Overview
Your public profile is your professional presence on TechCal. It’s accessible at a clean URL:techcal.com/u/yourname
Share this link on:
- Twitter/X
- Your resume or portfolio
- Email signatures
- Career focus and goals
- Events you’ve attended (optional)
- Skills and interests
- Network size (followers/following)
Public profiles are opt-in. By default, profiles are private. You must explicitly set yours to public in settings.
Setting Up Your Profile
Choose a Username
Your username becomes your profile URL:
/u/yournameRequirements:- 3-30 characters
- Must start with a letter
- Only letters, numbers, underscores, hyphens
- Case-insensitive (but display preserves case)
- admin, support, help, kure, kurecal, system, moderator, official
john_smithsarah-chenalex2026
123john(starts with number)jo(too short, < 3 chars)john smith(contains space)
Write a Headline
Your headline is a 120-character bio that appears on your profile and in user cards.Tips:
- Include your current role: “Senior Frontend Engineer at TechCorp”
- Mention your interests: “Passionate about React and Web Performance”
- Add your location: “Based in San Francisco”
- “Full-stack developer | React, Node.js | Building SaaS products”
- “Data Scientist | ML/AI enthusiast | Looking to break into management”
- “CS Student | Interested in hackathons and open source”
Set Profile Visibility
Go to Settings → Social → Profile Visibility:
- Private: No public profile (default)
- Public: Profile visible to everyone
Profile Visibility Settings
Private Profiles
What happens when your profile is private:- ❌ No public profile page (404 error for visitors)
- ❌ Not searchable in Community Directory
- ❌ Won’t appear in “Who’s Going” sections
- ✅ You can still follow others (if Trust Level 1+)
- ✅ Full access to event discovery and tracking
Public Profiles
What happens when your profile is public:- ✅ Profile accessible at
/u/yourname - ✅ Searchable in Community Directory
- ✅ Followers can see your activity (if attendance sharing enabled)
- ✅ Appears in “Who’s Going” (if attendance sharing enabled)
- ✅ Can be indexed by search engines (Google, etc.)
Profile Page Sections
Header
At the top of your profile:- Avatar: Profile photo or initials
- Full name: Your display name
- @username: Your unique username
- Headline: Your 120-character bio
- Follower/Following counts: Clickable to view lists
- Follow button: For visitors to follow you
- Edit Settings button: For you (when viewing your own profile)
Recent Events
Displays events you’ve attended (if attendance sharing is enabled):- Event title
- Date attended
- Category (Conference, Workshop, etc.)
- Career Impact Score (if applicable)
Recent Events shows only the last 10 events. Your full history is private.
Follower/Following Lists
Click Followers or Following counts to view lists:- Avatar and name
- Username and headline
- Follow button (to follow/unfollow)
- Mutual follow badge (if applicable)
Editing Your Profile
Changing Your Username
Enter New Username
Type your desired username in the Username field.As you type, TechCal checks availability in real-time:
- ✅ Green checkmark: Available
- ❌ Red X: Taken or invalid
Updating Your Headline
- Go to Settings → Social
- Edit the Headline field (max 120 characters)
- Click Save
Changing Privacy Settings
- Go to Settings → Social
- Toggle Profile Visibility (Private/Public)
- Toggle Show Attendance (ON/OFF)
- Click Save
Username Validation
Real-Time Checking
As you type a username, TechCal checks:- Pattern validation: Does it meet requirements?
- Reserved check: Is it a reserved username?
- Availability: Is it already taken?
- 🔄 Checking…: Validating with server
- ✅ Available: You can use this username
- ❌ Taken: Already claimed by another user
- ❌ Invalid: Doesn’t meet requirements
- ❌ Reserved: Protected username
Username checks are debounced (350ms delay) to avoid excessive API calls while typing.
Case Insensitivity
Usernames are case-insensitive for uniqueness but preserve case for display:- You claim:
JohnSmith - Display shows:
JohnSmith - URLs work with:
/u/johnsmith,/u/JohnSmith,/u/JOHNSMITH(all equivalent) - No one else can claim:
johnsmith,JOHNSMITH, etc.
Profile URLs & Sharing
Deep Links
Your profile URL structure:- ✅ LinkedIn posts and profiles
- ✅ Twitter/X bio
- ✅ GitHub README
- ✅ Personal website
- ✅ Email signatures
SEO & Search Engines
Public profiles are indexable by search engines:- Title tag: “[Your Name] (@username) - TechCal”
- Meta description: Your headline
- Open Graph tags: Previews on social media
Copying Profile Links
On your profile page, click the Share button to:- Copy link to clipboard
- Share on Twitter
- Share on LinkedIn
Following & Followers
Viewing Your Network
From your profile, click:- Followers: People who follow you
- Following: People you follow
Follower Visibility
Who can see your followers/following lists?- Public profiles: Everyone can see
- Private profiles: Only you can see
You can’t hide your follower/following counts if your profile is public. This is intentional for transparency.
Privacy & Safety
Who Can See Your Profile?
Depends on your settings:| Your Setting | Who Can View |
|---|---|
| Private profile | Only you |
| Public profile + Attendance OFF | Everyone sees profile, but not which events you attend |
| Public profile + Attendance ON | Everyone sees profile and event attendance |
Blocking Users
If someone is harassing you or you want to avoid them:- Visit their profile
- Click ⋯ (three dots) menu
- Select Block User
- ❌ They can’t see your profile (even if public)
- ❌ You can’t see their profile
- ❌ Any follow relationships are removed
- ❌ You won’t appear in each other’s searches
Unblocking
To unblock:- Go to Settings → Social → Blocked Users
- Find the user
- Click Unblock
Tips for Optimizing Your Profile
Choose a Professional Username
Choose a Professional Username
Use your real name or a recognizable professional handle. Avoid numbers unless they’re meaningful (e.g., graduation year).Good:
sarah_chen, alexkumar, johnsmith2026Avoid: techguy123, user456, ilovecodingWrite a Compelling Headline
Write a Compelling Headline
Treat it like a Twitter bio. Make it:
- Specific: “React Developer” not just “Developer”
- Informative: Include your stack or interests
- Actionable: Add “Open to opportunities” if job hunting
Enable Attendance Sharing
Enable Attendance Sharing
If you’re actively networking, show which events you attend. This helps people find common ground and plan meetups.
Keep Your Profile Updated
Keep Your Profile Updated
Update your headline whenever:
- You change roles
- You learn a major new skill
- Your career goals shift
Link Your Profile Externally
Link Your Profile Externally
Add your TechCal profile link to:
- LinkedIn “Contact Info” section
- Twitter/X bio
- GitHub profile README
- Personal website footer
Troubleshooting
My profile URL returns 404
My profile URL returns 404
Possible causes:
- Profile is set to Private
- Username is not set
- Set a username
- Set Profile Visibility to Public
Username says 'Taken' but I can't find the user
Username says 'Taken' but I can't find the user
Cause: The username is taken by a private profile or deleted account.Solution: Choose a different username. Usernames are permanent and can’t be reclaimed.
I can't follow anyone
I can't follow anyone
Cause: Your Trust Level is 0 (new account).Solution:
- Wait 7 days after account creation
- Complete career onboarding
Events not showing on my profile
Events not showing on my profile
Cause: Attendance sharing is disabled.Solution: Go to Settings → Social → Show Attendance and toggle ON.
Next Steps
Community Overview
Learn about social features, following, and networking
Hackathon Teams
Use your profile to form teams and collaborate