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2023 updates

Platform stats and reporting

December 2023

Following your feedback, we’re pleased to share that we have already launched some improvements to the way you can access platform stats and download reports:

  • A summary of platform stats can now be viewed and refined (by date range and your platform filters).
  • Raw (anonymised) data relating to users and activities can now be downloaded as a excel spreadsheet directly from your CMS.
  • Volunteering stats can now be refined by date range and your platform filters.
  • Timebank stats can now be refined by date range and your platform filters

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New navigation

December 2023

Thanks to everyone who provided feedback on the new navigation designs. The feedback has been very positive and we are pleased to share a sneak preview video of the new navigation which is currently being tested.

Sort timebank exchanges by date

September 2023

We have listened to feedback from timebank coordinators and built a new date picker to make finding timebank exchanges easier.

You can now select any custom date range you need to find timebank exchanges between your members.

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Record an exchange

September 2023

We have listened to feedback from timebank coordinators and moved the 'record an exchange' feature inside the 'add an activity' pop up.

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Add a campaign to a sub-homepage

September 2023

Admins can now embed campaigns into sub-homepages and landing pages.

This is useful for platforms who create both campaigns and sub-homepages around a certain network or topic.

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Deleting members in the CMS

September 2023

We've made it easier for you to delete members in the CMS. Now, when you delete a member, the page does not refresh, saving your place when deleting a large batch of members. This is useful for removing test accounts, inactive members or inappropriate sign-ups.

The bin icon soft deletes (or archives) a member, blocking them from using the platform. They can be reinstated from the 'deleted members' list at any point and will need their password reset before they can sign in again.

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Editing menus for pages

September 2023

We've made adding and organising pages in the CMS easier.

We've streamlined the interface, simplified the steps, and included helpful default options.

Speed improvements

September 2023

Our software has been updated to use the latest PHP version, PHP 8.2, which enhances page loading speed, reliability and security. 

After upgrading, our initial tests show that most areas load anywhere between 6% and 26% faster.

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Event calendar & Event booking

July 2023

As announced in our most recent webinar here, all platforms with the events feature will be able to request the new event calendar function for free.

The event booking feature is an additional upgrade option.

Please speak to your nominated individual if you would like to add this to your platform.

New admin view for business skill exchanges

July 2023

Admins of platforms with a Business skill exchange (offers and requests without time credits) now have the ability to view a list of all skill exchanges so they can see who is exchanging with who.

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Improved error page design

July 2023

Your members will occasionally stumble upon an error page. They might mistype a URL or view a page that has been deleted.

We’ve improved the look of this page and included some useful links to help them find what they are looking for.

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Platform stats summary

July 2023

We’ve launched a new stats summary page for admins to see how many members have signed up and how many activities have been made live in the last day, 7 days, 30 days, 90 days and all time.

To access your summary stats page, go to your CMS and you will see a new page link under ‘Stats’.

 

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Messaging all members

July 2023

We’ve made updates to the ‘message all members’ function in the CMS. Firstly, you are no longer required to give Made Open warning before sending out one of these messages.

Secondly, the first part of your message (200 characters) will be included in the email notification to your members. Members are still required to log in to view and respond the whole message.

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New administration restrictions (based on tags)

June 2023

Working with our client at NHS England we’ve added the ability to restrict admin access based on tags. Admins can now be assigned a tag which means they will only be able to view members (and their activities) with these tags.

This is useful for platforms that have multiple admins responsible for different locations. 

Activity stream ordering

June 2023

The activity stream is now showing activities in order of date they are published live rather than the date they were created.

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Timebank members can instantly record an offline exchange.

June 2023

Timebank members can now record offline exchanges from their own personal dashboard.

The new function allows members to instantly record a time exchange without needing to add an offer or request first. Great for speeding up the process of members earning and spending time credits. 

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Members can add video to business offers or requests.

May 2023

Members creating 'Business offers and requests' now have the ability to embed video into their page. Useful for members who want to record a video describing what they do or how they can help others.

This feature is live on the Ping Digital business marketplace. 

We’d like to get more feedback before we make video available for other activity types. Please contact us to let us know what you think.

Second activity expiry notification.

May 2023

Platforms that have the automated expiry date feature enabled can also set a notification email to be sent to the activity owner a set number of days before it expires.

You can now set a second reminder email to help nudge members to update their activity. So for example a reminder email is sent 1 week before an activity expires, if no action is taken a second reminder gets sent 1 day before the activity expires.

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Log in security update.

May 2023

We've adding a new option to set a limit on the number of times a member can attempt to log into their account. Once that limit is reached either the member will have to wait a set period of time (e.g. 10 minutes) before they can try to log in again or their account can be blocked.

You can choose how many log in attempts members can have, and how long their account should be blocked for, or if they should be permanently blocked (until an admin unblocks them). By default members will have unlimited log in attempts. 

