The platform offers three types of groups: public, private and hybrid. Each type differs in visibility and how people can join. Here’s a summary of their key differences.
- Public: Visible to everyone, joinable by anyone.
- Private: Hidden or invitation-only.
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Hybrid: can be
- Visible to everyone, not joinable by anyone.
- Partially visible to everyone, joinable by anyone.
What the padlock icon means
The padlock icon (🔒) is a way to identify that in your session, you are not a member of that group. It is not related to the visibility of the group, neither the fact that you can join or not that group.
For example: You may see a padlock on a group that is still partly visible to non-members, and may even be open to join. In that case, the group is not fully closed, the padlock is showing that you are not currently a member.
Public Groups
Public groups are open and visible to all users on Futurium, including those who are not logged in. These groups are designed to encourage broad participation allowing anyone to join, contribute, and engage in discussions.
Key features:
- Visible to everyone: Listed in the Futurium’s Groups directory and visible to all users, including those who are not logged in.
- Access: Anyone can join a public group by clicking the "Join Group" button without needing approval.
- Searchable content: Discussions, documents, and events within public groups are indexed and searchable.
- Open Collaboration: Ideal for large-scale discussions, public consultations, and community engagement on topics of broad interest.
Best For:
- Open discussions on topics relevant to a wide audience.
- Public consultations where input from diverse stakeholders is encouraged.
- Awareness campaigns or initiatives aimed at engaging the general public.
- Knowledge-sharing on non-sensitive topics where transparency is key.
Private Groups
Private groups are restricted to approved members only and may be hidden to the general public. You will need to request membership or be invited by the group managers, depending on the settings of each group. These groups provide a secure and controlled environment for discussions on sensitive or specialized topics.
Key features:
- Visibility:
- Some restricted groups may appear in the Groups directory and the search results, but require approval to join. Users can request membership, which is reviewed by the Community Managers. Membership is granted only after approval by the group managers.
- Some private groups are completely hidden and not visible to non-members in any public listing or search results. Users can only join by invitation form a Community Manager.
- Controlled Access:
- Not joinable without approval: Users can request to join, but membership is granted only after approval by the group managers. Alternatively, users may be invited directly by a group manager.
- Group managers review and approve the requests before granting access.
- Searchable Content: All content within a private group, including posts, comments, documents, and events, is only accessible to approved members. Private group content is not visible in Futurium’s public search results or directories. This ensures that sensitive or specialized discussions remain confidential and secure.
- The search function will only return results from private groups if you are a member of that group.
- Private group content is not indexed by external search engines (e.g., Google).
- Confidential Collaboration: Content shared within private groups (e.g., discussions, documents) is only accessible to group members.
Best For:
- Sensitive or confidential discussions (e.g., policy drafting, internal reviews).
- Project-specific collaboration where only certain stakeholders should participate.
- Expert or specialized working groups focused on niche topics (e.g., technical standards, research projects).
- Closed communities where members share a common affiliation (e.g., EU institution staff, project partners).