We provide the structure for any FSB member to form a Group where members with common interests may interact. There are two types of groups available. They include public groups and private groups.
The basic structure of a group is that it has a:
- Name.
- Dialog box for providing information on the nature of the group.
- News box for current information that group members might need to know.
- List of members that allows for easy access to each of their profile pages, stories and message centers.
- Group Message Center where any group member may post messages for all of the group members to read. The Message Center has a toolbar similar to that found for submitting stories and excerpts. The message center is an option that is chosen by the group’s administrator. If a group does not provide a message center, then the News dialog box becomes the only form of group communication. This type of group might, for example, be used strictly to post schedules that affect members of the group.
Public Group … Any FSB member may join a public group. If the group has a message center, it may be read by anyone who visits the site.
Private Group … FSB members may request to join a group and must be accepted by an administrator. The administrator may offer an invitation to anyone who is listed as a Contact by the administrator. News and messages posted within a private group may only be viewed by the group’s members.
Here are some sample groups to give you an idea of what might be created. There really is no end to what is possible.
Caring for a Parent
My Autistic Child
Breast Cancer Survivors
The Vancouver Writers’ Forum
Grandparents Raising Grandchildren
Summer Camp for Kids
Latina Pride
We Love Science
Mrs. Jones’ Third Grade Writing Class
There are three categories of group members:
- Administrator
- Moderator
- Member
Administrator: The person who forms the group begins as the group’s administrator. This position has the ability to establish all group guidelines, edit any entries, promote members to moderators and moderators to administrators. An administrator may decide whether or not the group will allow messages to be posted by members within the group’s site. If the group is private, the administrator is the person who decides which other FSB members may join. It is a good idea to have at least two administrators to give the group continuity in event an administrator becomes incapacitated in some way. Any member may quit a group. However, an administrator may not quit or be demoted until another administrator has been named.
Moderator: This function has editing privileges of the News dialog box.
Member: A group member may post messages for the group if messages are allowed. A group member may click on the name of another group member and post a message for just that person.
Search Function: Enter a key word to see if a group exists that includes your word in it’s title.
Here is a sample of how an Administrator invites another member to join a group. The Administrator opens up the Groups category. Clicking on the Send Invites shows a list of the Administrator’s Friends who are not members of this particular group. Click in the box by a Friend’s name and the invitation will be sent. Notice to the right that any pending invitations are shown. The invitation may be removed here before it is accepted. Once the invitation is accepted, that member will show as a member of the group.
