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=


'''Problems with allowing cross posting:'''
Cross posting is when a member sends an Offer or Wanted request to more than one community at the same time. It is particularly useful where members live near to a few communities.


*It drastically increases the number of messages in each group, pushing more local posts off the front page.
Some communities discourage cross posting or ask members to wait a day or two before reposting elsewhere.


*Members who have joined more than one group see an unnecessary repetition of posts.
The recent (December 2021) change in how posts are shown to members, based on distance rather than group boundaries, should have a positive effect on crossposting issues.  We hope that over time people will have less inclination to crosspost because they get a better response without doing so. People who want to see a post out of their 'normal area' (20 miles from their postcode or within their local community boundary) can see it by adjusting the distance on their settings.


*It’s not fair to the poster’s home community & is against the spirit of local groups.
If the crossposters are on trashnothing, moderators can disable that - there’s a “Disallow crossposting to all other groups” setting on TN.


*It wastes fuel and increases pollution if items are given to members of non-local groups.
= Advantages of cross posting: =


'''Problems with restricting cross posting:'''
*If a member needs to dispose of something or acquire something, it is not convenient to have to post to one community at a time.


*It is time consuming to monitor, although not if you use the moderation plug in: http://wiki.modplugin.org/index.php/Checking_for_crossposts
*It can increase the number of messages in each community, making them more useful and highlighting that there are items outside a member's usual boundary.


*Unless all surrounding groups have a similar policy it can be confusing to members where groups have different rules.
= Disadvantages of cross posting:  =


*It may lead to moderators having to deal with more complaints.
*It increases the number of messages in each community.


*Many mods feel that it is too restrictive.
*It could be seen as against the local spirit of Freegle.


'''How to handle cross-posting:'''
*It could encourage more fuel use pollution if members travel specifically a long way to collect, although members do have that choice and could be travelling those distances anyway as part of their usual social and work life.


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
= Problems restricting cross posting:  =


Admins on cross posting and keeping it local
*It can be time consuming to monitor.
 
*Unless all surrounding communities have a similar policy it can be confusing to members.
 
*It may lead to complaints.
 
= How to manage cross-posting restrictions:  =
 
If you wish 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 that is clear in the rules you have published for your community.
Admins on [[Crossposting]] and [[Keep it Local|Keeping It Local]]
 
 
 
<br> Back to [[Specific Circumstances]]
 
[[Category:Specific_Problems]]

Latest revision as of 17:28, 5 Ocak 2022

Background

Cross posting is when a member sends an Offer or Wanted request to more than one community at the same time. It is particularly useful where members live near to a few communities.

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

The recent (December 2021) change in how posts are shown to members, based on distance rather than group boundaries, should have a positive effect on crossposting issues. We hope that over time people will have less inclination to crosspost because they get a better response without doing so. People who want to see a post out of their 'normal area' (20 miles from their postcode or within their local community boundary) can see it by adjusting the distance on their settings.

If the crossposters are on trashnothing, moderators can disable that - there’s a “Disallow crossposting to all other groups” setting on TN.

Advantages of cross posting:

  • If a member needs to dispose of something or acquire something, it is not convenient to have to post to one community at a time.
  • It can increase the number of messages in each community, making them more useful and highlighting that there are 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 more fuel use pollution if members travel specifically a long way to collect, although members do have that choice and could be travelling those distances anyway as part of their usual social and work life.

Problems restricting cross posting:

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

How to manage cross-posting restrictions:

If you wish 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 that is clear in the rules you have published for your community. Admins on Crossposting and Keeping It Local



Back to Specific Circumstances

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