Changes to the members page
Back in April, the ability to edit your membership information within a group was frozen as a result of changes to the profiles system on Yahoo! (See screenshot* below for clarification) Prior to April, you were able to edit the information that displayed in black beneath your name within the Members section of your group. However, many of you reported that after April the information displayed here was no longer correct (as you have moved, changed your name or had a birthday), or, you simply just didn’t want it to show at all, but were unable to edit these fields.
*= screenshot shows member page in “Expanded” view
Starting today, this feature will no longer be visible to group members or moderators as we are removing it altogether. Instead, when viewing the membership page, you’ll notice that only the user’s ID (or alias), status icon, message link, and the edit icon appear. (See screenshot* below for example)
*= screenshot shows member page in “Expanded” view
This feature will not be gone for forever, as we’re working internally to ensure that the information revealed is both correct, and what you want to share.
If you’re a moderator who previously used this information to verify a group member’s age, you will no longer be able to do this by glancing at your membership list. However, you will be able to click on a user’s name and will be taken directly to that user’s profile (if they’ve opted to make their profile public).
It’s important to note that as a moderator you will never be asked to verify a user’s age (especially if you’re running an adult group and wish to ensure that people under the age of 18 are not attempting to join). This “check” is done automatically by Yahoo’s systems: if someone is under the age of 18, they will not be able to access a site that is intended for mature audiences.
But if you’re simply looking for a way to keep up with your members, and, learn a bit more about your group members, you have a few options:
Request that group members have a “public” and complete profile when attempting to join your group
Create a file that is sent out to all new members, asking them to provide additional information about themselves
Add the “Group Profile” application to your group. (To do this, you must be a moderator or owner.)
To add this application, click on “Applications” in the left hand column of your group (1).
Then, click “Browse Applications” (2)
Locate“Group Profile” (3) from the list and click “Add” (4).
When the pop-up appears, give the application a name and description (5) and click “OK” (6).
Once your description has been saved, you’ll be taken back to the Add/Remove Applications page. From here, click on the “Group Profile” link** to be taken to your new application (7).
**= If you changed the name of the application in step 5, that name will display instead of “Group Profile.”
Here you can either click “Add Entry” (8) to begin adding your information into the preset form, or, you can click on the “Settings” page to begin customizing the fields for your group’s profile (9).
We know this is an important feature for many group members and moderators and assure you that this feature is not gone forever! We will be sure to update you here as soon as the member detail feature returns.
Melissa Daniels
Yahoo! Community Manager
Lowell said,
August 18, 2009 @ 7:42 pm
Is it just me, or does this explanation sound like it was written by the IRS?
Basia said,
August 18, 2009 @ 7:44 pm
I have no idea what you are doing and what is going on. You are complicating things again.
I have had no problem with my group until you start changing things again. Just when everything is working fine.
Moving-on yahoo group
Basia said,
August 18, 2009 @ 7:47 pm
Yes I agree with you Lowell it sounds like the lawyers are writing , to confuse us again. It would be nice if it was in plain simple explanation of words.
Sharon said,
August 18, 2009 @ 7:58 pm
As if a monir is going to be honest and say they are under 18. I just hope Yahoo doesn’t slap us for having minors in an adult group Won’t be our fault. Heck I am 63 I can just as easily say I am 15.
I am sorry but this makes no sense and most people donot have their profiles filled out.
And I donot understand the *how to* with applications.
I am so lost.
Melissa Daniels said,
August 18, 2009 @ 8:02 pm
@Basia and Lowell
It means that the member details (in the first screenshot) are no longer present when you access your group’s members roster. We’ll add it back in in the future (no timing just yet) and wanted to let you know it’s not gone forever, and, there are other options in the interim.
Is that a little less IRS-y?
-Melissa
gary said,
August 18, 2009 @ 8:51 pm
I’m still lost. The screenshots only add to my confusement.
pk said,
August 18, 2009 @ 8:56 pm
maybe that’s why if i post a message to the group my old ‘name’ shows above my user name and if I send it in email to the group, the correct one shows. personally, I hate sending email to the group when I’m used to posting to the web… but if I post from the web, the display name is the old one.
Susan said,
August 18, 2009 @ 9:14 pm
What about the members who are not the brightest and don’t know (and won’t learn) to change their information. And what if we want an e-mail address for a group member to make an adjustment such as, “Please put me on no mail as I’m going on vacation.” See my first sentence.
