Republishing FAQ

From Freegle Wiki

Contents 1 Group Settings 1.1 How do I edit my group settings? 1.2 I see I can point links at Yahoo, Direct or Facebook. Which should I choose? 1.3 Why can members only see posts up to 7days? 1.4 I am not sure what my Twitter URL is it just shows http://twitter.com when I am in mine? 1.5 Do I have to send the standard letter out as it is? 1.6 What should I put in the footer? 1.7 What happens if I change the keywords? 1.8 Why does it want to know our reposting rules? 1.9 What should I put in the map search hint and why is it there. 1.10  How and why should I chose whether to map OFFERs/WANTED? 1.11 Chase Ups! What are these and why should I enable them? 2 Memberships 2.1 What are all these FBUser... email addresses? 2.2 Why are there 10 such applications? 2.3 Why don't Facebook & Direct users join with their normal address? 2.4 How do I check members before approving? 2.5 How do I contact Facebook only members? 2.6 How do I ban a member? 2.7 How can I stop members from posting on the wall? 2.8 How do I see my Facebook/Direct members? 3 Your Facebook page 3.1 I want it for my group. Where do I start? 3.2 Can I get help setting up my page? 3.3 How do I add/transfer admin rights to my Page? 3.4 How do I add an administrator who isn't a "Friend" on Facebook? 3.5 I've created my page with my personal account. How can I change the admin to a new Freegle account? 3.6 How do I get 'FAQ/Help'  on my page? 3.7 Can I change the name of my Page? 3.8 How do I change my Page category? 3.9 How do I delete a Page? 3.10 Can members comment on my page? 3.11 Why is my page liked from the wrong account? 3.12 Why don't members land on the posts when I have set it as the default? 3.13 Can I delete Posts from my page? 3.14 How do I remove an Application from my FB page 4 Twitter 4.1 How do I link my page to Twitter? 5 Member Questions 5.1 How do members adjust their settings? 5.2 How do members join the group via Facebook? 5.3 How do members leave a group via Direct? 5.4 Q. If a member leaves the Yahoo group are Direct digests turned off automatically? 5.5 How do members know how to post? 5.6 I've noticed that members who post a message on Facebook have their post published regardless of whether it has been moderated. How can I stop this? 5.7 How long do members posts remain on their 'My Posts' tab? 5.8 How do I reassure members about security? 5.9 Can Facebook users reply without being members of the group? 5.10 Are Facebook members less local? 5.11 Can members just join Yahoo from the Facebook page? 5.12 Why does it show the profile picture? 6 Troubleshooting 6.1 Why is my feed not working? 6.1.1 My feed worked but it seems stuck on the same posts. What can I do? 6.2 Why does my Posts say I'm not allowed to use the application? 6.3 When I post, why does it say I am not a member? 6.4 Why do I see messages on my Facebook group, before they have been approved? 6.5 When I click on a link, why do I get an error about it not redirecting properly? 6.6 My join and use tabs no longer work? 7 Mapping of messages 7.1 Why do I get emails from Republisher asking me to 'please map message no.?' 7.2 I have changed the location of the pointer and saved it but it has not worked? 7.3 The word it is using to map the location is the name of a real place. Won't it stop others from being able to use it if I get it ignored? 8 Categorisation of messages 8.1 Why do we categorise messages? 8.2 Can we have more categories as some things don't fit properly? 8.3 It seems a lot of work for the mods as a lot of them are wrong? 8.4 I am not sure which category to put a post in? 8.5 I keep getting asked about posts with no location on. Can I stop this? 8.6 Do we have to bother with this stuff?  9 Other Resources 9.1 My question isn't here; what else can I do? 9.2 Is there a wishlist?

Group Settings

How do I edit my group settings?

We store some information about your group to control how republishing works.  Here's how to access it.

If you already have the Posts tab:

• Click into the Posts tab.
• Click on Edit Group Settings.
• If you don't see this link, then:
  • Sign in to http://apps.facebook.com/freegle.
  • Go to My Settings
  • Click on Click to check Facebook Page Admin rights
  • ...and try again.

