### Starting a BSCW session

You start a session on a BSCW server

• by opening the URL http://your-bscw-server/bscw/bscw.cgi/ in order to access your home folder, or

• by directly accessing an object in one of your folders or workspaces, using a URL, e.g., from your list of bookmarks or favourites.

For log-in and identification, you have to submit your user name and password. You may also log in using your email address instead of your user name. Your BSCW server may also offer alternative ways of logging in (see 4.1.2 Alternative methods of authentication).

If you are directly accessing an object in a workspace by specifying its URL, BSCW will immediately take you to the contents of this object. For instance, if somebody sends you the URL of a folder, you will see this folder page immediately on logging in (provided you have the necessary access rights).

After a longer period of inactivity, your BSCW session expires and you are requested to authenticate again.