Understanding MiVideo Mediaspace Roles and Channel User Management

Environment

MiVideo Mediaspace

Issue

Roles determine what an authenticated user can do in Mediaspace. They work in conjunction with channel member entitlement roles and the channel configuration settings made by the site administrator. Site roles take precedence over channel entitlement roles.

Resolution

Channel Member Entitlement Roles

Channels provide four entitlement roles (all include the ability to view content):

• Managers: can manage channel members, moderate content (if moderation is enabled), and add content
• Moderators: can approve and add their own content
• Contributors: can add content
• Members: can view content

Any user can also be a Subscriber. Channel subscription must be enabled for users to subscribe. Subscribers do not have to be channel members in a Restricted channel.

Below is an example of a site role taking precedence over channel entitlement role:

A site administrator can configure a site so users with a viewer Only role can create Open channels, giving them the Manager entitlement role for that channel. Remember that all authenticated users can add content to open channels.

User SuzyQ has a viewerOnly site role when she authenticates. SuzyQ creates an open channel “Suzy’s Original Flicks” but cannot find a way to upload her videos. This is because SuzyQ’s viewerOnly site role cannot add media. This takes precedence over the channel’s open type and SuzyQ’s channel entitlement role of Manager

Even though SuzyQ cannot upload her own media, as a channel creator she is automatically the channel’s manager, so she can still manage her channel’s users

Remember that any authenticated user who is a member of a Shared Repository channel can publish content from the Repository to their channels. SuzyQ could add content from a Shared Repository she’s a member of to her channel. SuzyQ, however, cannot add her own uploaded media unless the site admin changes her site role to privateOnly or higher so she has access to My Media

As you can see, channel entitlements and site roles can be straightforward or very complicated based on site configuration. For assistance with mapping out channel entitlement roles, contact the ITS MiVideo Support team by submitting a request to the ITS Service Center.

Channel Types

Member management depends on the type of channel, see the Channel Types article for more information about each channel:

• Open channels: require no member or contributor membership management because all authenticated users are automatically contributors and therefore members. You could add users as additional managers in order to transfer ownership of the channel and/or share edit privileges.
• Public channels: are viewable by anyone including anonymous visitors but only contributors, moderators, or managers can add content to them. If you want others to contribute to your public or restricted channels, you must add them as members with the appropriate entitlement.
• Restricted channels: are viewable by any logged in user but only contributors, moderators, or managers can add content to them. If you want others to contribute to your public or restricted channels, you must add them as members with the appropriate entitlement.
• Private and Shared Repository: channel access is by “invitation only” which means you must add members in order for them to view or contribute to the channel.

Notes about User Accounts

• Only users who have logged in at least once to your site or who have been manually added by the site admin in the Manage Users function can be added to the channel.
• If you have a large number of users to add to your site and/or channel, the ITS MiVideo support team can assist with bulk uploading users and setting their channel entitlements. Contact the ITS Service Center for assistance.
• If managing a large group of people it may be easier for KMS admins to use an MCommunity group. See the Using MCommunity Groups for Channel Membership section of the Configuring MCommunity Groups to Work With MiVideo Mediaspace article.

Add Members

Channel managers can manually add members to the channel. Members can have different access levels to the channel, all with the ability to view channel content. See the Channel Member Entitlement Roles section.

1. MiVideo Mediaspace: user drop-down menu > My Channels.
2. Click the edit pencil icon in the channel thumbnail. 
3. Users tab > Add Users
4. Type in the person’s uniqname. If the person is in the database, the system will pop their account up in a pick list for you. If they are not in the database, they need to login once to the site, or the site admin can add their account manually so you can try adding them again.
5. Select the permission type.
6. Click Add.

Manage Members

Unless your site is configured to block channel member management, which is an unusual circumstance, channel managers can edit member permissions, transfer channel ownership, and remove members using the icons and links in the Actions column next to each user’s name on the members list.

1. MiVideo Mediaspace: user drop-down menu > My Channels
2. Click the edit pencil icon in the channel thumbnail
3. Click the Users tab

Change User Permission

1. Click the edit pencil icon to edit a role
2. Update the permission level  in the drop-down list
3. The pencil changes to a save icon that you must click to confirm your changes

Remove Channel Member 

1. Click the "X" icon to remove a channel member
2. Click Yes to confirm
3. Removing a member does not delete their account, and you can add them back at any time

Transfer Channel Ownership

1. Click the set as owner "key" icon to make someone else the channel owner and manager
2. Click Yes to confirm
3. You will still be a channel manager until another manager changes your permissions

Related Articles

See related Channel articles for more information about configuring these collections.

Additional Information

• Check out the Canvas and MiVideo tutorials

For additional questions, please contact the ITS Service Center