ASMA said,
August 18, 2009 @ 11:02 pm
I m totally unsetisfied by sending mail to my group. Bcoz it dosen’t work as it should do, and “editing” option is totaly useless.So not happy with my group mail appearence.
viv said,
August 18, 2009 @ 11:05 pm
So, to my understanding, as the owner of an adult group, I do not have to check for ages? You are saying that yahoo does this already? I just don’t want yahoo to shut my group down for having someone underage.
Melissa Daniels said,
August 18, 2009 @ 11:29 pm
@Susan,
The email address will still show up if you’re the moderator or owner. (This hasn’t changed.
-Melissa
Melissa Daniels said,
August 18, 2009 @ 11:35 pm
@Sharon,
Added better step-by-step instructions (and screenshots) for the application. Hopefully that helps!
-Melissa
Melissa Daniels said,
August 18, 2009 @ 11:37 pm
@viv,
Yep! We always have and always will. When you create your Y! account you’re required to provide an age. However, in the past, this age did not have to match your age in your profile, which is why some users show as under 18 but are able to access areas only permitted to members over 18. (Their real account info says they’re over 18, but they’re faking their profile age to look younger, join a particular group, etc.).
Our system filters people out by their “real” age (the one provided when they wish to create an account). You do not have to do the filtering.
-Melissa
Melissa Daniels said,
August 18, 2009 @ 11:38 pm
@gary,
What part exactly is confusing? Hopefully I can help clarify!
-Melissa
Shal said,
August 19, 2009 @ 12:47 am
Part of the problem may be that the two “old” shots are “Expanded” view where the “new” shot is in “Simple” view. That plus you blanked all the other columns made the samples look unfamiliar. Add some verisimilitude to those first three figures and you may have less confusion.
As to the rest of the confusion…
Applications: the greatest feature no one has ever heard of.
(Hey! When did Photos get added to the Basic fields!?!?! Awesome!
Time to turn my Group Profile into a Mugbook!)
Rathan.R said,
August 19, 2009 @ 12:48 am
i dont understand?
Nimit said,
August 19, 2009 @ 12:52 am
It IS surely quite complicated, hope it’s kinda ‘change for better’…
Melissa Daniels said,
August 19, 2009 @ 6:36 am
@Shal,
Thanks– updated the post to reflect this, and, removed “confusing” duplicate example.
Also glad you like the apps– I agree, they’re great!
-Melissa
Jim R. said,
August 19, 2009 @ 6:44 am
Hi Melissa,
Let’s see if I understand this right. Yahoo! is removing the info block giving the members age and location from the bottom of the list. I suspect this is due to the fact that not even Yahoo! can adequately verify age, location, or gender of a Yahoo! member, as it can easily be forged, and will not hold the owners of adult groups responsible for verifying underaged members. Also, this info will be reinstated when Yahoo! figures out how they can accurately, and consistantly, verify it.
So, until then, group owners can add screening letters of their own, or go to a persons Yahoo! profile and trust it being available, current, and correct.
Bottom line, plain English….Yahoo! pulled that info because they can’t verify it making it useless and will not be holding adult group owners responsible for underage members until they can, at which time they will again be providing it.
In the meantime, Yahoo! has provided a couple of suggestions for obtaining this info on your own even though those procedures cannot provide guaranteed acurate information.
Best Regards,
Jim R.
jay vinton said,
August 19, 2009 @ 7:14 am
1. well, i’m still seeing all of the member info in all of my groups. but that’s fine with me. better that than nothing as announced.
2. what the heck is the status of the broken search function? it’s still broken in all of my groups. it’s been months and months.
Richard said,
August 19, 2009 @ 10:11 am
I’ve tried this for a Yahoo Group I own, but it doesn’t work in the Opera web browser. Please can we have a fix?
Richard
SearchCap: The Day In Search, August 19, 2009 said,
August 19, 2009 @ 2:02 pm
[...] Yahoo! Groups Blog » Changes to the members page, http://www.ygroupsblog.com [...]
Shal said,
August 19, 2009 @ 6:42 pm
@Jim R.,
You got it all wrong. The info currently in the Members list came from the old profile system. That system is gone so the data is stale. Hence they are pulling it. They haven’t written the code yet to integrate the Members list with the new profile system, so the stale data won’t be replaced by new data immediately.
