UPDATE (11/11 12:40 pm PST) : After being rolled back last week, the release is now being pushed out again and the links should be live again on all group home pages view within the next few hours.
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You may have already noticed the new "Groups Labs" heading and "Grouplets" link in the left hand navigation of all groups.
Groups Labs is a new area of Yahoo! Groups where we can test out new features before fully incorporating them into groups.
Grouplets, our first Groups Labs release, are new kinds of applications within Yahoo! Groups that allow owners and moderators to create and customize applications specifically for the needs of their group. Currently, we are offering eight types of grouplet templates (Address Book, Birthday List, Favorites, For Sale, Give Away, Group Profile, Jobs, and Places Map) and the ability to add as many different grouplets to your group as you like (though you always have to start from one of these templates).
You can learn more about Grouplets from this earlier blog post and from our Groups Labs Help Page .
We would love groups and users to try out these features and to tell us what you think. To provide feedback, send email to groupslabs@yahoogroups.com (or join the Groups Lab group at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/groupslabs if you want to participate in an ongoing discussion).
However, please keep in mind that the features within Groups Labs are all "Beta" features, and they are more likely (compared to standard Yahoo! Groups features) to have usability issues, to be down at times for maintenance, or even to be removed altogether if it turns out there is no interest in them or significant technical problems.
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Update: Two additional points:
- The Groups Labs heading and Grouplets link cannot be removed from the navigation and display to all members.
- However, only a moderator can add grouplets to a group. And if no grouplets have been added, when a member clicks on the "Grouplets" link, they will simply see a message that "Your group has not enabled any Grouplets"
I like the grouplets, but I keep getting error messages after hitting submit for the “reviews” grouplet. I’ve lost hours. When is this stuff going to get out of beta?
I’m really enjoying this Grouplets feature. I especially love how you can completely customize them to fit whatever theme your group needs. A couple of things I do wish we had are the ability to have links to each individual application on the side bar, and a update message either on the front page (the same as when there are new messages, files, photos, est.) or in the form of an email (like when files are uploaded) to let members know when something new is added to them. A blog feature for members in general would be nice. One that gives each member the ability to create multiple blogs would be even better. Either tied in group profile app, or with it’s own separate section.
I would like to see a blog application. A blog that just members of my group can use. Seems like a no-brainer. My yahoo account can have a blog, why not my group?
thanks,
Andy
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What about adding a feedback link in the appliocation beta dashboard . . . a great thing to allow would be to add multiple versions of the same App. Favorites only lets you pick a single book, movie, restaurant, etc. It would be nice to have a favorite restaurant app, a favorite book app, a favorite movie app, etc.
Also, what about persistent chat as available ni Facebook . . . they’re your true competition, and this is probably THE key advantage they have over Yahoo groups.
First, a lot of thanks for making a beautiful application, which I have already begun using in my group.
Now, for the suggestions:
+There should be photo field which can accept jpeg files to attach people’s photos.
+ There should be an option of LName, FName, MName in your Name block. I am unable to understand as to why you didn’t provide it.
+There should be a printout facility in all the views to print members’ data. (preferably in Excel format).
+Date field should have an option for not insisting on providing year info, though, some may like to provide it. You have provided an option which does not have year field. I want flexibility in this regard.
+Radio Button field should have provision for default answer. For ex if the choice is between male or female, male could be chosen as default choice if more no. of people in the group are males, or vice versa,.
I think this a long wish list but not difficult to implement.
I expect some feedback.
Thanking you,
Vicharak.
I am very surprised by how Groups Labs is functioning. While I am certain you have smart and wonderful programmers, you seem to be adopting a proprietary approach for reasons that are hard to fathom.
With the success of iPhone apps and Facebook apps, it would seem that the argument is over about whether a large corporation or the crowd is more effective at innovation. You have two applications in beta that are of little interest to most people, and clearly there are core issues in the platform that you need to apply resources to.
Create an API, or use your own widget API, and open this platform. Otherwise it is inconceivable that you will be able to keep up. You have a nice platform, and people will tend to stay, but Yahoo Stores was dominant as well, and it is now a non-factor.
All of us are much more innovative and productive than any team you can field internally. Open it up.
no group labs link on my forum!
disgusting!
Very Tanks
I love what I saw on the grouplets features. I can create as many sub-categories as I wish to have tons of categories to buy, sell, and trade on my site. I also added favorite’s for food places, things to do, ect. It was easy and it didn’t take long to create each
template.
http://www.fallensword.com/?ref=2183929
PLEASE EXPAND WINDOW AND SHOW NEWLY ADDED LINK FEATURE.
