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Channels

Updated till version 2.6

VNCchannels is a collaborative space to store data, search, retrieve and structure information by topics, and generate knowledge. With the right people and information in one place, teams can share ideas, discuss animatedly, come to conclusions, reach decisions and move forward with a common purpose.

Each channel looks as follows:

  1. Unread Topics Count: Shows the number of unread topics in the channel. The image next to it is the channel’s avatar.
  2. Channel Details: Displays the channel's name and its description (if provided by the channel creator).
  3. Unread & total topic count: The left figure indicates the unread topics, while the right shows the total number of topics in the channel.
  4. Channel type badge: A symbolic representation of what the channel type is.
  5. Subscription badge: Indicates a subscription to the channel.
  6. Additional menu: Guides to various options for managing the channel, such as guides to various options for managing the channel, such as pinning a channel, sharing it, accessing channel information, adding it to favorites, or adjusting notification preferences.
  7. Notification center: Allows muting all notifications within the channel.
  8. Filters: Provides customization options to search for specific topics within the channel.
  9. Topic type chips: Enables switching between different types of topics.
  10. Topic customization: Located in the upper right corner of the top channel menu, the topic customization icon allows adjusting how topics are displayed.
  11. Central section of channel: Offers quick access to all topics created within the channel and the ability to create new ones.

Public, private, intranet, and extranet channels

You cannot convert a public channel into a private, extranet, or intranet channel and vice versa.

Public channels are available to all registered users who get the link to a channel. If you need a smaller, specific audience for a particular subject, you can use a private channel. Intranet channels are for collaborating with domain users while extranet channels are for collaborating with users of the same domain and connected IOM instances.

There are 5 types of channels: Public, Private, Extranet, Intranet, and IOM.

Channel type Description
Public channel - Viewable to everyone in your organization. Every registered user can see the channel when they browse channels, and they can join the channel if they feel that the topic is relevant to them.
- They are open to all registered users and topics posted are searchable by others.
- Everyone with a link can browse and join public channels.
- Public channels are those with the following icon on the avatar.
Private channel - Visible to invited users.
- These are for discussions that shouldn’t be open to all users, so you must be invited to join one to view it.
- Private channels are those with a lock icon on the avatar
Extranet channel - For collaborating with users of the same domain and connected IOM instances.
- They are only accessible to users of the same domain and connected IOM instances.
- Extranet channels are those with the following icon on the avatar.
Intranet channel - For collaborating with domain users.
- They are only accessible to users within the same domain and explicitly invited users.
- Intranet channels are those with the following icon on the avatar.
IOM channel - Used to collaborate with users of the same and connected IOM instances, providing access to shared data.
- IOM channels are those with the following icon on the avatar.

Channel roles and permissions

Every user has a role, each with its own level of permissions and access.

There are three channel roles: Author, Moderator, and Member. Their privileges are as follows:

  • Author: The user who created the channel. The owner has the most editing privileges in the channel, including assigning roles and deleting the channel. There can be only one channel owner. The feather icon indicates an author. A user with this badge is an Author.
  • Moderator: Someone who has joined the channel and has been given certain editing privileges. There can be multiple channel moderators. A user with this badge is a Moderator.
  • Member: Someone who has joined the channel. There can be multiple channel members. A user without a badge is a Member.

The following table outlines what actions Authors, Moderators, and Members can perform in public, private, intranet, and extranet channels.

Action Author Moderator Member
Channels
See the list of channel participants Yes Yes Yes
Subscribe to the channel Yes Yes Yes
Unsubscribe from a channel Yes if the moderator is assigned Yes if the channel has the author Yes
View channel info Yes Yes Yes
Edit a channel Yes Yes No
Copy a link Yes Yes Yes
Send a channel link Yes Yes Yes
Pin/unpin a channel Yes Yes Yes
Add a channel to favorite Yes Yes Yes
Mute a channel Yes Yes Yes
Download a file Yes Yes Yes
Delete a channel Yes Yes No
Restore a deleted channel Yes Yes No
Delete a channel permanently Yes Yes No
Archive/ unarchive a channel Yes Yes No
Add new members Yes Yes No
Manage roles in a channel Yes Yes (Note: A moderator cannot update an author’s role) No
Remove a user from a channel Yes Yes (Note: A moderator cannot remove an author) No
See profiles of channel members Yes Yes Yes
Grant access to private topics Yes Yes No
Subchannels
Add a subchannel Yes Yes Yes
Edit a subchannel Yes Yes No
Delete a subchannel Yes Yes No
Topics
Create a topic Yes Yes Yes
Relate a topic Yes Yes Yes
Comment a topic Yes Yes Yes
Mention a user Yes Yes Yes
Like a topic Yes Yes Yes
Add a file to a topic Yes Yes No

