Group Support

I think F-List has a pretty good model for how groups could work.

What functionality are you considering for groups? Forums? Maybe chatrooms? SoFurry style group pools?

Has anyone ever been to Y!Gallery? It has a really good group system over there.

I'd definitely like to be able to set up a group. Being able to link the group to outside sites would be nice as well, kind of like how if Anthrocon were to have a group, they could have a link on their group page to the website. Additionally, being able to set a group picture and banner would be cool, as well as create events and organize things.

I had an idea about how groups might work:

Groups could be like individual user accounts in that they'd have their own categories of submissions. Those submissions would include the standard ones - art, photos, multimedia, stories - but they could only be submitted to a group through a user account and would of course still be categorized as being created by the original user. Standard submissions that are also featured in a group gallery would be handled in much the same way that group submissions are on Deviantart, with the group's badge displayed in the sidebar.

But groups might also have their own specialized submission categories like Events, with calendar and location data for finding events close to you, and invites and RSVP features. Events could be marked private to group members or a specific invite list, or public to everyone. Handy for planning local meets, convention room parties and discussion panels, online gaming coordination, etc.

Or Topics - threaded forum-style discussion threads that are globally indexed in the same way all other submissions are, unless they are flagged as private to group membership. You could browse all active public topics, or limit your browsing to a specific group. And topics might be flagged as publicly indexed but have participation limited to that specific group.

And because they'd be treated as submissions, they could be tagged with the same sorts of tags as any other submissions.

I really think the Group function needs to be different from F-List, and here's why:

The "Groups" function on F-List was made before F-Chat was created. They were, at the time, the primary mode in which users of a particular interest could communicate. But what they really are are essentially forums. Would a forum take on the same role in a social network? IMO, I don't think so, because the structure in which a SN allows people to connect is fundamentally different.

So yes, I think some way of users to create Groups and Communities on here is essential and I was already looking for that feature, but I disagree that it should work the way the "groups" do on F-List. It's an old idea and I think we've moved beyond that.

The way I'd see groups in FN:

Basics:
-Group account is created by one user who admins the group, they may invite other admins.

-Groups can be set to public (anyone can join), invite only/request membership and private (not show on search).

-Admins highlight users who will be allowed to forward content into group, or choose that every member can automatically.

-Submissions are forwarded to groups, along with unlisted drawings (if you forward an unlisted drawing it only displays in group, not your personal account, handy!)

Features:

-Group chat divided into admins, highlighted members and all members.

-Users can leave messages that display for all admins.

-Admins need to have ability to remove/ban submissions and members from group.

-Group notifications should not go to what's new feed, or user can choose if they want so.

Visually:

-Group has to main pages: public interface (browse submissions and posts, similary as on regular profiles), member page/control panel (see group notifications, enter chat, forward submissions etc.)

-If group is set to invite only or private, non-member cannot see submissions but can see banner/icon/about text on groups main page.

+1 for thourough description of what it would be like. I like the way this sounds.

For groups, I think it'd be pretty cool to display underneath the Following and Followers. You'd have Groups and be able to see what groups someone is in at a glance with the icons. :)

Agree with this! But there should also be an option to hide what groups you're in, perhaps a confirm join button, with the ability to hide the icon on your page. Some people might want to be secretive about some of the groups they're in.

Seriously...you have no idea how awesome this would be. The way other furry websites like FA or Weasyl are laid out make it hard for unknown artists to get noticed. Having a group feature similar to the one on DeviantArt would make it a lot easier for smaller artists to get their foot in the door.

Yes, like Deviantart groups! Very customization and generally easy to join, leave, navigate, and moderate.

Sofurry and f-list are the best examples!

It's the most important, planned feature to me! Sofurry allowed everyone to create groups. That leaded to plenty groups of the same theme/topic but the idea itself is great! It's neat to form local groups and it made the difference for me as a writer that also writes in his native tongue.

Also a neat way to build groups focussed on a specific topic or theme of content! Group creation should be moderated like on f-list though.

I'm looking forward to thiss! Don't feel rushed but i would like to know when it comes!^^

I have to say groups really do work. I started to post my stuff in the same time i did in DA and IB and i am by no means a known artist or even a fairly good one.

Out of views and reach, DA outnumbers FN and IB. While FN comes last.

DAs group system poured in a lot more views once i started using it since i wanted to see the effects.

In my humble honesty, it will become a key feature to this site's growth and acceptance. Numbers speaking the truth.

I would like to advise to give this more priority since groups also need time to arrange and establish.

All groups are different and people also!

All groups are different and people also!

All groups are different and people also!

All groups are different and people also!