Anonymous👻
Greetings folks.
I've been reading posts on here about members wanting an anonymous post on the Fluent Community powered site. That some members own a health site and it would be unfair for members on your health site with some offensive/scary health issue to make a post, because they'll be scared of other members on your site mocking them and all that.
Since I'm a people's person, I've decided to take up the challenge to create an add-ons for that.
So far, I've been able to create an anonymous post, where members on your site would be able to make an anonymous post, hooray for that.
I am asking, should the anonymous be able to like and comment or just post?
And is there any other features you all would also want for the anonymous?
Like and comment, perhaps Nicknames (system gen and/or user maintained) or Aliases instead of or as well as Anon, for traceability.
Keeping a thread intact and readable ????
Awesome effort and thanks ! Love a people person :)
John Waters I will have to say, does facebook allow anonymous comment and like? I think they only allow post.
The tricky part now is the like and comment
John Waters and where would you prefer the anonymous button to be placed? like where should "post as anonymous" be placed?
John Waters I am thinking of making admin pick an anonymous name "ghost or anon or wind" then when members want to use the anonymous, they will have to insert their username for traceability for the admin just incase the anon decides to post evil or vulgar words, you can notice the the member through the username inserted and only logged in members can use anon, and username inserted would match the current user's username
WiLson Eberechi thoughts: yes the ghost name and admin pick is a good idea.
But I think there should be a number seq or equivelent as a suffix to identify the poster.
Eg: what happens when two different anons place a diff comment in a thread ? How will others know it’s not the same person.
WiLson Eberechi no FB has anon comments as well. (I have 130k in one group alone, it’s a blessing)
WiLson Eberechi if possible inside the outer post container of the post and/or comment dialogue box.
In the next post after the anon one, it would be great if it defaulted to “non anon”, with the choice to anon . If that makes sense.
Big ask I know, but thanks for giving it a bash
John Waters on Facebook, I think it's just "anonymous" that is being used in general, no number sequence or prefix or suffix, just anonymous, or does Facebook have "anonymous 1", "anonymous 2" and so on?
WiLson Eberechi as of late, it has a three number suffix,at least for the comments, will need to confirm For the actual OP.
Assigned for that user
WiLson Eberechi Yes, Facebook does in groups if the Admin has enabled it.
Mara Alexander FB has 'anonymous 1', 'anonymous 2', and so on?
I would say add some more features like, able to edit/delete posts in x amount of minutes. Maybe gdpr also, delete account option that would randomize a username, block profile from views, lock their account, and keeping content or not should for admin to decide, as far as erasing certain data should be left up to site admin.
David Scurlock i thought all these are already available in FC?
Would support this as well. Some users are more comfortable to post anon, me personally do
Kael Morg and where would you prefer the anonymous button to be placed? like where should "post as anonymous" be placed?
WiLson Eberechi do like reddit and randomize usernames, like silver_spoon357 👍 👌 this way your 1000 members are not using the same anonymous username 😑
David Scurlock I'm not on reddit
WiLson Eberechi when you signup on reddit, they issue a random username. You dont get to decide.
David Scurlock and what if the random username is clicked, wont it redirect to your profile? i prefer the anonymous way of facebook
WiLson Eberechi im not a coder so I am not sure but Facebook requires a real name when you signup.
WiLson Eberechi you could add an option so members have the ability to block their own profiles from being viewed.
David Scurlock yeah FB requires a real name before posting which is good to avoid fake people posting and cannot be traced. FB actually has anonymous and the anonymous profile can be viewed, but nothing to see on the profile. And FC isn't just a php site, it is a Vue spa, so code integration would be hell😂
Nb: apologies if this is stating the obvious, but Not all posters will want to be anon. Businesses offering expertise will want to strut their stuff and be seen
also: posting anon , best case, would be chosen on a post by post basis, with default being not anon
John Waters I have a solution for that. Let member signup using real name, then when they go to post, they have an option to use a random post username or their real name, however, having anonymous all over the community seems unnatural. They can also have an option to block their profile if they do not wish to be seen.
David Scurlock super awesome!
may I add an extra layer?
all members of a member type ( doesn’t exist yet), or perhaps badge are invisible, and can’t be messaged , seen, found , rest api etc.
But they can initiate a contact on a one to one basis.
Maybe only being verified by admin ? (Not sure about this, need to think)
Love ya work ! And thinking !
John Waters due to the way FC is built, many functions won't actually be allowed.
Users/members(anonymous) from WordPress created, would automatically appear on Fluent Community members, because I just did now and it worked. I auto generated users from WP and they all appeared on FC, those users can all be anonymous users and post anonymously.
There's a xenforo forum script, it has anonymous and how it works, when you try to make a post as anonymous, instead of making a post from the post container, you'll be redirected to a page where you select anon, space, write and click post.
What you posted would appear on the feed, that way, it is organised and no one can message anon or know who the anonymous is except admin
John Waters and should the anonymous post be directed to a specific space or all space?
