Freegle Tech Report 14-10-31

Freegle Tech Report October 2014
Posts 13925- 14051
Members 96

General

Everything has been running fairly smoothly this month. Chris Cant has started work on a long awaited phone app for Freegle Direct groups.

Freegle Direct/Facebook

Microsoft domains (Hotmail, Outlook.com, MSN, Windows live)

These domains tend to reject our mails as spam. We are doing a trial of sending to these domains using Amazon SES. This is a paid service, unfortunately. Complaints from these members do seem to be reduced lately but not stopped. Please lookout for this working (e.g. if you're on a Microsoft domain), or other things relating to email digests going wrong.

Lost Groups.

Some of us lost some or all of our group tabs for a day or two. Edward sorted it out as soon as he was able.

Group Logos

These small group logos, were often picked up from the Yahoo groups. They were broken when Yahoo introduced Neo. Also some groups never had one or used the generic freegle one. Edward is planning some revamping of the Direct website and would like logos on as many groups as possible.
We have some volunteers willing to help put them on. If you have not got one coded you will receive an email to your ownere address. You can email kyliedaws88 @ gmail.com if you need help, or have a go yourself..
Here are the instructions:
1) Go to http://s1203.photobucket.com/user/kylied2010/library/Freegle
If not there you can try a few on here
http://s1319.photobucket.com/user/Dorothy_Jean_Quinn/library/Group%20Logos?sort=4&page=1
If you can’t find one for your group ask.
2) You will need to look for your group's logo (there are two pages) and click on it.Once opened, on the right hand side under 'share links' click on the one next to 'direct' and it should automatically copy (it will tell you copied if so.)
3) Go to your group's Freegle Direct settings page:
http://direct.ilovefreegle.org/republisher_group_settings.php?groupname=GROUPNAME
4) Under 'Group Appearance' scroll to 'Group Logo for FD/FB' and paste in the link you just copied.
5) Scroll down and save settings.

Digests

If you have any former members complaining about receiving the Events digest, please email support @ gmail.com and they will stop them for you.. We will be able to supply the link for groups to do it themselves when Edward finds time to detach it from some confidential stuff.

Events

Events on Facebook.

Sometimes members complain that the wrong time is shown on events put on Facebook.
This seems to be caused when members have not signed into Facebook but click on the link to the events. Signing in, will revert it to UK time and not USA which seems to be the default.

Removing Events.

It has been reported that removal of events via the website it not currently working. They appear to go but return when you next log in. We don’t know if finding the original verification email and clicking refuse will still work. If you find it doesn’t please let us know, Edward will be looking at this soon.

Mapping

This seems to have corrected itself now. The mapping limits imposed by Google are making it difficult for moderators, which Edward hopes to address in his rework of Freegle Direct. The directions function is little used and may be taken off altogether.

Q&A

Q (User not a member) If I get the FD member list sent to me will that show me everyone that FD thinks is a member, so I can compare it to the group?
A Yes, but very time consuming and a bit pointless. When you get one, check all the activity logs on Yahoo you can see if they have joined, left again, or not made the list. If they are showing under mod activity as being removed then check to see why in your database or records. No problems, then just send the FBuser email address an email only invite. Wait until it gets on the list and ask the member to repost their message.
Q Is there anyway replies to posts can be left on the members post tab for a couple of weeks after the taken. When there is a no show I would like to go to the list to email another member.
A Not really, I think it would be more annoying to members to leave them on.
Q.I am doing a presentation and I am not exactly clear what all the options are for so maybe the members don't know either. Maybe the members don’t know either?
There are a couple of pages here to explain the Direct options. I think it would be a bit confusing for most new members and mods though until they have the basics. If anyone can do a tidier job feel free to have a go. .http://wiki.ilovefreegle.org/My_Settings_Tab
http://wiki.ilovefreegle.org/Freegle_Direct_Members_View
Q It has been suggested that when we respond to a member post on Direct copies are kept on our 'My Post' tab.
A. Edward will consider it, and Chris intends to incorporate this feature into the phone app.
Q Can someone point me to the way non FD members can view and or sign up for community events?
A If they have a Yahoo ID or Google email they can just sign in at http://freegle.in/group short link and click on add event on the right hand side.
Q We've had a member that has deleted their post from Freegle Direct, but they want to post a taken message, how would they do this?
A Give them the link to the group message maker and ask them to use the same subject link just choosing taken instead of offered.
Q This member has been marked as a spammer but is a genuine member with good reason to join these groups. How can I get this changed?
If it is an FBuser then email Geeks @ Ilovefreegle.org. If not then you have to join the spammer group at
fcmodspammers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com and ask there.
Q I changed the delivery setting for an FBUser to Individual Emails on 3 occasions in the last few days but it keeps reverting to No Emails. I am making the change at the Yahoo group page.
A Direct members emails are controlled by their settings on Direct. They have to change them on their ‘My Settings’ tab.
FB memberships are automatically reverted to ‘No Email’ or the app would receive every message x the number of users.
Trash Nothing
Q I've just had a reply from a TN member to an offer I made. His reply to me came from ????? but his email has also gone to the group, but appears to have come from a different email. on Modtools and Yahoo. Any idea what has happened?
A It sounds like that person accidentally hit Reply All and sent their reply to both the group and to your TN email address. They aren't a member of TN but you are. When emails are sent to your TN email address from non-TN members, they are forwarded to you through TN which causes the From address you see in these emails to be an @user.trashnothing.com address and the Reply-To is set to be the non-TN member's real address ... in this case).
Yahoo.
Some of you will have noticed that you can no longer unban a member who has been banned. You have to remove them from the group, and then ask them to apply again or send them an invite. Check the Yahoo ID has not been banned separately as well.

Jean
Freegle Tech.

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