Using Mattermost

Read this document to get familiar with Mattermost. It is used to communicate with XR groups as well as have 1-to-1 conversations.

First Steps

Getting Access

Before you can access Mattermost you first need to sign up to the XR UK Communications Hub. For instructions on how to do that please read this guide.

Once you are on the Hub you can access Mattermost in a few ways:

1. Click on the Mattermost icon from the Comms Hub main page.

2. Type https://organise.earth into your browser and hit Enter.

Once this is done we recommend adding the page to your bookmarks/favourites so it's easier to find in future.

Mattermost is also available as an app so you can install it to your smartphone or tablet. Please read this document for instructions on how to do this.

Landing Page

When you have logged in to Mattermost you will see a screen that looks a lot like this:

Teams

Teams in Mattermost are basically collections of channels. They appear on the far left of your screen (1) and you can click on the icons to switch between them.

You will be added to the UK team by default but your group might use other teams and you will see these too.

Checking who else is in my team

To see the other members of a team, click on the Main Menu (3) and select View Members.

Joining other teams

To join a public team, click on the + sign below your list of teams (1). This will bring up a list of all the other XR public teams you are able to join, including for other countries. Click on one of the list of teams to add yourself.

If you want to be added to a private team (e.g. for your local group) you will need to speak to a Group Admin/Tech Champion who will be able to send you an invite.

Leaving a team

To leave a team, open the Main Menu (3), and then select the option Leave Team.

Channels

Channels are just another name for group chats. Every local group/working group set up on the Hub will have several of these channels that you will be added to if you are part of that group.

Joining channels

To join a public channel click on More... below PUBLIC CHANNELS on the left (4). This will bring up a list of all of the public channels in your team. Click on any of these in the list to add yourself.

If you want to join a private channel you should ask someone already in that channel to add you. You could also post a message in that group's reception channel asking to be added.

Leaving a channel

To leave a channel, click on the its name at the top of the screen (not where it appears on the left) and then select the option Leave Channel.

Muting channels

You can mute channels if you want to stop receiving notifications from it but don't want to leave. To do this click the channel heading (at the top of the screen) and click Mute Channel. You can also set whether you want to be notified if someone uses @all or @channel by clicking on Notification Preferences.

Default channels

Every team has two default channels that you will be added to when you are added to the team:

• Town Square: This is the communal area in each team that should be used for announcements and general XR-related discussions.

• Off Topic: This is a place where team members can discuss things that aren't directly related to the business of the team (e.g. social activities).

Very Important: Please do not rename these default channels as it will cause a lot of confusion.

It is not possible to leave the Town Square channel. If you want to stop receiving notifications you should mute the channel instead.

Contacting other groups

All XR UK groups on Mattermost have a public 'Reception' channel in the UK team, and their members will be added to them by default (you will probably be in some yourself). This lets rebels from other groups find and speak to them.

To join someone else's reception channel, click More... below PUBLIC CHANNELS (4), find the channel you want to join and then click Join. The channel will then appear next to the other public channels you have joined.

Creating channels

Important: You should not create public channels from inside Mattermost. Instead please get your Group Admin/Tech Champion to do this for you using the Hub.

To create a private channel:

1. Click on the + sign next to PRIVATE CHANNELS (5)
2. Enter a name for the new channel (and optional purpose and header)
3. Click Create Channel

Channel headers

Underneath the channel name at the top of the page is the channel header. It is a useful place to put information about what the channel is for and to store some useful links (e.g. your group's forum or your regular Zoom meetings).

To see all the info click on the channel name:

then click on View Info.

If you want to change what is written in the header click on Edit Channel Header. If you want to add links to this section the process is the same as here.

Sending Messages

You can write messages by typing in the box at the bottom of the screen. To send them hit Enter.Enter. The message will be sent to the current Channelchannel or Directdirect Messagemessage you are currently in.

Alerting people to messages

If you want a particular person to read a message you are sending, you can tag them by writing '@' followed by their username (e.g. @xrukadmin). This will send them a notification.

Important: You can also use @all or @channel to notify everyone in a channel but please use this responsibly as for larger groups it is rarely appropriate and many annoy people.

Sending direct messages

To send someone a direct message (instead of posting in a channel):

1. Click the + sign to the right of the heading DIRECT MESSAGES to the left of the screen (6)
2. Select the users you want to message (up to a maximum of 6)
3. Write and send your message

All of the direct message conversations that you have had will appear below the DIRECT MESSAGES heading to make it easier to contact them again. Next to each name, an icon shows whether they are online or not. Clicking on a username will display your direct message history with that user. Users you do not need to contact regularly can be removed from this list by pressing the cross to the right of their name.

Replying to messages

It is possible to reply to messages posted in channels or direct messages using 'threads'. These are helpful if you are having multiple conversations at once so people don't get confused about which messages are related to which discussion. To reply to messagesa message in a thread click on the Reply icon:

.

It will allow you

Reacting to respond and have discussions about a particular message, and not clutter up the channel for other people.

messages

To add a reaction/emoticonreaction (e.g. a thumbs up or heart icon) to a message click on the Add Reaction icon:

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Adding links

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How

Mattermost do I alert someone to a message?

If you want to draw the attention of another member of the team to a post you are making type @ followed immediately by their username, eg '@username', and they will be notified of the mention. You can also use @all or @channel for all members in the channel but please use responsibly as for larger groups it is rarely appropriate.

How do I send a Direct Message (DM)?

Click the + sign to the right of the heading 'DIRECT MESSAGES' in the sidebar. Select the user(s) you wish to message, write your message and hit enter to send

Where do I find Direct Messages?

The names of users you've had conversations with will appear below the 'DIRECT MESSAGES' heading to make it easier to contact them again. Next to each name, an icon shows whether they are offline / online and whether they are currently active. Clicking on a username will display your direct message history with that user. Users you do not need to contact regularly can be removed from this list by pressing the cross to the right of their name.

Your Profile / Main Menusettings

How do I open the Main Menu?

Click the three bars to right of your username at the top of the Channel column.

How do I logout?

Scroll down to the bottom of menu to find the 'Logout" option.

How do I change settings?

The first option on the Main Menu is 'Account Settings'; this let's you make changes to your profile:

General: edit your name / username / nickname / role / email address and add a profile picture

Security: edit your password

Notifications: manage when and how you receive notifications of activity in Mattermost. You can opt to receive notifications on your desktop, via email or mobile push notifications. You can also specify what triggers are used to generate notifications.

Display: make changes to how things appear on screen including whether full names, usernames or nicknames are used to identify other users.

Sidebar: adjust how the sidebar is organised (the LHS blue section of the page).

Advanced: miscellaneous options including deactivation of your account.

How do I set my status/visibility to others?

Click on the status in the corner of your picture/avatar at the top of the Channel colum to change your status (e.g. to "Do not disturb") whilst remaining logged in. Click elsewhere to bring up the Main menu

How do I get rid of annoying 'System' messages?

Under the Advanced section, set Enable Join/Leave Messages to Off.

What are Flags and Pins?

You can Flag a post for your personal reference (e.g. to find later) by clicking the Flag next to it. Click the Flag icon at the top right to bring up all your Flagged posts in the channel.

Pinned posts are in a channel so that they can be quickly found again by clicking the Pin icon. Pinned posts are typically used for announcements that all rebels should read.

Flags are for you personally, pins are for everyone in the channel - only channel coordinators should pin posts.

Other Resources

Comprehensive manual for those interested in the software.

First Steps on Mattermost