Filter channels

VNCchannels has the following chips to filter channels:

  • All channels. This is the place where you can find all the channels: public, private, favorite, and channels you create and are subscribed to.
  • Public. The chip is used to filter all the channels that are available for public viewing.
  • Private. The chip is used to filter all the channels that are available only for a specific audience.
  • IOM. The chip is used to filter all the iOM channels you subscribe to.
  • Subscribed. The chip is used to filter all the channels you are subscribed to.
  • Favorites. The chip is used to filter all the channels you mark as "favorite".
  • My channels. The chip is used to filter all the channels you create.
  • Intranet. The chip is used to filter all intranet channels.
  • Extranet. The chip is used to filter all extranet channels.

Grant access to a private channel

Only Channel Author can grant access to private channels.

A channel author will have to approve participation requests before someone can join the channel. If a user is not a participant in the private channel, they will not be able to access that private channel. Clicking the private channel’s URL will result in a “Request access” screen.

  • If a user is granted a private topic’s access in a private channel to which the user does not already have access, the user will get access to both: the private channel and the private topic.
  • All public and private topics along with the private channel should be hidden from the user if revoked private channel’s access by the author or unsubscribed from the private channel from the user’s end.

To grant access to a private channel, do the following:

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Hover the pointer over a required channel and click the kebab menu icon .
  3. Select Channel info from the dropdown menu.
  4. Navigate to the Users tab.
  5. Under the Pending external users approval section, you can see a list of access requests. Click the checkmark icon next to the user you want to add to the channel.
  6. The private channel in the channel listing will appear immediately when the request is approved. The user will be notified via notifications about the granted access.

Once a channel author has granted someone access, they can access that channel’s resources, add comments, and create a new topic.

Create a channel

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Click the plus icon and then Create new channel.

  3. Enter a channel name.

    • (Optional) Click the avatar icon to add a channel image. Hover the pointer over the avatar icon and click Upload. Select an image from your device, crop it, and click Save.
    • (Optional) Add the channel description.

  4. Under the Channel type section, select the required type of channel.

    • Public — if you want all users of VNCtalk to see the channel;
    • Private — if you want only the channel users to see the channel;
    • Extranet — if you want all internal (who are in your team/ organization) and external users (who are not in your team/ organization) to see the channel;
    • Intranet — if you want only the domain users to see the channel.

  5. Under the Subscribe invitation section, click Invite Users and assign a required role for participants. Then select the users you want to invite to a group and click the Save button.

  6. (Optional) Under the Tags section, select a tag from the appeared list or create a new one.
  7. Click CREATE.

You should see the created channel in the channels list.

Access channel information

To see key channel details at a glance, click the channel avatar. A pane will open to the right of the channel where you’ll find info including a channel description, member list, and files attached.

To close the pane, click the back arrow icon . The maximize icon allows you to expand the channel info pane. To return to its original size, click the cross icon in the upper right corner.

Channel information also can be accessed in two ways:

Way 1. From the list of channels.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Hover the pointer over a required channel and click the kebab menu icon .
  3. Select Channel info from the dropdown menu.

Way 2. From the channel home page.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Open a channel.
  3. Click the kebab menu icon in the upper right corner of the channel top menu.
  4. Select Channel Info from the dropdown menu.

The table outlines various aspects of channel management, detailing the roles, options, and tabs available within a channel information pane:

Channel details Description
Members The channel user list includes the author, moderators, and all participants. Note that only 7 participants and the bubble containing the general number of channel participants are visible in the channel info. To see all participants, navigate to the Users tab.
Actions
Add a user to the channel* Invite new users to join the channel to participate in discussions and activities.
Remove a user from the channel* Remove users from the channel to limit access or remove inactive participants.
Change the user's role* Assign a different role to a user, such as promoting them to a moderator or downgrading to a participant.
Update the channel image* Add or change the channel image to make it more recognizable and visually appealing.
Search a user within a channel Use filters, chips, and the search field to quickly narrow down and find specific users within the channel.
View profile information A click on the kebab icon in the participant list allows viewing participant profile information.
Work with files Share files, download them, and rename them as needed.
Tabs
Info Displays the channel description and tags added by the channel author, visible below the channel name and avatar.
Files A collection of all images, videos, and documents shared within the channel.
Users Shows the list of participants currently in the channel.

