Cross-posting: Difference between revisions

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Many groups have a policy on restricting cross-posting. This is when a member sends an Offer or Wanted request to more than one group at the same time. Cross-posting is particularly common in built up areas where there are lots of Freegle groups that are very close together.  
==Background==
Cross-posting is when a member sends an Offer or Wanted post to more than one community at the same time. It's particularly useful for members who live near several communities.


= Problems with allowing cross posting:  =
Some communities discourage cross-posting, or ask members to wait a day or two before reposting elsewhere.


*It drastically increases the number of messages in each group, pushing more local posts off the front page.
The change in December 2021 to how posts are shown to members - based on distance rather than group boundaries - should help reduce cross-posting problems over time, as people get a better response without needing to cross-post. Anyone who wants to see a post from outside their "normal area" (20 miles from their postcode, or their local community boundary) can do so by adjusting the distance in their settings.


*Members who have joined more than one group see an unnecessary repetition of posts.
If the people cross-posting are using Trash Nothing, moderators can disable it there - there's a "Disallow crossposting to all other groups" setting on TN.


*It’s not fair to the poster’s home community & is against the spirit of local groups.
==Advantages of cross-posting==
*It's more convenient for a member who needs to dispose of or acquire something than posting to one community at a time.
*It can increase the number of messages in each community, making them more useful and highlighting items outside a member's usual boundary.


*It wastes fuel and increases pollution if items are given to members of non-local groups.
==Disadvantages of cross-posting==
*It increases the number of messages in each community.
*It could be seen as against the local spirit of Freegle.
*It could encourage extra travel and fuel use, although members always have that choice, and may be travelling similar distances anyway as part of their usual social and work life.


= Problems with restricting cross posting=
==Problems with restricting cross-posting==
*It can be time-consuming to monitor.
*Unless all surrounding communities have a similar policy, it can be confusing for members.
*It may lead to complaints.


*It is time consuming to monitor, although not if you use ModTools: http://wiki.modtools.org/index.php?title=Main_Page
==Managing cross-posting restrictions==
If you want to restrict cross-posting, you need to decide on a period - some communities ask members to wait 24-48 hours between posts. Explain to members why you have a "no cross-posting" rule, and make sure it's clear in your published community rules.


*Unless all surrounding groups have a similar policy it can be confusing to members where groups  have different rules.
Admins: [[Crossposting]] and [[Keep it Local|Keeping It Local]]


*It may lead to moderators having to deal with more complaints.
Back to [[Specific Circumstances]]


*Many mods feel that it is too restrictive.
[[Category:Difficult Situations & Problems]]
 
= How to handle cross-posting:  =
 
If you do decide to restrict cross-posting you need to decide on a period. Usually groups ask members to wait 24-48 hours between posts. You may reject posts outright that are too far away e.g. further than 5 miles from the group or beyond your neighbouring group's area (this can depend on the kind of area your group covers (urban or rural) and how many neighbouring groups you have). Explain to members why you have a 'no cross-posting' rule, they're usually quite understanding when they know the reasons
 
Admins on [[Crossposting]] and [[Keep it Local|Keeping It Local]]
 
<br>
 
''Moderation Extension reference/s:''
 
'''Checking for crossposts''' = http://wiki.modplugin.org/Checking_for_crossposts
 
<br> Back to [[Specific Circumstances]]
 
[[Category:Specific_Problems]]

Latest revision as of 12:00, 17 July 2026

Background

Cross-posting is when a member sends an Offer or Wanted post to more than one community at the same time. It's particularly useful for members who live near several communities.

Some communities discourage cross-posting, or ask members to wait a day or two before reposting elsewhere.

The change in December 2021 to how posts are shown to members - based on distance rather than group boundaries - should help reduce cross-posting problems over time, as people get a better response without needing to cross-post. Anyone who wants to see a post from outside their "normal area" (20 miles from their postcode, or their local community boundary) can do so by adjusting the distance in their settings.

If the people cross-posting are using Trash Nothing, moderators can disable it there - there's a "Disallow crossposting to all other groups" setting on TN.

Advantages of cross-posting

  • It's more convenient for a member who needs to dispose of or acquire something than posting to one community at a time.
  • It can increase the number of messages in each community, making them more useful and highlighting items outside a member's usual boundary.

Disadvantages of cross-posting

  • It increases the number of messages in each community.
  • It could be seen as against the local spirit of Freegle.
  • It could encourage extra travel and fuel use, although members always have that choice, and may be travelling similar distances anyway as part of their usual social and work life.

Problems with restricting cross-posting

  • It can be time-consuming to monitor.
  • Unless all surrounding communities have a similar policy, it can be confusing for members.
  • It may lead to complaints.

Managing cross-posting restrictions

If you want to restrict cross-posting, you need to decide on a period - some communities ask members to wait 24-48 hours between posts. Explain to members why you have a "no cross-posting" rule, and make sure it's clear in your published community rules.

Admins: Crossposting and Keeping It Local

Back to Specific Circumstances