Kiva.org and Facebook: Posting on the mini-feed

[Guest]

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[sgsilver]

Hi all,

When I first started lending on kiva.org, it would magically post my loan to my Facebook "feed". However, it doesn't do this any longer, and I can't figure out how to do it, or even how it posted to my feed to begin with. 

I've attached a snippet of a screen shot so you can see what I'm talking about. Thanks for any help you can provide! 

Steve

[Diane R]

I saw that change also!  The app seems to have changed from automatic to "only on request" -- what I see now is that, when I make a loan and return from Paypal to the Kiva confirmation screen, in the middle of the page I see a place where I can click and choose to send it to my facebook feed.  Next time I make a loan I will take a snapshot and post it here, if you have not seen it yet, OK?

--Diane.

[sgsilver]

I found it! Thanks! 

[Natasha]

Hi all,

When I first started lending on kiva.org, it would magically post my loan to my Facebook "feed". However, it doesn't do this any longer, and I can't figure out how to do it, or even how it posted to my feed to begin with. 

Steve

I also have been experimenting with it (and love that it updates Facebook), this is what I found in order for it to work...
1. Facebook must be an open application at the time that you checkout to paypal or pay with Kiva credit.
2. It only works when the loan is not fully funded yet (well for me anyway)

A few weeks ago, this only worked when you did checkout payment through paypal account (I found only with credit card), but now works also with kiva credit. As long as it isn't fully funded, then you will get a facebook post button as an option in addition to the e-mail option. When clicked, you should then see a pop up telling you that the story is being sent to Facebook. The pop up should close when finishing sending. You then may need to refresh your Facebook page in order for the mini feed story to appear.

Note: if you pay for multiple loans at checkout, the feed will choose only entrepreneur's name and say (for example) "Natasha supported Margadelene Naluyima and one other item with kiva.org". Both the entrepreneur's name and kiva.org are hyperlinks to the loan/ home page respectively from Facebook.

If others have had different experiences - I will stand corrected, but this is what I found through trial and error recently.

I have also tried the giving tree function on Facebook and list Kiva under "causes I support". But what I would really like is an application/icon on my Facebook that also links directly to my lender page. At the moment I have put a link on my "wall" so my Facebook friends are able to view it, if they are curious, but I think this looks slightly messy.

[Milford]

Um, which Facebook application is this? Where do I find it? Sounds like great promotion, given that it works.

If it's something that magically appears on the "Your Transactions" page after funding a loan, I'm out. That page has been blank for me ('cept the "Your Transactions" title) save for one of my loans.

[sgsilver]

Thanks for the info, Natasha! 

[Diane R]

Facebook does not have to be open in order for this to work.  And it works with Kiva Credit payment now the same as with Paypal payment.

But you are correct that it only works when one or more of the loans you funded in the recent transaction is not fully funded: it suggests you poke the "Post" button for the Facebook feed to "help So-And-So get fully funded".  Here is a screenshot of what it looked like for me tonight:


--Diane.

[Natasha]

Um, which Facebook application is this? Where do I find it? Sounds like great promotion, given that it works.

Which application? Giving Tree? - Do a search on this site and the creators have posted this application.

Causes - you will have to do a search on Facebook and there are literally thousands that you can join which will display under the "causes I support application" (I currently have about six listed but you can have as many as you want).

Mini-feeds - follow the information on my previous post

Thanks for the info, Natasha! 

No worries! Glad you found what you were looking for. Happy to share the information
Diane  - Just saw your post. You are the computing guru and I have no idea how these things work, so I bow to your expertise, but for me, Facebook does have to be open on another page (I have tried it many times over the last few weeks), I am not sure if it is to do with my logins (which are different) or not, otherwise it doesn't work for me. Weird huh?   As I said before, this what I found and how it works for me, if it works differently for others - great! (do what works for you)   Maybe with the improvements with the post button this may have changed?

Will try it out again soon, though I have in all honesty, started hiding all the feeds on Facebook (or not sent the feed) because I think my Friends will be tired with my whole Facebook page that has Kiva all over it! One of my friends jokingly asked me whether I had recently joined a "cult"! LOL maybe I have! This Kiva thing can be pretty addictive

[Milford]

Okay, I didn't quite get this.

In order to successfully use the "Post this loan to your Facebook News Feed" button (given that it'd show up), do I have to have any particular application or cause in Facebook?

I now support the Kiva cause with the most users (there sure were many to choose from), and I've given The Giving Tree a try, but I didn't like it that much, seeing that I can't add people I've actually lended money to, and that I can't remove the woman I erroneously added.

[Diane R]

Just curious if we're using the same Facebook app, Natasha?  Is the info you see on your confirmation screen the same as the image I posted above?  If so, hmm...  maybe has to do with cookies?  I don't think I've ever had Facebook open when I've made a Kiva loan, and I get this notice every times it's a not-yet-fully-raised loan... but I *do* have a saved facebook login cookie.  (And we are now out of the range of my social computing tool technical knowledge area, LOL!)