These actions are available only for the channel author and channel moderator. [^]*

Add a user to a channel

Only channel author and channel moderator can add users to channels.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Hover the pointer over a required channel and click the kebab menu icon .
  3. Select Channel Info from the dropdown menu.
  4. In the right sidebar, click the plus icon .
  5. In the Subscribe Invitation box that opens, select a required role for user(s): Moderator or Participant.
  6. Select or search for a required user(s) and click it.
  7. Click SAVE.

If you go to the Users tab, you should see that the user is in the list.

Change a user's role

Only Channel Author and Channel Moderator can change the role that's assigned to a user.

You can change the role that’s assigned to a user.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Hover the pointer over a required channel and click the kebab menu icon .
  3. Select Channel info from the dropdown menu.
  4. In the right sidebar, go to the Users tab.
  5. Hover the pointer over a required user and click the kebab menu icon .

  6. Select one of the following options from the dropdown menu:

    • Make a moderator
    • Make a regular user

  7. When prompted, click Confirm confirming that you want to assign a new role to the user.

Remove a user from a channel

Only Channel Author and Channel Moderator can remove users from channels.

There are 2 ways to delete a user from a channel.

Way 1. From the "Users" tab.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Hover the pointer over a required channel and click the kebab menu icon .
  3. Select Channel Info from the dropdown menu.
  4. Go to the Users tab.
  5. Hover the pointer over a required user and click the kebab menu icon .
  6. Select Remove User from the dropdown menu.

Way 2. From the channel home page.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Hover the pointer over a required channel and click the kebab menu icon .
  3. Select Channel Info from the dropdown menu.
  4. In the right sidebar, click the plus icon .
  5. In the Subscribe Invitation box that opens, click the cross icon on a required user.
  6. Click SAVE.

Create a subchannel

Subchannels allow you to intelligently organize related channels. For example, a Marketing channel might have Content Marketing, Digital Marketing, and Brand Strategy as sub-channels.

There are 3 ways to create a subchannel.

Way 1. From the list of channels.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Hover the pointer over a required channel and click the kebab menu icon .
  3. Select Add a subchannel from the dropdown menu.
  4. The further steps are the same as for creating a channel. Refer to the "Create a channel" section for the step-by-step guide.

You should see the created subchannel under the Subchannel section on the channel home page.

Way 2. From the channel home page.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Open a channel.
  3. Click the kebab menu icon in the upper right corner of the channel top menu.
  4. Select Add a subchannel from the dropdown menu.
  5. The further steps are the same as for the first way of creating a subchannel.

Way 3. Using the plus icon.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Open a channel.
  3. Click the plus icon.
  4. The further steps are the same as for the first way of creating a subchannel.

Pin a channel

Some channels deserve to be prioritized and viewed at a glance.

The pin channel feature allows you to pin specific channels to the top of your channels list so you can quickly find them. You can select up to 5 channels to pin at once.

There are 2 ways to pin a channel.

Way 1. From the list of channels.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Hover the pointer over a required channel and click the kebab menu icon .
  3. Select Pin a channel from the dropdown menu.
  4. To unpin a channel, hover the pointer over a required channel and click the kebab menu icon and then Unpin channel.

Way 2. Using the "Pin a channel" menu option.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Open a channel.
  3. Click the kebab menu icon in the upper right corner of the channel top menu.
  4. Select Pin a channel from the dropdown menu.

You should see the pin icon next to the channel.

Add a channel to the "Favorite" list

You can mark channels as favorites to make them easy to find.

There are 2 ways to add a channel to favorites.

Way 1. From the list of channels.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Hover the pointer over a required channel and click the kebab menu icon .
  3. Select Add to Favorites from the dropdown menu.
  4. To remove a channel from the "Favorites" list, hover the pointer over a required channel, and click the kebab menu icon and then Remove from Favorites.