WiLson Eberechi I would say all spaces which will allow the member post in any space that is not restricted.
David Scurlock okay that's good, thank you
WiLson Eberechi the anonymous post should go to the specific space. For example, if there are over 100 spaces, some private, public, and secret, how would you even begin to keep track. Depending on how the community is set up (for what purpose, goal, etc) will dictate how things are working.
Wendy Shoef okay specific space it is then. On it
WiLson Eberechi specific post within the specific space Wendy Shoef
Actually a post can be moved to another space I think, so the anonymity needs to stay or attach itself with the post.WiLson Eberechi Wendy Shoef (ir) regardless of the space and be portable
I think Wendy Shoef is also interested in this, maybe ask her opinion and see what she thinks.
David Scurlock Thank you for tagging me! Yes, Yes I am!!!
Wendy Shoef on it
I'm one of the people interested in a similar feature - but I'm looking for the equivalent of a public nickname feature = members can use their real name or a nickname for the front end but the backend real name & email stays accountable (both for billing and for community rules).
Also, FB's implementation of Anon posting, if I'm not mistaken, relies on the moderators to approve each anon post - and I'd rather take on any more jobs. I have quite enough atm. 😎
So, again, I'm voting for public nicknames when/if allowed by the community owner. I appreciate the work & enthusiasm here and I'm not knocking it in any way. But for my own purposes I'd skip completely anonymous posting and stay with real names for all if those are my only options.
Charlotte D thats true 👍 any admin can change his nickname from wp backend, so why cant this be so for wp/fc members also?
Charlotte D users can change their username and all their details in FC. Most of the people I've seen interested in anonymous posting is for when people don't want to disclose, usually for personal reasons, that it's them but they want to be active parts of the community.
Wendy Shoef Well sure, I could completely fake my profile here - but I think the backend must always have the real user info. So much goes sideways with the processes if we start working from bad data on the backend.
Wendy Shoef true, especially people battling some health issues, family issues, divorce issues, court issues and so on
Wendy Shoef I also recognize that are real practical uses for truly anonymous posting separate from regular user names. These needs aren't necessarily the same and the solutions don't have to be either. That's more to my point, I suppose.
Wendy Shoef fc integrates with wp, which means a user can login into fc and wp, if you go anonymous on fc then how will the user log into wp? The username would have to be in synchronization with fc and wp.
Charlotte D I want to ask you something, what if you've already made lots of post about yourself on FC for months now, like your company/home/business information and all. Now you have a secret you want to share on FC but you don't want people to know you're the one.
Would you start deleting your old posts/profile picture/description and so on just to make that post? And you will never put your real details again on your profile unless maybe you've deleted the secret post.
Is that what you mean?
I mean forum sites all have anonymous post, like xenforo
WiLson Eberechi I work in the legal industry, so I wholeheartedly agree - but let's follow this thought down the path just a little further:
When the entire community is going through divorce (or whatever the topic), do we then have everyone posting anonymously for every post? I think not, because in that case the feed is just one long anon listing and it doesn't feel very much like community.
So that's one of the reasons why I think allowing public nicknames of some sort while hiding the remainder of the profile details from the community (not the admins) would be a benefit.
In my example, maybe there should also be a 2nd tier of completely anonymous posts for super-sensitive topics. I get a little stuck there trying to define to the community when to use one method vs another. But that's on me.
And Wendy & others have completely great reasons for wanting anon posting from the jump. No arguments.
Charlotte D you have a point.
I was thinking probably the anonymous post would be for a specific space and admin must approve/decline.
I don't know, that's why I'm asking for opinion on what I can add to the codes
WiLson Eberechi Sorry, I'm not getting forum notifications this afternoon. That's a great example for truly anonymous posting - and probably exactly why to include a 2nd tier for this type of post.
Charlotte D I still like your idea of allowing the member to choose a nickname, if available, then there are no clashes with anonymous users not being able to do certain things, and it does not turn the community into a wasteland of anonymous posts. 😬
Charlotte D I see, thank you
David Scurlock it is only for presentation purposes , there would not be a separation of connection or ruining the data integrity
First, thank you for taking up this venture. It's something I need done, too and was holding off with the hopes that the team would actually implement some kind of anonymous option (even if it doesn't have all the bells and whistles).
I think some of these use cases can be addressed by having an admin settings for anonymous posting options. Most are relatively easy to implement.
Obfuscation can be done in different ways. I've actually put a fair amount of thought into how I was going to develop the plugin so I'm totally open to having a meeting (aka Zoom or Meet) if you want. Or sharing some Looms or other screen recordings back and forth ("Loom it" is part of my lexicon).
To keep track of anonymous posting, it could be similar in implementation to how the scheduled posts are visible to the person's profile but not publicly until it's published.
Wendy Shoef I see, okay I'm open for a zoom or meet call. I can share with you how I was able to make a post anonymous, but the tricky part I'm having a slight headache on is the reaction and comment
There can be a third options Like / comments / Annoymous Likes
John Waters Wendy Shoef Kael Morg Eren Çakmak Charlotte D David Scurlock I have actually setup the skeleton(rough work) for the anonymous. check the screenshots i just uploaded.