I guess the answer is for folks to experiment: if it doesn't work for them without Facebook open and they want the feed to happen, they could try to open Facebook before paying for a Kiva loan the next time.    The last date it automatically pushed an update to my Facebook feed without asking me to confirm was Nov. 16th, fyi.

--Diane.
(and with that I really *do* have to try to get to sleep! (it's 2:30am...) stinks being sick...)

[Natasha]

Okay, I didn't quite get this.

In order to successfully use the "Post this loan to your Facebook News Feed" button (given that it'd show up), do I have to have any particular application or cause in Facebook?

I now support the Kiva cause with the most users (there sure were many to choose from), and I've given The Giving Tree a try, but I didn't like it that much, seeing that I can't add people I've actually lended money to, and that I can't remove the woman I erroneously added.

Milford,

The mini feed works after you pay for a loan that hasn't been fully funded yet. It gives you both the option of sending an e-mail or sending a facebook feed. The facebook feed will appear under "mini feed displaying stories". Obviously as you get more stories added this feed (with Kiva links) will also disappear down the list. You don't have to add an application to Facebook beforehand (well I didn't at least).

Hope that helps!

Just curious if we're using the same Facebook app, Natasha?  Is the info you see on your confirmation screen the same as the image I posted above?  If so, hmm...  maybe has to do with cookies?  I don't think I've ever had Facebook open when I've made a Kiva loan, and I get this notice every times it's a not-yet-fully-raised loan... but I *do* have a saved facebook login cookie.  (And we are now out of the range of my social computing tool technical knowledge area, LOL!)

I guess the answer is for folks to experiment: if it doesn't work for them without Facebook open and they want the feed to happen, they could try to open Facebook before paying for a Kiva loan the next time.    The last date it automatically pushed an update to my Facebook feed without asking me to confirm was Nov. 16th, fyi.

--Diane.
(and with that I really *do* have to try to get to sleep! (it's 2:30am...) stinks being sick...)

Diane - you are speaking to someone who really has little idea about these things, but I don't have a saved log in, I have to log in each time. No idea if that's it.

Sorry to hear you are unwell . Hope that you get better, really soon

[Ramón]

Not sure if this is covered elsewhere, but lately (in the last few weeks) the "post to Facebook" option has disappeared from the "Thank you!" page. Any idea if this was intentional, and why it's no longer there? I like to get it back... Any Facebook-buff know a workaround?

Thanks,

Ramon

[Liz]

Hey Everyone,

Currently if you are logged into your Facebook account when you lend through Kiva, when you return to the "thanks" page on the Kiva site after checking out, you should see a "Post this loan to your Facebook News Feed" button. 

Sorry that this feature is overly confusing.  Kiva doesn't have a great deal of control over how this feature works, because we don't own it.  And there are obvious privacy concerns re sending Kiva lender information to PayPal without explicit lender consent, so we are being really careful to ensure that this remains an opt-in feature.

For the reasons mentioned above, we've decided to explore other Facebook app options.  We've got some really cool leads, so we'll get them up and running as soon as we can.

Thanks for spreading the word,

Liz

Kiva Customer Service Manager

[Ramón]

Liz,

I *was* logged on to Facebook, but it didn't show up. I noticed the change of layout where you now can pull in your AOL/Gmail/Yahoo/etc. contacts, and actually, the Facebook widget disappeared from that point on.

Maybe a bug? I really liked it, because it's a non-intrusive way to notify all your Facebook friends of new loans.

Thanks,

Ramon

[roma]

Hi Guys,
Just cleaning up some stuff and you were right, Ramon. We had indeed broken this. Should be fixed now. Thanks for calling this to our attention.

Roma

[Waz]

Hey guys, I'm new to kivafrends and the kiva cause. Did my first loan today, and i had the same thing as everyone else once i had proceeded to pay the loan , it asked me to post to facebook which I thought was a great idea as i know alot of people including myself would click the mini news feed to see what this loan thing is(thus attracting more to the good cause).

Anyway i pressed the button, and it asked me the yes/no about "this page contains secure and non-secure" stuff etc etc... and afte ri press yes its instantly done? It doesnt ask me anything else? I caught a flash of the facebook url shown in the browser window (at the bottom, showing what website your accessing) and the facebook link had something "error".html or something? I assume somethings not working since my mini feed is untouched.

Can someone verify if this feature is down?

And what is the verdict, must i have facebook open at the time i checkout my loan payment? Or can it be closed? And if closed must I have the "remember me" option done for my facebook account? Just really wanting to get this facebook mini feed thing working.Thanks guys!

[hejustlaughs]

I was on the lookout for a facebook post the whole process and could not find one. I'd definitely do it if I could figure out what is going wrong. Most of my college friends have no clue what Kiva.org is.

[hejustlaughs]

I see what the problem is now (for me).

A few months ago I got pissed off at facebook for allowing a purchase to show up on my news feed and thus ruining a surprise gift and I therefore blocked all external websites from sending information to facebook. I totally forgot I had done this.

To un-do this. I went to privacy (top right) / news feed and mini feed / actions on external websites ... and then unchecked "Don't allow any websites to send stories to my profile."