RedBubble

A heads up for group owners and moderators

We normally don’t pre-announce features, but this Thursday we’re releasing two things for the Groups that probably warrant a few days advanced notice to keep the group owners and moderators well-informed.

There’ll be no such thing as a ‘Group Owner’

We see the groups as mini-communities. The idea that a community is owned by an individual leaves a bad taste in our mouths. It’s bugged us ever since we launched groups, so we’re correcting it.

This Thursday when we release, all of the owner’s “super powers” (editing a group, adding new moderators, editing forums, etc) will be handed over to all the moderators in the group, and the owner will simply become one of the moderators.

This isn’t to say that the group owners have been evil or bad, it’s just the idea of an owner that we hate.

While we’re at it, the other thing that’s bugged us about groups is the idea of a Moderator. Great communities are led by example, so we’re going to call them Leaders.

Groups will be able to set limits for each type of work

For each type of work (images, clothing, writing, journals) the group leaders will be able to set a different limit, from none to unlimited and anywhere in between. For example, the Six Word Stories group will only allow written works, and the Agent Provocateur group may choose to only accept clothing works and maybe journal entries.

The reason we’re pre-announcing this is because we’re going to take any existing “total works” limit in the groups, and apply it to each type of work. If your group had a limit of 4 works, it’ll now be a limit of 4 images, 4 journals, 4 clothing designs and 4 written works.

So now might be a good time for group leaders to have a think about what their group needs, and make the changes after we release on Thursday.

— Justin

Jo O'Brien, 4 months ago

So excited.
S.I. Sheehan, 4 months ago

Bravo!!!!!!!!! Excellent choices!!!!!!!!
RoughDiamond, 4 months ago

Noiiiice :) x
Faizan Qureshi, 4 months ago

Nice… ty
phil1950, 4 months ago

Excellent stuff
thrumyeyes, 4 months ago

Bows to Jo…..job well done…....!!!!
Mel Brackstone, 4 months ago

This is great news, thanks guys and gals!
Julie Langford, 4 months ago

Nice amendments – love this idea of sharing the group between all the leaders – love it
Faizan Qureshi, 4 months ago

What about the main RedBubble forum? Is that still a moderator or leader? :-)
shanghaiwu, 4 months ago

well noted/a little bad taste.yes

but

must not forget “owners” have done a brilliant job and always appreciated
dogbreath, 4 months ago

sounds like some great thinking!.. thanks!
lightsmith, 4 months ago

yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes yes

(i like these changes. exactly what I wanted but haven’t had a chance to ask for!)

YES!
Kenny Gulley Jr., 4 months ago

Cool cool! Im brand new…so..:D
Noelene Davies, 4 months ago

All sounds good and pleased to hear it.
Justin French, 4 months ago

Yes, I should have been clearer about the owners, so I’ve amended the post to include “This isn’t to say that the group owners have been evil or bad, it’s just the idea of an owner that we hate.”
Cathie Tranent, 4 months ago

Thanks guys!!
moonlight1, 4 months ago

Finally we all can make the changes to the group, not just one person. That is going to make it so much easier. Thank You :)
Aloramyst, 4 months ago

I have a couple questions?

1. If the owners are going to be on a equal status with the Moderators, who choses the moderators? Will it be the person who originally started the group?

I dont mind the idea of equality across the board just curious how this is all going to work.

2. If it remains that the original person who started the group gets to pick the other moderators (leaders), do they have to have other moderators (leaders) in the group if they dont wish to? And who decides who gets to stay in the group or get the boot?

If this is the case where the original person can decide who becomes a moderator or not, its basically the same set up. Or at least to my understanding of it.

