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Members use Chat to communicate with each other about a post/transaction.  Volunteers do not have access to these chats, but if a problem arises the Support Team can be asked to have a look to see if they can find any information to resolve it.
Members use Chat to communicate with each other about a post or transaction.


==Chat Review in ModTools==
:''See also: [[Spammers#Chat Review]]''


The background and reasons for not giving all volunteers access to this is :
Volunteers see a Chat Review if the system has picked up one of the stored 'worry words' - such as a reference to money, swearing, a phone number, or an email address.


It was pointed out by a volunteer that there was a potential issue, since this constitutes interception of communication under the PECR legislation, which covers people reading communications between other people.
You'll see chat messages in ModTools for review if the recipient is a member of one of your communities. You might see some where the conversation is about a post on another community, because the system can't reliably tell whether a message relates to a specific post, multiple posts, or no post at all. It's fine to act on a message if you see it, but unless it looks urgent it's better to leave it for volunteers on the community the item was posted on.


Edward therefore contacted the Office of the Interception of Communications Commissioner, who was at that time the regulator of this area (it has now been absorbed into the ICO). Their job was normally to check that the police were doing legal things with warrants - for example they have a tool that spots cut and paste text in interception warrants.
It's not our role to interfere with the flow of a member's chat, but if we happen to find violations of our rules, we're allowed to act on them. It's important to deal with messages in Chat Review as quickly as possible, so nothing gets missed.


To Edward's surprise, a guy came and sat in his living room to talk to him about it. They discussed the various circumstances under which it was and wasn't legitimate to do this for Freegle, and agreed that it was legitimate that in order to protect the system against spammer and scammer attacks.
Use 'Add Moderator message' to let members know their chat has been reviewed, and to flag if they've broken a rule - such as offering an item for sale in response to a Wanted post. This message goes to both sides of the chat, so word it accordingly. Please sign the message and say which community inserted it.


If a member reports a conversation then that is also a legit reason.  It's best when they use the Report option on chat - which also means we have a record of that consent.
Sometimes it's hard to see why a message was flagged for review - see this Discourse discussion of false positives in Chat (August 2024): https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/false-positives-of-spam-in-chats/7793


However a more general ability for volunteers to "spy" on the communications between members without their knowledge or consent, and without any specific reason, was much more dubious.
'Remove highlighted emails' removes email addresses - they're colour-coded so you can see which will be removed. Use this, for example, for email signatures where an address is clearly not meant as contact information, it's just ended up in there.


So there are legitimate legal reasons why we need to be careful here.  If volunteers can get one of the members to use the Report option then they will be able to see the whole of the chat. If not, then Support can help.
Some web links and incomplete links are also removed, to help protect against spam.


Volunteers on the local community can 'Approve and whitelist' to let future messages through without review for the next few days. We usually let "out of office" replies through, as it's useful for members to know when a mailbox isn't being monitored.


'''List of types of chat messages'''
'''Quicker Chat Review''' - a blue notification shows chat reviews for other communities. Chat messages between members are sometimes sent for review to check they're OK. They'll always show for you if the recipient is a member of your community, but some local volunteers opt to also show them to other Freegle volunteers who've chosen this setting. If a chat is clearly innocent, remote volunteers can quickly approve it. Otherwise, if it should be rejected or is debatable, leave it for volunteers on the local community, as only they can take other actions. See https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/messages-delayed-in-chat-review/4633/82 for details.


These are the types of chat message and when they’re generated.
If a held chat isn't reviewed within 48 hours, an email alert is sent to volunteers on any community either member is on, and to the Mentors.


