How to Choose a Space's Privacy Type in BuddyNext

How to choose a space's privacy type in BuddyNext, step by step. Open spaces are public and anyone can join. Private spaces are listed, but people request to join and the feed is for members. Secret spaces are hidden and invite only. The default for new spaces is under BuddyNext, then Spaces, then Settings, and each space has its own Privacy tab in its settings.

Transcript

In this tutorial you will choose a space's privacy type in BuddyNext: Open, Private or Secret. You need BuddyNext, the free plugin. It takes about three minutes. There are five steps. Know the three types. Set the default for new spaces. Change the type of one space. Add approval to an open space. Then check it as a member. Step one. Know the three types. Open the Spaces page on your site. Every space carries a badge. An Open space is public. Anyone can read it and join with one click. A Private space is listed here too, but people request to join, and only members read the feed. A Secret space is invite only, and hidden from this directory. As the site owner you still see it. Other people see it only once they are members. Step two. Set the default for new spaces. In your WordPress admin, open BuddyNext, then Spaces, then Settings, and find Default visibility for new spaces. It is the type every new space starts with. It is Open until you change it, and each space owner can still change their own space afterwards. Step three. Change the type of one space. Open a space you own, and click Settings. On the Privacy tab, Space visibility has the three choices. Open, listed in the directory, anyone can join. Private, listed but requires approval to join. Secret, not listed, admin invites only. Pick a type, and a bar appears at the bottom of the screen. Click Save changes there. Moving a space to Secret takes it out of the directory. Moving it back lists it again. Step four. Add approval to an open space. On an Open space, the Permissions tab has a switch named Require approval to join. With it on, anyone can still read the space, but a click on Join becomes a request that you or a moderator approve. Private and Secret spaces do not show this switch. A Private space already sends every join through the approval queue. Step five. Check it as a member. Sign in as a member and open the Spaces page. An Open space has a Join button. A Private space has Request to join. And the Secret space is not in the list at all. Open the Private space, and a person who is not a member can read the About tab, but not the feed. That is all five. The three types explained, the default set, the type of one space changed, approval added to an open space, and the result checked as a member. Each of your spaces is now as open, or as private, as you want it. Next in this series: Manage the members of a space.