As we entered 2017, Harding finalized the transition from the old Pipeline to a search-focused, streamlined website design. Some may miss the old version of Pipeline, and if you are one of those people, trust me when I say that new Pipeline is infinitely better. So, for the students who have accepted the new Pipeline as their rightful bastion of campus-wide information, as well as those who now have to learn the new system, here’s a couple of tips that I have found extremely helpful for making my Pipeline experience faster and more personalized:
1. Using Tabs to your Advantage
At first glance, Pipeline may now seem like a confusing scramble of text boxes that only get in the way. For those of you who feel that way, my first advice is to close all the main text boxes (Personal, Student, Alumni, Help) according to how often you use them. You can close them simply by tapping on the tab header, and poof, all those text boxes are gone.
2. Search Bar
One of the biggest changes to Pipeline, and certainly the cornerstone of the website design, is the new search bar. If looking through the tab bars for what you want to find is too time consuming, just search for what you’re looking for. Whether it’s a person or content, the search bar will help you find it.
3. The Favorites Feature
My favorite feature of new Pipeline has to be the “Favorites” tab without a doubt. If you find yourself searching for the same five links every time you log in, this may be your saving grace. All you have to do is click the star after clicking on the link you want to save, and from then on you can access it from the favorites bar. This has saved me so much time, and I really only need to open the “Favorites” tab to find what I’m looking for now.
4. Alumni Contacts
With the new Pipeline, finding alumni, internship networking and volunteer opportunities all lie at your fingertips. All you need to do is open the “Alumni” tab and you have access to alumni directories, career opportunities, advisor assistance and more. If you’re looking for an internship or just trying to find someone in the career that you’re interested in, give it a try.
5. Email Updates and Settings
If you’re interested in getting emails about events, missed the chapel announcements or wanted to get updates about the classified section, but don’t want to have to scroll through all the links to find nothing has been posted, then this is for you. At the bottom of the page, click on “Settings” and there you can check boxes to receive emails whenever someone posts to the classifieds, events, chapel announcements and more. Even better, you can specify what you want to get emails about.
Hopefully this will give even the saltiest sea dogs the willpower to give Pipeline’s new makeover a try. If you’re still apprehensive about the change, it is worth checking out, especially if you’re a freshman. You’re kind of stuck with this thing. But who knows? Maybe you’ll learn to love it.