None of this has anything to do with verifying the data. Yahoo has /never/ required that profile data be filled out or accurate. Only registration data, which never shows up on Group pages, is required by TOS to be accurate.
You are correct though, that even the registration data /can/ be falsified. The only enforcement is that Yahoo can yank your account if they catch you at it. Not much, but better than nothing.
imehboob4u said,
August 20, 2009 @ 3:21 am
m totally unsetisfied by sending mail to my group. Bcoz it dosen’t work as it should do, and “editing” option is totaly useless.So not happy with my group mail appearence.
Raymond Balta said,
August 20, 2009 @ 5:32 pm
Hello Melissa
This is GREAT – Finally an Application that is an Application that can be edited to be Group specific by the MOderator. This is long time coming. This is exactly what I suggested. THANK YOU for listening.
My memebrs are testing it out and not one negative comment. In fact some wrote, “Can you put my Photo In – I don’t know how. And I did. I have many photos of members – we do audio, video and member movies – meet the MEMBER – working just fine.
A social network such as ours has the obligation to be sure hackers and spammers do not get a foothold in a Group.
My question IS. When this goes off BETA, will the pending member
have to fill out the Application prior to approval?
I find the current Yahoo Profile inadequate and the NEW Application will fill the need for as much or as little information a Moderator feels he / she needs.
THIS IS GREAT. Can’t wait to see it go LIVE.
Regards, Raymond
Administrator said,
August 20, 2009 @ 5:56 pm
Shal’s response to Jim above is basically correct.
Athena said,
August 20, 2009 @ 7:54 pm
glad at least the old info is no longer showing.
The new profiles stink, no one understands how to make them visible, its OVERLY confusing for the members of my group.
First we had those horrible 360 profiles which went the way of the doo-doo bird. Now these new ones which are far too hard to use. The reason for having multiple IDs is now moot as everything ties back to your one profile.
I have never been happy with Yahoo since Clubs became Groups quite honestly Maybe its because Yahoo lost my group which was the largest in yahoo with 60,000 members on the day it entered “conversion” stage … never to be seen again.
Guess you get what you pay for.
Lynn said,
August 21, 2009 @ 11:43 am
I don’t understand why a few group members names and personal information show up in the info block, under the members list? Evidently, ALL has not been removed and certain individuals can enter their information while others can not. This makes no sense to me and seems unfair. Can you please explain the reason for this, in simple explaintion that I can understand?
Thanks so much!
jay vinton said,
August 21, 2009 @ 4:31 pm
lynn,
it looks to me like peoples names that i specified as a part of adding members directly, rather than inviting them, are still displaying.
and gordon and melissa,
when is the search function going to be fixed?
Phil Stephensen-Payne said,
August 21, 2009 @ 10:49 pm
Since August 18th, all messages I send to the Yahoo Groups I belong to are displayed with my Yahoo ID (which is fairly meaningless) rather than my Display Name (which tells people who I am). I assume this is something that was broken by the above change – could somebody PLEASE fix it ASAP. I see this gradually happening to others and suspect the change happens when you log back into Yahoo if your session expires.
nycblkboy said,
August 24, 2009 @ 12:49 am
I used the information to check users ages for adult groups. But also that they put thier location and sex in thier profile. Also a person that has that information is less likely to be a spammer.
I like having this information available before i approve someone to one of my groups.
Can we have an eta on when that info will be back?
Allen said,
August 24, 2009 @ 5:19 am
It looks like once the application is added to the group, only members can use it. The age declaration is an important criteria for joining the group. I can’t determine if the profile can be created before an applicant is approved for the group. If it can’t, it’s not useful as a screening tool.
Wayne Osborne said,
August 24, 2009 @ 12:41 pm
This is nuts. As moderator for a Homeowners Association, I don’t require profiles (age etc.) on the 32 residents of our community. I already know them. What I need is an easy way to pass information that is vital to our community. You have severely restricted my ability to do my job as the President of this Association. Come up with a better way to allow this function or I will tell everyone I know that Yahoo isn’t worth viewing or using.
Maurie Sacks, PhD said,
August 26, 2009 @ 1:30 pm
I’ve been trying for 45 minutes to get into BergenFreecycleTM@yahoo.com. I’m a member. I’ve used the group before. I want to give away some plants which will be dead at this rate! Please help!
John said,
August 27, 2009 @ 7:35 pm
What a rediculously complicated un-user friendly system yahoo is. No wonder I dont use it for regular e-mails.
