A couple simple changes

Recently we started getting many more request from people to join our group but were not answering questions or agreeing to the rules. One of the super moderators and I chatted about a program that she uses and she gave me some info on it. I signed up and the program allows us to get a bit more information from new members joining our group. It was a brilliant idea! And one that I had tried to accomplish a completely different way but was proving to be much more difficult. Well this program only allows me to approve member request from a desktop and that created another change for me...

The far majority of the time I check in on the group from my phone and the moderation tools that we have set up make it pretty easy to see what is going on. Having to pull out my laptop or my trusty old MacBook Pro isn't something something I enjoy doing at home unless I really have to. So I don't most of the time. I get around to the member requests at sometime in the morning or in the afternoon. 

And we have been bombarded with people posting personal items for sale on our group. This is due to a change that was made by FB that allows individuals to share their posts to groups like ours. I have seen several other groups that are having the same struggle we are having keeping these posts off the group. What we did was simple. We removed the posts, we are limiting the person who posted it the ability to post or comment for a period of time. Other groups are even going so far as to removing members over this. If you are sharing your personal items for sale and are trying to share these items to groups pay attention to the groups and the groups rules that you are sharing them to.

And something that has been eating at me a little

Not long ago we had a member who owns a local business make a comment that people on our group are not looking for legitimate businesses but rather a Dan in the Van or a Chuck in a Truck, that they are just looking for someone cheap. And that it is a conflict for me to even run such a group because I am doing the exact opposite thing as I set out to do by giving people a platform to advertise their businesses without allowing negative comments. Interestingly enough the next week there was a post looking for his exact business. I didn't see him have that kind of remark on this one? But it goes to show on that one post there were well over 100 recommendations. Out of all of them I didn't see anyone recommending someone cheap that could do it on the side. Maybe he doesn't like the fact that out of all of the recommendations his business was only recommended 6 times out of all of those recommendations? AND one of them he DID himself!

Now almost like Elsa I had just about let it go. But then when I saw that he didn't make that kind of remark and promoted his business on our group it made me stop and think well maybe he doesn't feel this way... Look at these comments.

Part of me just wants to remove him from the group and just move on with my life just like I try to remove the rest of the negativity in it...and then again maybe he will just leave on his own. For some reason he joined a group that he doesn't like? Mind blowing...isn't it!

BUT I will type this out once more for all the people who have not been paying attention. I have posted about it repeatedly. OVER and OVER again. I make a living providing insurance to many, many individuals and businesses all over Delmarva. If you seriously think that I want to promote using a DAN in the VAN or a CHUCK IN A TRUCK as he said without having the necessary licenses or insurance you really must have missed something along the way. I am not aware of any person that I have personally supported or endorsed or in anyway have went out of my way to promote that is not a legitimate business.

And to take this topic just a bit further I have removed several people that are contacting members of our group via messenger that are side hustlers or scam artists. I have had countless messages on this very topic and have discussed it a number of times. Most business owners see the efforts that we have made to promote using local businesses, not people that are doing it on the side. We remove posts and comments quite often when it comes to this. And NO there is no way that we can check the qualifications of a business or a person claiming to be a business? Does Facebook when creating a business profile? After all that is the platform that we are all using. We have provided many links and ways you are able to find lists of licensed contractors to check on them yourself. We have recommended checking other resources before hiring people. We have reminded people that our group is only for positive reviews and is a place to promote local businesses but we do not allow negative comments. We have encouraged people that when they find someone is claiming to operate a business and they aren't please report them to the appropriate state departments.

I could go on and on about this but I do not see any other groups on FB put in the effort that we have to remind people to check qualifications and use legitimate and licensed and insured local businesses.

And just a reminder if you don't care for the group or the way that it is run there is a really simple way to solve that problem.

David

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