Please bear with me, as I am new to running groups here on Redbubble. But learning quick! I hope that made sense, lol. Rereading it here before I post it and it sounds like a real tongue twister, lol. If anyone understands me please reply, lol.
Justin French, 4 months ago

The moderators (er, I mean, leaders) would pick the additional leaders. So the owner/first leader chooses and empowers other leaders to help him/her lead the group, and should trust them to do a great job.
Steven Lippis, 4 months ago

Good stuff.
I love the group idea, but seeing them turn into personal kingdoms is a bit off putting, and I’ve left at least one group for that reason!
Mundy Hackett, 4 months ago

Great changes!
Dean Warwick, 4 months ago

Sounds great to me!
mieclarke, 4 months ago

:) :) :)
Christopher E..., 4 months ago

but but but..i paid so much money to own my group “coughs” lol
kidding..and being an “owner” well ex owner..i do appreciate the heads up on letting all of us know what is going on…get another A for communication :)
bamagirl38, 4 months ago

Sounds wonderful to me! Thanks for the heads up :)
Lisa Putman, 4 months ago

Fantastic, I’m all for it! Sounds great! Thanks for the advance heads up!
Pagly2, 4 months ago

I agree with you Steven Lippis….....I would also like to know How long does it take to ‘set up’ a new group..? I asked in Dec..all is in place..all requirements met..and yet I still wait…....I mean no disrespect and appreciate people are busy….....just wondering….
Barssel, 4 months ago

Thank you
Samantha Van S..., 4 months ago

great! I am about to become a group ‘leader (when the group is launched) and I like the idea of evenness…though the chance for dictatorship sadly eludes me…I will take this new found leading to fresh pastures and clean water…(?!!)
Tom Godfrey, 4 months ago

Good thinking team and totally in the rb spirit
pivo, 4 months ago

wel wel thank you super!!!!
David Iori, 4 months ago

Hi Justin

Yea all the changes are good but it would be nice if the original owner now moderator had Group Founder Moderator next to their name.

After all they originally created the group and after all the hard work they have done to get it up and running don’t you think!
Christopher E..., 4 months ago

great idea david..well it would be Group Founder Leader…we be GFL’s :)
ozlat, 4 months ago

this is great news and a great step forward for creating a real community
David Iori, 4 months ago

Thanks Christopher
John Robb, 4 months ago

Sounds good
Patricia Anne ..., 4 months ago

I think the Black in Back Group is doing well now and the members follow the rules very well ans they are very cool when stuff needs to be removed. I think we’er ok

THANKS for the guide lines, I already thought of it as group effort :)
Kathie Nichols, 4 months ago

That’s great news guys, I think this will make it easier!
Deborah Dillehay, 4 months ago

I like the spirit of equality here. It lets me know that I have come to the right place!
6point1, 4 months ago

Briliant ideas!!!
skunk, 4 months ago

I like the group updates and glad that co mods have the same rights as owner/leader/boss mod?, but i actually prefer the word moderator, over Leader..could be just me though. Thanks RB
mwfoster, 4 months ago

I’ve keeped a hands off approch to most of the two groups I Lead Moderate don’t care of title I just like the ablity to reduce older works of people that post all there gallerys onto the group. I have two nice small groups that don’t have too many abusses
tsfpmaster, 4 months ago

aww now i cant be thee master cheif
Damien Woods, 4 months ago

Excellent idea – got my vote.
Danielle Bailey, 4 months ago

This sounds wonderful! I’m especially happy about it because it will enable the other 2 moderators of the group I came up with the idea for (for want of a better way to word that) to take more control especially because I will probably not be on much soon when my baby is born (due in 3 and a half weeks) :-D
Patricia Moore, 4 months ago

I love it, thanks.
chamo, 4 months ago

Leaders are good I was never to sure about moderator because plainly they had decisions to make that have allways been leader type decisions. All good leaders should allways listen to there fellow team members and then use this input to allow them to make the right choices and to become worthy leaders. And for the ownership of sites/groups I would suggest that all groups came about with a indaviduals idea that has been taken on board and expanded by many into what is now that particuler group and ownership rights have probably long been extinguished.I forsee many more changes arising in RB as it is plain to see that this fellowship of creative people is for ever growing into a gigantic club that is going to take a monsterous amount of effort and organisation to run Good luck.
AllyL, 4 months ago

Great ideas! Thanks for the heads up :)
Irma, 4 months ago

i like it.
AlienVisitor, 4 months ago

A giant step forward,well done.

