Thanks for all the great suggestions folks.

I'll reply to everyone that contacted me so please keep them coming.

Seems I need to clarify something though -  we will not allow groups for businesses / companies.  If you want to create a page for your business, please use the City Guide.

Groups are for getting people with similar interests together - some examples might be:  The Geneva Running Group, The Lausanne Language Exchange Group, the Zurich New Mums Group...

Thanks again

Oded

One more update based on questions I received -

Managing a Group will NOT cost any money...

Oded

The Geneva Runners Group will be more than happy to be  online as a group. Thanks Oded.

what features or capabilities will a group have? i don't (yet) understand what the benefit of having a group will be. can you explain in more detail?

i'd be happy to manage a group (probably something IT related, of course) but really don't understand what it's all about.

Good question Zonker.

I'll use you as an example.

Right now you post a 'Computer Problems' activity every couple of weeks, and you hope that interested people will see your post and will reply / attend.

If you manage a 'Computer Problems' group, people interested in IT / Computers will be able to join your group, and then, each time you post an activity, you'll be able to invite them all easily.

Additionaly, groups will have a 'Comments' section, so you and the group members can discuss computer issues among yourselves.

So basicaly, Groups should make it easier for people to find activities they like, and people with similar interests.

Makes sense?

oded

is there any group for motorcycle activities?

@ Avi - Not yet.  If you want to start one, just send me a 'Group Description' and a group photo / logo if you have one, and I'll make it happen.

Oded

Hi Oded,

something like that:

for anyone interested in riding activities around Geneva , as a rider or as a passenger.

all type of motorcycles and motorcycles enthusiasts are welcome.

we also hope that the information exchanged here will be useful to anyone riding a motorcycle.

hello !

this is the first time that i am interacting in the forum and hope that i am doing correctly with the computer... (!). like zonker, i really do not see the point to have things more organized !

It will definitely profit above all to the site administrators in terms of "statistics" management for instance, but not really to the members... or am i missing the main points ? the magic in glocals in my opinion is the complete freedom we can have in spontaneously initiate an activity without being linked to the participants who wish to continue the activity.

anyone is managing his/her own posting/outing and can stop it a day or another. moreover, we can create our own group for 1 event without meaning that we will continue the activity and with the same group.

we belong to a community but not to "sections" and it is much more creative like that because we find our own way to do things... we are not following an "organization" with "managers".

groups are spontaneously created already (like the geneva running group ! even if i haven't met swiss yet, i know through inner discussion that i should contact her if i want to jog once there, because she is doing something very friendly).

i  wonder if i would appreciate to be overwhelmed by automatic reminders, notices from a group or many groups in my mailbox. 

I feel like i am still enjoying the liberty to choose an activity suitable to my planning ...

 ... before the big "glocalisation"...!!!  tounal :o)

oups ! sorry the rest of the message was missing :

------------------------------------------------------

I feel like i am still free to choose and propose activities before it is settled in "groups" !... and do not wish to propose myself to be managing any kind of group...

I would rather prefer sending increasing number of new spontan postings (sports and outdoors) with different co-organizators from my friend's list.

Unless both owners of the site will not allow me to do so (?)

Anyway, Glocal is GREAT as it is... so.... :o)

Chantal

Chantal/Tounal, I partially agree with your post. You are right on the spontaneous issue and I wouldn't have seen a need for the creation of groups and group managers.
But the fact is that there are already groups functioning within different topics and activities and that their official creation will just make communication easier.
I don't think it will fundamentally change anything, especially if the present system is maintained along with the new group function.
The way I understand it, there is no obligation to join a group but you might like to join one that specializes in one of your favorites :-).

Chantal – In order to grow, one needs to embrace change.  I also prefer things to be spontaneous, – however there’s no obligation to participate and I’m sure it won’t affect your great activities and organisation.  

My only concern is that it may make more and more people go “off-line” to organize activities (which is already happening with some activities, in order to deter certain “groups” like the MCC)  so new people may miss out.

I also suspect its aimed more at the Geneva crowd, who are much greater in number and therefore need a little more organising whereas us Vaudois are more capable of sorting ourselves out!!

@carolyn: ummm, what's the MCC?

Hi Oded,

This is really interesting! Every week I put up a post to invite members to join me to do volunteer work at the non-profit SOS chats cat shelter. Could you start a group for us?

Cindy

hmmm, thinking about this and human nature, i could easily imagine "competition" among similar groups. and some people may not want to be linked to a particular group, but join in, in  that group's activity. will the group members of a particular group be "public" on glocals? as tounal says, it works quite well at present. embracing change does not necessarily mean "moving forward" . we all know the saying, "if it works, don't fix it". just my 2¢ worth.

Officially its the Marlyebone Cricket Club - an elite club for members only - very elitist and not very welcoming to other people who aren't in the loop - i.e. not very glocals - to those "IN the loop" - we know what we're talking about - sorry for the confusion :-)

Just to clarify - embracing change does not necessarily mean "moving forward" as history has proven - I totally agree.  But in order to "grow" i.e. develop, improve, evolve - one must "embrace" change.  Thank you for the correction, epicure.  BTW I'm fine with "not" managing a group!!

Hi folks and thanks for the feedback / ideas.

We launched the new 'Groups' section yesterday, so you can take a look and see what you think.

