12 October 2011, 12:26

Hi,

This issue was discovered when I was testing whether or not an institution page could be given a private URL. While the private URL was created, the institutional page could not be accessed whether it was public or not! In fact, it appears that institutional pages are secured pages only to members of the institution first, then beneath it, the access rights are placed within that container.

In examination the institution is a satellite container that's secured to members only. If there are pages under the institutional container, theses pages are more like "channels" rather than pages. For institutions changing the name "Pages" to "Channels" may be more appropriate.

TY

14 October 2011, 0:01

Hi EAF,

Users in one of our Mahara instances use institution pages to create templates for their students. Thus, renaming these pages into channels may not be so useful because they are used as pages.

Why do you think the word "Channel" would be better? What is your use case?

Cheers

Kristina

14 October 2011, 11:39

Hi,

If the Pages were used in an application as a "Dashboard," enabled with public access and a private URL, the information can be made proprietary. Reminding that some institutions follow the U.S. IRS 501(*) code. These institutions are formed for (one instance) "researching" technology or creating proprietary projects. Using Java Swing or an E-book application the presentation of information in this way is regarded as "intellectual property."

Hardcoding access pages where institutional members pay a fee to have their proprietary information also embedded into that dashboard is (in this instance) simply an "academic" method of marketing. We use the Mahara platform where groups and institutions are "business" entities. We manage the overall platform, and is not really intended to be "public" with the exception of including business entities associated with, or licensed from us. We really created new markets for the basis of forming newly independent or partnered subsidiaries.

Pages hardcoded into an application interface allows content to be managed directly from the member's own internal administration. All internally networked management is linked directly to our Mahara installation. It had generated an explosion of "intellectual property;" however, the market for software is really "soft!" To get around this, we had to re-structure all of our entities where now, we can have an unlimied amount of subdiaries that would normally be considered franshises. Instead they're "independently owned businesses with integrated operations management." For them, "Pages" are "Satellite Dashboards (Channels,)" one for each sub-chapter if necessary, and they collect membership allotments or whatever the appropriate term needs to be to meet compliance. This is not a new concept; In fact, the concept came from Steve Jobs, Apple Founder,

"...sometimes where there's no market, you need to create one, and where there are no customers for this market, you need to create a customer, and where there are no products for this market, you need to create them. In the end, you already own everything in this market!"

TY