#1. FOR SALE , #2. JOBS , #3. FREE and GIVE AWAY.
THESE BETA APPLICATION LINKS WERE ADDED TO MY GROUP.
WOULD YOU PLEASE JUST EXPAND THEM TO SHOW MEMBERS THEY’RE THERE.
RIGHT NOW ALL GROUP MEMBERS SEE IS – APPLICATIONS BETA.
I love what I saw on the grouplets features. I can create as many sub-categories as I wish to have tons of categories to buy, sell, and trade on my site. I also added favorite’s for food places, things to do, ect. It was easy and it didn’t take long to create each
template.
I am really SHOCKED that so many people have such negative attitudes on this forum! The picture storage issue could be resolved with the grouplets feature if there was the option to upload the picture directly into the post instead of adding a link……just an idea that I’d like to see happen. But maybe instead of so much negative……maybe people could start posting how they propose FIXING the problem they have rather than just complain about what they don’t like.
My only disappointment on my poll to my members is half the members do not want to incorporate the grouplets feature unless they can have the posts emailed either individually or as a daily digest depending on how they currently have posts sent to them. They see it as a inconvienence to have to log into the group’s website to check the posts. SOOO if the option was available to let members decide if they wanted the posts emailed individually or once per day instead of checking the group’s homepage, I don’t see any problems at all!
Hi
I would like to see Grouplets for special or sub-interests within the group where members could subscribe for messages and post to the sub-group with out disturbing to the whole group. The ability to deputise moderators for only the sub group would be nice or to have different posting privileges for sub-group members from the main group.
If Grouplets could be attached to Single or Re-occurring Events in the Calendar application with the above posting/mailing capabilities the ability for self organising teams and or interest groups would be greatly enhanced.
Grouplet traffic should be added to the normal daily digest if this is selected for grouplet subscribers but not for those that didn’t subscribe to that grouplet/sub-group.
A facility to promote a sub group thread or post a single sub-group message to the main Group we also be useful if it could be managed by moderators on a moderated site.
Regards
Cant see a thing xcept the bad comments Not impressed so far You kepp saying it is going to be ironed out. so WHEN?
Im Glad that im Part of this Group
plz add long last coords to the places map as our group bacpackers and hikers and traiheads have no address .
thanks
PLACES MAP Grouplet
Please add long and lat coords to the places map as our group is for backpackers and hikers and trails and trailheads have no address.
Thanks!
I’ve created a group account named “prime_ete12@yahoogroups.com”. And I have been maintaining this group as a moderator. But recently I’m unable to manage this group. When I singed up it is showing the message below.
“My Groups
When you join or create a group, they will automatically appear here.
Click here if you receive Yahoo! Groups email but don’t see your groups listed here.”
Where is my fault? My group name is “prime_ete12@yahoogroups.com”.
Suggest me.
As I have stated again and again, more useless features added, and nothing truly useful added.
Please start listening to your users and implement features that have been asked for by many of your more intelligent, power Yahoo! / Yahoo! Group users.
“However, please keep in mind that the features within Groups Labs are all “Beta” features”
Has yahoo learned nothing from the profiles fiasco – BETA is not to be put into PRODUCTION until it’s stable and ‘done’. Anyone in the IT industry knows that is a golden rule. Why? Because you then piss people off and ruin their experience and hard work.
Do you care not at all? Are you trying to make people leave yahoo?
I like the grouplets, I know some members who are planning on getting involved, and it will be better once people can see the grouplets on the front page
question
when people receive new messages will they be able to see new content added to grouplets like they do with links and etc.
another question, though it is unrelated to grouplets
why is it when new links have been made, and I click on the new links anchor, it takes me to the links section. Why are not new links displayed in order of creation like messages or is that a function on the way?
thanks, use my email to respond. I will not respond back but it would be nice to have an answer
Right now I’m not certain where any of will actually help he groups I’m in and one of them has a spam problem that is really annoying other members and they have become convinced the moderator is at fault when I doubt he’s even seen those accounts before…some people are still a bit naive about it and if they’d just mark it as spam when their email digest comes in…
That’s more of less it…they DON’T digest, I’m betting. Still if causes too much anger and misplaced at that.
Digesting in some form should be mandatory if you can’t integrate the spam/abuse reporting system into Yahoogroups directly.