Password strength security update.

May 2023

To improve platform security, we have increased the password strength requirement. New members signing up to your platform after this update will be required to choose a password that is at least 10 characters long (currently 6 characters) and include a special character as well as a mix of upper and lower-case characters and numbers. Current members will only be affected if they need to re-set or change their existing password.

Add events or listings without registration (optional per platform).

April 2023

We’ve now added the option for users to add a listing or event without having to create an account first. This has been developed following feedback from community groups in Wiltshire who wanted to speed up the process of sharing an activity.

If users choose this route, they will be prompted to register for an account after their activity submission.

Custom homepage buttons for different member types.

April 2023

As part of your homepage set up, you can now show different buttons depending on a member account type. This will help you be more targeted with your messaging; for example; you may only want logged-in residents to ‘join the timebank’ or healthcare practitioners to see the link to ‘healthcare resources’.

In addition, we’ve added the ability to trigger a custom pop-up from a homepage button. This will be useful for signposting members to external websites or for providing step-by-step instructions for users.

Ability to add ‘room’ details to an event.

April 2023

When adding an event, your members now have the ability to add details of a venue room (or number) to the event information.

Ability for members to duplicate activities

April 2023

Members of your platform now have the option to duplicate an activity they have previously created. This will be particularly useful for members who want to add multiple listings or events that are similar. This will save them time and allow them to change activity details straight from their dashboard.

New search menu text to help users navigate

March 2023

We’ve added some additional text descriptions for the main search menu to help clarify the different search options to users.

We recommend you customise this text in the CMS to provide the best experience for your users (watch the video for instructions).

  • Activities: Find activities and services from members in your community.
  • Members: Find people and organisations who are using [your platform name]
  • Guides:  Find information in the [your platform name] guides.

Ability to set auto expiry date for activities

March 2023

We’ve added the option to set a default expiry date on all activities on your platform. You decide on a time period (e.g. 12 months), then any activity submitted to your platform will default to 12 months from the time the activity was created. Members can set their own expiry date but it can’t be greater than the chosen default.   

As well as setting a max expiry date you can also set a time period for a new notification telling users their activity will expire in X days time. This is in addition to the email notification that currently gets sent out on the expiry date. 

Ability to add external links from member dashboards

March 2023

You can now add a top-level page link to the member dashboard that can take a user straight to a key page or external website that you want to promote.

These links can be set to appear for different types of users. It's ideal for guides or newsletters that might be for a specific target audience.

New ‘Business Exchange’ feature

February 2023

We’ve added two new activity types for platforms who may wish to broker more business-oriented exchanges. Members can post their ‘business offers’ or ‘business requests’ to find or access particular services and skills.  

This is very similar to our timebanking feature except, in this instance, time credits are not exchanged. This is much more about quick and simple matchmaking.

A simple messaging service triggered from each activity page enables members to make contact and begin their exchange. In the CMS, admins can view and track business exchanges made via their platform. 

Unlocking Potential are the first to use this new feature for their digital business marketplace called Ping Digital.

Members must apply and be approved to use this platform. All business exchange activities are checked and made live by the admin team.

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Option to restrict number of filter tags

February 2023

A new setting in the CMS allows admins to choose if they want to restrict the amount of filter tags that members are allowed to add to tag their activities. The aim is to help members be more accurate with their filter tagging selection.

New dates column on Volunteering pledges CMS page

February 2023

We’ve added a dates column to the volunteer pledges page in the CMS. This will help admins who may want to check the status of volunteering activities or chase up any pending or accepted volunteering pledges. 

Timebank updates on CMS dashboard

February 2023

Platforms with timebanks now have a helpful ‘last exchange’ update on their CMS dashboard. When you log into your CMS you will now see a summary of the ‘Latest interaction’ and ‘Latest completed’ exchanges.

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'How you heard about us' data capture

February 2023

We’ve added the ability for you to capture ‘how you heard about us’ answers from users when they register on your platform.

Admins can set up a series of options in the CMS and view reports on how members answer the question.

Platform Pooling - allows members of one platform to log into another linked platform

January 2023

Linking communities together by ‘pooling platforms’ has been a major project for our team over the last six months and we are super excited that we are ready to go!

Our partners TimeBanks.Org will be the first to use this new functionality which gives partner admins the ability to link timebanks together into a ‘pool’. Pooling allows members of one platform to log into another linked platform without needing to sign up again. 

Add new activity

Start a challenge

Ask members for their ideas.

Start a conversation

Start a discussion with all members.

Add an event

Promote and manage your event.

Add a poll

Gather feedback from members.

Get in touch

Would you like to save your progress?


Note: Saving as a draft means your activity will be available for you to edit in your dashboard.​

Selecting delete marks your activity as deleted in your dashboard.​

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