Moderator Manual:Known tech issues
Contents
User issues
Facebook signups/logins
- Signing up or logging in with Facebook no longer works. This will be fixed in FC3.0.
ModTools issues
"Too many redirects" error message
In legacy
If you get an error message when trying to access modtools directly from an email or a bookmark, here are the steps to clear the error message:
- Go to your group's home page at freecycle.org
- Click the Moderate pulldown from the upper right
In beta
In beta, access modtools from the M pulldown menu at the top of most pages. Click here for more information about using modtools with the beta site
Admins
Some admins cannot be deleted or expired. Attempting to access the Admin gives the error message "There was a problem while trying to serve this page. The site administrators have been informed that an error has occurred, and will try to fix it as soon as possible. Please try again later." Suggested workaround is to wait until FC3.0 is up and running. If deleting the Admin can't wait, follow the steps outlined in the Mod Manual and report the issue with an explanation of why it is urgent to remove the Admin.
File sending
There are multiple known issues with Freecycle.org files.
- The option of sending files to all members of a group has been removed from the modtools menu. Suggested workaround is to send an Admin.
There are sporadic reports of problems with the following:
- File sending from the member menu.
- File sending when rejecting a post. Workaround: copy file text and paste into reject message.
- Automatic files not going out upon joining or leaving.
The cause of the problem may be certain special characters. For best results use plain text files, avoid special characters like ® and test your file before you send it out.
Automatic sending
An error message is generated if you try to schedule for automatic sending a file that begins with a numbered list, like the Guidelines and Disclaimer file. A workaround is to insert a line of text above the numbered list, as in this example, which uses a line of dashes:
----------------------------- 1. KEEP IT FREE, LEGAL & APPROPRIATE FOR ALL AGES. This means... 2. WANTED POSTS ARE TO BE USED SPARINGLY....
Members
Invitations to join a group
- Invitations are not going out to people who are not yet members of Freecycle. The only workaround is to send emails from mod email accounts.
- Invitation recipients receive a truncated message: "You can sign up for your free account here: http://my.freecycle.org/signup?email=[target email address]. Once you have set your account up, you can accept or decline this invitation by logging in to My Freecycle and viewing the"
Sorting membership lists
For groups above 10,000 members member sort doesn't work. What this means is if your group approves new members and is over 10,000 members, you will not be able to sort your member list to unmoderate new members. You will have to do a full group unmod periodically.
Searching for moderators or lead moderators
Searching with an email address for moderators or lead moderators doesn't work, even if you check the appropriate boxes. Workaround: search with username. Member searches with email addresses work fine for members who are not moderators.
Email issues
Because of the large amount of mail sent from Freecycle servers, Freecycle email is occasionally temporarily blacklisted by some email providers. Click here for the current list.