Gordon/Administrators:
Thank you for your continued updates. I know I understand and am very patient. Looking forward to the new code/roll-out of the Grouplets link. Thank you for everything that you do. Y! Groups is the best!!!
Denver
@James/Fire/DRC/lc: See the “updates” above for background on why you’re not seeing the links. Meanwhile James, per my comment earlier, direct links to grouplets will be coming once we refactor the home page.
@John: heh (hopefully it’s not Freudian)
@Kay: If you haven’t already, make sure to let Customer Care (http://help.yahoo.com/l/us/yahoo/groups/original/general.html) know about the bug (though I know it’s a known issue that the refactoring team is working on). Unfortunately, adding more folks won’t get that bug fixed faster. Again, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mythical_Man-Month is a great resource for understanding why.
@Philip: Not sure what “long URL” you’re referring to?
@Jann: The migration of groups to the new (100 gig) platform should be complete within the coming weeks (so far a million groups are now on the new system). But it’s speed is not affected by our work on grouplets. This is the best resource I know for understanding why: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mythical_Man-Month
@Don: Adding photos is definitely on the road map for Grouplets. See the original blog post on grouplets (linked to above) to see other high priority features that will be coming. Meanwhile, “reply to sender” is an option for groups. You just need to edit your group’s settings.
@Carol: We are going to be looking at adding direct links to Grouplet Settings pages into the Management area.
@Martha: Have passed along your request for photo search to the team working on the new photos platform.
@Lilik: We will be adding direct links to individual grouplets from the group home page (rather than forcing users to first click on the “grouplets” link, but we have to complete the refactoring of group home pages (a big project) before that is possible.
Your’e adding extras and yet I’ve had a Status 500 error on my group for 6 weeks which has stoipped me from accessing my management section.
Come on, priorities please
Did anyone notice that Groupslabs looks like Group-Slabs? Like a mass funeral place. Maybe Grouplabs would sound better.
No Group Lab nor Grouplet on any of the groups I either own or moderate.
They all look the same as they did before.
The link has also disappeared for me too. Looks like the Ops team may have temporarily rolled this back. Will post an update “tomorrow” morning if the links aren’t restored by then.
- Gordon
Yahoo! Groups Team
They are not showing up at ADW – what do I need to do to correct this so my members can use these tools?
It doesn’t show up on my nav bar in my Group. How am I supposed to manage something that doesn’t show up in management either?
Also, we can no longer find Sharpfans in the Groups directory! What’s up with that? Another thing, you promised more photo space, but I see smaller groups than ours have it, but we have been forced to go off site to photobucket and flickr to share our photos. We are knife collectors, and we need more room to show off our toys! With 1135 members, it would be nice!
I think the “Grouplets” idea is a very good one. It adds depth to a much needed system (when you consider google and all of that). I hope, once all the bugs are worked out, it would be possible to have a “HTML” line of code for each “Grouplets” so that we can add/advertise these new additions and their functions to our groups main page’s body and not have them somewhat hidden on the left hand side of the page.
First: What URL do you want entered on this reply form?
You guys are sure putting a lot of effort into this grouplets thing. So far I have tried the people map and the places map and they aren’t very impressive. Maybe allowing some image posts would help.
Now, if you want to do something useful, maybe you could spend some quality time figuring out how to create a ‘Reply to Sender’ option that would would not send a group mail reply to the whole group.
my group is still waiting for the 1gig photo section, and now you’re adding something else? while i think this new addition might be an excellent one, why not finish with one upgrade before taking on something else? just a thought.
Your long URL freezes computers
I tried the GROUPLETS and added FAVORITE RESTAURANTS that members can add.
Question: Instead of just displaying GROUPLETS, can you modify it so owners/mods can show the navigational button of the custom favorite right away on the left, so there’s no need to click GROUPLETS to go there?
Members of the groups I own ask for just one improvement: A search feature for the photo section. With the extra room you now provide, we now have space for 200-300 + albums for our members. The sort feature is helpful but still takes a very long time to find a particular album. Please please give us a Search feature like is available for message archives. Those other things you mention is just fluff. Nice maybe but not really needed.
There needs to be access to the Grouplets through the group management area.
We would love groups and users to try out these features and to tell us what you think.
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I think you need to LIST your supposed to be additions for people TO try out…
duh!
“I” see NOTHING !!!
so far I’m NOT impressed. so far it’s like putting out a COMING SOON sign in an empty parking lot….WHO CARES?