Rippling out - Revision history

Jacky at 09:12, 20 August 2026

2026-08-20T09:12:28Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:12, 20 August 2026
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	In short, posts become visible to people gradually, starting with those closest and spreading outwards over time. Broadly, there are outward steps at: 1h, 3h, 6h, 12h, 24h, 48h, 72h, 120h (5 days), and 168h (7 days), which happen between 06:00 and 23:00. A post made late evening does its overnight steps at 6am.		In short, posts become visible to people gradually, starting with those closest and spreading outwards over time. Broadly, there are outward steps at: 1h, 3h, 6h, 12h, 24h, 48h, 72h, 120h (5 days), and 168h (7 days), which happen between 06:00 and 23:00. A post made late evening does its overnight steps at 6am.

			For the technical detail of how the algorithm works (and the approaches that were rejected), see https://github.com/Freegle/Iznik/blob/master/docs/developers/reference/rippling-algorithm.md

	==Rippling out: a guide for moderators==		==Rippling out: a guide for moderators==

Jacky: /* Repost reminders and chase-ups happen once per item */

2026-08-20T09:07:37Z

Repost reminders and chase-ups happen once per item

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:07, 20 August 2026
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	===Repost reminders and chase-ups happen once per item===		===Repost reminders and chase-ups happen once per item===
	Freegle reminds a poster shortly before it auto-reposts their item ("Will Repost: ...") and, once reposting is exhausted, chases them up to ask what happened ("What happened to: ..."). Under rippling, a single item can be live on several communities at once, but the poster still gets one reminder and one chase-up per cycle, not one per community. Whatever they do in response - mark it taken, withdraw it, or promise it - applies to the item everywhere it's rippled, so one email is enough to settle it.		Freegle reminds a poster shortly before it auto-reposts their item ("Will Repost: ...") and, once reposting is exhausted, chases them up to ask what happened ("What happened to: ..."). Under rippling a single item can be live on several communities at once, but the poster still gets one reminder and one chase-up per cycle - not one per community. Whatever they do in response (mark it taken, withdraw it, or promise it) applies to the item everywhere it has rippled, so one email is enough to settle it.

	Behind the scenes, the item is still reposted on each community independently, so it stays near the top of every local browse list - invisible to the poster, and no extra email ~~for them~~.		Behind the scenes the item is still reposted on each community independently, so it stays near the top of every local browse list - that part is invisible to the poster and costs them no extra email.

	===An auto-repost does not start the ripple again===		===An auto-repost does not start the ripple again===

Jacky: /* Repost reminders and chase-ups happen once per item */

2026-08-20T09:06:27Z

Repost reminders and chase-ups happen once per item

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:06, 20 August 2026
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	Behind the scenes, the item is still reposted on each community independently, so it stays near the top of every local browse list - invisible to the poster, and no extra email for them.		Behind the scenes, the item is still reposted on each community independently, so it stays near the top of every local browse list - invisible to the poster, and no extra email for them.

			===An auto-repost does not start the ripple again===
			A repost does not send the item rippling out afresh from its home community. The ripple runs on its own clock, fixed when the item first entered rippling, and a repost neither resets that clock nor puts the item back through the process. An item that has already rippled keeps the reach it earned: the communities it reached still have their copy, and the repost by itself neither adds new ones nor takes any away.

			So to answer the obvious question: a reposted item effectively starts rippled. It does not crawl outwards again from scratch each time.

			What the repost does do is lift the item back to the top of that community's browse list. Reposting runs per community, on each community's own repost interval, so a rippled item is kept fresh in each place independently. It does not bounce to the top everywhere at once: two communities with different repost settings will repost the same item at different times, and each one's copy is refreshed only when that community's own interval comes round.

			The poster's mail is the exception to that. They still get one "Will Repost" reminder and one chase-up per cycle for the item as a whole, not one per community, as above.