*“Default” - the normal ones you type.
==Types of chat message==
*“ModMail” - messages sent by mods to members.
These are the types of chat message and when they're generated:
*“System” - not used
*“Interested” - when you reply to a post, including the text you typed
*“Promised” - when you click the Promise button to promise to someone
*“Reneged” - when you click the Unpromise button.
*“ReportedUser” - sent to mods when you’ve reported a chat
*“Completed” - when you mark a post as TAKEN/RECEIVED (the one you mention below).
*“Image” - when you send a photo.
*“Address” - when you use the address book to send an address
*“Nudge” - when you click the Nudge button.
*“Schedule” and “ScheduleUpdated”- when you set/update your availability.


*"Default" - the normal ones you type
*"ModMail" - messages sent by mods to members
*"System" - not used
*"Interested" - when you reply to a post, including the text you typed
*"Promised" - when you click the [[Promise button]] to promise an item to someone
*"Reneged" - when you click the Unpromise button
*"ReportedUser" - sent to mods when you've reported a chat
*"Completed" - when you mark a post as TAKEN/RECEIVED
*"Image" - when you send a photo
*"Address" - when you use the address book to send an address
*"Nudge" - when you click the Nudge button
*"Schedule" and "ScheduleUpdated" - when you set or update your availability


'''Status of Chats'''
==Status of chats==
All chats are sent by email, and all emails are recorded in chat. The icons are:
*Grey tick - we've sent it to the server
*Envelope - we've sent it out by email, but don't know whether it's been read
*Green tick - it's been read on the site or (sometimes) by email


All chats are sent out via email and all emails are recorded in chat.  A member can see that a chat has been read by the other member if a green tick shows at the bottom left of that chat - we add that if we definitely know it has been seen.  An envelope indicates that the chat has been sent out via email, which might mean it's been read, but further than that we can't guarantee.
We can sometimes tell whether an email has been read, and we try to, but it's not guaranteed - so it's possible for mail to have been read without us knowing. These explanations are available if you mouse over or click the icon, though few people would do that on mobile.


'''Hiding Chats'''
==Deleting chats==
Since 18.8.23, members have had a button to delete a chat. If clicked, a pop-up asks: "Are you sure? We will delete this from our system so you will no longer see it here. The other freegler may have received the message by email - we can't delete that. Are you sure you want to delete the message?" with Cancel or Confirm buttons. If confirmed, they see a message confirming it's been deleted (or an error). The chat message's contents are replaced with "(Message deleted)".


Members can't delete a chat, but they can hide it from their list. There is a a small downwards chevron on the top right of each chat. Click on that and the option ot hide the chat from view is offered. 
Announcement: https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/deleting-chat-messages/6554


The system also hides any chat not active in the past 30 days from view.  That chat can be accessed by searching for it in chat search box at the top of the chat list.
==Hiding chats==
They don’t disappear if the page just sits there.  But they do disappear once you click on a chat - except if you click on one of the older ones to see that, then that specific one stays visible.  
There's a small downward chevron at the top right of each chat. Click it for the option to hide the chat from view.


