How?? does an applicant respond to a message

[Rev. O.M. Bastet]

Would appreciate some help on this promptly.

We run potential network members through the gamut. When we get their application, there is a link to send them a message. Usually that is our request for them to put more info on their profile.

The response to that request has been almost nil, and I just made a test application and discovered there IS NO WAY TO REPLY NOR to access my test application to edit it.

I do think someone did that once, but I cannot figure it out.

 

I as the test applicant have messaged the sender address of the message I got from the Network Creator, but as NC I cannot see that. It did not end up in my profile email and it did not end up in my internal message system.

 

Nor, as test applicant, can I see any way to re-access my profile to edit it, to fill in more of the posed profile questions. Nor can I see any way to reply to the message sender.

 

So this "message" thing is a one-way street, it appears, and not at all useful for our purpose.

 

I see there are two separate questions here.

The most urgent one is: How does someone whose application is pending EDIT their application information, for example, adding answers to the profile questions posed?

 

The other question is whether an applicant can in any way directly reply to a message sent by the NC or NA to them via the Send a Message function on our display of their profile application.

 

What gives? What am I not seeing?????? What is this messaging option for?????

 

AND BTW I double checked later, and our email verification requirement is still in place, and it was NOT part of the process of my test application. That step did NOT happen. And I was NOT using my NC's email address with a different password, I was using a different email address. So what is that about???

 

TIA

[Rev. O.M. Bastet]

What good does it do to be able to send a message if no further communication is possible and they can't edit their profile application???

[Bev Hammond]

We use the Ning profile posting as an intro to people interested in our social activities club.  Once we receive a web profile application, we email member applicants a copy of our club application form (we also have a link on our site), asking them to fill out our application & return with their check for membership dues.  Without that more detailed application in hand, we don't accept their "web membership" to our site.

You can email applicants directly to their private email address listed in the Pending section under Members-> Moderation.  We do not use the member message feature on Ning except for broadcasting info about upcoming Events to our actual club members.  

[Rev. O.M. Bastet]

Hey, thanks for your kindness in answering, Bev. It doesn't actually give me the technical details I want to know.

Also, the disadvantage of emailing them at their regular email address directly is that they then get OUR regular email address.

Besides, why would there be a link to Message an applicant if there were no way for them to reply to the message???? I don't get it!!! 

[Rev. O.M. Bastet]

How does someone whose application is pending EDIT their application information, for example, adding answers to the profile questions posed?

 

The other question is whether an applicant can in any way directly reply to a message sent by the NC or NA to them via the Send a Message function on our display of their profile application.

 

[Writer Chick {Diane}]

How does someone whose application is pending EDIT their application information, for example, adding answers to the profile questions posed?

I have this issue right now.  I have a member pending who is male but chose a female username.  I don't allow that on my site, and sent him an email that it would have to be changed.  Then I got to thinking, can they even change it???  Do they have editing ability of their profile BEFORE they're approved?

[Caribso]

 best option is to approve their membership then request that they make the necessary corrections by going to settings...

[Rev. O.M. Bastet]

Hey I appreciate the answer.  The reason we communicate with them is we are not sure whether they are mass spammers, so if they have applied but not answered any of our profile questions, or have given answers which COULD have been made by a mass spammer, we often ask them to fill out more info on their profile before we can approve them. But if they can't reply to us and can't edit, the whole process is ridiculous. I assume they GET the message we can send, but what good is it, if they are dead in the water about any kind of response whatsoever?

Yep, Diane Lynne, that's the question all right!! And the other question is, can they REPLY to the message we send? If you hear of anything, or discover it through your experience, please let me know! We've lost some potential good members this way.....

Still awaiting an answer from Ning staff....

[Rev. O.M. Bastet]

Still waiting answers:

How does someone whose application is pending EDIT their application information, for example, adding answers to the profile questions posed?

The other question is whether an applicant can in any way directly reply to a message sent by the NC or NA to them via the Send a Message function on our display of their profile application.

I did a test application myself, and I cannot see a way to reply to the message I sent myself. 

 

[Rev. O.M. Bastet]

I just did another test application. When I as NC went to the test applicant's profile, I clicked on Send a Message. I sent a message. Looking at that message in the test applicant's email inbox:

Clicking on Reply goes to do-not-reply

Clicking on sign up link goes to a new signup page

Clicking on control your emails from.... goes to a useless page with choices not relevant to getting a reply to the sender of the message (Administrator.)

I copy-pasted the FROM address ANewGaia Network Creator <[e-mail]> into the To field attempting a reply.  Sent the reply. 

5 minutes later, it has not showed up as either rejected by some mail system OR in the NC message inbox. Guess it is lost in cyberspace.

Now this is NOT the way to conduct business in signing people up. This is unacceptable. 

I guess the workaround is to include our NC EXTERNAL email address for a reply, but man, I would far prefer to have it arrive back internally when the recipient clicks on Reply!!!!!

What can be done about this???

[Rev. O.M. Bastet]

So, testing again, from the other side, whether I as test applicant can edit my profile while my memebership has not been approved. No, I cannot. I signed in, and the only options were Sign Out or Withdraw Request. I clicked on "My Profile" tab and got only the option to withdraw request.

This means we have lost a lot of good people in the past year, from believing in the VERY misleading "Send a Message" to our applicants.

I am REALLY annoyed. 

105 views of this discussion, and no answers from anyone who knows the answers? Hey, this problem must affect all of us!!!! What's the deal here????!!!!!