When they started working on the new Dgroups interface, WA-Research promised that this would not be just a facelift. The new Dgroups is clearly much more stable and user friendly and new features are continuously being added. Some are already in production, and offer users and administrators new tools to improve the way the use their Dgroups.
This new feature allows the administrator to show where members are located geographically. To see the map, log onto one of the Dgroups you are member of and click on ‘Members’ and then ‘Overview’.
Each circle on the map reflects the number of members in a specific country; when you pass your cursor over each circle, the name of the country and the number of members in that specific country will appear just below the map. When you click on the circle, the list of members living in a specific country will open up, with their Dgroups profiles.
For groups administration, this is an excellent feature to have more insights on who’s in their Dgroups and the reach they have – besides, it’s always nice to have a members’ map to include in a report to management!
For users, this feature can definitely be used for better networking and see where your fellow members live, to create new connections and foster new ones.
The only problem with this is when users do not fill in their profile completely – or simply when they do not indicate their country of residence. This will result in the large bubble on the low left end of the map indicating the number of members living in ‘other’ countries.
So what are you waiting for? Check the members map on your group, update your profile and encourage other members to do so!