Members can't delete a chat outright, but they can hide it from their list. Deletion isn't offered because it could be misleading - although the chat would disappear from our system, it would still have been sent by email, and we can't delete those. Also, every time we add the ability to delete something, people contact us asking how to recover it, even when we've made clear (as with unsubscribing) that it can't be undone. For example, someone might delete a chat they think they no longer want, then change their mind later and want it back. We also want to be able to see chat messages in Support, even if a member has hidden them.
The system also hides any chat that hasn't been active in the past 30 days. That chat can still be found by searching for it in the chat search box at the top of the chat list. Chats don't disappear just because the page sits open - but they do disappear once you click on a chat, except that if you click on an older one to view it, that specific chat stays visible.
Chats remain in the system until:
*the user actively unsubscribes, or
*all of the following are true:
**they were added six months ago
**they're not on any communities
**they haven't logged in for six months
**they're not on the spammer list
**they have no mod notes
**they have no logs for six months
==Blocking a member==
Chat lets a member block another member. If member A blocks member B, member A can no longer see the chat - but member B still can. This means member B doesn't realise they've been blocked, which reduces "why has A blocked me" complaints; they simply stop getting replies to anything they send.
==Unhiding and unblocking chats==
Since December 2023, members can get to their hidden or blocked chats and unhide or unblock them. If there are unread messages in those chats, a count shows next to the number of such chats, so members can choose to view them.
Announcement: https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/unhiding-unblocking-chats/6927
==Access to chats==
Volunteers don't have access to other members' chats, but if a problem arises, the Support Team can be asked to look into it.
The background to this: a volunteer pointed out that reading communications between other people could constitute interception of communication under PECR legislation. Edward contacted the (then) regulator, the Office of the Interception of Communications Commissioner, whose usual job was checking that police were doing lawful things with warrants (they've since been absorbed into the ICO). A representative visited to discuss the circumstances under which it was and wasn't legitimate for Freegle to access chats, and agreed it was legitimate to do so in order to protect the system against spammer and scammer attacks.
If a member reports a conversation, that's also a legitimate reason to look - it's best when they use the Report option on chat, which also gives us a record of their consent. A more general ability for volunteers to read chat between members without their knowledge or consent, and without a specific reason, would be much more dubious.
So there are legitimate legal reasons to be careful here. If volunteers can persuade one of the members to use the Report option, they can see the whole chat. Otherwise, Support can help.


Link: [[ModTools]]
Link: [[ModTools]]


[[category:ModTools]]
[[Category:Moderating with ModTools]]

Latest revision as of 12:00, 17 July 2026

Members use Chat to communicate with each other about a post or transaction.

Chat Review in ModTools

See also: Spammers#Chat Review

Volunteers see a Chat Review if the system has picked up one of the stored 'worry words' - such as a reference to money, swearing, a phone number, or an email address.

You'll see chat messages in ModTools for review if the recipient is a member of one of your communities. You might see some where the conversation is about a post on another community, because the system can't reliably tell whether a message relates to a specific post, multiple posts, or no post at all. It's fine to act on a message if you see it, but unless it looks urgent it's better to leave it for volunteers on the community the item was posted on.

It's not our role to interfere with the flow of a member's chat, but if we happen to find violations of our rules, we're allowed to act on them. It's important to deal with messages in Chat Review as quickly as possible, so nothing gets missed.

Use 'Add Moderator message' to let members know their chat has been reviewed, and to flag if they've broken a rule - such as offering an item for sale in response to a Wanted post. This message goes to both sides of the chat, so word it accordingly. Please sign the message and say which community inserted it.

Sometimes it's hard to see why a message was flagged for review - see this Discourse discussion of false positives in Chat (August 2024): https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/false-positives-of-spam-in-chats/7793

'Remove highlighted emails' removes email addresses - they're colour-coded so you can see which will be removed. Use this, for example, for email signatures where an address is clearly not meant as contact information, it's just ended up in there.

Some web links and incomplete links are also removed, to help protect against spam.

Volunteers on the local community can 'Approve and whitelist' to let future messages through without review for the next few days. We usually let "out of office" replies through, as it's useful for members to know when a mailbox isn't being monitored.

Quicker Chat Review - a blue notification shows chat reviews for other communities. Chat messages between members are sometimes sent for review to check they're OK. They'll always show for you if the recipient is a member of your community, but some local volunteers opt to also show them to other Freegle volunteers who've chosen this setting. If a chat is clearly innocent, remote volunteers can quickly approve it. Otherwise, if it should be rejected or is debatable, leave it for volunteers on the local community, as only they can take other actions. See https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/messages-delayed-in-chat-review/4633/82 for details.

If a held chat isn't reviewed within 48 hours, an email alert is sent to volunteers on any community either member is on, and to the Mentors.

