Freecycle.org
Members FAQ
Moderators Manual
Freecycle - UK Faq
UK Manual - Updates
- 1) Introduction
- 2) Admin
- 3) Membership
- 4) Message Format
- 5) Publicity
- 6) Resources for members
- 7) Resources for moderators
- 8) Rules
- 9) Trouble
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Contents
3. MEMBERSHIP
3.1 Approving new members versus open membership - pros & cons
Pro's of approving new members
- Allows the owner to see who is applying to join
- Allows checking that an appropriate ID/email address is being used
- Allows prevention of known spammer addresses from joining
- Allows owner to check that individual lives locally
Con's of approving new members
- Gives extra work to mods (work which may be wasted if person then doesn't participate in group)
- May put genuine, but new to Yahoo! members off
- Slows the joining process down.
- If kept, information in approval emails could make group owner open to SARs
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3.2 Bouncing members - what do we do with them?
As a list owner, there is no need for you to do anything with bouncing members. Yahoo! automatically sends probes to the email addresses which are bouncing every couple of weeks or so. Theoretically, after six months, if the email address has not cleared, Yahoo! removes the address from the group automatically (in practice, I've not seen it happen - but if Yahoo! aren't worried, neither do group owners need to worry at this time.)
For your information, there are two types of bouncing member:
Soft Bouncing: This is when a message sent from Yahoo! to the member's email address cannot be delivered for a 'temporary' reason, e.g. the member's mail box is full.
Hard Bouncing: This is when a message sent from Yahoo! to the member's email address cannot be delivered for a 'permanent' reason, e.g. the member has discontinued the email address.
If a member informs you that they are bouncing...or asks you why they aren't receiving email, you can find out by:
- going to Members/Bouncing/
- Check for member's name
- If member's name not present, then member is not bouncing and they need to check with their own ISP
- If member's name is present, click on View History
- See the 'type of bouncing' to tell you if it is Soft or Hard
- If Soft Bouncing (or member assures you that mailbox is working) click on Send Reactivation Request
- You will see the 'Auto Reactivation' requests sent by Yahoo! below this
- Below that you will find a reason for the bounce.
- If Account has been discontinued, send Reactivation Request and advise your member.
- If it is you checking, then click on Remove member.
- Remember to advise your member that they must respond to the email sent by Yahoo!, otherwise Yahoo! will not know that the account is active again.
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3.3 Risque Yahoo! ID or email addresses - are they acceptable?
Freecycle® does not have a specific policy regarding profiles; however, group owners are expected to ensure that members’ profiles and email addresses are appropriate for all ages and are not likely to cause offence. This would include swear words, pornography or if it would be likely to offend a religious or any other section of the community.
Should an owner wish to reject someone applying for membership, or advise someone who has joined (if the group has open membership), there are some example letters in the Admin Notices of the Mod Manual. Check 'Moderating Members' to find one which is suitable or adaptable for your needs.
http://www.freecycle.org/faq/manual/files_denied
http://www.freecycle.org/faq/manual/responses_userid
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3.4 Should member lists be on view?
There are mixed opinions on this issue and it is open to group owners to choose.
It is impossible to stop email address harvesters getting into groups; if the member list is hidden then all the members who have not yet posted (often a large proportion of the group, as they wouldn't post if they only responded to offers and wants) would remain anonymous and fully protected. However, even if member lists are on view only part of their address is visible and the emails addresses are not able to be plucked off by spammers.
Many members do not post to the list but may respond to offers purely so that even part of their email addresses and their Yahoo IDs do not become public knowledge.
If the Member list is on view:
- all members can see the Yahoo ID of all other members and the first part of the email address, ie jobloggs@
- members are able to contact other members by clicking on the Profile and sending an Instant Message
- the moderators' list can also be viewed.
Member lists being on view is different from selecting 'Allow members to hide their email address'. You should never allow this because, if you do, people who do want privacy may well hide their email address and this means that no-one will be able to respond to their posts to the list without going online and posting from the web.
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