AV
cevaro, 4 months ago

I agree with axing the label “owner.” It gave me a chuckle (yes, a chuckle) when I found out I was the “owner” of a group. I figured the “founder” was just determined the “owner” in a commonwealth or something. So, I’m agreeing with David lori and the use of the term “Founder.” I mean, you just have to give credit to the founder of a group. However, I can tell you “leader” seems a lot less democratic to me than “moderator.” I mean, George W. Bush is my elected leader, people. That doesn’t make me feel good. “Moderator” allowed me to preside over a group of people and their work whether I personally liked it or not and to encourage exposure of their work. As “moderator,” I loosened my preconceived rigid guidelines to include work I hadn’t even previously considered. In my experience, I don’t think “leader” allows room for that. A leader is far more controlling and even more dangerously revolutionary than a moderator, as I see it. The title “leader” allows people to lead their group into whatever communist or fascist direction they wish to take. “Moderator” is much more benign. If not “moderator,” I propose “administrator” or “editor,” but not “leader.” I started “Books” to merely spread awareness of the book as art form (benign), not to lead some sort of movement (malignant). I have no desire to “lead” anything. In some ways, I have let the group lead me into wonderful directions I hadn’t ever considered. However, I’m wondering if this is all just some semantic difference between Australian English and American English.
Summayyah Sadi..., 4 months ago

Sounds nice…
Justin French, 4 months ago

Stephen, I hear you. In most cases, we feel that the moderators should be leading and guiding rather than moderating and controlling. It really just speaks to the sort of things we hope our leaders will do in their groups, and it’s definitely all semantics. The idea that a group guides it’s the leader(s) is ultimately exactly what we want. A group should be a product of itself, but someone has to kick in that initial spark that makes it something, and it feels wrong to call that person a moderator.

The idea of a founder is interesting… and it’s certainly something that could be documented in the group description as a starting point.
Lelia Thomas, 4 months ago

Yayyy. This means I maybe won’t get so much BubbleMail now. I think moderators will work better for the groups, than moderators and a leader. I don’t like how the latter works, as it usually ends up with moderators competing for acknowledgment from the owner, thus creating cliques. It’s bad enough when users try to kiss up to the moderators.

By not having as many upward tiers of management, you end up with less moodiness in a community, I think. Better to keep things transparent, which is easier when there are only a few with the same moderating powers. That’s really all you need.

Great decision-making, as always.
BubbleDoll, 4 months ago

Woohoo!! I’m so excited… and I’m sure BUBBLE DOLL™ girl and BUBBLE DOLL™ boy would be too!! (^^) * dances *
Marilyn Brown, 4 months ago

This is a great move RB. Well done!
bodymechanic, 4 months ago

excellent smithers!!! i’ve funnily enuf have been a victim of soup nazi like power hungry
we are kings u are peasants,type moderators…you know who u r!! join us mortals back in reality, share ur power!!!
i wonder if this is the joy the italians felt wen they strung up musselini? prob not.
i agree with david I, founder will help them ease their demise, and moderator sounds
better than leader, even better group “elders” now theres a debate brewin there!
it’ll make u feel old or religous or even tribal…hey tribal counciller, welcome to the
sydney tribe counciled by elder bosman and elder moore….
nah im really happy with anything its all positive, so no one should get their knickers
in a knot about nameing rights, just welcome the fine tuning process in!!
if u dont ill bar u from my group which i was too lazy to start..
“i’ll do it tommorrow group”
MrJoop, 4 months ago

Ah! Now the Bubblers will have someone to be taken to !
cevaro, 4 months ago

i just realized: if i’m a leader, then i have followers. that’s twisted. and, as i’m in, like, a bazillion groups, i am a follower of my various group leaders. that’s sick.
MuscularTeeth, 4 months ago

jolly good show..
Michael Gatch, 4 months ago

your idealism tickles me. great insight as usual haha.
David Iori, 4 months ago

Thanks,

Christopher, Stephen Oravec and Bodymechanic

For your support.
RonniLeigh, 4 months ago

I agree I think this is a really good idea I have thought it should be like this all along!!!!
Jo O'Brien, 4 months ago