I think its better to keep the anonymous button at the top right menu rather than keeping it in the create feedbox, that way members wouldn't have the urge of always making anonymous posts.
From the screenshots image, the user id primary would be the anonymous and the logged in user would be the current user trying to use anonymous and only admin get to see the logged in user in admin dashboard.
admin would approve/decline anonymous post, post made by anonymous would be on pending till admin approve.
I also added email notification to admin, for pending anonymous approval/decline and admin can also approve/decline directly from email.
Due to the way fluent community is built, you must be part of a space before you can make a post, so i will add a field box in admin where you can select the space anonymous post would display.
The tricky part now is the anonymous like and comment, to create anonymous like and comment, the project could get messy like users switching to full anonymous member and posting.
So if you all are okay and comfortable with just anonymous post only(no anonymous like and comment), let me know so i can go on in finalizing the clean work plugin.
You can also turn anonymous button on/off
Give me feedback thank you.
WiLson Eberechi This is really good. Thank you for taking this on. I do think it is better to be in the space and then decide to post anonymously. If people are spamming, they shouldn't be in your group anyways (unless you like that in your group of course).
Most business use cases that will allow anonymous posting will not likely have abuse of the feature (especially paid memberships).
Wendy Shoef yes you will have to select your own space where the anonymous post would be posted, I'll set up a field in the plugin for admin to pick their space where anonymous post would be posted. Because I don't know where admins want to make the anonymous post display, so admins would pick.
I might choose "get started" space and you might prefer "say hello" space, so you see why I prefer creating a field where you pick your own space for anonymous post display.
And in all, are you comfortable with just anonymous post? No anonymous like and comment, cause project would get messy if I venture into that .
WiLson Eberechi Ya, that doesn't make sense. I'm gonna record a Loom for you to explain a real use case scenario I have in two different communities (or it could be I'm misunderstanding you).
I think making it like Facebook where the post is able to be anonymous makes the most sense from a development standpoint. If people need further customization, that's when they hire someone to do it.
Is there a reason why you are having it global instead of allowing people to select anonymous while they're posting in a space? IMO, the post should be just like normal (space, tags, topics, etc) but with a checkbox to make anonymous (if the space allows).
Anonymous posting should be an option turned on per space. Like you wouldn't want anonymous posting in an "Introductions" space, but you might in a space dedicated to Questions.
Wendy Shoef I think I'm misunderstanding you or you are misunderstanding me lol.
Anonymous is not global, if the user is not a member of a space, he/she can't post anonymous.
Why I removed the anonymous button from FC feed creation box is because a lot of persons would want to abuse the anonymous post. Just as FB does not have anonymous in their post creation except on groups/pages(space)
Love your work !
Pic 1: Could the same icon as pic 2 be used for consistency
Pic 2: Great, that will be good
Pic 3: Im not sure how this fits in ?
Pic 4: Rather than Space No, is it possible to translate to Space name ?
Many thanks for your efforts
John Waters its just a skeleton(rough work), pic 2 icon would be removed so anonymous button would be on the top right menu like in pic 1 so to avoid anonymous spamming.
Pic 3 is a modal it fits in, it helps for fast posting.
Due to the way FC is built, you'll need a space to make a post, I'll create that where you can just pick a space of your choice where anonymous post would be posted.
You can also turn anonymous button on/off
John Waters Facebook don't have anonymous button in the create feed box, they only have in groups or pages which is same as Space on FC. So you'll have to select a space for anonymous
WiLson Eberechi yes, you are correct....
WiLson Eberechi understood :)
John Waters on it
I would love it where you could post under your username and only the moderators/admins could see your full name!
Shani Cipro I don't think a plugin could do that, you will have to do that directly in your fluent community plugin. Even wordpress shows full name
John Waters Wendy Shoef Kael Morg Eren Çakmak Charlotte D David Scurlock
I am done, I was tied up with some other projects that was why the anonymous plugin was delayed a little.
You can now make anonymous post. Can I finalize the plugin now?
That looks really good. At first I didn't realize it was for the space but that makes sense how you did it.
Wendy Shoef thank you
awesome, is an alert sent to admin (email and/or notification), when an anon is sent for approval ? (Sorry to do this to you)
John Waters yes there is an email notification
WiLson Eberechi I cant believe I missed this thread. This was the only feature I had requested when I was one of the orignal beta users. I will definitely need to try it. Thank you so much for doing this.
My use case is somewhat different from what I see in these posts. I will like to test it and see how it works, but I'm sure this is better than nothing and seems to have ways to configuring to make it work in different scenarios.
Thank you again.
Lalo Solorzano you're welcome. Go to https://mpaddi.com join a space, click the 3 dot at the top, you'll see anonymous, click the anonymous and make a post, I'll receive an email notification to approve or decline your anonymous post. I'll approve it, so you can see your anonymous post. It will be posted as "anonymous member" rather than your name.