			An item that has not rippled yet is not shut out by having been reposted: rippling picks up items that have not yet started, and reposting does not disqualify one. Equally, a repost cannot force an item to ripple. If the community has rippling turned off, or the item already has enough separate people replying to it, it stays where it is. An item with plenty of interest already does not need spreading further, so it is left alone.

	===The spam flag and "seen on many groups"===		===The spam flag and "seen on many groups"===

Jacky: /* Members' Nearby feed is ordered by relevance, with their own distance preference */

2026-08-05T21:05:07Z

Members' Nearby feed is ordered by relevance, with their own distance preference

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:05, 5 August 2026
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	their browse filters, and (new) their Settings, under a "Feed" section above Email Settings.		their browse filters, and (new) their Settings, under a "Feed" section above Email Settings.
	It is a personal preference each member sets for themselves - by default it is left at "Further" (no extra limit beyond their normal rippling reach), and moving it towards "Nearer" narrows how far away posts can be.		It is a personal preference each member sets for themselves - by default it is left at "Further" (no extra limit beyond their normal rippling reach), and moving it towards "Nearer" narrows how far away posts can be.

			Post browsing uses realistic travel times to calculate search areas rather than applying rigid mile limits.

	Importantly, this preference now applies in three ways:		Importantly, this preference now applies in three ways:

Jacky: /* Members' Nearby feed is ordered by relevance, with their own distance preference */

2026-08-05T20:59:25Z

Members' Nearby feed is ordered by relevance, with their own distance preference

← Older revision		Revision as of 20:59, 5 August 2026
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	The "Nearby" browse feed no longer just shows the newest post first. Posts a member has not seen yet are shown ahead of ones they have already seen, and within each of those two groups, posts are ordered by a relevance score that balances how close a post is, how fresh it is, and how much interest it has already had (views and replies) - the same kind of scoring already used to order the rippling digest email. This changes the order a member's own browse page shows posts in; it does not change what rippling approves, joins, or who a post reaches.		The "Nearby" browse feed no longer just shows the newest post first. Posts a member has not seen yet are shown ahead of ones they have already seen, and within each of those two groups, posts are ordered by a relevance score that balances how close a post is, how fresh it is, and how much interest it has already had (views and replies) - the same kind of scoring already used to order the rippling digest email. This changes the order a member's own browse page shows posts in; it does not change what rippling approves, joins, or who a post reaches.

	Members also have a distance slider marked "Nearer" and "Further" with no numbers shown, in two places: their browse filters, and (new) their Settings, under a "Feed" section above Email Settings. It is a personal preference each member sets for themselves - by default it is left at "Further" (no extra limit beyond their normal rippling reach), and moving it towards "Nearer" narrows how far away posts can be.		Members also have a distance slider marked "Nearer" and "Further" with no numbers shown, in two places:
			their browse filters, and (new) their Settings, under a "Feed" section above Email Settings.
			It is a personal preference each member sets for themselves - by default it is left at "Further" (no extra limit beyond their normal rippling reach), and moving it towards "Nearer" narrows how far away posts can be.

	Importantly, this preference now applies in three ways:		Importantly, this preference now applies in three ways:

	What they see when browsing - moving it "Nearer" hides posts from further away.		*What they see when browsing - moving it "Nearer" hides posts from further away.
	The posts we email them (their daily digest and immediate emails) - the same narrowing.		*The posts we email them (their daily digest and immediate emails) - the same narrowing.
	How far away other people see their own posts (new). Setting it "Nearer" also caps who their own offers and wanteds reach: someone far away won't see the post in their Nearby feed or be emailed about it, even though rippling had carried it that far. Left at "Further" (the default), there is no such cap and the post reaches as far as rippling takes it.		*How far away other people see their own posts (new). Setting it "Nearer" also caps who their own offers and wanteds reach: someone far away won't see the post in their Nearby feed or be emailed about it, even though rippling had carried it that far. Left at "Further" (the default), there is no such cap and the post reaches as far as rippling takes it.
	It still has no effect on the rippling engine itself (what it approves or joins, or how far it carries a post) or on moderation, and their choice is remembered between visits.		It still has no effect on the rippling engine itself (what it approves or joins, or how far it carries a post) or on moderation, and their choice is remembered between visits.

