Who can see my content when it's added to a group?
Question
Answer
To
When you add content to a group, there are two privacy levels that you need to be aware of: the privacy level of the group and the privacy level of the item on your blog. To find out the privacy setting of a group, check the group description area on that group's home page. That will help you decide whether or not you want to post content to that group. Read
Note: Although any item you add to a group will also be on your blog, you do not need to make that item visible to everyone on yor blog in order to share it with the group. You may find that you prefer to keep some of your group items viewable just by you on your own blog.
Content Privacy
Adding an item to a group means that everyone who can view the group will be able to view that asset no matter the privacy level you've assigned to that item on your own blog. For both a public group and a public by invitation group, this means that anyone (both Vox members and non-Vox members) will see the item.
If you're adding the item to a private group, then only the members of that group will see the item in the group, but other people may see the item on your blog depending on the privacy level there. If you create a post on your blog with the privacy level of friends and add it to a private group, then your friends will see the item on your blog, and members of the group will see the item on the group even if they're not your friends. Take a look at
Note: No matter the privacy level of the item or where it's posted, you will always be able to view and manage your items from Organize. See
Commenting on Group Assets
When you add an item to a group, you can choose whether or not to allow comments in the group in addition to choosing who can comment on the item on your blog. All comments on the item will show up in both the group and your blog. Even if you have set 'no comments' on the item on your blog, if you allow the group to comment on the item, then those comments will show in your blog as well. This makes it easy for everyone who can view the item to see the discussion. For more information about comments, read
If you are sharing the same item with multiple groups, everyone in those groups will see the comments left on the item no matter where those comments originated. This means that posting an item that's viewable by everyone to a private group will also make the comments on that item public on your blog.
Because your comments may be seen in groups in which you may or may not be a member, you might want to check the item to see where else it's been posted and where your comments will show. To see where else that item has been posted, you can look at the This also appears in section to the right of the asset on its individual page.
Privacy Examples with Groups
There are many combinations of privacy levels possible when you begin adding items from your blog to groups. The following table shares just a few of those possibilities.
| Privacy and Comments | Who can view and comment? | Possible Use |
|---|---|---|
| You write a draft post on your blog. You also add that post to a public group. No comments are allowed on your blog, but you choose to allow comments at the group. | No one but you will see the post on your blog, but everyone who views the group will see that post on the group. Anyone can comment on the post in the group, and you'll see the comments on the draft post on your blog. | If your Vox blog is dedicated to the latest tech news, your favorite recipe might be out of place there but fit perfectly in a cooking group. |
| You have a photo on your blog that's viewable by family only. You add that photo to a private group whose members are your closest friends. Comments allowed for family only on your blog and comments also allowed on the group. | Just you and your family will see the photo on your blog, and all members of the private group can view the photo on the group. Everyone who can view the item can comment, and all comments are seen both on your blog and on the group. | Maybe you originally shared a photo of your newborn with your family, and now you're in a group composed of close friends who all had babies around the same time, so you want to share the photo with that group as well. |
| You add videos to your blog that are viewable by friends. You also add those videos to a public group. Comments are allowed for friends on your blog and also turned on for the group. | Anyone can view the video in the group and can comment in the group. Your friends can see the video on your blog as well and can choose to comment at your blog or at the group because all comments will show in both locations. | Maybe you like sharing movie reviews with your friends on the videos on your blog, and you've joined a movie review group where the videos are appropriate for sharing there as well. |
| You write a hidden post on your blog. You also add that post to a private group. Because it's a draft, there are no comments at your blog, but you decide to turn on comments for the group. | Only the members of that private group can comment. Group members will see the comments on the group, and you'll also see the comments on the draft post on your blog. | If you're a closet soap opera fan, you might choose to write about the latest storyline just for yourself on your blog and also share those posts with a private group of friends who are soap opera fans. |
| You have some photos on your blog that are viewable by the public. You add those photos to a private group and to a public group. You have comments allowed in both groups, and the comments on your blog are open to the public. | Everyone can see your photos at the public group and on your blog. Members of the private group will see the photos in both of those locations as well as the private blog. Any comments left at either of the groups or on your blog will show up in both groups and on your blog. | Maybe you're working on a home improvement project that you're sharing on your blog. You might want to also share that with a public group about decorative painting, which is part of your current project, and a private group of college friends who are interested in your artistic side. |
| You share a friends-only photo on your blog. You also add that photo to two different private groups. You choose to enable comments in all three locations. | Just your and your friends will view the photo on your blog, and anyone who is a member of either private group will see the photo in the private group to which he/she belongs. Anyone who sees the photo can comment, and all comments made on the photo are viewable by your friends on your blog and by members of both private groups. | Perhaps you're involved with a private group for parents of twins in your local area, and you'd like to share a photo of your twins and your new dog with that group along with a private group of dog owners and everyone in your Neighborhood who is a friend. |
As you can see, there are a lot of ways to enjoy Vox Groups. We're sure that you'll find many more uses than we ever imagined as you discover ways to make them fit your individual needs.