Members Log In

At times, some users may experience issues accessing the PAA Members Only section of the website. Many issues are beyond our control due to various settings based at the user level. If you have problems logging in, please view the following document to determine if any of these issues may pertain to you.

1. I can't log in to the Members Only section! What's wrong?

First and foremost, determine if you are entering the correct user name and password. If you are not absolutely sure of what these might be, you can have your user name and password emailed to you by entering your email address in the Lost Password box on the Log In page and clicking on the "Send Email" button.

2. I'm not sure of my login or password. I entered my email address in the Lost Password box on the Login page and clicked on the "Send Email" button, but the email never came!

The lost password or login email is automatically generated and sent to the last known email address on record. Depending on your email settings, it may prohibit unsolicited email from being received. Please check your spam filter to determine if the message was routed to your spam folder. The email should be from membership@potatoassociation.org and contain the title "Your PAA Account Information".

3. I checked my inbox and spam filter for my login and password information and it's not there! Where is it?

The lost password or login email is automatically sent to the current email address on record. You may need to check with PAA Administration to determine if this email address is correct.

4. I am absolutely sure of my login and password, but still get "This feature is only accessible to approved members!" message. Why won't it give me access?

First, check to be sure you have "caps lock" off on your keyboard. Passwords ARE case sensitive. Secondly, confirm that you are a member in "good standing" and have paid your dues for the current year. Members who do not renew membership by December 31st of each year are automatically disallowed access to the Members Only section until their dues are paid.

5. I am a member in "good standing" and have the correct log in information, but I am still getting the error "This feature is only accessible to approved members!"

The PAA Members Only section functions with a "cookie" placed on your computer. The cookie helps to confirm who you are and what information on the website you are allowed to access. You MUST have cookies enabled to access the PAA Members Only section. You can learn about how to enable your browser to accept cookies by visiting Google's "How to Enable Cookies" page. Cookies are used prevalently on most membership websites and are nothing but small text files which can not damage your computer system or any files on your hard drive. Nor can they transmit viruses as viruses are executable in nature.

6. I've checked everything and confirmed that I've paid my dues, entered the correct login and password, enabled cookies and I STILL get the error "This feature is only accessible to approved members!" What could be wrong now?

Many users have virus software and firewalls that prohibit the exchange of data between a user's computer and a website. This is often for user's protection, prohibiting unwanted downloading of executable files that could harm a computer. However, in order to help maintain a level of security, the PAA website requires that a cookie be download to your computer to confirm your identity and preferences. Depending on your settings, you may need to add the PAA website address (http://www.potatoassociation.org) to your allowed access sites. How you do this will be determined by what type of virus software and firewall has been installed.

7. I've done everything listed above and am ready to rip my hair out because I am STILL getting the error "This feature is only accessible to approved members!" This is frustrating! What ELSE could possibly be wrong now?

Unfortunately, the fact that you have received an error logging in previously may contribute to your inability to successfully log in to the website for a short time. This is due to the fact that web browsers (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Mozilla, Opera, Safari, etc.) all use a "cache". Each time a webpage is accessed through your browser, the browser caches (stores) the page on your computer so that webpages do not have to be retrieved anew from a web site each time. The "cache" is often helpful in speeding up the display of webpages. However, the cache can also create problems if a user is attempting to access a page where incorrect data has been recently displayed. The solution to this issue requires that the user either clear their cache or restart their browser. Learn about how to clear your browser's cache.

8. I've been able to log into the website, but every time I try to go to a different page in the Members Only section, I get a "popup" asking me for my user name and password. It's annoying! Can't you fix this?

When a user logs on to the internet, their computer is often provided with a temporary "address" that denotes the actual computer being used. For security purposes, the member-only folder has a file that temporarily logs this internet address of each successfully logged in user so that they may navigate unencumbered through the Members Only section during a particular session. However, America Online (AOL), automatically reassigns an IP address to a computer for EACH page request. This essentially prohibits the PAA web server from logging an address for an extended session (more than one page). Unfortunately, due to AOL's rather unique process for assigning addresses on a page by page basis, there is no solution to this issue. At this time, AOL users will need to re-enter their login and password on the pop-ups.