Moderated Groups -- or not?

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Debbie Kennett on July 15, 2009 at 7:50am

Richard, I think most people have gone for an unmoderated group. If you're setting up a group for your surname you want as many people as possible to see the pages. It's probably only woth having a private group if you want to set up a family group to share family photos that you don't want to share with the whole of the world wide web. Look at the difference between the Northumbria group which is moderated and the Devon group which is unmoderated. Once you have set up the group it is not possible to change the moderation settings. If people add inappropriate comments or discussions it's very easy to remove them in an unmoderated group.

Permalink Reply by Andrew Young for Margaret Young on July 15, 2009 at 3:18pm

I also set up a moderated Group called the Breadmore One-Name Study, but when I realised that it would essentially be 'private' I set up another group which is unmoderated called Breadmore Genealogy. Maybe you could do the same?

Permalink Reply by Margaret Cullingworth on July 15, 2009 at 3:22pm

Do you mean you have set it so that people wanting to join the group have to be approved? I've done that with mine and now I am having second thoughts. Supposing I was out of action - ill, or even gone to join my ancestors? I'd like to think the group would continue. So I'm planning to change it so that anyone can join.

Permalink Reply by Debbie Kennett on July 15, 2009 at 4:34pm

Once you've set the group up as moderated or unmoderated you can't change the settings. With the moderated groups you have to approve people before they join they group. The big disadvantage however is that none of your group's features (ie the discussion boards and comments) are visible to the general public apart from the group picture and the brief group description which means that the group does not look at all inviting. With the unmoderated groups all the group features are visible and anyone can join at any time. This does mean that as the site grows there is potential for spammers to join your group and post spam. It is however easy to remove the comments and discussions - so long of course as you're around to do so. Various people have suggested to GW that the moderated groups should be set up in a different way and they are supposed to be looking into it but it is unclear as yet if any changes are feasible.

Permalink Reply by Richard Dexter on July 15, 2009 at 6:06pm

Thank you all. I think i'm going to delete my existing moderated
group and start a new open group.

Permalink Reply by Anne Cole on July 19, 2009 at 3:12pm

That's what I did, Richard. I now have three members! I did copy and past all that I had written into word before deleting the group which made it a lot easier to begin over again.