[Pipindula]

I asked a question a couple of times in the other forums about whether the "Group" function was turned on and able to made use of. So far I haven't had a reply, so I figure I'll mess about and give it a try myself to see what happens.

I found this in the list of FAQs from the link above and to me it seems like a feature many of us could gain from.

What is a Group?

A Group is a group of people usually with a particular interest or something else in common. It provides a way of communicating between members as well as sharing photos or other images.
You can get to the list through 'Group Memberships' section on your public profile (?).
The Groups list page displays all groups that have been created. You can list the groups by the number of members, messages or pictures, the group name, when the group was created or by the date of the most recent message posted. You can use the controls provided to search for a group.
How do I join a group?
To join a group, click the group title then click 'Join Group'. When you have joined a group, its name will be shown in your public profile. You must be a logged-in, registered member to join groups.
Can I create my own Group?
As a registered member, you can create your own Group (providing the administrator allows this). Go to the groups page and click 'Create A New Group'. Complete the title and description for your group then select the type. There are three types of groups:

• Public - open to everyone. There is no restriction on who can join or who can post messages to it
• Invite Only - require an invitation to be sent to join them. Invitations can only be sent by the group creator or forum moderators and administrators. Invitations are sent by clicking 'Pending & Invited Members' at the bottom of the page for that individual group
• Moderated - open to everyone to join but messages need to be moderated before they will appear. They are moderated by the group creator and the site moderators and administrators
  

I'll have a go and see what 'appens.

[Pipindula]

I'll have a go and see what 'appens.

Well it worked, so far so good. Set this up only as a demo, can easily be deleted or changed.

You can find a link above under Community > Groups the on menu bar above.

[CoiI8XIj]

I like what you are thinking! One possible problem would possibly be that the community is still quite small and groups may generate more momentum as the larger group itself (the community) grows. Good stuff Woolly.

[pipojambo]

I have posted in the bird group just to see what happens.

[Pipindula]

I have posted in the bird group just to see what happens.

Well it worked , I see RB had a go at signing on too.

One possible problem I see is that rather than being called "posts" that only the original author can edit, they're "messages" that any group member may edit (no big deal, there are settings there that should be able to be tweaked to stop any nonsense.

My idea behind using groups was as a replacement for the wiki back at the old place, not a place for general chit-chat and posting, but as a repository for useful information and links to resources.

Any one else have any ideas on how this feature could be used to our advantage?

[LINETFAD]

Certainly has a lot of potential. Would it be possible to post a periodically updated list of groups somewhere?

[Pipindula]

Certainly has a lot of potential. Would it be possible to post a periodically updated list of groups somewhere?

Odd, I thought I'd already replied to this post but something must have gone amiss when I hit submit.

I thought perhaps there may have been a setting that would allow users to subscribe to groups in the same way as you can with threads, but seems not. My only suggestion would be to use this thread to notify others about new groups or updated content in existing ones.

Also it seems only the person who created the group can be "Admin" and that gives them the power to delete messages and ban people from posting. That would mean a little bit of work for the person who created the group, but only a few minutes here and there would be all that's needed I guess.

Having been around the old Scribbly for a while, I notice that a lot of people often raise the same questions on a subject and many of the replies contain links to various info that's regularly linked to (Birds in Backyards and Brisbane Insects are two sites that spring to mind). Being able to point someone at the appropriate group might be a good way of letting them know about available resources.

[Siliespiriulk]

Certainly has a lot of potential. Would it be possible to post a periodically updated list of groups somewhere?

In the top bar "Community" lists "Groups" and will display all the groups.

[LINETFAD]

In the top bar "Community" lists "Groups" and will display all the groups.

Thanks, Ilago.

I realised that after I posted. (I do that with manuals too!) But if you don't know that's where groups are, then you might not think of looking under 'community'. (By 'you', I mean 'me'.)

[Siliespiriulk]

I realised that after I posted. (I do that with manuals too!) But if you don't know that's where groups are, then you might not think of looking under 'community'. (By 'you', I mean 'me'.)

It's not unusual for tech types to fail to RTFM* - mostly it's "I wonder what this button does?"

*Translation available if not standard Scribbly terminology

[CoiI8XIj]

... I thought perhaps there may have been a setting that would allow users to subscribe to groups in the same way as you can with threads, but seems not. My only suggestion would be to use this thread to notify others about new groups or updated content in existing ones.

Under Group Tools, upper right.

... Also it seems only the person who created the group can be "Admin" and that gives them the power to delete messages and ban people from posting. That would mean a little bit of work for the person who created the group, but only a few minutes here and there would be all that's needed I guess.

You will also find that Mods have that power. You can also use the report post button.