Jacky at 11:03, 1 August 2026

2026-08-01T11:03:56Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 11:03, 1 August 2026
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	===A reach/map view on posts===		===A reach/map view on posts===
	On posts in your moderation screens, there's a "View rippling reach" button (with a map-marker icon) showing you on a map the area a post is currently visible in - useful for checking how far a post has spread, or why it turned up on your list.		On posts in your moderation screens, there's a "View rippling reach" button (with a map-marker icon) showing you on a map the area a post is currently visible in - useful for checking how far a post has spread, or why it turned up on your list. It also tells you when a post’s reach has been frozen, and any moderator can open it, not just mods of the communities the post is on.

	===A reminder when you edit a shared post===		===A reminder when you edit a shared post===
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	===Held replies in Chat Review===		===Held replies in Chat Review===
	Sometimes a reply is held because the post has not yet rippled out to where that member is. This now applies to replies made on the website and app as well as by email or Trash Nothing - wherever a member replies from outside the post's current reach, the reply is accepted and held rather than turned away. Chat Review shows you it is held because of rippling (not because you chose to hold it). You do not need to do anything - the reply is released automatically once the post reaches that member's area, or once the post has finished spreading as far as it will go, so no reply is ever held indefinitely. The member who sent it sees their own message marked as "waiting to send"; the owner is not shown it until it is released.		Sometimes a reply is held because the post has not yet rippled out to where that member is. This now applies to replies made on the website and app as well as by email or Trash Nothing - wherever a member replies from outside the post's current reach, the reply is accepted and held rather than turned away. Chat Review shows you it is held because of rippling (not because you chose to hold it). You do not need to do anything - the reply is released automatically once the post reaches that member's area, or once the post has finished spreading as far as it will go, so no reply is ever held indefinitely. The member who sent it sees their own message marked as "waiting to send"; the owner is not shown it until it is released.


	===Members' Nearby feed is ordered by relevance, with their own distance preference===		===Members' Nearby feed is ordered by relevance, with their own distance preference===

Jacky: /* Reference: what the 'Rippled' log entry means */

2026-08-01T10:58:52Z

Reference: what the 'Rippled' log entry means

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:58, 1 August 2026
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	===Reference: what the 'Rippled' log entry means===		===Reference: what the 'Rippled' log entry means===
	~~The~~ membership log ~~shows reason~~='Rippled' ~~for any join created by rippling out~~. This is purely for provenance and audit - you ~~don't~~ need to do anything with it. It lets us distinguish ripple-joins from manual or organic joins, and is used internally to suppress the per-~~community~~ welcome email (replaced by a single bundled intro), and to exclude these joins from the "seen on many groups" spam check.		Any join created by rippling out is written to the membership log as a Group / Joined entry whose text is Rippled (logs.text = 'Rippled', with no acting user). This is purely for provenance and audit - you do not need to do anything with it. It lets us distinguish ripple-joins from manual or organic joins, and it is used internally to suppress the per-group welcome email (replaced by a single bundled intro) and to exclude these joins from the "seen on many groups" spam check.

	==Links==		==Links==

Jacky at 10:55, 1 August 2026

2026-08-01T10:55:03Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:55, 1 August 2026
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	Over time, analysis of how quickly and widely posts were successful showed that this wasn't the most efficient way to get items reused. So in June 2026, the website and app adopted a different way of distributing posts: rippling out. This was announced on Central on 21 June 2026: https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/rippling-out/9808		Over time, analysis of how quickly and widely posts were successful showed that this wasn't the most efficient way to get items reused. So in June 2026, the website and app adopted a different way of distributing posts: rippling out. This was announced on Central on 21 June 2026: https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/rippling-out/9808

	In short, posts become visible to people gradually, starting with those closest and spreading outwards over time. Broadly, there are outward steps at: 1h, 3h, 6h, 12h, 24h, 48h, 72h, 120h (5 days), and 168h (7 days).		In short, posts become visible to people gradually, starting with those closest and spreading outwards over time. Broadly, there are outward steps at: 1h, 3h, 6h, 12h, 24h, 48h, 72h, 120h (5 days), and 168h (7 days), which happen between 06:00 and 23:00. A post made late evening does its overnight steps at 6am.