Types of chat message

These are the types of chat message and when they're generated:

  • "Default" - the normal ones you type
  • "ModMail" - messages sent by mods to members
  • "System" - not used
  • "Interested" - when you reply to a post, including the text you typed
  • "Promised" - when you click the Promise button to promise an item to someone
  • "Reneged" - when you click the Unpromise button
  • "ReportedUser" - sent to mods when you've reported a chat
  • "Completed" - when you mark a post as TAKEN/RECEIVED
  • "Image" - when you send a photo
  • "Address" - when you use the address book to send an address
  • "Nudge" - when you click the Nudge button
  • "Schedule" and "ScheduleUpdated" - when you set or update your availability

Status of chats

All chats are sent by email, and all emails are recorded in chat. The icons are:

  • Grey tick - we've sent it to the server
  • Envelope - we've sent it out by email, but don't know whether it's been read
  • Green tick - it's been read on the site or (sometimes) by email

We can sometimes tell whether an email has been read, and we try to, but it's not guaranteed - so it's possible for mail to have been read without us knowing. These explanations are available if you mouse over or click the icon, though few people would do that on mobile.

Deleting chats

Since 18.8.23, members have had a button to delete a chat. If clicked, a pop-up asks: "Are you sure? We will delete this from our system so you will no longer see it here. The other freegler may have received the message by email - we can't delete that. Are you sure you want to delete the message?" with Cancel or Confirm buttons. If confirmed, they see a message confirming it's been deleted (or an error). The chat message's contents are replaced with "(Message deleted)".

Announcement: https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/deleting-chat-messages/6554

Hiding chats

There's a small downward chevron at the top right of each chat. Click it for the option to hide the chat from view.

Members can't delete a chat outright, but they can hide it from their list. Deletion isn't offered because it could be misleading - although the chat would disappear from our system, it would still have been sent by email, and we can't delete those. Also, every time we add the ability to delete something, people contact us asking how to recover it, even when we've made clear (as with unsubscribing) that it can't be undone. For example, someone might delete a chat they think they no longer want, then change their mind later and want it back. We also want to be able to see chat messages in Support, even if a member has hidden them.

The system also hides any chat that hasn't been active in the past 30 days. That chat can still be found by searching for it in the chat search box at the top of the chat list. Chats don't disappear just because the page sits open - but they do disappear once you click on a chat, except that if you click on an older one to view it, that specific chat stays visible.

Chats remain in the system until:

  • the user actively unsubscribes, or
  • all of the following are true:
    • they were added six months ago
    • they're not on any communities
    • they haven't logged in for six months
    • they're not on the spammer list
    • they have no mod notes
    • they have no logs for six months

Blocking a member

Chat lets a member block another member. If member A blocks member B, member A can no longer see the chat - but member B still can. This means member B doesn't realise they've been blocked, which reduces "why has A blocked me" complaints; they simply stop getting replies to anything they send.

Unhiding and unblocking chats

Since December 2023, members can get to their hidden or blocked chats and unhide or unblock them. If there are unread messages in those chats, a count shows next to the number of such chats, so members can choose to view them.

Announcement: https://discourse.ilovefreegle.org/t/unhiding-unblocking-chats/6927

Access to chats

Volunteers don't have access to other members' chats, but if a problem arises, the Support Team can be asked to look into it.

The background to this: a volunteer pointed out that reading communications between other people could constitute interception of communication under PECR legislation. Edward contacted the (then) regulator, the Office of the Interception of Communications Commissioner, whose usual job was checking that police were doing lawful things with warrants (they've since been absorbed into the ICO). A representative visited to discuss the circumstances under which it was and wasn't legitimate for Freegle to access chats, and agreed it was legitimate to do so in order to protect the system against spammer and scammer attacks.

If a member reports a conversation, that's also a legitimate reason to look - it's best when they use the Report option on chat, which also gives us a record of their consent. A more general ability for volunteers to read chat between members without their knowledge or consent, and without a specific reason, would be much more dubious.

So there are legitimate legal reasons to be careful here. If volunteers can persuade one of the members to use the Report option, they can see the whole chat. Otherwise, Support can help.

Link: ModTools

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