Groups¶

Groups allow you to create communities within Nebulae, bringing together people with shared interests across nodes.

Understanding Groups¶

What Are Groups?¶

Groups are communities where members can: - 📝 Post updates - 💬 Have discussions - 📅 Organize events - 🤝 Connect with like-minded people - 🌐 Include members from different nodes

Group Types¶

Public Groups¶

• Anyone can join immediately
• Visible in discovery
• Posts visible to all members
• Open to federation

Private Groups¶

• Requires approval to join
• Visible in discovery (unless hidden)
• Posts only visible to members
• Can federate with approval

Finding Groups¶

Discover Groups¶

1. Click 👥 Discover in the navigation
2. Select Groups tab
3. Browse available groups
4. Filter by:
5. Your node
6. Specific connected nodes
7. All nodes

Group Information¶

Each group listing shows: - Group name - Description - Member count - Privacy type (Public/Private) - Originating node - Join/Request button

Hide Groups¶

Not interested in a group? 1. Click ⋯ on the group card 2. Select Hide from Discovery 3. Group won't appear in your results anymore

Joining Groups¶

Public Groups¶

1. Find the group in Discovery
2. Click Join Group
3. You're immediately a member!
4. Group appears in your Groups section

Private Groups¶

Private groups may require: - Approval from admins - Answers to questions - Agreement to rules

Joining Process¶

1. Find the private group
2. Click Request to Join
3. Answer any required questions
4. Agree to group rules (if present)
5. Submit request
6. Wait for admin approval

You'll be notified when your request is: - ✅ Approved - You're now a member! - ❌ Denied - Try another group or contact admins

Group Features¶

Group Timeline¶

The group timeline shows: - Posts from all members - Group announcements - Event announcements - Pinned posts (from admins)

Access: Click on any group name to view its timeline.

Posting in Groups¶

1. Navigate to the group timeline
2. Use the post creation box at the top
3. Post like normal
4. Privacy is automatically set to "Group"
5. All group members will see your post

@everyone Mentions¶

Group admins and moderators can use @everyone or @all to notify all members:

@everyone Don't forget about our meeting tomorrow!

All members receive a notification.

Group Events¶

Groups can create events: 1. Click Create Event in the group 2. Fill in event details 3. Event appears on group timeline 4. Members can RSVP

See Events Guide for more details.

Group Membership¶

Member List¶

View all group members: 1. Go to group timeline 2. Click Members tab 3. See: - Admins (⭐) - Moderators (🛡️) - Regular members

Member Roles¶

Admins (⭐)¶

• Full control over the group
• Can add/remove anyone
• Can promote/demote moderators
• Can edit group information
• Can delete any post
• Can create events

Moderators (🛡️)¶

• Can approve join requests
• Can remove posts
• Can remove problematic members
• Cannot change group settings
• Cannot promote/demote

Members¶

• Can post in the group
• Can comment
• Can create events (if allowed)
• Can invite friends

Friends in Group¶

See which of your friends are members: 1. Go to group timeline 2. Click Members tab 3. Your friends appear with a Friend badge

Inviting Friends¶

Share groups with your friends:

1. Go to the group timeline
2. Click Invite Friends
3. See list of friends not yet in group
4. Select friends to invite
5. Click Send Invitations

Your friends will receive: - Notification of invitation - Direct link to join - Info about who invited them

Creating Your Own Group¶

Requirements¶

• Must be a regular user (not admin account)
• Must have permission from node admin

Creation Process¶

1. Go to Groups section
2. Click Create New Group
3. Fill in details:

1. Click Create Group

You are automatically: - The group admin - The first member - The creator in the database

Initial Setup¶

After creating your group:

1. Customize Profile
2. Add cover photo
3. Add detailed information

4. Set website/links

5. Set Up Admins/Mods

6. Promote trusted members

7. Distribute moderation duties

8. Create Rules

9. Add group rules
10. Make rules visible to all

11. Require agreement on join

12. Invite Members

13. Invite your friends
14. Share in other communities
15. Let discovery do its work

Managing Your Group (Admins)¶

Group Settings¶

Access via Group Settings button (only visible to admins).

