11409 Groups and accessibility of information

Here is a comprehensive list of all the current Social Groups and their accessibility.

[B]Pet's corner[/B]
This group is for anyone needing or having information on pet ownership and animal welfare.

[I]Public group (any member can join) messages and some photos visible to all[/I]

[B]Attenzione[/B]
This is merely a notice board where you can post useful bits of information you have gleaned. Anything useful, say about the safety of stick throwing for dogs to the next festa in Cellino or...

[I]Public group (any member can join)
Messages hidden.[/I]

[B]GARDENING[/B]
A place to share information and tips for all the lovers of gardening and plants.

[I]Public group (any member can join) messages visible to all[/I]

[B]Recipes[/B]
Always looking for new recipes

[I]Public group (any member can join) messages visible to all[/I]

[B]Sully's pups[/B]
A group where you wonderful adopters of these puppies can post your pictures, and tell us of their progress!

[I]Public group (any member can join) messages and some photos visible to all[/I]

[B]
World News[/B]
This is a discussion group, where members may discuss anything topical, whether it pertains to Italy or not.

[I]Invite Only group. Messages only visible to members of the group.[/I]

[B]new to tuscany[/B]
have just bought property outside Volterra looking for people with information on area

[I]Public group (any member can join) messages and some photos visible to all[/I]

[B]Puglia[/B]
A group for Pugliese and Pugliese wannabes,

[I]Invite Only group. Messages only visible to members of the group.[/I]

[B]American-Italian[/B]
For Americans on the forum, because the rules & regs are different for non-EU members.

[I]Public group (any member can join) messages visible to all[/I]

[B]
Liguria[/B]
Information sharing and networking in Liguria.

[I]Public group (any member can join)
Messages hidden.[/I]

[B]Ins and Outs of Buying Property in Italy[/B]
For everyone interested in the whole buying process, agents and their shenanigans, legalities, contracts, clauses and everything else involved in the transfer of property from one party to another.

[I]Public group (any member can join) Messages hidden.[/I]

[B]New Buyers In Calabria[/B]
Looking for people who have either invested in or are moving to Calabria, to share information about the area

[I]Public group (any member can join) messages visible to all[/I]

[B]Below the radar[/B]
Wrinkles on forum usage, and 'did you know' offerings! (And did you want to.) As well, it is an experiment on how "invite only" groups work.

[I]Invite Only group. Messages only visible to members of the group.[/I]

[B]Adorable Abruzzo[/B]
A group for IM Forum members who own homes in Abruzzo.....who've been 'through the mill' as it were.

[I]Invite Only group. Messages only visible to members of the group.[/I]

[B]'High Culture' Group[/B]
A group for those who visit, or who have come to live in Italy, for the art, music, opera, theatre and classical history of the country.

[I]Invite Only group. Messages only visible to members of the group.[/I]

[B]UK TV[/B]
a place to share info on forthcoming UK TV programs featuring Italy

[I]Public group (any member can join) There are no messages .[/I]

I can understand why Invite Only groups have messages which are visible only to their members, as these groups function as places for private conversation, but can someone explain the reasoning behind hiding the messages in Public Groups? If the information is for public consumption why hide it from non members?

I know that anyone who is a forum member can join but these forums and groups are viewed by guests too who might benefit from the information.:veryconfused:

Category
Italy Magazine Forums - Announcements & Queries - No Longer Applicable

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 09:07

I agree with you about it being strange to hide messages in public groups - it is a choice made by the person who sets up the group, so perhaps some of the poeple who have set up groups haven't ticked the correct box.

But seeing group photos; - as you have mentioned a non-member can see a few pictures, but they can't look at the rest of the pictures in a group without joining the group. That seems silly to me when it is a public group, and the 'box you have to tick' gives the impression that all content (messages and images) will be publicly visible.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 10:03

I think that if the group is open to all, photos should also be available without restrictions.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 10:10

You are right Charles it is silly that the last five pictures are visible to non-members but if you click to ‘view pictures’ it tells you that you can only view or add pictures if you are a member of the group! I can understand why only group members can add pictures but not why guests can’t view them.

I made World News an invite only group with hidden messages so that what is discussed in the group is not visible to guests who are not even forum members and as it is a ‘specialist’ group in the fact that members chose to talk about subjects that have nothing to do with Italy and the conversations are therefore kept separate from the magazine.

Pets Corner is public because the information contained can be valuable to members and guests alike.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Tue, 01/13/2009 - 10:13

[quote=Gala Placidia;108017]I think that if the group is open to all, photos should also be available without restrictions.[/quote]

I agree Gala, but the software does not give the group’s creator that option.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 11:00

Does anyone share my opinion that the whole groups idea makes the forum too complex.
I haven't joined any group, and don't really see how it helps to take many fairly mundane subjects out of the loop - maybe that's it! -
I did ask for Sulleys pups to have a permanent position, and I still think that's a good idea - but couldn't it be an album?
I can see the need for albums.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 13:23

Actually I think the groups are really good, and people with a common interest can talk amongst themselves without detracting from the general forum. Over a particular difficult time due to the illness of my cat I have found it a great help and support. But not everyone I can appreciate is an animal lover, so rather than post it on the main forum the group has been invaluable.
A

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 14:00

[quote=Neil T;108125]Does anyone share my opinion that the whole groups idea makes the forum too complex.
I haven't joined any group, and don't really see how it helps to take many fairly mundane subjects out of the loop - maybe that's it! -
I did ask for Sulleys pups to have a permanent position, and I still think that's a good idea - but couldn't it be an album?
I can see the need for albums.[/quote]

NeilT, that's kinda the good thing about the groups - if you're not interested then you don't have to go there.

My problem is with the format. It's a continual list of posts, so it can be a bit difficult keeping track. And if someone posts something 'new' it sort of kills off the previous 'story'.

Don't know what to suggest instead...:reallyembarrassed:

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 14:13

Just accept the limitations here. I do. lol

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 14:40

Sally is, of course, absolutely right. Lets all follow Sally!

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 15:08

[quote=Persephone;108138]
My problem is with the format. It's a continual list of posts, so it can be a bit difficult keeping track. And if someone posts something 'new' it sort of kills off the previous 'story'.

Don't know what to suggest instead...:reallyembarrassed:[/quote]

In the latest stable version of the forum software groups can now have discussions (just like threads in the forums). So your concerns there should not be a problem as that should be eliminated once this site upgrades its software.

When that will happen only the webmaster can advise.

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 15:33

Chillout Hi We have just had an upgrade complete with the inevitable "glitches"!!! lol

Submitted by Anonymous (not verified) on Wed, 01/14/2009 - 17:55

[quote=chillout;108144]In the latest stable version of the forum software groups can now have discussions (just like threads in the forums). So your concerns there should not be a problem as that should be eliminated once this site upgrades its software.

When that will happen only the webmaster can advise.[/quote]

Chillout, you are probably referring to the latest version of V Bulletin , but this site is now (since the upgrade) run by istos.it so who knows what is available!!
:veryconfused: