Forum Activity for @strumelia

auto-approve followers checkbox not doing its job?

Using Jamroom

Sorry for the many posts in a row, but I'm just noticing the description of exactly how the Followers to Friends module works:

"Followers to Friends sets up the Jamroom Followers system to work like a "Friends" system by automatically "following back" a profile when a user follows a new profile. Includes a tool to set all Profile settings to require Follower approval so it works like a Friends request. "

I installed this module over a year ago because I thought it would help complete the 'follow back' circuit allowing members to then PM each other. My members were having a real hard time understanding the Follow system, I thought this would make it way easier.

Now I see that what I was hoping it would do has created a situation where many members are completely unaware that they have a whole bunch of Pending followers. Even those who have notifications set to ON for 'new followers' are seemingly not following the email/notification's link to go approve the new followers. This is very problematic. I hate to say it, but on Ning it seemed it was much easier for my members to understand and use the Friend function.
I'm trying to think of how to handle this.

auto-approve followers checkbox not doing its job?

Using Jamroom

Now i see where I must have clicked the button long ago when I added the "Followers to Friends" module... in the Tools section (see screenshot). Now I remember- that at the time, i thought "Set all site profiles to 'Follower Approve'" meant set it to automatically approve all follows. D'oh!
Paul what happens if I were to click the "Set Approval" button again?- does it toggle back to what it was before? Not that I am about to do that though- because I know you may be in there trying to change things for me...so I won't touch anything.
At least now I know how it got that way! All because I misunderstood the meaning of the words and button/setting labels.

updated by @strumelia: 12/15/17 03:28:05PM

auto-approve followers checkbox not doing its job?

Using Jamroom

Yes, as I suspected- new members currently get the 'approve followers" checkbox CHECKED by default. I really need to change that (on both sites), it's preventing member interaction.
See the pending member I just created, here:
https://fotmd.com/profile/settings/profile_id=5946/id=5946
updated by @strumelia: 12/15/17 03:19:12PM

auto-approve followers checkbox not doing its job?

Using Jamroom

Paul... do you mean you have set it this way just now? Or do you mean that it already was set this way?
...because I really think new members have been having the box checked by default.
Hmmm, Let me create a new member and see how the default is set.... brb

auto-approve followers checkbox not doing its job?

Using Jamroom

Yes please, Paul... so great!
Will you also be able to approve all current pending followers on fotmd.com for me?

auto-approve followers checkbox not doing its job?

Using Jamroom

p.s. my personal thought is that jamroom sites (especially ning-to-jamroom imports) should, if they don't already, have the default being that box should be UNchecked to start out. I don't remember how all mine wound up being checked...it was a couple years ago when I was but a newborn jambaby.

auto-approve followers checkbox not doing its job?

Using Jamroom


No, I'll mention it in the thread I have currently going on my site, but I don't worry about notifying them all- it's quite benign and all my members are super friendly and into communicating.. but also clueless about their own account settings much of the time. I can't see why any of them would want to maintain a bunch of pending followers when they could merely delete them anyway. I'm going to just say go ahead on this.

auto-approve followers checkbox not doing its job?

Using Jamroom

Uh, I resemble that remark. =:-\

Gosh Paul, "say the word"? Well heck YEAH, I'd LOVE for you to pull the magic switch and UNCHECK that checkbox for all my 3000+ members on fotmd.com- but I'd need it also on my other jr site pennywhistleclub.com
If you do this will it make the default setting for that checkbox UNchecked for also all new members that come along in the future?- that'd be ideal!
And, YES, it'd be a great thing if you could also approve all currently PENDING followers while you were at it, on both sites (though not many are likely pending on the pennywhistle site)

auto-approve followers checkbox not doing its job?

Using Jamroom

Hmm... if I ran that tool a year or more ago, then can it be run to reverse the setting easily?
(If I ran it back then, I probably had already misinterpreted the "approve followers" wording even way back then. dang)
If the tool cannot be used to reverse, then give me a little while to puzzle my way through your prior post instructions with the query and all.. (scary stuff!)

btw- I'm now finding that some of my most active members for years, and also some of my own moderators... never thought to go to their followers tab- and have only just now realized they had tons of followers 'pending' ...for goodness knows how long. This surely must have been frustrating for members thwarted while trying to interact. I had no idea, since I blithely went along thinking the checkbox was handling all that for everyone... when in fact it was doing the opposite of what I wanted. =8-o
updated by @strumelia: 12/15/17 01:03:03PM

auto-approve followers checkbox not doing its job?

Using Jamroom

Many of my members seldom go through their account settings. I've looked at a whole bunch of members, and they almost all seem to have the checkbox checked by default, even members who joined long ago and never did anything.

Most of my members are older than 50 and it's hard work to get them to understand the 'follow' system as it is, without also expecting them to check on their followers page regularly. Despite having site help threads up and 'pinned', I am always having to explain to members how they need to 'approve' a follower and then 'follow' back before they can send messages to each other. I'm pretty sure less than 1/4 of my members ever look through all the tabs in their Account Settings area. Without the 'approve' step it would be way faster and easier for them.

So- Is there a way to re-set all my members' options to have the box UNCHECKED by default instead? (and those who have their 'notifications' set to advise them of a new follower would still get those notifications)
Having followers approved automatically (unless they check the box and set it NOT to) would HUGELY facilitate and improve the process of my members connecting and communicating.