Frequently Asked Questions regarding "groups" at openCards

At openCards groups are freely available for everyone. There are no closed groups. Every openCards member can found a new group or join an existing group.

The primary goal of groups at openCards is the transfer of information. Every member of a given group can write private messages to the other members Which makes e.g. the pronouncement of gaming dates of your local play group a lot easier.

Another possible use of the "group" feature: As TD you can establish a group of "your" players - those that visit your tourney regularly. The obvious advantage: As TD you can send those players automatically an invitation, if you announce a new tournament. Furthermore you can inform registered players and / or the whole group when details of the tournament have been changed or you just want to remind them of the upcoming tourney.

Where do I find groups at openCards?
How do I join a group?
How do I leave a group?
How do I found a group?
What is the "owner" of a group?
What happens if the "owner" of a group leaves "his" group?
How do I connect a group with a location?
Why am I supposed to list games "interesting" for members of my group?
How do I send a message to all members of my group?
How do I send a tourney invitation to group members?
How do I send a tournament-related message to group members?
Which factors decide with which name I appear in the list of group members?

Where do I find groups at openCards?
You will find all groups beneath "Groups" in your "my OpenCards" section.
Just follow the Link and a list of all current groups registered at openCards will appear.

How do I join a group?
On the main page of any group not only the members are listed, but there is a link "join this group". After you clicked on this link, there will appear the notification "You have joined this group" and your username / name will appear in the members' list.

Since all groups on openCards are generally open to all members, there are no restrictions to this. You may join any existing group and contact its members by writing them "private messages".

How do I leave a group?
When you're on the page of a group of which you are a member, you will find the link "leave this group" under the list of current members. if you click on it, you will leave that group (the message "You have left this groug" will appear and your user name / name will vanish from the list of current members).

How do I found a group?
There are different places on openCards where you can create a new group by clicking on links designated "create a new group". For example you will find such a link under the heading "groups" to be found in the menu bar at the top of the page in the section myOpenCards. If you click it, you will find a page presenting all groups in an orderly fashion. And one of those "create a new group"-links. This will open a small interface mask, in which you can post all the important details of your group including the following:

• the name of your group (choose a name that will make it clear what your group is about)
• games this group will play and / or collect. You may list several games here
• the location where the group meets for playing (or similar activities). Check out the heading "How do I connect a group with a location for further information. The naming of a location is optional since a group does not "need" a meeting point in the "real" world.
• a description of your group. Here you can explain in a few sentences why you created this group - and why other openCards members should join it.

What is the "owner" of a group?
The founder of a group is automatically the so-called "owner" of that group. Only the "owner" may change details concerning a group like the group name, games that group plays, locations or the group's description. A group always has exactly one "owner".

What happens if the "owner" of a group leaves "his" or "her" group?
If a group's "owner" leaves that group, he has to declare another member of the group as its new owner. If he is the last member of a group and leaves it, the group will be closed.

How do I connect a group with a location?
As "owner" of your group you may connect it with a location already existing on  openCards. While editing your group you can select one of the existing locations and connect it with your group (look under games in the selection list). If you do this, openCards users may find your group also via that location.

Why am I supposed to list games "interesting" for my group?
This will make it easier for members with similar interests to find your group. In the near future someone may specifically search for groups via a game associated with those groups. Furthermore your group will only be listed under the section "Inside" if it is associated with the correlating game system.

How do I send a message to all members of my group?
As member of a given group you may send a "private message" to all of the group's members. Just activate the link "Write a message to all group members" and your "private message" section will be opened with an empty interface already showing the group's name as recipient. Now just fill in a heading and your text, and afterwards activate the button "Send private message". All members of your group will then receive this new message via their openCards mailbox.

Of course you can use the section "my messages" directly to contact a group of which you are a member. Under the heading "Write an new message" you will also find the corresponding button "Write a new group message".

How do I send a tourney invitation to group members?
Every openCards member may post his or her tournaments on openCards. You'll find this function in the distinct games systems at section "Play".

When you post a tournament you may add as detail one of your groups, every member of will get an invitation as soon as you save that tournament.

Look for this feature in the tournament mask under "Details", the heading is "Invite playergroup". There you will find all group of which you are owner as a select list.

After the tournament has been saved, a "Private Messeage" will be send automatically to the members of the group you selected. Important details of the tournament like the format, date or location will be part of the message, and via a direct link all invited players may directly go to the tournament's posting to sign-in.

How do I send a tournament-related message to group members?
After you've published a tournament, you may send a group to players that have signed in, or optional to members of one of your groups. To do this you simply have to call up your tournament in the "Play" area and "edit" it. Then go to "messages" and write your message. Above the box where you create the text you can choose one of your groups as recipient. (The message will be send to all players registeres at your tourney AND the members of your chosen group).

Below the text box there is also another option to "insert tournament date at bottom of message, which you may use if you feel so declined.

Which factors decide with which name I appear in the group member list?
A group's list of members will ve shown on the main page of that group for all openCards members. As with every part of openCards you may freely decide if only your user name is to be shown or if you wish for your first and family name to be visible. In your "Profile" you can decide, which details of your profile should be visible to whom. Something like your Christian name or telephone number can be visible to "nobody", only to your contacts ("my contacts") or to "everybody". Only your user name is always visible to everybody.

According to the information and settings given your name may or may not be shown in a group's list members. If you haven't "cleared" your name for everybody (or your contacts) only your user name will be displayed.