How to join Mattermost

The Open Terms Archive community collaborates on GitHub, but concentrates interactions on an instant messaging platform, Mattermost. Every contributor and user is welcome to join the community.

Mattermost platform 🔗

Mattermost is an open-source collaboration platform with a simple, user-friendly interface. The Open Terms Archive workspace on Mattermost is divided into different channels, each catering to various aspects of the community. Members are free to join the channels that suit their interests.

Getting started on Mattermost 🔗

1. To get started on Mattermost, an invite link will be sent to new members and contributors.
2. Once received, they sign up and create an account to log in.

After successful login, they will be redirected to the Open Term Archive workspace, where they will automatically be added to the ~announcements channel.

By default, the Mattermost interface may be presented in French. If this is an issue, new members and contributors can translate the content to English using your browser’s built-in translation features.

Profile setup 🔗

Once you’re all set on Mattermost, the next thing is to set up your profile. A complete profile sets you up for meaningful interactions and connections with members interested in tracking the same terms.

This includes adding your full name, user name, pseudo (nickname), role, and profile picture. New members can set up their profiles by following these steps.

1. Navigate to the uppermost right corner of Mattermost and click on the profile icon
   
2. Click on the “Modifier” button to edit any details of your choice.
   

Adding channels 🔗

The Open Terms Archive workspace consists of several channels. Some are specific while others are general. New members and contributors can add any channel of your choice by following these steps:

1. Navigate to the “CHANNELS” section on the left-hand sidebar.
2. Toggle the “CHANNELS” button and click on “Add Channels”.
   
3. A drop-down menu appears. Click “Browse channels” to see the list of all available channels on the Open Terms Archive workspace.
   
4. Find a channel that interests you from the list of available channels, and click ”join” to add it to your workspace.
   

New members introduction 🔗

After joining the Open Terms Archive workspace, members are encouraged to introduce themselves in the Introduction channel.

1. New members and contributors can add the ~Introductions channel using the step above.
2. Briefly introduce themselves to the community.
3. A community manager replies with a welcome message and provides further guidance on the next steps.

Leaving channels 🔗

Leaving a channel is easy, just as adding a channel. In cases where a member wishes to leave a channel, they can follow the steps below:

1. Navigate to the channel you want to leave.
2. Click on the three dots indicating the “channel options”.
   
3. Select “Leave the Canal” from the dropdown menu and voila! You have successfully left that channel.
   

Channels description 🔗

Here are some recommended channels to help you get started:

1. ~reuses: this channel gives you access to published reports based on Open Terms Archive data. You can also share your personal published reports here.
2. ~situational awareness: this channel helps you stay updated on initiatives from Open Terms Archive and news from other sources.
3. ~public relations: all communications, public presentations, events, blogs, feedback, and press releases from Open Terms Archive are posted here. Join to stay informed and share related articles.
4. ~help: don’t get stuck! Join this channel to ask for assistance.
5. ~module: there are some channels prefixed with “Module” for technical contributors including Website, Documentation, Engine, and Contribution Tool.
6. ~collection: each collection has a dedicated channel prefixed with “Collection” to gather its community members and synchronise around maintenance and analysis.

Conclusion 🔗

This onboarding process aims to help new members integrate smoothly into the Open Terms Archive community. For any questions or further assistance, members should feel free to ask in the ~Help channel.