@ Tounal - Groups are not meant to replace the Things to Do section - they're meant to enhance it.
When a group manager posts a group activity, the activity is posted on the group page, and also on the main Things to Do page.  The only difference is that when an activity is posted in a group, the poster can invite all group members - not just the people on his / her friends list.

So you can embrace the change or ignore it - whatever suits you and makes you happy :-)

Thanks

Oded

Hi Carolyn ! thanks for your lovely attention concerning my activities...I also like attending other peoples' activities !!! however, as the "groups" are now in function, i can easily imagine what the system can lead to :

yes, i will have obligations, i.e. :

- it is understated that i should join the group if i want to participate to an activity set in "group". I can hardly imagine a "manager" accepting a group of people who do not want to subscribe (he/she will need to manage 2 lists of people, which is giving more work), etc...

this is just one example and i will not give any other one because i am not going to raise any arguments against Oded and Nir initiative... if they developped the site as it is, they must have very good reason to do so. it is up to me to accept and to use the system or not to.

dont' want to be the trouble maker here... ;o) hihi

Ho Oded !

I just answered to Carolyn right now before reading your answer now ! thanks for your answer because i am really enjoying glocals  and sorry for my poor knowledge of IT...(i'm even not in facebook).

Best,

Chantal

Ho Oded !

I just answered to Carolyn right now before reading your answer now ! thanks for your answer because i am really enjoying glocals  and sorry for my poor knowledge of IT...(i'm even not in facebook).

Best,

Chantal

Ho Oded !

I just answered to Carolyn right now before reading your answer now ! thanks for your answer because i am really enjoying glocals  and sorry for my poor knowledge of IT...(i'm even not in facebook).

Best,

Chantal

In the immortal words of Groucho Marx , quote:

I don't care to belong to a club that accepts people like me as members

unquote

Hi,

I would love to manage the Zürich Poker Group. A lot of people have shown interest in this activity, so it would be much easier for us to form a group and have it managed easily.

Cheers;

Andras

I am happy to be agony aunt

ooops

this is me

www.expatcounselling.com

I'm the founder and admin of the Lausanne Socializing Group. I'd like to be able to to give some specific members the "admin" status. So that they can post an event under the group ..... and then be able to send messages to the group members. If this would be possible the group will they become more active since other members will be organizing and managing events. 

Hi James.

Just send me the names of the people you want to add as Group Admins and I'll add them.

Oded

I agree with James' post. I was thinking that being able to designate maybe 2 people as admins for the group (so that they can create and manage events under the group's interface), that would be a good thing.

I'm looking to have four 

Is there any way to post events and email members of a group if you are not admin? Im organising an activity but cannot post it as a group activity since im not admin

@Desir_ee - We're currently working on some improvements to the group wall function and we'll include the option for members to get notifications when a new comment is posted in this round of improvements.

Oded

@Maria - only the group admin can post activities to the Group page and/or email group members.

You can either ask the admin to make you a co-admin, or ask him/her to post the activity / mail the members for you.

Oded

Thanks Oded :)

Maria I managed to post an activity on a group page under the section 'comments'.  It was for a mountain hike but it appears that the mountain hiking group is not very active as I only receieved one reply.  At the same time I posted the activity under 'things to do' and received more responses.   If members of the group are regularly logging in to the group then they will see it but it ought to be possible to set up a system similar to that which operates on the forum where you are automatically advised if someone has replied to a thread and using the same system all members of the group would be advised.  Maria, have you considered the possibility that nobody want to play darts with you at Spring Brothers because either you are too good or you are so bad that you break the darts and expect everybody to chip in to pay for the damage?  I will send the same comment (excluding the bit about your arrows ability to Oded   

Maria.  Just noticed that there is no need to involve Oded as he has already replied confirming exactly what I was proposing.  I will go back to sleep and stop wasting people's time

You do :)

Your proposal is nice :) I dont think people actually log in frequently to the groups. I definetely dont

But a group email has been sent (thanks!) so we will see if anybody saw it :)

Hi Oded,

just wondering, how long it takes to the new group proposal to get approved? I have submitted several weeks ago one and nothing happened, so I resubmitted several days ago. In the conditions is written that site admin will decide whether the group will be approved or not. However, there is no feedback on whether the decision was taken yet and if, why the group was not allowed...

Thanks in advance for explanation!

Eva

hi,

Will like to manage a volunteer group for helping out ailing children. U mght be aware that I had posted an article in the column Group(new) ...in the name of goldenhands ! -a group from us , reaching out the sick and the needy children around the world and trying out to help them .

Need all u Guys n girls out there in my group ! ...plzzz JOIN innn....  !

P.S. : Great Plan admnstr ! ...best wishesss...!

~arpan.

@arpan i'm sure i'm just showing my age, but I must say I have a hard time taking someone seriously who writes the way you do. I can deal with "U" instead of you, but "plzzz JOIN innnnn" !? ffs!

I like the idea of your group. I think that populations like ailing children are often forgotten while people get on with their own lives.

I just checked your groups - you have none. If you have created a new group, it'll be online soon then you can get people to join it. If you haven't, then do so! And people who are interested will join.

zonker !

Understand 2 wht u mean ! ...yes, the group formation is new(I had only posted it yesterday), hence no one from glocals yet ! ....ofcourse the sole reason for posting here is : 2 hve more n mre persons understand the cause n if they like can always join in hands to help these children !....ofcourse joining is free - we seek ur help only.

...counting on you too ! mail me up, if ur age permits... !

~arpan