Members' Website Questions Answered

By Angela McGregor

The following are answers to some frequently asked questions (FAQs) about the NYSSCPA's website, www.nysscpa.org.

I receive The CPA Journal at home. What are the added benefits of the online version of the magazine?

The website makes it easier to find the topic you are interested in. Members can search the Internet version of The CPA Journal by topic or keyword. See the Find It Fast menu on the Society's home page or www.cpajournal.com. The searchable archive goes back to 1989. Click on the Search function at the bottom of the home page and enter a keyword or phrase. For example, a search on the phrase "litigation support" found 36 documents. You can also search current and back issues of The Trusted Professional on the Society's website.

I can download tax forms directly from the IRS's home page, or from the New York state government website. Why should I go to nysscpa.org for them?

If you have recently attempted to download these forms from the IRS, you have no doubt noticed it takes a long time for the pages and forms to load. This is because of the enormous amount of traffic these sites generate around tax time. We have taken the wait out of your download by putting these forms on the less trafficked NYSSCPA server, where you will find that because of less "net congestion," there is less of a wait to get what you need.

I am having trouble using the Find It Fast menu. I can see it, but I cannot use it. What is wrong?

There are two possible causes for this problem. The first is that the version of the browser (Internet Explorer or Navigator, for example) you are using may be earlier than 3.0. These older browsers do not support the scripting used to create the handy, drop-down menu. You will need to upgrade your browser by going to either Netscape's update page (www.netscape.com) or Microsoft's update page (www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/download/windows.htm) and downloading the latest version of your favorite browser. If you are using a newer browser and the problem still occurs, you probably do not have javascript enabled in your browser preferences. Go into your browser's preferences menu and enable javascript, and the problem should disappear.

I would like to go into my committee areas to see what events are coming up, but when I try to do this, I get a pop-up window saying I need to enter a password. How do I get a password?

NYSSCPA members can create a password by accessing the form on www.nysscpa.org/membership/passform.htm. You also can click on the Create a Password link at the bottom of the home page. You will need to supply your name, e-mail address, and CPA certificate number, and you should receive a password in several working days. Meanwhile, feel free to browse the majority of the website, which is not password protected.

How can I suggest potential articles or features for the nysscpa.org website?

You can suggest articles for nysscpa.org (or submit any other recommendations for the website) at www.nysscpa.org/suggestion.htm. Simply fill out the form, click submit, and a staff member will carefully review your suggestion. Our staff greatly appreciates member feedback--it helps us give Society members the resources they need to succeed. *