Someone tell me how I can include my age somewhere????
Get your act together yahoo. this is VERY POOR.
Mike Compton said,
August 30, 2009 @ 10:05 am
Pretty much what Phil stephensen-Payne said sums up my problem as well. My yahoo id is all that displays when I post a message (either that or just my first name – which is what I set up way back in the beginning before these changes were instituted by Yahoo).
However, as the group has grown, there are now several “Mike’s” in the group. What this means is that just displaying my yahoo group id is, as Phil put it, pretty meaningless to the other members of the group. I need to be able to distinguish to others that I’m the one posting (instead of one of the other Mike’s) and putting in a full first and last display name on messages is the only way to do that.
Brian said,
August 30, 2009 @ 8:57 pm
I applaud Y! for essentially removing the burden of proof (for being over 18) from moderators to Y! TOS. During registration a user’s e-mail address gets validated. But how on Gods Green Earth is age verified? Any minor can say that they are over 18 on the application. Conversely, any sexual predator can lie and say he/she is under 18.
Edwin den Boer said,
September 1, 2009 @ 3:56 am
I have the same problem as Phil Stephensen-Payne and Mike Compton. I don’t care what you are doing with profiles, I just want my full name to be displayed when I post on the web, not my silly username. Even after I entered my name again in my profile, it didn’t show up in my message headers. That’s a basic feature for all web users. You seem to be so busy trying to become web 2.0 that you’re screwing up the basics. Please give me back my name!
Sk Abu Shakir said,
September 3, 2009 @ 6:30 pm
My name shall remain un changed and my email is also same.Profile is not big factor to me.
mary norman said,
September 4, 2009 @ 7:04 pm
why do you do this???now i don’t understand how to get back on my groups!!!! this is awful, just when i have learned how to sign up on the groups. guess i will have to find another hobby. like playing cards! no thanks, mary
Leon J Wright said,
September 4, 2009 @ 8:05 pm
Welcome to the Detroit 100
Matt said,
September 7, 2009 @ 6:22 am
My Members are not appearing after I have added them. Is your post anything related to that?
A Joe Webster said,
September 7, 2009 @ 10:19 pm
The aliases aren’t true aliases if they all return to the same profile page. Please consider my suggestion given at http://suggestions.yahoo.com/detail/?prop=groups&fid=161934
2guntom said,
September 8, 2009 @ 3:09 pm
I’m not sure if this has any bearing on what I am experienceing now, but I do not see any new members in the “members” section that have signed up since 8/30/09. The management log files show that many have signed up… so what’s going on now guys?
Christine said,
September 8, 2009 @ 7:41 pm
How do I get members to use the application now that I set it up? Do I need to just send s message to the group informing them of it and asking them to do it?
Karen said,
September 12, 2009 @ 1:10 pm
I take back the part about small groups – my 10-person moderator group is now showing NO ACTIVITY.
Will said,
September 12, 2009 @ 2:09 pm
Tinker, tinker, tinker.. why can’t Yahoo just leave things alone when they are working? This drives me nuts! I read this “explanation” twice, and still don’t understand what the heck they are talking about. Fix things, take your hands off, and just let things cruise! please.. concentrate on keeping the features the groups working smoothly and FORGET the bells-and-whistles! PLEASE
Jeremiah said,
September 15, 2009 @ 1:30 pm
Melissa.
I’ve been waiting for information regarding the display name area of the profiles. This change also caused the display name area of the profile to no longer accept special characters. This basically means that we can not put quotes around nicknames in the display name field of our profile. We have used this in this manner for a number of years for all of our groups. Will this also be restored when the other items that were broken are restored eventually. Currently, we receive the following error when trying to use quotes in the display name field: “Unable to save at this time. Please try again later.” We have obviously tried again later and attempted to contact support multiple times with no intelligent answers.
Calvin said,
September 18, 2009 @ 11:18 am
Unsure of what is going on myself but today 9-18-09 I checked my groups home listing at 8:30 Am and it showed no new activity in any of them but I have recieved about 10 or more e-mails from one group and as of 25 minutes ago it was showing all of the acitivity as before but then it went back to showing no new activity with-in 3 minutes of viewing the page. And the thing about not seeing the names or age was the same thing was there and gone and there and gone again.