I don’t care what you call me, I’m just glad that now the other people who work their little asses off with me to make our group fantastic now get an equal share of the pie. A rose by any other name would smell as sweet etc etc.
bicozikan, 4 months ago

Great idea! It really sh*ts me when I see irrelevant journals added to a group
Kurt Tutschek, 4 months ago

excellent idea! thanks for adding this feature.
Pagly2, 4 months ago

Back again…..I like the new concept…great…......after looking at writings today I would like to see an area for ADULTS ONLY…...my 11 year old grandaughter loves reading the poetry and writings on RB and is learning to write…some of the ‘content ’ today I would REALLY not like her to see….....and trust me I am not old fashioned…....just someone who cares abour what children read….
ltruskett, 4 months ago

I love owners, leaders, moderators, adjudicators, elevators and escalators. Thumbs up from me – without you guys, well, there is no RB, simple. :>)) L
kseriphyn, 4 months ago

thanks for the heads up, knowing me I won’t know until on or after the day. Cheers.
dominiquelandau, 4 months ago

yes, good idea!
Michael Bermi..., 4 months ago

“Take me to your leader”

lol

Sounds cool
Cathie Tranent, 4 months ago

@ Pagly2.

MIght be easier for you to perhaps “find” a few, rather than let her find the adult ones herself.

Has she put some work in My Child’s Art yet?
Pagly2, 4 months ago

Hi Cathie up until now it has been ok for her to look….after today NO…and no she has not put into My Chlds Art yet she still needs to get the courage up..but I am getting there…..Thank for your commets…
Robert Knapman, 4 months ago

Thanks guys and gals. I’m happy
Gregory John O..., 4 months ago

Fine by me. I never like the concept of being owned. About the limits on work; do you think that might be limiting peoples creativity ? Hope not. Thanks everyone. I haven’t enjoyed this much art, ever.
Wayne Bonney, 4 months ago

Sounds very good! Great Move!
lightleake, 4 months ago

Well done, I think ownership got to a few individuals heads ! No place for that here !
Nicholas Averre, 4 months ago

Thanks for the heads up guys. Great move!
Ann Macdonald, 4 months ago

Cool,me and my moderators can be more able to work alongside each other better,and ill not be the only one to get bubblemails,whoo Well thought of and am looking forwards to it:)
PhotogeniquE IPA, 4 months ago

great idea to do away with ‘ownership.’

also that all the ‘leaders’ will have the ‘super-powers’!
Lyuda, 4 months ago

Sounds Grrreat!!!
Trace Lowe, 4 months ago

Sounds like a well thought out plan and change. Bravo
Meach, 4 months ago

Bit like being back in charge of Kingfisher Patrol when I was a Boy Scout – Pet Leader Meach hmmmmmm
Danny, 4 months ago

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
I was a god, proving total power corrupts totally
DON’T TAKE AWAY MY POWERS
Inishiata, 4 months ago

Does this mean my plans for world Domination through RB will have to be put on hold ?
VCADD, 4 months ago

rEVOLution
paulevelin, 4 months ago

I feel more and more “at home” over here….feels great this way of handling the site
THANKS
notop, 4 months ago

thanks guys
notop, 4 months ago

thanks guys
Patrick Morand, 4 months ago

Thank you, nice improvements !
awsiv, 4 months ago

agreed!!
artlein, 4 months ago

D. Lessing: Nothing would work if someone didn’t co-ordinate things.
mufa, 4 months ago

‘Owners’ leaves a bad taste?
Can I be the first [as far as I can see] to suggest that ‘leaders is equally as distasteful – perhaps even more so
To be completely egalitarian and to assign a role – and not a status – the only viable term is ‘co-ordinator’
cevaro, 4 months ago

mufa, please read my two comments above
G. Merrick Jus..., 4 months ago

All I can say is as far as I’m concerned this is all semantics and role-playing, and anyone who gets overly heated about such minor changes is simply ego-irritated that they don’t get to be Dungeon Master this year. I do get a huge kick out of the hundreds of “Yes-Men” responses that follow every new idea put into action by Administrators though “Good show indeed jolly fine chap and all that, hip-ho” even if it’s more fun to read what the dissenters have to say…
G. Merrick Jus..., 4 months ago