	==Rippling out: a guide for moderators==		==Rippling out: a guide for moderators==
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	(Back to Pending now works differently from Delete/Reject: it keeps each community's copy for per-group review and does not re-ripple on re-approval - see Reporting a post below.)		(Back to Pending now works differently from Delete/Reject: it keeps each community's copy for per-group review and does not re-ripple on re-approval - see Reporting a post below.)

	The poster is also removed from any community they'd been auto-joined to only to carry that post (i.e. where they have no other posts). They keep their home community and any community where they have other activity, and - because this is a tidy-up rather than them choosing to leave - a later post of theirs can still ripple into those communities normally.		===Reporting a post===

	~~The clean-up happens on the next rippling run (within about a minute), not the instant you click - so a rippled copy may linger very briefly before it disappears.~~

	~~(Back to Pending now works differently from Delete/Reject: it keeps each community's copy for per-group review and does not re-ripple on re-approval - see~~ Reporting a post ~~below.)~~

	~~===Reporting a post===~~
	There are two different actions here, on two different sites, and it helps to keep them straight:		There are two different actions here, on two different sites, and it helps to keep them straight:
			*Reporting is a Freegle-site (FD) action - the Report this post link members (and you) use while browsing the Freegle website.
			*Approve / Reject / Back to Pending are ModTools (MT) actions - what you do to a post in your moderation queue.

	~~Reporting is a Freegle-site (FD) action - the Report this post link members (and you) use while browsing the Freegle website.~~
	~~Approve / Reject / Back to Pending are ModTools (MT) actions - what you do to a post in your moderation queue.~~
	Reporting now has teeth: enough member reports, or a single moderator's report, pull the post back into your Pending queue in ModTools for review, rather than only sending a message to the volunteers.		Reporting now has teeth: enough member reports, or a single moderator's report, pull the post back into your Pending queue in ModTools for review, rather than only sending a message to the volunteers.

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	When two different members flag the same post, it is moved back to Pending on every community it is on - its home community and every community it had rippled into. From that point:		When two different members flag the same post, it is moved back to Pending on every community it is on - its home community and every community it had rippled into. From that point:
			*The post is hidden from members and stops rippling any further while it is under review.
	The post is hidden from members and stops rippling any further while it is under review.		*The copies are not deleted - each community keeps its own copy in its Pending queue.
	The copies are not deleted - each community keeps its own copy in its Pending queue.		*Each community's moderators decide for themselves whether to approve or reject their own copy. One community's decision does not affect another's.
	Each community's moderators decide for themselves whether to approve or reject their own copy. One community's decision does not affect another's.
	Two members flagging a post is treated as "worth a look everywhere", not "definitely bad". It simply puts the post in front of every affected community's moderators - you still make the call.		Two members flagging a post is treated as "worth a look everywhere", not "definitely bad". It simply puts the post in front of every affected community's moderators - you still make the call.

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	When you use Report this post on the Freegle site, the report dialog shows every community the post is on and lets you choose which ones to report it on - with an All communities option to select them all at once.		When you use Report this post on the Freegle site, the report dialog shows every community the post is on and lets you choose which ones to report it on - with an All communities option to select them all at once.

