This category is where you can request and find focused, members-only discussion areas for specific collaborations and initiatives within the NELGL community.
Our Goal: While we encourage open discussion across the main forum, these private sub-categories are intended to facilitate more in-depth and targeted conversations for specific initiatives and collaborations that align with NELGL’s mission of knowledge sharing and resource exchange within the Northeast livestock farming community. We believe that many valuable discussions will continue to benefit the entire community when held in public categories.
What is a Private Group Space?
A private group space on NELGL provides the following:
- Private Visibility: The sub-category and its contents are only visible to members of the designated private group.
- Dedicated Discussions: Members of the private group can create new topics and have discussions within their private sub-category.
- Restricted Access: Only members of the private group can participate in the discussions within their private sub-category.
These spaces are intended to facilitate more in-depth and targeted conversations for specific initiatives and collaborations.
Good Examples of When to Request a Private Group:
- Educational Cohorts: A group of students in a specific, limited-enrollment course.
- Research Project Teams: Researchers collaborating on a specific grazing or livestock-related study.
- Mentorship Circles: Small groups of mentors and mentees for focused guidance and discussion.
- Specific Project Working Groups: A small team working on developing a shared resource or organizing a focused workshop.
- Pilot Program Participants: A select group involved in a trial of a new grazing technique or livestock management practice.
- Event Planning Committees: A team organizing a specific conference or event.
Examples of When a Public Category is Likely More Appropriate:
- Discussions relevant to a broad geographic region or livestock type (e.g., “Grazing in Vermont,” “Raising Dairy Heifers”).
- General inquiries, advice seeking, or sharing of experiences that could benefit the wider community.
- Networking within larger groups (e.g., all sheep farmers in the Northeast).
What Private Groups are NOT Typically For:
- Primarily for-profit business activities or internal company communications.
- Solely promotional purposes of commercial products or services.
How to Request a Private Group:
If you represent a group that you believe would benefit from a private discussion space on NELGL, please send a private message (PM) to the admin (@BOTLFarm). In your message, please include the following information:
- Brief description of the group’s purpose and its connection to livestock and grazing in the Northeast.
- Why a private discussion space on NELGL would be more suitable for your group’s needs than a public category.
- A suggested name for your private group.
- A list of the initial members who should have access to this private space. You will be able to add and remove members later.
- Who should be designated as the owner/point of contact for this private group?
- If applicable, is there a timeframe for how long this private group might need to be active?
Once your request is received, it will be reviewed based on the guidelines outlined above. You will be notified of the decision as soon as possible.
We hope this new feature will further enhance collaboration and focused discussions within our community while still encouraging broader participation in the public forums!