Or you can go to an URL of the form http://republisher.freegle.in/republisher_group_settings.php?groupname=EdinburghFreegle - but change the last part to your own group name.

If you're setting up for the first time then:

1. Go to your Facebook page
2. Click Edit Page (under your profile picture)
3. Click on Apps in the left column
4. Scroll down to the Republisher Application
5. Click Go to application
6. Make your changes
7. Click on Save Settings
8. Then confirm the changes when your -owner email address receives the email.
9. Seehere if unsure what to edit.

I see I can point links at Yahoo, Direct or Facebook. Which should I choose?

It is now recommended  that you either, point them at Yahoo or Direct.

Facebook users can join and sign in from their own accounts anyway, or if you choose Direct via Direct.

If you are not yet comfortable with the Freegle Direct and want to stick more with what you know you should choose Yahoo.

The advantages of using Freegle Direct are.

Everyone can  choose whether to join with FaceBook, Gmail or Yahoo ID's. If they want non of these then there is an option to join via email to the Yahoo group.

Everyone choosing options which take them to the app, have to use the message maker to post.

We do not lose the high percentage of prospective members, that we do when they have to navigate the Yahoo stuff.

It is easier for people to join and make posts..

Disadvantages for some, are that most new members will be based off the Yahoo group, and unaware of its existence.

Their  FB memberships will always be registered on Yahoo  and their posts will come through for moderation before going on the board.

Why can members only see posts up to 7days?

They can see their own posts for 30 days, but it is felt 7 days is as far back as required for viewing current posts from all members.

I am not sure what my Twitter URL is it just shows http://twitter.com when I am in mine?

It will be http://twitter.com/#!/Groupname. If you click on profile/edit profile  it will show  the URL  under the username.

Do I have to send the standard letter out as it is?

No you can change it  to suit your group.

What should I put in the footer?

Anything you want. You can put your email address in, or "Freegle is now available on Facebook", etc.

What happens if I change the keywords?

The message maker will use your chosen keyword instead of the standard one.

Why does it want to know our reposting rules?

The Freegle Facebook app gives the user the choice to post a TAKEN/RECEIVED. After the time interval you state for reposting they will also get a Post Again button next to their post.

If you enable chaseups this is also used to control the period after which a chaseup mail will be sent.

What should I put in the map search hint and why is it there.

If your group is based in one main area, e.g. Bristol, put that in. It will save the app finding and pointing to a place somewhere else, e.g. in Yorkshire, which may happen to have a place with the same name when a member uses that in his post.

 How and why should I chose whether to map OFFERs/WANTED?

If you require postcodes or place names for OFFERs only then just tick that. If you require them in WANTEDs as well tick that.

When a member posts it will show the post on a google map. You will be asked by mail to correct any which seem wrong. If you don't want this feature then turn them both off.

Chase Ups! What are these and why should I enable them?

These emails go out to members who have not posted a TAKEN or RECEIVED to an original post within the time frame you have set for reposting.

They will not go out if your repost interval is set at over 21days so if you would rather not have them for wanted posts just put a higher number of days in..

With a simple click on a link in the email they can:

• Reoffer or re-request the item
• Post a TAKEN/RECEIVED
• Request no more reminders.

They will be sent out no more than twice for each post.

They have been found to jog members' memories, and are a great way to make your existing users more active.

Memberships

What are all these FBUser... email addresses?

The way it works is by applying to your group with these email addresses, so that when someone tries to join from Facebook, it can just assign them one of the addresses and they're immediately a member. That way they don't have to worry about Yahoo delays or moderators not being online. This is so that we put as few obstacles in the way of people joining as possible, to stop them losing interest.

So when you see FBUser... applications, just approve them.

Why are there 10 such applications?

The very first time you click on the Join button, you'll get 10 applications for new members. This is so that it has a bunch of addresses it can hand out to people. Thereafter, once someone joins, it'll apply for another email address for next time.

Why don't Facebook & Direct users join with their normal address?

