From:
Dan Randow
Date:
Jun 19 00:07 UTC
Short link
If you are administering a GroupServer site via the ZMI, you should be
aware of the move that is being made towards "preset" group privacy levels.
In the past, through the Group Admin interface, it has been possible to
configure group privacy at a granular level by manipulating the following.
Group Joinability (Who can join this group)
Anyone, without approval
Anyone, pending approval
Only those invited
Group Visibility (Who can see this group)
Everyone
Only site and group members
Only group members
Messages and Files Visibility (Who can view the messages and files in
this group)
Everyone
Only site and group members
Only group members
(Direct ZMI manipulation of object permissions in the group context, and
<shudder> properties in the ListManager context can still be carried out
but this is no longer necessary and definitely not recommended.)
Current development work on the registration system, and group
interfaces is being done on the basis that there are three possible
group privacy states for a group, each clustering group and
messages/files visibility, and joinability as follows.
Public
Group Joinability: Anyone, without approval
Group Visibility: Everyone
Messages and Files Visibility: Everyone
Private
Group Joinability: Anyone, pending approval
Group Visibility: Everyone
Messages and Files Visibility: Only group members
Secret
Group Joinability: Only those invited
Group Visibility: Only group members
Messages and Files Visibility: Only group members
We believe that these three settings will be useful to almost all
GroupServer users, and they significantly simplify group administration.
This new scheme has been implemented in the registration system, so that
joinability now depends on whether the group is public, private or
public, as defined above. Site templates may not yet reflect this change.
There following, for example, is therefore possible. If a group's
joinability is set to "anyone", but the messages are only visible to
group members, the group will appear to be joinable on the groups and
group home pages, but will not actually be joinable. Users attempting to
join the group will get errors.