Friends Circles: Info for Moderators
Friends Circles are a new feature of Freecycle 3.0. Here's what moderators need to know about them:
How are Friends Circles formed?
Friends Circles are not defined lists of members in specific geographical areas, in the way that Towns are. A Friends Circle will be different for each member, and may change over time. They are formed by Freecycle members who invite and accept each other one-on-one to be friends on Freecycle. The diagram below shows how the relationsip between members who have formed Friends Circles might look and work.
Are Friends Circles moderated?
Friends Circle posts are not moderated by Town group moderators. They are overseen by a dedicated Freecycle Team, who keep an eye on the posts and handle reports of inappropiate posts and messaging in Friends Circles.
How will Town Moderators manage posts and activity in Friends Circles?
Town Moderators are not expected to handle any activities related to Friends Circles. Since Friends Circles operate separately from Town groups, you, as a moderator, will not see any Friends Circle posts. Any reports of inappropriate posts, behavior, or messages for Friends Circles will be handled by a dedicated Freecycle Team.
Can I opt out of Friends Circles?
On a personal level, you can opt out of Friends Circles by not inviting anyone to be a friend on Freecycle, and not accepting any friend requests. If there are no Friends on your My Friends page, you will not see any Friends Circle posts or messages.
Can I opt out of Friends Circles for my Town group?
There is no interaction between Friends Circle activities and Town activities. Town Moderators are not able to prevent Freecycle members who live in the area their Town group covers, or are members of their Town group, from participating in Friends Circles.
How do I turn off Lend and Borrow posts for my Town group?
Lend and Borrow posts are not allowed for posts made to Town groups. They are only available on Friends Circle posts. You will never see Lend or Borrow posts on your Town group, and will not have to handle approving/rejecting them or mediating between members. Any reports regarding Lending or Borrowing will be handled by a dedicated Freecycle Team.
Do people have to be Freecycle members to participate in Friends Circles?
Yes. People who want to make and reply to Friends Circle posts and messages must already be Freecycle members, or sign up for a Freecycle.org account and agree to our Terms of Service.
Can people be members of both Town groups and Friends Circles?
Yes. Any Freecycle member can be a member of one or more Towns and have Friends with whom they can make Friends Circle posts and messages. Town Moderators are not able to prevent Freecycle members who live in the area their Town group covers, or are are members of their Town, from participating in Friends Circles.
Can a member send a message blast to an entire Friends Circle at the same time?
No. All messaging between Friends is done one-to-one. There is no way to send the same message to multiple Friends at the same time.
What do I do if a member uses Contact Moderators on my Town page to send message about a Friends Circle issue?
Just reply to the message and ask the member to use the Report Member button on the member's Profile page OR the Report Post button on the post details. This will get the message directly to the dedicated team who handle Friends Circle issues.