Groundspeak Portal

Recently had one of three officers quit a category, which put it on probation.  There are several serious problems with this, however.

First, neither of the two officers received a notice that the category was put on probation.  I suppose I should have realized that this was one of the categories with only three officers and put it together with the "quit" notice I received.  But, it is one of those legacy categories that I inherited and seldom receives waymark submissions.

Second, according to the note below, being put on probation does not mean that the category is frozen, it means that it is put on AUTOMATIC APPROVAL!  The remaining two officers are locked out, but any waymark submitted will automatically be approved.  What's the sense of that?  I think it is very dangerous.

"This group's category, Active Quarries, is on probation. It has been set to auto-approve and will not be accessible for editing until you find at least 3 officers (including yourself) to manage it. "

I think this is one of the things that needs to be addressed in the overall issue of non-functioning categories and inactive leaders and officers.  There has to be a better way to handle this problem.

I agree with SQ on this.  I think waymarks submitted to categories on probation be handle like other waymarks and approved by either the remaining officers or held suspended until the number of officers is brought to 3.  I also think the category description should have a note on tops saying that the category is currently on probation and to expect extended approval times.

I also think their should be an additional note sent to the remaining officers when a category is placed on probation.  The officer quitting note is good except when you happen to be in 10 or 15 groups with someone that quits them all at once.... most require no action thus easy to miss the one critical one.

I agree - this all needs to be addressed. And the lack of proper notification is disturbing.

The way the site operates today, a group with three absentee officers is considered to be a functioning group, while a group with only two officers, active and attentive, is considered to be broken. In the first situation, good waymarks sit in the review queue potentially forever, while in the second situation, potentially inappropriate, non-complying, incomplete waymarks are instantly approved.

We know that in reality, a category with 5 inactive officers is broken, and a category can be very well managed with only a single active officer with the right privileges.

i fear that many categories are being kept afloat by only one active officer (see covered wagons).

and in this case there is no easy way to remedy the situation.

if not for me looking at the SMALL icons on the 'my category' search for another post i would have never have noticed and sent a message to SQ.

the 'probation red light' is awfully hidden too, though it does appear on the main category page. and if you are not on the 'my categories' search you would never know what it meant....

for all intensive purposes it could mean the category is on fire....

I thought we removed all that auto-approval business but can't remember if we fixed this. It is my guess right now that the note is legacy text and inaccurate. Sean is checking the code now.

I wrote up a user story for "notify me when my category goes on probation".

oh, i love stories.

at this point i think this might be a drama/suspense. i prefer the action/comedies.

but if the plot is good i will read until the end.....

For those that don't know what a user story is when it comes to software development they go something like this:  "As a group officer I want a notification sent to me if my group is placed on probation this will help me react to the deficiency and recruit new officers"  Who I am, what I want, why I want it 

in laymans terms: a forum post....

Is there a way to get a list of all of the categories that are lacking the vital third part? I may very well be interested in joining a few if they are of interest to me. Are there any history categories looking for another Barney Fife? Give me a cardboard badge and a single bullet and I'm ready to go. Swizzle

swizzle:

Is there a way to get a list of all of the categories that are lacking the vital third part? I may very well be interested in joining a few if they are of interest to me. Are there any history categories looking for another Barney Fife? Give me a cardboard badge and a single bullet and I'm ready to go. Swizzle

Hey, Barn!  We've unleashed a monster, we have.
You're not becoming one of those hard-nosed reviewers, are you?

Well, if you're talking about categories that are on probation, I don't know.  Usually if a category falls below the three officer minimum, someone cries help and it's filled pretty quickly.

Now, under the Quick Searches section on the right hand side of the page, near the bottom there is an option for "Recruiting Categories."  I believe this is just a list of groups that are set to "Open Enrollment," so "recruiting" may not be a totally accurate description in this case.  But, if you find a category you're really interested in, join, then drop a note to the group leader expressing your interest.  Some are really not looking for new officers, even though open enrollment may be turned on, but a lot of groups will welcome more active members.  Just joining a group isn't sufficient for communicating your intentions, though, as many people join just to be regular members.

If I join any groups it will be with the intention of flashing my badge and declining as many waymarks as possible. LET ME AT 'EM!!! Now where'd I put that bullet? Swizzle

you havent yet earned andy's trust back for him to relenquish it after that last mishap.

I'll have to carve a bullet out of soap. Swizzle

i didnt know otis could carve.

I can carve a brick of cheese with my teeth. MMMMM.....Pepperjack. Swizzle