Raftr Support: Creating and Managing Events, Chat Messages, and Posts

Creating content – to share an event or a more general post, message people, or create a raft – is quick and easy with the + sign on the tab bar. When you post an event, you can also “cross-post” it, which is cool because then it can be seen on multiple rafts, reaching more people; and events, posts, and messages all have other fun options to make them more interesting.

To create anything, you’ll start with the + button in the center, base of the screen. This button is used for creating any new content in the app – events, chat messages, posts, and rafts. You can either start by choosing the type of content you want to create, via the buttons in the top half of the create button’s opened circle, and continue with more options for enhancing your content; or, if you are creating an event, post, or chat message, you can start with the buttons on the bottom of the circle, which are shortcuts to the enhancements: a photo/ video stored on your device, a new photo or video taken with your device’s camera, a gif from Giphy, or a link. If you start with those buttons, you will later choose whether to include those in a chat message or a post. Check out our other blog for more information about creating and managing rafts.

Creating Events and Posts

Whether you start with the event or post buttons, or one of the enhancement buttons, once you’re on the screen for creating your event or post, all those enhancement options will be available, as well as a couple more:

• Photo/ Video: This option is for choosing a photo or video that is already saved on your device.
• Camera: This option is for opening your device’s camera to take a new photo or video.
• Giphy:This option is for choosing a gif from Giphy’s collection.
• Event:This option is adding an event – with a title and start time.
• Cross-Post: Cross-posting events is a great opportunity to get information to the most people with the least effort
  • When creating an event, you have the option to “cross-post” it to certain rafts, so that the post will be seen by more people.
  • This feature is used to let people know about events and free food opportunities.
  • When an event is cross-posted, it will be seen by everyone who is a member of the raft where it was created and/ or the raft(s) the post was cross-posted to.
  • If someone is a member of more than one raft that event is posted/ cross-posted to, they will only see it once in the feeds on the Events screen.
  • When someone chooses to cross-post, that event will then be visible publicly, even if it is created on a private raft; non-members of the raft it was created on will be able to see the post if they are a member of the raft(s) it was cross-posted to.

Creating Chat Messages

Raftr offers both direct messaging (private chat between you and one other person) and group messaging.

• Direct Messaging – To message someone in the app you have a few options, with any of these options if you choose to send a message to someone who is not yet following you, it will be sent with a “request” for you to message them, which they will need to first approve before your messages show up on their Messages screen. If someone has sent you a request, you will find it to the right of the word “Direct” on your Messages screen, below the list of rafts you are a member of.
  • Create button’s message button: If you use the create button, then the message button, you’ll be shown a list of suggested people you may want to send a message to; or, you can use the search feature there to find the right person
  • Create button’s enhancement buttons: If you use the create button, then any of the enhancement buttons, you’ll be taken to your Messages screen; once there, tap the + in the upper right corner to find a list of suggested people to send a message to, or search for the right person
  • Messages screen: Tap the + button to find a list of suggested people to send a message to, or search for the right person; or, if you have sent or received messages from someone you follow already, you’ll find a list of conversations below the list of rafts you’re a member
  • People’s profiles: If you are following someone, the “follow” button is replaced by a “message” button and a checkmark (if you tap the checkmark, you will stop following them); tap that message button to send them a message
• Group Messaging – All rafts have at least one chat channel for group messaging; these channels on public rafts and flag the content.