Making default profile questions required

Hi Sid,

I'm sorry, currently our only required Groupsite.com registration/sign-up fields are:

*First Name

*Last Name

*Email Address

*Password

We recently removed "Gender" as a required field.

We have had similar requests from Groupsite managers in the past.  We established a ticket to address adding functionality where Groupsite Managers can determine their own required questions as a part of the registration process.  At this time, I cannot tell you when this ticket will be scheduled for implementation:(

I am sorry that I could not be more helpful!

Sincerely,

Celeste Sharper Wooten

Groupsite.com

Director, Client Services/Support

Guys, it has officially been two years since this ticket was created.  Ticket #1728  January of 2010, boy time goes fast.  Do we have any hope at all that this will ever be worked on?

Hi Mark,

There is hope, but not right now.  Our priorities change so quickly which means i can share with you what we are currently working on and what comes after that.

Now that we have completed our Incoming Email functionality, we are currently working on Groupsite Customization and Chat will follow. 

We expect to have Groupsite Customization completed sometime in February 2012
(of course this date could slide). The new functionality will include :

1. The ability to turn off certain areas of a Groupsite under the
Communicate, Network, and Share Tabs. In keeping with our CEO's vision
for the Platform and our marketing materials etc., GS Managers will not
be able to completely get rid of the "Communicate, Network, Share" tabs .
At least one subtab will have to remain under each tab. We may work
it so that the one tab that has to always remain could be one that the
GS Manager created using a "More Page" as described below) GS Managers
will also be able to turn back on the areas that they have previously
turned off at will.

2. GS Managers will also be able to add "More Pages" under each of
the Communicate, Network, Share" tabs. You will also still have the
ability to place all of the "More Pages" under the "More" tab like they
do today.

3. This new functionality will also include the ability to replace the Profile Completeness Box with another Module.

4. The majority of this functionality will be made available to Collaboration Community Groups and Enterprise Groups Only.

5. The controls for this feature will appear somewhere in the Group Settings Page under "Menu Settings".

We are still working through the logistics of this functionality.

I am sorry that I could not be more helpful regarding required default profile questions.

Sincerely,

Celeste Sharper Wooten

Groupsite.com

Director, Client Services/Support

Thanks for the update Celeste.  I appreciate your response and look forward to those additional features you described.  Can I make a suggestion on the required profile questions enhancement request?  What many of us are looking for is to have the basic contact fields completed when new people join.  While I understand that you want the signup process to be easy for new members, it is very important to many groups that the people who join put some basic information on their profile. 

I really believe that my success and the success of GROUPSITE.COM hinges on this!  Users are not taking the time to enter the basic stuff you would find on any person's business card.  No Company Name, no Website, No City or State.  All the basic contact information that every professional wants to share.  So why is this bad?  Because the entire group loses integrity, not as trustworthy, people don't want to network with someone if there is nothing on their profile.  I hate to sound dramatic, but this is so important. 

I've been using the site since 2008 and back when these fields were required, it worked so much better.  Members where loving the system.  Now they are complaining that nobody has a complete profile.  When you look at my groupsite you can't tell if someone is from Green Bay WI or from Africa.  You don't know what company they work for.  It's not good.  So why does this happen, people are lazy.  They only enter what's required.  If they don't enter it when they signup, they don't take the time to go back later and enter it.   

So here's my suggestion.  If the project is not getting the priority right now, can you try this instead.  After the user joins currently you bring them to a screen that asks them if they want to "jump right in and start using the system" or "continue building their profile".  If you choose to continue building your profile it brings you to the BIO builder.  This takes time, people need to really think through their past jobs, work experiences, what they want to share for eduction, associations, hobbies, etc.  Instead, bring them to the Contact Information screen so they can enter their Website, City, State, etc.  This they can enter in 30 seconds, and probably would want to enter it.  But when they get to the BIO page, they choose to stop.  Seriously, this one simple change would solve many of our issues, it would still be voluntary whether they complete it or not so you're not asking them to enter any more data than they do today.  Please consider this.  I realize that you are thinking about enhancing the required profile fields at some point, but it has been two years and I don't see it happening anytime soon.  This simple change would make a huge improvement for many of us.  Thanks for considering, I look forward to your response.

Hi Mark,

Now that we have released our newest feature today, Groupsite App Customization, and have made an enhancement to the Profile Completion Meter, we are now working on Chat.  After Chat, we will be working on a few internal housekeeping items.  At that time we will revisit the Groupsite registration/sign-up process as it relates to "required fields". 

I hope this helps.

Celeste