Way 2. From the channel home page.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Open a channel.
  3. Click the kebab menu icon in the upper right corner of the channel top menu.
  4. Select Add to Favorites from the dropdown menu.

You can view your favorite channels by navigating to Favorites via the left navigation bar, where you will see a list of channels you have marked as a favorite.

Edit a channel

Only Channel Author and Moderator can edit channel information.

There are 2 ways to edit a channel.

Way 1. From the list of channels.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Hover the pointer over a required channel and click the kebab menu icon .
  3. Select Edit channel from the dropdown menu.
  4. Make required changes and click Update.

Way 2. From the channel home page.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Open a channel.
  3. Click the kebab menu icon in the upper right corner of the channel top menu.
  4. Select Edit channel from the dropdown menu.
  5. The further steps are the same as for the first way of editing a channel.

There are 2 ways to copy a channel link.

Way 1. From the list of channels.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Hover the pointer over a required channel and click the kebab menu icon .
  3. Select Copy link from the dropdown menu.

Way 2. From the channel home page.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Open a channel.
  3. Click the kebab menu icon in the upper right corner of the channel top menu.
  4. Select Copy link from the dropdown menu.

Subscribe to a channel

Subscribing ensures you receive notifications and stay updated on the latest channel content and discussions.

You can subscribe to the channel in 2 ways.

Way 1. From the list of channels.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Hover the pointer over a required channel and click the kebab menu icon .
  3. Select Subscribe to the channel from the dropdown menu.
  4. To unsubscribe from the channel, hover the pointer over a required channel, click the kebab menu icon and then Unsubscribe from the channel.

Once subscribed, the channel will display a subscription badge next to the channel name, indicating that you will receive notifications about all updates within the channel.

Way 2. From the channel home page.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Open a channel.
  3. Click the kebab menu icon in the upper right corner of the channel top menu.
  4. Select Subscribe to the channel from the dropdown menu.

Mute a channel

There are 2 ways to mute a channel.

Way 1. From the list of channels.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Hover the pointer over a required channel and click the kebab menu icon .
  3. Select Mute channel from the dropdown menu.
  4. To unmute the channel, hover the pointer over a required channel, click the kebab menu icon and then Unmute channel.

Way 2. From the channel home page.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Open a channel.
  3. Click the kebab menu icon in the upper right corner of the channel top menu.
  4. Select Mute channel from the dropdown menu.
  5. To unmute the channel, click the kebab menu icon again and then Unmute channel.

There are 2 ways to send a channel link.

Way 1. From the list of channels.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Hover the pointer over a required channel and click the kebab menu icon .
  3. Select Send to from the dropdown menu.
  4. In the Send to box, enter the name of the person you want to forward a channel to or choose from the suggested account list.
  5. You have the option to add a comment to your message.
  6. Click Send.

Way 2. From the channel home page.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Open a channel.
  3. Click the kebab menu icon in the upper right corner of the channel top menu.
  4. Select Send to from the dropdown menu.
  5. The further steps are the same as for the first way of sending a channel link.

You should see the notification stating Link sent.

Archive a channel

Only Channel Author and Moderator can archive/ unarchive channels at any time. Regular users can still visit an archived channel, but won't be able to make any changes in that channel.

Archiving channels allows you to better organize and visualize channels. When you archive a channel, it will no longer appear in your Channels list.

  • Archiving a channel doesn't delete the channel.
  • You will not receive notifications for archived channels unless you're mentioned or replied to.

There are 2 ways to archive a channel.

Way 1. From the list of channels.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Hover the pointer over a required channel and click the kebab menu icon .
  3. Select Channels archive from the dropdown menu.
  4. Click Archive to confirm that you want to archive the channel.

Way 2. From the channel home page.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Open a channel.
  3. Click the kebab menu icon in the upper right corner of the channel top menu.
  4. Select Archive channels from the dropdown menu.
  5. The further steps are the same as for the first way of archiving a channel.

Access an archived channel list

After you archive the channel, it will be available in the "Archive" list. To access it:

  1. In the upper right corner, click the avatar icon.
  2. Select Channels archive from the dropdown menu.
  3. Navigate to the Channels tab. You will see a list of archived channels.

Unarchive a channel

  1. In the upper right corner, click the avatar icon.
  2. Select Channels archive from the dropdown menu.
  3. Navigate to the Channels tab.
  4. Hover the pointer over the channel you want to unarchive, and click the kebab menu icon .

