Display Name, Profile Fields and Member Directory
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Hi Everyone,? ?I am a newbie here who has been suffering along with a few Google Groups and was stoked when I learned about Groups.io.? ?First impression was that it looked cleaner and seemed better designed - with a fairly impressive feature list.? ? I came to this forum and did a bunch of searches to see if it could do the three most important things to me.? ?Unfortunately, I seem to have gotten only two out of three things I wanted, but it is also possible that I missed something, got something wrong, or don't know about the workarounds. 1.? Display Name.? Everyone who has moderated a Google Group knows how awful it is when someone with the display name Xger72 makes a post - names like that are just not conducive to community building.? ?I was delighted when I learned Groups.io had addressed this - and who cares if the user can change it back - they probably won't and even if a few did it is something I could live with. 2.? Profile Fields.? The next thing I wanted was control over profile fields.? ?This was perplexing - I poked around the entire site and couldn't find a way to do that - just the strange few default fields.? The app seemed so sophisticated it seemed like it must be there somewhere - even more confusing because there was a complete database section - but I couldn't figure out a way to link them up.? Reading some forum posts seemed to confirm the disappointing news that there was no profile fields tool in Groups.io 3.? Member Directory.? ?The last thing I wanted was a really good member directory, which I think is integral to the community.? Naturally I originally hoped to be able to display any of the profile fields I had added in any order but with that not possible hoped it was at least a good directory where any member could be contacted.? I was disappointed to learn that members could "opt out" of having their profile in the directory, and what is far worse the defaults were set so the profile would not be visible.? ?What's worse, the developers, in discussing this used language like "users being forced to use the directory".? No more than being forced to register for the service in the first place - I know I can't be the only one who considers the directory to be an integral part of the community.? Unless I am missing something - and I hope I am - this is a major bummer. So that's my initial take.? Not quite "shoot from the hip" because I did try to do some research first but if I got anything wrong please let me know - and also let me know if there are any workarounds or integrations to help with these issues, or if they are being planned as features in future releases.? Thank you ? |
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Rob,
*2. Profile Fields.* The next thing I wanted was control overGroups.io generally takes the view that the member's profile is his/hers to control. Even the ability to edit their Display Name is relatively recent. Members control their profile through their Account's Identity page. There they can edit an Account Profile which provides default content for all of their group subscriptions. While there they can also edit the Profile shown in individual groups. Each profile has a Profile Privacy control which allows the member to control who can see that profile. A member can also edit the profile for a given group through the Group Profile tab of their Subscription page. *3. Member Directory. * I originally hoped to be able to display any of the profile fields IYou can build a "directory" like that in the Database section, but as you already noted there's no way to tie that to subscription or profile information. So you or the members would have to populate the fields of their row explicitly. Once long ago I suggested providing a directory-like feature by being able to tie a database table to the the Members list. That was kind of a toss-off at the bottom of a message, but you could resurrect the idea with a more fully-formed proposal as a fresh topic in the suggestion box: ... I know I can't be the only one who considers the directory to beYou're not. You could suggest that the Profile Privacy control be added to the group's Default Sub Settings page, so that you could change the default to "Other members of your group" (probably not "Public"). And/Or suggest that an "All Subscribers Visible" option be added to the Member Directory control (in the Privacy section of the group's Settings page). Meanwhile you have the bully pulpit of being group moderator/owner to encourage your group members to participate in the group's Directory, such as it is. Shal -- Help: /static/help More Help: /g/GroupManagersForum/wiki Even More Help: Search button at the top of Messages list |
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Shal - not what I wanted to hear, but thank you for the thoughtful response.? ?My comments follow: On Sat, Oct 13, 2018 at 5:27 PM Shal Farley <shals2nd@...> wrote: Rob, ?Darn - that is what I was most worried about.? ?The fact is though, that no one cares more about an online community than a community owner.? ?Most members will just throw up any crap as long as they can get it to work.? Community owners are also the ones who will pay when it is time to upgrade - I encourage them to reconsider this view.? ?Control over the display name is fantastic - not having that is what ruined Google.? I actually think your approach of letting both parties edit that field is rather interesting. ? Members control their profile through their Account's Identity page. ?Again, I think it is the community owner who should decide if they should have that option - if all users did that the community itself would be mostly useless - or at least the directory.? ? A member can also edit the profile for a given group through the Group ?Which seems to me to be kind of ridiculous - essentially making two different profiles in one system in a way that is far more labor intensive.
?Well I could try I suppose - but a "fully formed" proposal might be difficult since I am not a software engineer and in fact am not that great at politics.? Seeing that database right there is frustrating though - I am surprised someone hasn't at least tried to link that up with the profile yet.
?I didn't think so - but I have also noticed that some members here seem to have accepted this "user calls all the shots" as dogma but those don't have to be all the rules.? ? You could suggest that the Profile Privacy control be added to the ?That's an idea - but I have one business and on social group right now, and for business they don't care at all if the directory is public.? In general, they don't want "privacy" they want "promotion".? ? And/Or suggest that an "All Subscribers Visible" option be added to the ?As long as that was the default, yes. ?
?Bully pulpit?? More like begging - over and over again until we practically croak from frustration.? ?It is not a show stopper for my transfer - I mostly just wanted to add "Organization" and "Title / Profession" for my business group - but I would like to have the option to add whatever I want - even "phone number".? Shal ?? I appreciate your help - still poking around. ?? Rob #directory -- |
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Rob,
Community owners are also the ones who will pay when it is time toI don't have any Premium groups at the moment to check with, but I know they have at least one more field they can change in a member's subscription: the member's email address. Your encouragement should be sent through beta (the official "suggestion box") - no one from Groups.io monitors GMF. Which seems to me to be kind of ridiculous - essentially making twoIt is a bit ridiculous. It's what I did in my old classmate Yahoo Groups because it was the only tool available. I've since transferred those groups here but have not continued our "lost and found" databases (classmate lists) here, mostly out of laziness, but also because the Groups.io Directory and Members list (both of which I do make available to those members) work well enough. At least for the "found" classmates. Well I could try I suppose - but a "fully formed" proposal might beI don't know what politics might have to do with it, but perhaps "fully" implied too much. I don't think you need to be a software engineer to give a good description of the features you want and the use case(s) that motivate your suggestion. Seeing that database right there is frustrating though - I amI don't know what might be possible with the Groups.io API, but there aren't to my knowledge any end-user accessible capabilities in the Database feature to link one database table to another, much less to the group's Members list or Member profiles. I didn't think so - but I have also noticed that some members hereI'm generally of that persuasion, especially where the member's personal information is concerned. But the things we've been discussing would be ok with me so long as they are controlled by group options so that groups that don't want such openness don't have it forced upon them. That's an idea - but I have one business and on social group rightI'm not saying that the member ought not be able to make their Profile public; but having it be a group default could come as a rude surprise to a naive new member, particularly if their Account Profile is not public. I disagree. I think making that a default group setting would be a mistake for most new groups. It isn't that hard for groups that want it to select it.And/Or suggest that an "All Subscribers Visible" option be added toAs long as that was the default, yes. Bully pulpit? More like begging - over and over again until weHeh. But at least in your business group they want promotion and will be more motivated to follow-through than would be the case with my classmates. Shal -- Help: /static/help More Help: /g/GroupManagersForum/wiki Even More Help: Search button at the top of Messages list |
Rob Gordon
Shal Farley