	~~Reporting~~ it on a ~~community~~ moves ~~that community's copy straight~~ to Pending - ~~your~~ moderator judgement counts on its own, no quorum needed.		Be clear about what that choice does, because it is narrower than it looks:
	~~Choose All communities~~ to ~~pull~~ the post everywhere ~~in one go (~~the same ~~effect~~ as Back to Pending in ModTools~~) when it is bad for everyone~~.		clear about what that choice does, because it is narrower than it looks:
	~~Communities you don~~'~~t pick are left alone -~~ their copy ~~stays live~~. If a post is fine for one community but not another, ~~report~~ it ~~only where~~ it ~~is a problem~~.		*The tick boxes control who gets told. Each community you pick gets a message to its mod team, so the right people see your reasons.
			*The pend is always everywhere. Whichever communities you tick, your report moves the post to Pending on every community it is on - its home community and every rippled copy. Your moderator judgement counts on its own, with no quorum needed, and it is not scoped to the communities you picked.
			*Scoping the pend to just the reported community was tried and did not work: the other copies stayed live in browse and went out in the next digest, so a post one moderator had judged bad was still circulating everywhere else.
			*So a moderator's report has the same reach as Back to Pending in ModTools. Each community's moderators then decide their own copy, and a copy that is fine locally is simply approved again.

			If a post is fine for one community but not another, do not use Report to trim it - reject your own community's copy instead (the low-stakes secondary rejection described above). That removes it from your area and leaves every other community's copy live.

	====Approving or rejecting a reported post (in ModTools)====		====Approving or rejecting a reported post (in ModTools)====
	Once a post is Pending from a report, you handle your community's copy in ModTools exactly as normal:		Once a post is Pending from a report, you handle your community's copy in ModTools exactly as normal:
			*Approve puts it back live on your community. Members are not emailed again - it simply reappears; there are no duplicate "new post" notifications, and it does not re-ripple out from scratch.
			*Reject removes it from your community only (the usual low-stakes secondary rejection; the poster is not told). Other communities are unaffected.

	~~Approve puts it back live on your community. Members are not emailed again - it simply reappears; there are no duplicate "new post" notifications, and it does not re-ripple out from scratch.~~
	~~Reject removes it from your community only (the usual low-stakes secondary rejection; the poster is not told). Other communities are unaffected.~~
	A post being held (shown as "held by" a moderator) is per community, on that community's own Pending copy, and only applies while the copy is Pending. It is independent: a copy being held on one community has no effect on the same post's copy on any other community. You approve or reject your own community's copy regardless of whether another community has held, approved, or rejected theirs.		A post being held (shown as "held by" a moderator) is per community, on that community's own Pending copy, and only applies while the copy is Pending. It is independent: a copy being held on one community has no effect on the same post's copy on any other community. You approve or reject your own community's copy regardless of whether another community has held, approved, or rejected theirs.

Jacky: /* Rejecting or removing a post on its home community */

2026-07-22T10:06:25Z

Rejecting or removing a post on its home community

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:06, 22 July 2026
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	The poster is also removed from any community they'd been auto-joined to only to carry that post (i.e. where they have no other posts). They keep their home community and any community where they have other activity, and - because this is a tidy-up rather than them choosing to leave - a later post of theirs can still ripple into those communities normally.		The poster is also removed from any community they'd been auto-joined to only to carry that post (i.e. where they have no other posts). They keep their home community and any community where they have other activity, and - because this is a tidy-up rather than them choosing to leave - a later post of theirs can still ripple into those communities normally.

			The clean-up happens on the next rippling run (within about a minute), not the instant you click - so a rippled copy may linger very briefly before it disappears.

			(Back to Pending now works differently from Delete/Reject: it keeps each community's copy for per-group review and does not re-ripple on re-approval - see Reporting a post below.)

			===Reporting a post===
			There are two different actions here, on two different sites, and it helps to keep them straight:

			Reporting is a Freegle-site (FD) action - the Report this post link members (and you) use while browsing the Freegle website.
			Approve / Reject / Back to Pending are ModTools (MT) actions - what you do to a post in your moderation queue.
			Reporting now has teeth: enough member reports, or a single moderator's report, pull the post back into your Pending queue in ModTools for review, rather than only sending a message to the volunteers.