If they were to sign up with their own email they'd get confusing emails from Yahoo telling them to click on links which would then tell them they needed a Yahoo ID, and so on. 

We don't want the Facebook people to have to understand both Facebook and Yahoo to join - that defeats the point, as it would be a worse joining experience than Yahoo alone.  

How do I check members before approving?

You can't.  Facebook users are used to being able to view things and Like pages without waiting for approval, and the Facebook stuff follows that model.  Any posts made go through to your Yahoo group for moderation. You can also request a copy of Facebook members from the app. It is at the bottom of the group settings.

How do I contact Facebook only members?

You mail the address they used to join the group, like any other member, either from the membership list or using the plugin. For example, if you use the plugin to reject a message, the rejection message will go back to them.

How do I ban a member?

You can ban them from your Yahoo group, but they could rejoin. You can ban them from your Facebook page from the Likes section:

1. Click "See all" under the Likes section
2. Select the "X" next to a user's name
   
3. Check the box next to "Ban Permanently"
   
4. Click "Remove"
   
5. From a Wall post:
   
6. Select the "X" next to the user's post
   
7. Click "Report" after the post has been removed
   
8. Select the reason for the report from the menu
   
9. Select the box to "Permanently ban this person from this Facebook Page and remove all content they have posted"
   
10. From a comment:
    
11. Click "Flag" next to the user's comment
    
12. Click "Report" after the comment has been flagged
    
13. Select the reason for the report from the menu
    
14. Select the box to "Permanently ban this person from this Facebook Page and remove all content they have posted"
    

How can I stop members from posting on the wall?

On an individual basis you can click on the x at the side of the post and remove comment and even ban member if comment is derogatory. 

If you find they are becoming a nuisance then,  you can add nocomment @ republisher.freegle.in as an admin on your group.

• Create an g.mail or other disposible account which will allow you to redirect mail and also a facebook account linked to it.
  
• Arrange POP forwarding to nocomment @ republisher.freegle.in
  
• Make it an admin on your group by:
  
• Liking the group from the facebook account.
  

Then:

• Go you your page
• Click Edit
  
•  Manage Admins
•  Enter the email address.
•  Click on Save Changes

This should make this user a Page Admin. It will then receive notifications when someone comments, send it to nocomment @ republisher.freegle.in which will reply with a message saying:
 "I'm afraid you can't reply like this; please click on the link above instead." and redirect them.

How do I see my Facebook/Direct members?

For Facebook edit your group settings, and scroll down to the bottom; there's a link to mail the members to your -owner address. It also mails them to any logging address you've added in the settings. For Direct you have to enter the URL for your group page, which you will get or be given when the group is set up to take you to the same place.. 

Your Facebook page

I want it for my group. Where do I start?

If you want to have a go yourself starthere.

Can I get help setting up my page?

Send an email to freegledirecthelp@yahoogroups.com and someone will get back to you.

How do I add/transfer admin rights to my Page?

Page admins can add or remove other admins by following these steps:

• Click the "Edit Page" link below the Page’s photo.
• On the right hand side, click the "Add" link in the Admin section.
• Select the friend you would like to add as an admin.
  

How do I add an administrator who isn't a "Friend" on Facebook?

• Get the person you want to be an admin to "Like" your page.
• Go to your page and at the bottom of the left hand column there's a box saying "X people like this". Click on the Show all link.
• Click on Make admin next to the person you want to make an admin.
• Or you can, click on edit page on the top right
• Click on Admins on the list on the left.
• Add their email address in the box at the bottom of the list of admins (They still have to have liked the page) 

I've created my page with my personal account. How can I change the admin to a new Freegle account?

Firstly it doesn't really matter whether your personal account is the admin or a dedicated account. If you do want to change it though, do this:

• Log out of your personal Facebook account.
• Create a new Facebook account for your group.
• Find your page and "Like" it whilst logged in as the new account.
• Log out of the new account.
• Log back in with your personal account.
• Go to your page and at the bottom of the left hand column there's a box saying "X people like this". Click on the Show all link.
• You'll get a list of all the people who like your page, hopefully including the new user you've just created. Click on Make Admin.
• Log out of your personal account and log back in as the new user.
• Go back to the page and remove admin rights from your personal account. (Only do this if you don't want your personal account to be an admin as well).