Basic Information¶

• Name: Change group name
• Description: Update description
• Privacy: Change public/private
• Cover Photo: Change cover image

Profile Information¶

Add optional fields: - Website URL - Contact email - About text - Custom fields

Set visibility: - Public (anyone can see) - Members only

Join Questions¶

For private groups, add questions: 1. Click Add Question 2. Enter question text 3. Set as required or optional 4. Save

Examples: - "Why do you want to join?" - "How did you hear about us?" - "Do you agree to follow our rules?"

Group Rules¶

Add rules that members must agree to: 1. Enter rule text 2. Toggle "Must agree to join" 3. Save rules

Managing Members¶

Approving Join Requests¶

1. Click Pending Requests (shows count)
2. Review each request
3. See their answers to questions
4. Approve or Deny
5. Optionally add reason for denial

Promoting Members¶

To make someone a moderator: 1. Go to Members list 2. Find the member 3. Click ⋯ menu 4. Select Promote to Moderator

To make someone an admin: 1. Same process 2. Select Promote to Admin

⚠️ Note: Admins have full control. Only promote trusted members!

Removing Members¶

1. Go to Members list
2. Find the member
3. Click ⋯ menu
4. Select Remove from Group
5. Confirm removal

Removed members: - Lose access to group content - Can rejoin if public - Must re-request if private

Banning Members¶

For serious violations: 1. Remove the member 2. Click Ban User 3. They cannot rejoin

Group Content Moderation¶

Removing Posts¶

Admins and moderators can remove posts: 1. Click ⋯ on any post 2. Select Remove Post 3. Confirm

The post is deleted from: - Group timeline - All member feeds - Database

Handling Reports¶

When members report content: 1. You receive a notification 2. Review the reported content 3. Take appropriate action: - Remove post - Warn member - Remove member - No action needed

Leaving Groups¶

As a Member¶

1. Go to the group timeline
2. Click Leave Group
3. Confirm

You'll: - No longer see group posts - Lose access to group timeline - Not receive notifications - Can rejoin later (if public)

As the Creator¶

The group creator cannot leave while other members exist. You must:

1. Promote another member to admin
2. Then leave normally

Or:

1. Remove all other members
2. Delete the group (optional)

Group Privacy¶

What's Visible¶

Public Groups¶

• ✅ Name and description in discovery
• ✅ Member list (to members)
• ✅ Post count
• ✅ Posts (to members only)
• ❌ Posts do not appear publicly

Private Groups¶

• ✅ Name and description in discovery
• ❌ Member list (members only)
• ❌ Posts (members only)
• ❌ Join requests not visible

Federation Behavior¶

Groups can federate: - ✅ Remote users can join - ✅ Content shared across nodes - ✅ Targeted subscriptions created - ❌ Group admin must be local user

Best Practices¶

For Members¶

✅ Do: - Read group rules before posting - Stay on topic - Be respectful to other members - Use @everyone sparingly - Report problematic content

❌ Don't: - Spam the group - Share private info publicly - Harass other members - Ignore moderator warnings

For Admins¶

✅ Do: - Set clear rules - Moderate consistently - Promote trusted members - Be responsive to reports - Welcome new members

❌ Don't: - Abuse admin powers - Ignore serious violations - Play favorites - Be inactive - Remove members without reason

Troubleshooting¶

Can't Join Group¶

Possible reasons: - Private group needs approval - You're banned - Group is at capacity (unlikely) - Federation issue

Try: - Wait for approval (private groups) - Contact group admin - Check your connection to that node

Posts Not Appearing¶

Check: - Are you still a member? - Is the group on a connected node? - Check your feed filters - Refresh the page

Can't Create Group¶

Reasons: - Only regular users can create groups - Your node admin may have disabled this - You may have reached a group limit

Solution: - Contact your node administrator

Related Documentation¶

• Events - Create events within groups
• Privacy Settings - Control your group visibility
• Discovery - Find more groups

← Friends & Discovery | Events →