💡 Introduction

The Feed module serves as the central hub for your platform's content and community engagement. It provides a dynamic, real-time stream of posts, updates, and activities from users and organizations within your ecosystem.

The Feed combines user-generated content with automated system posts, creating a comprehensive activity stream that keeps your community informed and engaged. Users can share text posts, images, videos, and other multimedia content, while the system automatically displays published offers, requests, events, and other platform activities.

Key features include:

• User Posts: Text, images, videos, and multimedia content sharing
• System Activities: Automated posts for published offers, requests, events, and other platform content
• Pinned Posts: Highlight important announcements and featured content at the top of the Feed
• Customizable Widgets: Sidebar widgets for enhanced functionality and information display
• Permission-Based Content: Role-based visibility ensuring users see only relevant content
• Admin Controls: Comprehensive moderation and configuration options

👋 Usage

Viewing the Feed

The Feed appears on the platform's home page, displaying the most recent posts and activities from your network. Content is displayed with pinned posts at the top, followed by regular content in chronological order.

Pinned Posts

Pinned posts appear at the very top of the Feed and are marked with a 📌 pin icon. These are important announcements or featured content that administrators want to highlight for maximum visibility. Key characteristics:

• Always Visible: Pinned posts remain at the top regardless of when they were created
• Pin Indicator: Look for the 📌 icon to identify pinned content
• Priority Content: These posts typically contain important announcements, updates, or featured information
• Multiple Pins: There may be several pinned posts, ordered by importance

Regular Feed Content

Below pinned posts, the Feed displays regular content in chronological order, with the newest posts appearing first. This includes:

• User-created posts (text, images, videos)
• Published content from modules
• Event announcements and updates
• Organization news and updates

Creating Posts

If enabled by administrators, users can create and share posts directly in the Feed:

1. Navigate to the home page where you'll find the post creation box at the top of the Feed
2. Enter your text content in the post box
3. Optionally attach images, videos, or other media files
4. Click "Post" to publish your content to the Feed

Post Types Supported:

• Text-only posts
• Posts with images
• Posts with videos
• Mixed media posts

Interacting with Content

Users can engage with Feed content through various interaction methods, depending on the platform configuration and content type. The Feed provides a seamless way to discover and connect with relevant content and community members.

🤝 Content Management

Administrators have comprehensive control over Feed content and functionality through the admin interface.

Feed Content Management

Access Feed management through Admin → Modules → Feed → Content:

Content Overview:

• View all posts created on the platform
• Open posts for review

Post Moderation:

• Block/Unblock Posts: Control post visibility without deleting content
• Delete Posts: Permanently remove inappropriate or unwanted content

Feed Settings Configuration

Configure Feed behavior through Admin → Modules → Feed → Settings:

Post Creation Permissions

Control who can create posts in the Feed:

• Show Feed Events: Display event-related activities in the Feed
• Enable Postings for Admins: Allow administrators to create posts
• Enable Postings for Users: Allow regular users to create posts
  • Note: User posting requires admin posting to be enabled first

Widget Management

Customize the Feed's sidebar widgets through Admin → Modules → Feed → Widgets:

Available Widgets

The Feed supports both system widgets and custom widgets:

System Widgets:

• User invitation widgets
• Meeting request widgets
• Event widgets
• Capacity monitoring widgets
• Network participation widgets
• Watchlist widgets

Custom Widgets:

• Create custom informational widgets
• Add external links and resources
• Display custom content and announcements

Widget Configuration

Adding Widgets:

1. Navigate to the Widgets tab in Feed settings
2. Choose from available system widgets or create custom widgets
3. Configure widget properties (title, description, image, URL)
4. Set widget visibility and positioning

Widget Properties:

• Title: Display name for the widget
• Description: Detailed information about the widget content
• Image: Optional visual element for the widget
• URL: External link for the widget (if applicable)
• URL Text: Custom text for the widget link

🎨 Individualization Options

Feed Customization

The Feed module offers extensive customization options to match your platform's needs and branding:

Content Personalization

• Role-Based Content: Configure different content visibility for different user roles
• Permission-Based Filtering: Ensure users only see content they're authorized to view
• Custom Content Types: Define specific types of content that appear in the Feed in the settings of each individual module.

Widget Customization

• Custom Widgets: Create platform-specific widgets with custom content
• Widget Positioning: Control the layout and order of sidebar widgets
• Conditional Display: Show widgets based on user roles or platform state

Integration Options

• Event Integration: Seamlessly integrate event announcements and updates
• Module Integration: Automatically display custom module entries
• Organization Updates: Include organization news and announcements

❓ FAQs

General Feed Usage

• Is the feed the same for all users, or does it adjust based on roles or preferences? The Feed is not the same for everyone. It reflects the user's access rights and permissions. If content is restricted through labels, permissions, or role-based access controls, it will only appear in the Feed for users who are authorized to see it. This means the Feed is personalized based on user roles and visibility settings, ensuring relevant and appropriate content for each user.

• Can I edit or delete my posts after publishing them? Post editing and deletion capabilities depend on your platform's configuration and your user role. Contact your platform administrator for specific policies regarding post management.

• What types of media can I share in posts? The Feed supports various media types including images, videos, and documents. Specific file size limits and supported formats are determined by your platform administrator.

• How do I report inappropriate content? Contact your platform administrator or use the reporting mechanisms provided by your platform to flag inappropriate content for review.

Content Visibility

• Why can't I see certain posts that others mention? Content visibility is controlled by permission settings, user roles, and access levels. You may not have the necessary permissions to view certain restricted content.

• Can I control what appears in my Feed? Feed content is primarily controlled by administrators, but some platforms may offer user preferences for certain types of content visibility.

Pinned Posts

• What are pinned posts and why do they appear at the top? Pinned posts are important announcements or featured content that administrators have chosen to highlight. They appear at the top of the Feed with a 📌 pin icon to ensure maximum visibility for critical information.

• Can I hide or dismiss pinned posts? Pinned posts cannot be hidden or dismissed by users as they contain important platform information. Only administrators can unpin posts to remove them from the top of the Feed.

• How long do posts stay pinned? The duration of pinned posts is determined by administrators. Some may be pinned temporarily for announcements, while others may remain pinned indefinitely for ongoing important information.

Feed Configuration

• How do I enable user posting in the Feed? Navigate to Admin → Modules → Feed → Settings and enable both "Enable Postings for Admins" and "Enable Postings for Users." Note that admin posting must be enabled before user posting can be activated.

• Can I moderate posts before they appear in the Feed? The current system allows post moderation after publication through blocking and deletion features. Pre-publication moderation would require custom development.

• How do I manage inappropriate content? Use the Content tab in Feed management to block or delete inappropriate posts. Blocked posts remain in the system but are hidden from users, while deleted posts are permanently removed.

Widget Management

• How do I add custom widgets to the Feed? Navigate to Admin → Modules → Feed → Widgets, create a new custom widget, and configure its properties including title, description, image, and URL.

• Can I control which users see specific widgets? Widget visibility can be controlled through the widget management interface, allowing you to show or hide widgets based on user roles and platform state.

• How do I reorder widgets in the sidebar? Use the drag-and-drop functionality in the Widgets management interface to reorder active widgets according to your preferences.

Content Management

• How do I control which system activities appear in the Feed? Configure event integration and other system post settings through the Feed Settings to control which automated activities are displayed. For custom modules, you can enable or disable the content in the dedicated module settings.

• Can I restore deleted posts? Deleted posts are permanently removed and cannot be restored. Consider using the block feature instead of deletion if you might need to restore content later.