How do I get 'FAQ/Help'  on my page?

Facebook has made some changes preventing new groups from accessing the FBML tabs some of the others use.

See here Setting up a Facebook page Faq tab for another option.

Can I change the name of my Page?

No, Facebook doesn't let you for safety and security reasons, This policy is in place to prevent abuse.

The only solution is to delete the page and then recreate it with the new name.

How do I change my Page category?

Facebook now lets you edit a Page category. If you would like to change the category, go to your page click on edit and look at details under basic information, The top boxes should read Companies and Organisations and Non-Profit. There is a drop down list by each box to change the setting.

How do I delete a Page?

To delete your Page, please click on "Edit Page" and then on "Delete Page" at the top of the page.

Any admin can delete a Page they administer. Please delete with caution:

• There is no way to reinstate a removed Page.
• You'll lose all the people who have liked it.
• You may have trouble with republishing.

Please talk to geeks@ilovefreegle.org before doing it.

Can members comment on my page?

You should set it up so nobody can post to your Wall, otherwise members will try to ask for items by posting comments, and get no response.

Do this from Edit Page->Manage Permissions->Posting Ability and turn off all three options.

However this won't prevent members who have liked the page from responding to posts on the wall. For them:

1. You can set the republisher not to post to the wall so they have nothing to reply to (but that defeats the point of all this).
2. You can use the opportunity to explain to members the correct procedure and then remove their post if you wish. You can send them an email or comment on the wall..
3. You can use an automatic responder. There is now one available in the group settings, you can just select it 

The last option is the best. Trying to persuade people on Facebook not to post on Walls is a doomed effort.

Why is my page liked from the wrong account?

When a page admin "likes" a post on their page the post may appear as if "Liked from the Page admin's personal account. Unfortunately this is a bug in Facebook and at present there is no solution.

They have now enabled pages to like other pages although at present it is not retrospective. However you can unlike and like from the correct page.

This bug has now been fixed for new groups although we are not yet sure if it will be retrospective.

Why don't members land on the posts when I have set it as the default?

The default can only be adjusted for people that are not fans of your Page. Once they become fans (as you probably are), they will see the Page's wall as the default.

New pages do not have tabs, instead you will see the list of what were tabs down the left side. This is being changed shortly and you will have a timeline and boxes.

Can I delete Posts from my page?

Yes, but it doesn't happen automatically when you delete them from the Messages page on Yahoo.

You need to do two things:

• If you have RSS Graffiti set up to put posts on your Wall (from RSS Graffiti), you'll need to delete it from there. Use the usual Facebook method - the cross on the right hand side of the post.
• For the Posts , Page Admins (only) should see a Delete link on the right hand side of the post.

It might be nice to have this integrated into the ModPlugin, but it isn't (at least yet).

How do I remove an Application from my FB page

Click "Edit Info" under your FB page name and select "Apps" from the left hand menu. Find the Application you want to remove and click the "X" at the far right of the page. Confirm that you want to remove the Application,

Twitter

How do I link my page to Twitter?

You do this by putting the Twitter URL in the Republisher settings and at the top of the Group settings and authorise it to publish on your behalf.This has to be done in two steps as the first change has to be accepted before it can be authorised. You also need click to here apps.facebook.com/freeglegraffiti/ to set the access token.

You should also go into edit settings on Facebook>.Resources> then link to Twitter

Don't also click on the link on Twitter or all posts will be duplicated.

Member Questions

How do members adjust their settings?

If they use the app, from the Settings tab. If not (for example for Yahoo or email members), tell them to go to http://direct.ilovefreegle.org/settings.php .

How do members join the group via Facebook?

Once you have linked your page to the Facebook Freegle Application you will  get a Post link on the left hand side.  Anyone can click on the Post link. They will find  buttons from there,  taking them though the joining process.

