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Connect

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Internal team messaging with channels, direct messages, and group chats.

Goal

This guide explains how to use the Connect messaging feature in ICONK OS for internal team communication. It covers channels, direct messages, group chats, and basic messaging features.

Target Audience

All team members who need to communicate with colleagues within ICONK OS.

What You Can Do

  • Create and join communication channels
  • Send direct messages to colleagues
  • Create group chats for team discussions
  • React to messages with emojis
  • See typing indicators and user presence
  • View message history in channels and conversations

What You Should Not Expect Yet

  • File sharing within messages (use the Media Library for file attachments)
  • Video or voice calling
  • Message threading or reply chains
  • Advanced channel permissions and moderation tools
  • Integration with external messaging platforms (Slack, Teams)
  • Message search across all conversations

Step-by-Step Workflows

Accessing Connect

  1. Navigate to Connect from the sidebar.
  2. You will see your list of channels and conversations.
  3. Select a channel or conversation to view messages.

Creating a Channel

  1. In Connect, click to create a new channel.
  2. Choose the channel type:
    • Direct message: One-on-one conversation with a colleague.
    • Group chat: Conversation with multiple team members.
    • Announcement: Channel for broadcasting messages to a group.
  3. Enter a name and description for the channel.
  4. Add members to the channel.
  5. Save the channel.

Sending Messages

  1. Open a channel or conversation.
  2. Type your message in the input field at the bottom.
  3. Press Enter or click Send.
  4. Your message appears in the conversation.

Reacting to Messages

  1. Hover over a message to see reaction options.
  2. Click an emoji to add a reaction.
  3. Multiple users can react to the same message.

Managing Channels

  • View channels: Your channels appear in the sidebar list.
  • Leave a channel: You can leave channels you no longer need.
  • Channel members: View who is part of a channel.

Viewing Presence

  • Online status indicators show which colleagues are currently active.
  • Typing indicators show when someone is composing a message.

Permissions and Access

Access to Connect features depends on your role:

  • Using Connect requires messaging access permission.
  • Creating channels may require additional permissions depending on your company's settings.

If you cannot see the Connect module or certain actions are unavailable, contact your company administrator to review your role permissions.

Known Limitations

  • Realtime messaging is implemented, but some channel membership and authorization rules are still being refined.
  • Message list visibility may need review for channel membership enforcement.
  • Channel creation may not strictly validate that all added members belong to your company.

MISSING Items

  • File sharing within messages.
  • Video and voice calling.
  • Message threading.
  • Message search across conversations.
  • Channel moderation tools.

UNCERTAIN Items

  • Whether channel membership is strictly enforced for all message access.
  • How message history is retained (whether there is an archive or deletion policy).
  • Whether notifications are sent for new messages when you are not actively viewing Connect.

Troubleshooting

| Problem | Possible Cause | What to Try | |---------|---------------|-------------| | Cannot see Connect module | Missing messaging permission | Contact your administrator | | Messages not appearing | Connection issue | Refresh the page and try again | | Cannot create a channel | Missing permission or member validation issue | Contact your administrator | | Cannot see a colleague in user list | Colleague may not be a company member | Verify company membership | | Realtime updates not working | Socket connection issue | Refresh the page |

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