  5. Select Unarchive channel from the dropdown menu.

    • You can also click on the channel you want to unarchive *.

  6. When prompted, click Unarchive to confirm that you want to unarchive the channel.

The unarchived channel should be available in the list of channels.

Delete an archived channel

Only Channel Author and Moderator can delete an archived channel.

Deleting a channel is permanent, so make sure that you proceed with caution.

  1. In the upper right corner, click the avatar icon.
  2. Select Archive channels from the dropdown menu.
  3. Navigate to the Channels tab.
  4. Hover the pointer over the channel you want to delete, and click the kebab menu icon .

  5. Select Delete channel from the dropdown menu.

    • You can also click the trash bin icon on the channel you want to delete *.

  6. When prompted, click Yes to confirm that you want to delete a channel.

Move a channel to trash

Only Channel Author and Moderator can delete channels.

There are 2 ways to move a channel to trash.

Way 1. From the list of channels.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Hover the pointer over a required channel and click the kebab menu icon .
  3. Select Move to trash from the dropdown menu.

You will see the notification stating *"The channel moved to trash successfully"

Way 2. From the channel home page.

  1. Navigate to Channels.
  2. Open a channel.
  3. Click the kebab menu icon in the upper right corner of the channel top menu.
  4. Select Move to trash from the dropdown menu.

Access a trash

After you move the channel to the trash, it will be available in the "Trash" list. To access it:

  1. In the upper right corner, click the avatar icon.
  2. Select Trash from the dropdown menu.
  3. Navigate to the Channels tab. You will see a list of channels moved to the trash.

Restore a channel

Only Channel Author and Moderator can restore channels.

  1. In the upper right corner, click the avatar icon.
  2. Select Trash from the dropdown menu.
  3. Navigate to the Channels tab. You will see a list of channels moved to the trash.
  4. Hover the pointer over the channel you want to restore, and click the kebab menu icon .

  5. Select Restore channel from the dropdown menu.

    • You can also click the restore icon on the channel you want to restore *.

You should see the notification stating Channel Restored. The channel should be available in the list of channels.

Delete a channel

Only Channel Author and Moderator can delete channels.

Deleting a channel is permanent, so make sure that you proceed with caution.

  1. In the upper right corner, click the avatar icon.
  2. Select Trash from the dropdown menu.
  3. Navigate to the Channels tab. You will see a list of channels moved to the trash.
  4. Hover the pointer over the channel you want to delete, and click the kebab menu icon .

  5. Select Delete channel completely from the dropdown menu.

    • You can also click the trash bin icon on the channel you want to delete permanently *.

  6. Click Yes to confirm that you want to delete a channel.

IOM channels

IOM channels create a space where you can connect with people from another organization. Only the users of the same and connected IOM instances can access the channels. An administrator of your organization can get in contact with an administrator of another organization and link them to your organization through VNCdirectory.

You might want to use an IOM channel if you want to collaborate with people who are all members of separate companies. For example, people from another company who all work on different aspects of the same product could use IOM channels to collaborate.

IOM channels are those with the following icon on the avatar.

Create an IOM channel

Only registered users with the necessary permission can create IOM channels. The ability to create IOM channels can be managed at the organizational level.

The person who creates an IOM channel becomes the Author and only the Author and Moderators can directly add or remove people from it. The Author can assign more than one Moderator. An IOM channel author can add anyone from the organization to an IOM channel they created. Members of an IOM channel have a secure space, and when new members are added, they can see all topics in that IOM channel.

  1. Open Channels.
  2. Click the plus icon and then Create new channel.

  3. Enter a channel name.

    • (Optional) Click the avatar icon to add a channel image. Hover the pointer over the avatar icon and click Upload. Select an image from your device, crop it, and click Save.
    • (Optional) Add the channel description.

  4. Under the Channel type section, select Extranet.

  5. Under the Subscribe invitation section, click Invite Users. Type the names of the people in the same and connected IOM instances you want to add to the channel or select from the list. Once done, click Save.
  6. (Optional) Under the Tags section, select a tag from the appeared list or create a new one.
  7. Click Create.

Find and subscribe to IOM channels

  1. Open Channels.
  2. Select the IOM chip.
  3. To open a channel, click it.
  4. Click the Subscribe button.