How do I use Bilby? It’s so different from our last (Zealous) system.
The first place you should look for help is the Bilby Wiki, which is also linked to ‘Help & Support’ in the footer of every Bilby page. The Using Bilby section covers all the basics and there are sections on Membership Info and Running Activities.
Remember, Bilby is a system designed to be used by many clubs and if you can’t find an answer to your question there perhaps your question is more CBC-specific. In that case, this FAQ list may be of help so read on …
How do I find out what Short Notice Activities are coming up? The old system used to send me an email.
Short Notice Walks Emails are being considered as part of the list of possible future software enhancements. We aim to provide you with control over what notifications you receive. You may also have a choice regarding how you wish to receive future notifications, e.g. email, text message, WhatsApp etc.
In the meantime, we encourage you to regularly check the CBC Website and Bilby to see what’s on.
Will I still get the weekly Upcoming Activities email? That is currently what prompts me to book all my walks.
Weekly upcoming activities emails aren’t included in the current software release. Many members have advised us that they prefer to receive less emails. We encourage you to regularly check the CBC Website and Bilby to see what’s on.
We have been using MailChimp to send the ‘it’ newsletter since 2022 and will investigate using this to offer something like the Upcoming Activities email if there is interest.
Can I ask to be notified (via email or chosen channel) about activities scheduled two or more weeks in advance? I often find that by the time I look at the website, many activities are already fully booked.
Many members have advised that they would prefer to receive fewer emails. The best way to keep on top of what activities are on offer (and not miss out) is to regularly check the CBC Website and Bilby to see what’s on.
The old Club website used to have wonderful photos on it. What’s happened to them? The new website doesn’t seem to have any at all.
The new Club website with updated information will be available soon after Bilby is launched. All the photos on the previous Club website have to be manually transferred to our new site, which will be done gradually. Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible to just migrate them easily from the old version of WordPress to the newest version. You might recall that in 2021 when the Club tried to upgrade WordPress versions our website crashed for about 10 days. We want to avoid this happening again.
Why do I need to set up an account with Bilby?
Your account will be set up with the details copied across from the existing Zealous system. As Bilby has a strong focus on security and privacy these account details need to be verified to keep your account secure and confirm that the data has been migrated correctly. Once this has been done, subsequent logins will be much quicker and easier.
What happens if Bilby is hacked or loses my data?
Bilby is run by IT professionals and is hosted on high-quality infrastructure. It’s designed to be very secure to minimise the risk of unauthorised data access. Regular data backups are part of the infrastructure design as are notifications of suspicious activity on the server. Regular software updates are another part of reducing the risk. Your role in maintaining security is also important. Keeping your access details private and changing passwords if they have been compromised are two important steps that you can take.
I’ve heard that Bilby is a subscription-based product that has to be paid for each year. Will I have to pay any more as a member to use Bilby?
The cost of Bilby is covered in your existing membership fees. We don’t anticipate any requirement to increase fees to maintain access to Bilby. The pricing for this service is very reasonable and recognises that the clubs using it are not-for-profit volunteer-run organisations.
How do I drive Bilby? What are the important things I need to know to get started?
Bilby uses current system design conventions to create a consistent user interface. It should feel familiar to regular users of other online systems but here are a few tips to help you get started.
Menu options
You can open or close the menu using the ‘hamburger’ triple bar icon. This is useful on smaller screens such as mobiles or tablets.
Top menu
The top menu contains links to Canberra Bushwalking Club, Activities, Members and your account name.
The Canberra Bushwalking Club links to the Club website which is separate from Bilby.
Activities lists upcoming activities by default but you can filter the list with the drop-down menu options for:
- Upcoming | Completed | Show All
- Any Tag | Walk | Back-pack | etc.
- Any Month | January | February | etc.
- Any Year | 2017 | 2018 | etc.
Members lists all current Club members showing their Username, Roles, Member ID and Member Since date. View will show you more member details if their privacy settings allow it. You can filter the list by:
- Quick members Search – enter a name or part name
- Any Tag | Leader | Life Member | Institute | Memorial Members
- Any Type | Activity Officer | Receipt Officer | Member Officer
You can return to your account Profile page at any time by selecting ‘My Account’ from the drop-down menu against your name.
My Bookings
This will show your activity bookings and you can filter the list with the ‘Show anytime’ and ‘Show all status’ drop-down menus.
My Activities
This menu will be active only for Activity Owners (Leaders). A separate email has been sent to leaders with more details about managing activities.
My Receipts
This lists details of payments made for your membership application and renewal. It will only have data back to the start of the Zealous system in 2017.
Change Password
Select to change your password at any time.
Preferences
My Account allows you to update privacy settings.
Notifications allow you to decide which events you will receive notifications for. The default is that all are active and you can deselect those that you don’t want to receive.