Also all the posts now carry links to join the group. 

How do members leave a group via Direct?

To leave a group go to here:

http://direct.ilovefreegle.org/main.php?&action=mygroups

to find a list of active groups.

Click on the name of the group you want to leave, then click the link at the left saying, "Leave XYZ Freegle".

You will get a message saying,

"Are you sure?

Leaving the group will mean you can't post to it and won't see any messages.

Are you sure you want to leave the group?"

[ Leave ] [ Cancel ]

Click "Leave" to leave.

Q. If a member leaves the Yahoo group are Direct digests turned off automatically?

A. Not unless you use the latest moderator plug in and have synced it to update . There is now a Freegle button on the first page.

You should have it set to sync at least every 24hours. Please ensure all moderators are using the same version.

Otherwise advise member to go into her "my settings" tab and untick the option for Digests.

How do members know how to post?

When they join it should point them to the Facebook Freegle Application. From here they can post to any of the groups they have joined.

I've noticed that members who post a message on Facebook have their post published regardless of whether it has been moderated. How can I stop this?

Posts go straight on the posters wall and their friends wall, depending on their Facebook settings and on them ticking the box for this to happen. This happens with anything posted on Facebook. It will not connect with your Freegle group until you have approved the post.

How long do members posts remain on their 'My Posts' tab?

They will remain for 90 days if a taken or received is not put on to cancel it. If an item is reposted then at present only the most recent post will be removed.

How do I reassure members about security?

Members may be concerned about their personal details being made available. We have to be sensitive to this and reassure people.

For members on Yahoo:

• We don't publish any posts to non members at all unless a member has said we can.
• When a member posts something, they'll get a mail asking if we can republish (and again after 3 months, in case they've changed their minds). This offers them the choice of republishing or not. If they don't click on one of the links, we'll ask them again next time.
• If they do say we can republish, then we will republish the subject line and any photo.
• They also get a choice of further options, to allow the body of the message to be displayed, and to allow replies. They have to select these before we do them.
• We will never publish their name or email address.

So the members on Yahoo have  controls over what is published.

For members joining via Facebook and Direct:

• We assume we can display the message body anywhere, and allow replies from anyone.
• When they post we ask if they want to publish this to their friends.
• Their Facebook name will be shown; Facebook never lets you hide your name.
• Liking the group page does not mean the member automatically becomes friends with everyone else in the Freegle group.
• The member's information is not shared with the page, either. Pages cannot see the profiles of people who connect with them, only their profile photo and name. In addition, Pages do not receive a News Feed with information about what people who choose to connect with them are doing.

Can Facebook users reply without being members of the group?

No. People can see the republished posts, but they can't reply to them unless they have joined the group via Facebook. People who join via that route are just as much members as those who join via Yahoo or email.

Are Facebook members less local?

No, why should they be? People choose to join groups that would be useful to them, which means ones near where they live. That's as true on Facebook as on Yahoo.

Of course, someone could deliberately join a group that wasn't local to them. But that is just as true on Yahoo as it is on Facebook - there is no practical way for us to verify that.

Can members just join Yahoo from the Facebook page?

Yes whenever they click on a join link they are given the option of going to the Yahoo group and joining from there.

Why does it show the profile picture?

Facebook profile pictures are not private, though many people don't realise this. From here:

Name and Profile Picture. Facebook is designed to make it easy for you to find and connect with others. For this reason, your name and profile picture do not have privacy settings. If you are uncomfortable with sharing your profile picture, you should delete it (or not add one). You can also control who can find you when searching on Facebook or on public search engines using the Applications and Websites privacy setting.

Troubleshooting

Why is my feed not working?

Here are some things to check:

• Have you added republisher@republisher.freegle.in to your members list?
• Have you set added a country restriction for UK-only? If so, remove it - otherwise ilovefreegle.org gets blocked.
• Have you got the correct link to your Yahoo page? Capitalisation matters.
• Have you checked the box on the Republisher asking for it  to publish?
• If using Native Graffiti have you got the access key and the box ticked on your Republisher settings. See Republishing Migration
• If you have the RSS feed still, go to application page and check the settings.  Is it giving you an error message?  If so you can check here rssgraffiti.pbworks.com/w/page/28645568/ERR_FACEBOOK_EXCEPTION

My feed worked but it seems stuck on the same posts. What can I do?

