Interact with other HighQ users

Two primary rules allow one HighQ user to interact with another Collaborate user. As long as these two rules are not broken for both users, then those users will be able to interact with each other.
'Interact' means being able to search for, view the profile of and/or communicate directly with another user, including the following actions:
  • Send an email concerning site content (and matching the other user's name in the autosuggest list of users in the Send Email form). (The Send via email feature will not be displayed for any site content if the rule is not satisfied)
  • Send a private message to a user (if direct messaging is enabled)
  • @ mention a user in a microblog post or comment
  • Search for a user
  • View a user's profile

Same site rule

The first rule of user interaction requires that the following three conditions be met:
  1. Both users must be members of the same site
  2. The site where both users are members must be Active or Read Only (Sites in preparation mode or that have been archived do not apply)
  3. The People module must be enabled on that site. When the People module is enabled, users will be able to see each others' names and other contact information, even if neither user has participated in the site by adding content or commenting
If these rules are satisfied for any two users, they can interact with each other.

Internal users rule (system setting)

The other rule is based on a system setting -- Global People Search -- that affects only internal users.
This setting allows any internal user to interact with any other internal user, regardless of whether those two users are members of the same site. (This setting does not apply to external users.) If this setting is not enabled, then two internal users must satisfy the same site rule to interact.
The idea behind this setting is that all internal users work for the same firm, i,e, the firm that maintains the instance of Collaborate, so there is no reason not to allow these users to find out, know about and communicate with each other.

Exceptions

There are several instances where users can see or interact with each other, even if the two rules above have not been satisfied.

Site activity

If a user undertakes certain site actions (like adding content, commenting, being assigned a task, etc.), other site users with access to the related content will likely see the name of the active user. However, unless the People module has been enabled, only the user's first name is viewable and not their profile.

Private messaging

A user may send a private message to two other users and those two other users will see each others' names and can reply to each other, even if those two users do not satisfy interaction rules. For example, User A may send a private message to User B and User C. User A satisfies the user interaction rules with each of Users B and C. But Users B and C may not have any connection with each other. Nevertheless, when User B receives that private message, she will see User C's name (and vice versa), and if User B replies to the private message, User C will receive that reply (and can reply).
However, Users B and C will only see each other's names and will not have access to each other's profiles, unless one of the user interaction rules apply.

Enterprise microblogging

Assuming that enterprise microblogging has been enabled for the entire Collaborate instance, then a user can send out a microblog post that will be received by other users in the following situations, even if the user interaction rules are not satisfied:
  • Firstly, if site-level microblogging is enabled in general and also for a particular site, then any user on that site can send a microblog post to all other site users. (This is the case even if the People module is not enabled for that site.) There is a separate setting for each site that enables or disables microblogging for that site
  • Secondly, if the default scope for a microblog post is a user's organisation, then any user can send a microblog post to every other user in their organisation, regardless of whether those users are on the same sites. This applies to both internal and external users
When a microblog post is received, the recipient will see the name of the person who sent the post (but not necessarily have access to the sender's profile). If a recipient replies to the post (by adding a comment), then all of the other recipients of the original post (members of a site or users in the same organisation) see the name of the person who replied.