			====When members report (on the Freegle site)====
			A member's report is a review vote. Reports made with Report this post on the Freegle site and the in-app "Does this look OK?" microvolunteering checks count the same way - they are both members saying "something's not right" about a post.

			When two different members flag the same post, it is moved back to Pending on every community it is on - its home community and every community it had rippled into. From that point:

			The post is hidden from members and stops rippling any further while it is under review.
			The copies are not deleted - each community keeps its own copy in its Pending queue.
			Each community's moderators decide for themselves whether to approve or reject their own copy. One community's decision does not affect another's.
			Two members flagging a post is treated as "worth a look everywhere", not "definitely bad". It simply puts the post in front of every affected community's moderators - you still make the call.

			====When you (a moderator) report (also on the Freegle site)====
			When you use Report this post on the Freegle site, the report dialog shows every community the post is on and lets you choose which ones to report it on - with an All communities option to select them all at once.

			Reporting it on a community moves that community's copy straight to Pending - your moderator judgement counts on its own, no quorum needed.
			Choose All communities to pull the post everywhere in one go (the same effect as Back to Pending in ModTools) when it is bad for everyone.
			Communities you don't pick are left alone - their copy stays live. If a post is fine for one community but not another, report it only where it is a problem.

			====Approving or rejecting a reported post (in ModTools)====
			Once a post is Pending from a report, you handle your community's copy in ModTools exactly as normal:

			Approve puts it back live on your community. Members are not emailed again - it simply reappears; there are no duplicate "new post" notifications, and it does not re-ripple out from scratch.
			Reject removes it from your community only (the usual low-stakes secondary rejection; the poster is not told). Other communities are unaffected.
			A post being held (shown as "held by" a moderator) is per community, on that community's own Pending copy, and only applies while the copy is Pending. It is independent: a copy being held on one community has no effect on the same post's copy on any other community. You approve or reject your own community's copy regardless of whether another community has held, approved, or rejected theirs.

			Because each community's copy is independent and stays put, a reported post cannot flip-flop: one community approving it will never re-create a copy on a community that has rejected it.

			====Moving a post back to pending in ModTools====
			You don't have to go via the Freegle site at all. Moving a post from Approved back to Pending in ModTools - the ordinary moderation action - now does the same thing as a report: it pulls the post to Pending on every community it is on (its home community and every rippled copy), not just yours.

			So one moderator catching a problem in ModTools takes the post off the board everywhere for review, instead of leaving live copies stranded on the neighbouring communities you cannot see. As with a report, the copies are kept (not deleted), each community approves or rejects its own, and re-approving brings a copy back without re-notifying members or re-rippling from scratch.

	===Trash Nothing posts===		===Trash Nothing posts===

Jacky: /* Rejecting or removing a post on its home community */

2026-07-22T10:00:11Z

Rejecting or removing a post on its home community

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:00, 22 July 2026
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	This is exactly what you want when you catch spam or a rule-breaking post on its home community: dealing with it once removes it everywhere, instead of leaving live copies on neighbouring communities it had already reached.		This is exactly what you want when you catch spam or a rule-breaking post on its home community: dealing with it once removes it everywhere, instead of leaving live copies on neighbouring communities it had already reached.

			The clean-up happens on the next rippling run (within about a minute), not the instant you click - so a rippled copy may linger very briefly before it disappears.

			(Back to Pending now works differently from Delete/Reject: it keeps each community's copy for per-group review and does not re-ripple on re-approval - see Reporting a post below.)

	The poster is also removed from any community they'd been auto-joined to only to carry that post (i.e. where they have no other posts). They keep their home community and any community where they have other activity, and - because this is a tidy-up rather than them choosing to leave - a later post of theirs can still ripple into those communities normally.		The poster is also removed from any community they'd been auto-joined to only to carry that post (i.e. where they have no other posts). They keep their home community and any community where they have other activity, and - because this is a tidy-up rather than them choosing to leave - a later post of theirs can still ripple into those communities normally.