Oh, and one other thing… Moderators/Leaders/Rulers/Dictators none of us RUN the site… the Administrators do. Some here are lucky I’m not an administrator because I’d be writing a “deal with it shut up”-type message right about now.
cevaro, 4 months ago

i started a thread for those of you who would like, like Merrick, to weigh in:
http://www.redbubble.com/groups/redbubble/forums/85/topics/9237-moderator-vs-leader
Play nice! We are simply discussing semantics and relationships.
LeonD, 4 months ago

I think I’ll just remain a solo group. Problems solvered!!
cevaro, 4 months ago

The previous forum link posted by me is not able to be accessed if you’re not a group leader. Mufa let me know he’s started a forum for everyone in the RedBubble community here: http://www.redbubble.com/groups/redbubble/forums/4/topics/9248-leaders
Rusty Woodward..., 4 months ago

I agree with Steve Lippis and sadly have had to leave a group because I feel the moderator/leader seem just a little too controlling. I suppose this is down to personalities and good old human nature.

I joined Redbubble for a chance to display my artwork and to make new friends, which I’ve started to do. The people on this site are lovely but I don’t think I’ll be joining any more groups!
Larry Varley, 4 months ago

I think this isn’t a good idea at all and will only lead to groups started by individuals, not letting anyone else in. Redbubble “controls” the whole shebang, so the concept of control is already in place. I think you risk of groups turns into rudderless ships, not saying true to the theme, and one group blending into another with varying views changing the group. This well may be what you hope to achieve, who knows. Anyway as you say this is happening anyway, so the concept of community is already lost. Yes I expect to get fried, so flame away
Mary Campbell, 4 months ago

I have to agree we need moderators to help the group but not controling types that think they own a group, or only thier opion on works count. We need to allow creativitiy to flow in redbubble, not subject it to one persons personal preferences. The word moderator sets the right tone, not owner, not critic, not judge, just someone to ensure the group is running smoothy and the work comming in matches the purpose defined for the groups charter, it’s ok to limit number of works but the group should vote on who they want to be a moderator, I suggest every year reviewing who is the moderator, and having the group membership apply to be a moderator, and let the group decide who they’d want.

I had one really bad experience, with one group that the person still thought she owned the group, and only her taste in style was right. I sent her a note telling her she was a moderator not the owner, not a critic, not the deciding factor of what style was right or wrong. I reminded her that many great writters style was not understood initially such as James Joyce’s Ulysses.. and a moderator should not be imposing their personal preference, but rather allow the creativity of the group to grow. The people who view and read the works decide if they like them or not, not the moderator. Some controling types do not understand that freedom of expression is the way to get dynamic and inspirational works that will allow redbubble to be a place to express creative talent. Thanks for making that clear.
Suzanne German, 4 months ago

That Moderator – has replied to MyMindsEye9 – and she is me!
Perhaps you may like to read the dozens of responses I received after sending out the original bmail you are referring to – from group members who completely agreed with what I was proposing.
Let me know if you’re interested…MyMindsEye9 – as you are clearly interested in what the majority of a group are interested in….I warn you though – there are quite a few to read in support of those suggestions I made!

Suzanne German
Group Leader
All Things Poetic, Prose, Philosophical.

PS – As I said to you pivately, had you not approached me with such outward hostility it may have been easier to discuss your points of concern or feedback constructively.

I am sorry that you feel a need to debate in such a negative manner. I DO listen to what group members say and I take on board a lot and apply their ideas.
SG
Pagly2, 4 months ago

HOORAY….Bits and Pieces is UP and Running….THANK YOU to RB…...........I prefer
Host as does my Co Host Summayyah…......but then we are neither of us into ‘Labels”
....so like any good Hostesses we welcome all….....Thanks RB for a Great Site…. and the opportunity to help bring People together…....