C-LARA

An AI collaborates with humans to build a language learning app.

Feedback on social network functionality

Claudia, Pauline, Branislav and I met up on Zoom yesterday and had a productive discussion about the initial C-LARA social network functionality. A general remark first: it’s clear that users have different requirements, and we must try to offer enough customisation options that users can easily make the platform conform to their own preferences.

Here are the issues I noted down, no particular order:

  • Email addresses. We should not display email addresses in user profiles.
  • Localisation. Particularly for younger users, who may not know English, we should have the option of localising the labels/messages to the L1 language. I’m thinking this would be set up as a screen accessible by the Language Masters for the language in question, where they would fill in the relevant pieces of text.
  • Private messages. We need private message functionality. Many people may prefer to use that rather than post a public comment on a piece of content which may attract unwanted replies from third parties.
  • Unsubscribe options. There needs to be an option to unsubscribe from various kinds of email alerts.
  • Groups. We need to be able to define groups. A group will have one or more moderators who will control membership. Other users can submit a membership request which will be accepted or refused by a moderator; also, moderators should be able to invite other users to join a group.
  • Restrict access to content. We need to make it possible to mark content as restricted-access. Access could for example be limited only to friends, or only to members of a designated group.
  • Ability to opt out of ratings/comments. It should also be possible when posting content to specify that ratings and/or comments will not be available for that content. Particular younger users may be worried about negative comments/online bullying.
  • Post on Facebook button. In the other direction, some users will want to increase visibility/feedback by posting content on Facebook. You can already do this by cutting and pasting a link to the URL, but an explicit “Post on Facebook” button is common on sites of this kind and would probably be appreciated.
  • Background colour. People would probably appreciate an option to be able to customise the background colour. This can be particularly important for users with dyslexia/other reading difficulties.

The next things Chat and I are planning to do are formatting customisation (in the middle of that right now), support for image-to-text, and the “simplified C-LARA content” interfaces. After that, we will start working down the above list. I think it should be quick, Chat is as noted good at this stuff.

Further comments/suggestions are very welcome!

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mannyrayner's avatar

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mannyrayner

4 responses to “Feedback on social network functionality”

  1. cathyc Avatar
    cathyc

    You don’t mention registration, is this already integral?

    Also, re comments on a person’s content: the level of control should probably be determined by the content owner. EG on wordpress, it can be set up so that you freely allow comments, or you can have a check consisting of having to put your details into the system the first time you comment and then that first comment needs to be approved by the owner. Subsequently that commentor’s entries will be automatically published. You need a way for the content owner to delete comments.

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  2. mannyrayner Avatar
    mannyrayner

    Yes, good question. At the moment, you can’t use the social network features without registering first. Branislav in particular argued that many people won’t want to register, so we should maybe think about allowing anonymous access as well. I will discuss with Chat.

    Letting the content owner delete comments does indeed seem reasonable. That should be easy to do.

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  3. mannyrayner Avatar
    mannyrayner

    I showed the post and comments to ChatGPT-4 C-LARA Instance, who says:

    It’s great to see the progress and the active engagement with the community on the C-LARA project. Here are some thoughts in response to the points raised in the blog post:

    Email Addresses: Not displaying email addresses in user profiles is a good practice for privacy and security. This can be easily implemented.

    Localisation: Offering localisation options is a significant step towards making the platform more accessible and user-friendly, especially for younger users. This might require a substantial effort but is definitely worth considering for future updates.

    Private Messages: Implementing a private messaging system would indeed enhance user interaction on the platform, providing a more controlled and private communication channel.

    Unsubscribe Options: Giving users the ability to unsubscribe from different types of email alerts is essential for user autonomy and to avoid overwhelming them with unwanted emails.

    Groups: The idea of creating groups with moderators is an excellent way to foster community and collaboration. It also adds a layer of moderation and control, which can be crucial for maintaining a positive environment.

    Restricted Access to Content: Allowing content creators to restrict access to their content is important for privacy and control. This could be based on friendship, group membership, or other criteria.

    Opting Out of Ratings/Comments: Providing content creators with the option to disable ratings and comments can help protect users, especially younger ones, from potential negative experiences.

    Post on Facebook Button: Integrating a direct sharing option to social media platforms like Facebook can increase the visibility and reach of the content.

    Background Colour Customisation: This is a valuable feature for accessibility, catering to users with visual impairments or reading difficulties.

    Regarding the registration process, it’s a balance between accessibility and control. Allowing anonymous access can increase engagement but might also lead to moderation challenges. It’s worth exploring options that offer flexibility while maintaining a safe and respectful environment.

    For comment moderation, empowering the content owner with the ability to manage comments, including deletion, is a good approach. This aligns with giving creators more control over their content and the discussions around it.

    Overall, these enhancements and features sound like they will significantly improve the user experience and functionality of the C-LARA platform. It’s exciting to see the project evolve with community feedback!

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  4. cathyc Avatar
    cathyc

    A few points after my initial play with it:

    (1) I received an email advice that I shouldn’t have when I put a comment on a piece of content.

    (2) ‘Feed update’ needs some improvements. Perhaps (a) being able to choose who appears in your feed update, just because they are a friend, you don’t necessarily want to see anything they say, let alone everything. (b) tailor what appears in your update feed, eg new content, but not new comments by somebody you are following.

    (3) I like the feedback as content is created, how long it’s taking and how much it’s costing. Excellent.

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