Katherine Masis said,
September 19, 2009 @ 9:01 am
I notice that when I click on “members” my full e-mail address shows. I probably clicked on something I shouldn’t have a few months ago. How can I be on the “members” list without showing my full e-mail address?
yuswa.raharja said,
September 26, 2009 @ 12:34 am
MAY I ADD MY FILES? ITS DIFFICULT TO UPLOAD
Tom said,
September 29, 2009 @ 8:06 pm
What is the status of the member profile update feature. it has been several months and it still has not been fixed
charmaine said,
October 6, 2009 @ 12:51 am
Hi
I would like to add my members full names to the group when I directly add (not invite) members to my group. As a moderator, it is very hard to see who is who with just their email addresses.
Please help!!!!!
Chuck Ragland said,
October 18, 2009 @ 11:59 pm
Melissa, this Group Profile “application” seems to be little more than a rather needless alternative to a simple Database. It doesn;t make it any easier for owner/moderators or members to see who’s who.
That has to be a better way and that would be to fix th mess that we now have with profiles, aliases, etc.
I have NON-anonymous groups and, like Charmaine, I want to see the real name of the member in the list. I specify it when I ADD members & it used to stick, now it doesn’t. Even when it did, the rather rediculous limit of 10 ADDs/day mad it it virtually useless for larger groups such as the new one I need to create (360 members). The INVITE proecess literally throws away the name I specify & it’s never to be seen again.
If it’s clearly stated up front in thes description, invitations & welcome messages that it’s a NON-anonymous group, then the owners/moderators shouls be able to control the names of members as well as their email addresses. Joining a group so organized is a registration that requires approval for name & email address changes. For example, use of employer-owned email systems/domains is ill-advised and generally not acceptable for personal use. Letting group user change/remove their names and change their email addresses (perhaps from yahoo.com to ibm.com) can make them hard to ever identify.
As it is, I may have to look for alternatives to Yahoo Groups, be it Google or something else. I’m defintely not looking for a fancy, over-designed social networking system trying to complete with FaceBook. Some people are. Please don’t force ALL group users down that path.
Thanks for listening.
~ Chuck
Boy85 said,
October 23, 2009 @ 2:57 am
And look at the way they are actually distributed. ,
Mo said,
November 1, 2009 @ 5:21 am
The problem of Display Names going walkabout is still an issue. Please sort it out – it is confusing enough when a group has a few people of the same name, but trying to figure out meaningless ID names is driving me around the bend. In trying to get my own Display Name to reappear I have done so much tinkering with my Profile that I no longer have a clue what I might have agreed to.
aaaarrroow said,
November 11, 2009 @ 3:42 pm
please take my name off your groups mailing list. thank you.
Bindu said,
November 12, 2009 @ 12:29 pm
Hi,
In members page of yahoo groups in expanded view, for some members the name,age,location details are displayed and for some not…how to delete those details if we don’t want to share those details….
Thanks!
Suzy said,
November 13, 2009 @ 12:29 am
I am new i used to be in a lot of groups but im rusty with internet
Sofo Yumzaa said,
November 14, 2009 @ 2:22 am
I think it will be very good if we can get latest updates direct from mobilephne factories.
Helen Hill said,
November 17, 2009 @ 4:21 am
I am shocked to see my age coming up on the yahoogroup list of names (and it is the only one) I have never given my age to Yahoo yet somehow they got hold of it and stick it on all my yahoogroups. I have tried endlessly to get rid of it but nothing works!
Helen
greg said,
November 23, 2009 @ 6:34 am
Melissa,
Can you give us an update on when this feature will be coming back? This is almost the end of November; you said on August 18th that it will be back. i see that some members have the information and some don’t. What’s up?
Respectfully,
greg
greg said,
February 4, 2010 @ 1:14 am
Melissia,
i never did get a reply to my question as to when this feature is coming back. It’s now February 2010, it’s been missing since August 2009.
Respectfully,
greg
Kanny said,
February 26, 2010 @ 3:37 pm
I would greatly appreciate if Yahoo enables the editing of the name, gender, age, location info that is visible in full view to everyone. It is a privacy violation that Yahoo is not allowing us to opt out.
Also, I belong to several groups and joined them over last 10 years. In some groups, my name is visible in some not, in some very old styled name is visible and so on…
Please please fix this issue and as posted in this post, make those info editable.
Most importantly, if i choose a certain alias, the info should be automatically linked to only that alias and not the main profile.