UnionBook

Feedback:

I want live links at the bottom of the page. I want to be able to list more than one website in my profile. I want one main settings page with access to all the controls (details, profile photo etc.)

If it is possible to integrate the actnow campaigns with this service, that would be great.

Matt Noyes 634 days ago

I don't use facebook so I'm not really well qualified to post on this, but I think it would be good if those users who do use facebook could talk about which apps on facebook they find most useful.

Nick Holden 633 days ago

It's important that we put together a list like that - keeping in mind that we will never be able to do everything that Facebook does and we're not in direct competition with it.

Eric Lee 632 days ago

Hi, Eric:
It's interesting to see what's happening here, for sure.
Some quick feedback, trying to think about this from the perspective of
explaining it to our members:  the thing that struck me the most is
that when you set up an account and log in, it takes you to a completely
empty dashboard page.  While this may give maximum flexilibility, it
increases the learning curve and time to get involved in the conversations
-- is there an easy way to have a default set of widgets, so that people
don't have to customize if they don't want to?
I also found it interesting that, unlike Facebook or many other sites,
people don't seem to need to confirm for you to be able to "friend"
them.  A lot of this comes down to the horrible mis-use of the term
"friend" in social networking - but I've actually seen more than one
bizarre political battle within unions as a result of having the wrong
people friended on FaceBook already, and I can horribly see that actually
being a real (and valid) matter of concern for trade unionists that they
can't control who lists them as a friend.   Not having played
with ELGG, I don't know if that's intrinsic to the system, or an
implementation choice on your end.  On the topic of "friends," too, it
looks like there's no way to lock blog posts to friends only - although I'm
not strictly sure that's a bad thing in a system like this one.
I'll also echo Gisela's comments on the wire -- if it's supposed to be a
current status, then people need to be able to set it easily from their
dashboard. 
Finally, in the wacky but interesting ideas to throw out there, in case
it's already written as an ELGG plugin, one of the most useful features of
some of these social network tools for me is Jabber Instant Messenger
integration - being able to log in to an XMPP server and automatically see
on my IM clients any UnionBook "friends" who are also logged in, without
having to go through the whole ritual of exchanging IM addresses. 
Heck, I might even be talked into seeing what'd be involved in implementing
that, if there was interest.

Ian Clysdale

Eric Lee 632 days ago

Oh, there would be interest all right, Ian. I'm already constantly signed in to the LiveJournal Jabber server when I'm awake and home. As for friending the wrong people? Screwit, sez I. I have Facebook friends who would probably sooner shoot at each other. (Heh. I'm already a friend of Marna's on LJ ...  this feels almost incestuous.)

B. Ross Ashley 628 days ago

By the way, howcum Ian's post I just replied to is attributed to Eric?

B. Ross Ashley 628 days ago

Ian's post is attributed to Eric (me) because I needed to repost it -- it got lost as we moved servers.

Eric Lee 627 days ago

Can I add this site as a gadget on my google account?

ADVOKATE 580 days ago

Signed up -- I'm now getting literally dozens of repeat email confirmations and they won't stop. Help!

Mike Old 578 days ago

Signed up recently, uploaded photo for my avatar. Now I see my photo attached to a post by Eric Kline?

I also have several new friends who are completely unknown to me. They may be the finest of fellow workers, but I prefer to be able to accept or reject having my name posted as friend on someone else's profile.

How do I remove my profile and all my information from UnionBook?

Mike Tulley 578 days ago

Mike - to answer your question - I don't know.  But I'll find out.

Eric Lee 578 days ago

Advokate - I don't think so, not yet.  But we'll keep our eyes open for a plug in to do that.

Eric Lee 578 days ago

Eric and Unionbook team,

One great idea is to create unionbook as a start page to have info that everyone usually uses.  Take a look at Netvibes.com which is partly opensource, but they use widgets for news content and other forms of content, I think adding those features would greatly help unionbook become a place to start the day.

Stephen

Stephen 571 days ago

Stephen - We're moving along with what Elgg offers, and I think something like this will be available in a future version of the software.

Eric Lee 568 days ago

I'm still trying to make sense of UnionBook, but I finally have my password straightened out. How do I paste my photo on my page? what groups are available now? Plesase get back to me, I know I'll enjoy UnionBook, thank you.

John Mason 559 days ago

John,  To see groups, click on the Tools menu on top of the page.  To learn how to add your photo, look at the bottom of the page - see the How do I ... section.  Hope this answers your questions.

Eric Lee 556 days ago

I would like to see some sort of Search function... I am not really sure what I am looking for and searching for some keys words like "auto workers" or "IWW" would be helpful for everyone - new and longtime members. 

   Or is there a search function that I missed?

Josh 520 days ago

Ah ha, I found it... sorry my new-ness came over my intelligence for a few minutes there.

Josh 520 days ago

Help, I have now discovered this. I have no idea to navigate round the site or use the facilities. Why is there not a help function......

I don't know what widgets are and that is what it took me to when I clicked on how to find my way through union book.

I'm finding it very un user friendly at the moment.

I may have posted this on several threads as it is not clear where to go to post comments.

I think you need a FAQ section.

ali catt 513 days ago

also if you click to join groups and it says it has been successful do you have to wait to be accepted , because I'm not showing up as  a member even though 2 groups have said I have been successful. Probably why it won't let me post on the group messageboard.

It's very confusing indeed

ali catt 513 days ago

still not accepting me for group membership....o well that has sort of put me off this site

ali catt 513 days ago

Way to hard to search for members or groups !

Jon Jeter 494 days ago

UnionBook, you rock!!! I am so excited about this site and its awesome potential for social networking among friends of Labor. As a member of the Writer's Union, I do have one teensy grammar request. When a buddy of mine sent me a request to join, the subject line in that email stated "[Friend's Name] send you an invitation to join UnionBook." Please change it to the more grammatical "sends" or even "sent" when you have the chance. Until then, thanks for the great work you are doing!

unionpal09 456 days ago

When I click on "... invite my friends to sign up?" at the bottom of the page, I get sent to the dashboard.  How do I send invites?

johnk 449 days ago