profile’ (this link is located at the top of the page when logged in).

During the registration process, I didn't receive an email to verify my account. What should I do next?

Try resending the verification email:

If the page reports that "There is no account awaiting activation for....", you have entered the wrong email address at registration and will need to register again with the correct email address.
If you complete this step successfully and still don't receive an email, OR the email that you receive is blank, please get in touch with the The Shed Online team via the contact form.

How do I delete a post / topic that I created?

If you accidentally have created a topic or post and you would like it removed, please contact The Shed Online team via the contact form and provide a link to the topic / post in your request.

You can also edit your topic / post at any time by clicking the "Edit" button underneath it.

What is a discussion?

A discussion is a forum where people can hold conversations in the form of posted messages. It may also be known as a ‘board’ or ‘bulletin board’. A discussion may contain several categories or topics, featuring individual posts.

How is a discussion organised?

The discussion on The Shed Online cover a wide range of topics. These contain topics which in turn are made up on individual posts (where a member writes something).

On the discussions home page, you will see a list of categories. These list the number of topics and posts for each discussion, and which member posted the most recent message.

How do I navigate a discussion?

Clicking on a discussion's name will take you to the list of topics contained in each discussion. Each topic begins as a single post and grows as individual members add new posts.

How do I start a new topic?

In order to start a new topic, you must first become a member of The Shed Online. Once you are signed in you can then start a new topic by clicking on the ‘New topic’ button.

How do I read a topic?

To read a topic, click on the topic title. You’ll also be able to see some information about the member who posted to the topic.

How do I post a reply to a topic?

In order to reply to a topic, you must first become a member of The Shed Online. Once you are signed in you can reply to a topic or post in a discussion by clicking on the ‘Reply’ button.

How do I find out more information about members?

To view information about individual members, click on their user name. This will take you to the member’s public profile page. You are only able to view user's profiles if you are signed into The Shed Online.

I forgot my password. What can I do?

If you forget your password, click on the link ‘Have you forgotten your password?”. This link will appear on all pages that require you to fill in your password.

This link will open a new page which will ask you to enter your registered email address or screen name. An email will then be sent to your email address, containing a temporary password.

What about my privacy?

You can choose how other users can see your profile information through the My Settings section.

The public privacy setting allows other users to see your public profile information.

The hidden privacy setting hides all your information from other users, except for your screen name.

What if I have further questions?

You can get in touch with the The Shed Online team via the contact form.

What is automatic login?

When you register with The Shed Online (and when you log in using the form at the top of the screen) you will be given the option to ‘Remember me next time’. Selecting this option will enable you to store your identity securely in a cookie on your computer. If you are using a shared computer, such as one in an internet café or library, we do not recommend that you select this option.

How can I search for something in the discussions?

If you want to find a particular topic of interest amongst the discussions, there is a ‘Search discussions’ field at the top of every discussions page. Type in the keyword or phrase you wish to search for, and select ‘Search’ to view search results.

What are “thumbs up”?

Users can rate posts using a “thumbs up” system. Once you have clicked the “thumbs up” button it will increase the number of thumbs up the post has received.

How can I contact other members?

You can send a message to other members by navigating to your ‘My Messages’ area and then select ‘Create a new message’.

You can only message members who have been added to your mates list.

For privacy reasons, email addresses of other members are not displayed.

Can I block a user?

If there are particular members about whom you are concerned and from whom you do not wish to receive private messages, you can block communication from them by clicking ‘Block mate’.

To do this, navigate click on the ‘My mates’ link in the toolbar.

How do I delete my account?

In the event that you would like to delete your account, please contact The Shed Online team via our contact form. Please refer to our discussion guidelines for more details on account deletion.

What happens if I am permanently banned?

If we decide that a permanent ban should be placed on your account, we will retain your personal information to ensure that you cannot re-register under a different user name (for example).

What can I do if I find something offensive?

If you encounter content you find offensive, click on the ‘Report abuse’ button. This will allow you to notify the site administrators and moderators to any material you consider offensive, obscene, defamatory or illegal.

I am having difficulties getting my password to work. What should I do?

You can try reseting your password. Once on this page, enter your email address and the CAPTCHA text. You will then receive an email you with a temporary password which you can change once logged in.

If you have tried this and are still experiencing problems, please contact The Shed Online team via the contact form.

I am getting an error message whilst using the site. What should I do?

If you receive any error messages or come across any broken links whilst using the site, please let us know about them via the contact form. Please provide as much information as you can, for example:

Description of error message
Website page URL
Internet browser in use (i.e. Firefox, IE6, Safari)

Where can I get more information about Men’s Sheds?

To learn more about Men’s Sheds, contact the Australian Men’s Shed Association (AMSA):

Phone: 1300 550 009
Email: amsa@mensshed.net
Web: www.mensshed.org

Can you tell me how I would go about setting up a Men’s Shed?

For all Men's Shed related questions we recommend that you contact the Australian Men's Shed Association (AMSA). AMSA is funded by the Federal Government to provide initial and ongoing practical support for the development of all Men's Sheds.

Australian Men's Shed Association (AMSA)
Phone: 1300 550 009
Email: amsa@mensshed.net
Web: www.mensshed.org

You might also wish to post questions in the Men's Shed discussion forums to seek advice from other Men's Sheds.

Where can I find my nearest Men’s Shed?

Use the Find a Shed tool on The Australian Men’s Shed Association website to help find a Men’s Shed in your area.

I accidentally entered the wrong email address, what should I do?

If you accidentally enter the wrong email address you will not receive a verification email and will need to register again.

How do I update my email address in my account?

You can update your email address in your account by logging into The Shed Online and going to your My Profile page.

If you scroll down the page, you will see an "Email address" field where you can enter your new email address.

You will receive an email to you new email address containing the following text:

Please verify your new Shed Online email address by clicking on the following link: <link>. If you fail to verify your email address, your request will expire within seven days.

You will need to click on the verification link in this email to make the change. Once this isdone a notification email containing the following text is sent:

Your email address for The Shed Online has successfully been changed from <old email> to <new email>

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