This is not exactly what is needed. It still says this is from the internal user, not the external user. This is not what is needed. When a post is made on by an internal user on behalf of an external user, I want to see that external user's name publicly. I am good with seeing the internal user's name on the admin side but I need to see only client's names as the ones posting externally. Otherwise, it just looks like people from our own company are posting things they want in the software and that looks tacky. Even if it said something like Jane Smith (internal) is posting this on behalf of John Rogers ( External)

Hey Doug, hence the “related” part of my comment. ;)

One thing we’ll likely never do is allow the admin to create an idea and set another user as the actual “creator” of that idea. However, we are currently working to make it *very* easy for admins to take the product feedback they’re getting from customers via email, tweets, meetings, etc. and add it to new or existing ideas (attributing the feedback to the person who gave it, and optionally subscribing them to updates on the idea).

We recently soft-launched the first step towards this, which allows admins to link feedback from support tickets to new or existing ideas (http://feedback.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/456147-linking-tickets-to-ideas). We also added the ability to manually add subscribers to ideas (http://feedback.uservoice.com/knowledgebase/articles/467624).

The next evolution of this will be allowing you to capture feedback from users from anywhere (like direct email), associating it to either new or existing ideas in UserVoice, so you can have all product feedback from anywhere and everywhere aggregated in one place, with information about all the customers who share the (relatively) same idea.

Joshua, it doesn't seem to me like your comments actually address the main scenario of the request.

This request is about suggestions (i.e., feedback), not support tickets.
This request is about creating a new suggestion on behalf of a user, not subscribing them to an existing one.

I have the same requirement as Nik articulated in the first place, and Gabor reinforced more recently.

Additionally, it would be useful to be able to cast a vote for a suggestion on behalf of a user.

Sorry, this idea was incorrectly marked as “Completed”. I’ve re-opened the idea.

There are a couple of ideas we’re investigating related to this:

Link feedback from tickets to ideas so we can keep users up-to-date on idea progress
http://feedback.uservoice.com/forums/1-general-feedback/suggestions/4619138

Allow admins to subscribe users to an existing idea
http://feedback.uservoice.com/forums/1-general-feedback/suggestions/3679803

Ability to create an idea from a ticket
http://feedback.uservoice.com/forums/1-general-feedback/suggestions/1708405

Even though this is marked as "completed", your proposed solution does not cover all use cases.

We also receive ideas from our users through support email, and then I'm faced with a dilema:
- I explain to the user in an email, how to go to UV and create the idea themselves: not a very friendly support strategy, and I'm risking that the idea gets lost or will be vaguely phrased needing me to reedit anyway.
- I enter the idea as admin, making the ideas forum look very dull: everything comes from a single admin person, as if users are not participating in the process.

Privacy should not be a concern, because I can edit/merge ideas as an admin anyway.

hey, this issue is marked as completed but doesn't address the real issue raised. namely, as elegantly put by one commenter we would like to "add someone as a watcher for an idea? That way they'll at least receive the updates".

I still think it would be handy for Admins to be able to add new idea on behalf of users though, even if it then has some kind of "moderation" for the users by having a link in a confirmation email to say "click here if you approve this idea"

Oh, I found it, its under "general" so actually what you meant was on the admin console go to "feedback-->general-->add idea" its on the right side near the settings icon (cog)

I cant find how to add ideas from the admin console..."feedback" I can find, but I only have Moderation, Search, and General ("Your Forums" is greyed out)

Under Settings I have a Feedback tab too, but that doesnt seem to be the right area to look as its all about content filters, statuses etc...

Regarding privacy, shouldn't the admins be trusted enough that this isn't a concern? An admin should be able to make that call. It's up to the organization to have trustworthy admins and not abuse admin privileges.

Agreed that this would be an awesome addition.

If I can't change the author, can I add someone as a watcher for an idea? That way they'll at least receive the updates.