• See here for possible solutions.

Why does my Posts say I'm not allowed to use the application?

You need to set up your group settings for the first time, as described here?

Make sure you got a confirmation mail for the changes and confirmed it using the link inside.

When I post, why does it say I am not a member?

Try joining again from the Posts tab. If this recurs, contact geeks@ilovefreegle.org.

Why do I see messages on my Facebook group, before they have been approved?

When you post, it appears in your own status, and hence your friends' news feeds as soon as you post it.

But it only appears in the RSS feed and on the Posts tab once it's gone out by email to the group.

When I click on a link, why do I get an error about it not redirecting properly?

Check your RSS Graffiti settings; it's likely that the URL you put in for the RSS feed has the wrong case. It needs to match the correct case for your group.

My join and use tabs no longer work?

These are now redundant and should be removed.

Mapping of messages

Why do I get emails from Republisher asking me to 'please map message no.?'

Republisher tries to show the approximate position of where the poster is located. If it can't find it itself, or thinks it is too far from your group, it will ask for your help.

I have changed the location of the pointer and saved it but it has not worked?

• Have you refreshed the page?
  
• In the top left it says "Currently mapped using"  Is this the correct location?  If not you should put this word into the empty box for ignore words above the save correction button.
  

The word it is using to map the location is the name of a real place. Won't it stop others from being able to use it if I get it ignored?

No.  All changes made are on an individual group basis.

Categorisation of messages

Why do we categorise messages?

There are several reasons why we think this may be helpful to members.

• Many members at present just offer or ask for an item without checking first if anyone has recently posted a corresponding offer or wanted. Hopefully many more will use the facility to search individual categories and so check back for active posts in the correct category.
• We hope that members will enjoy in future being able to categorise their own posts, and check their locations and so become more pro-active
• It may help in the future if any individual group or if Freegle wishes to apply for any grants. Many request details of the types and amounts of goods kept from landfill.

Can we have more categories as some things don't fit properly?

• These have been chosen as they are felt to be fairly representative and will be used most often.
  

It will be reviewed periodically. If something in particular seems to deserve its own category, or will help with meeting criteria for grants then it will probably be added.

• Too many categories will mean longer lists for members and moderators to look through which may put them off.

It seems a lot of work for the mods as a lot of them are wrong?

This should lessen over time. The more of you that categorise posts in a similar way, the quicker it will learn where to put them.

You can also do them as you approve them on the Yahoo group if you use the moderation plug in.

I am not sure which category to put a post in?

You can just use what you think is nearest. It does not have to be perfect. A suggested list of what goes where can be found hereFacebook Categories

I keep getting asked about posts with no location on. Can I stop this?

• No but you can just ignore these and delete the emails. The map  should show an area in the centre of your group coverage. If you moderate a message you can put something standard on like 'unknown' in brackets and when asked locate it in the middle of your groups area. All subsequent unknowns will just point to the same area.
• If you don't require locations on wanteds you can turn off the mapping for them in your group settings.  

Do we have to bother with this stuff? 

No. If you don't have time or don't want to bother you can chose to ignore it. However there is no option to turn it off at present.

The more that participate though the more accurate the app will work. 

Other Resources

My question isn't here; what else can I do?

You can send an email to facebookhelp@yahoogroups.com and post your query.  Also see Enabling Republishing.

More questions and answers about Facebook generally, may be found here www.facebook.com/help/

Is there a wishlist?

Yes, at Republishing Wishlist. Want some help! Send an email  to theFacebook help group post to  facebookhelp@yahoogroups.com  If you want to discuss how it ought to work or suggest changes, please do so on Freegle-Tech].
See all pages relating to Republishing in Category:Republishing
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