§2024-11-30

1. Room

General Term: "Room" is a more general term that refers to any kind of space where communication occurs. This could be a direct message, group chat, or even a public or private channel.

Types of Rooms:

• Direct Message (DM): A one-on-one conversation between two users.
• Group DM: A conversation involving multiple users (like a small team or project chat).
• Channels: Public or private spaces for group discussions.

Essentially, "room" is an overarching term for any chat space in Rocket.Chat, regardless of its type.

2. Channel

Specific Type of Room: A "Channel" is a specific kind of room designed for group communication.

• Public Channel: Anyone in the organization can join and view the messages.
• Private Channel: Access is restricted, and only invited members can join.

Channels are typically used for team discussions, projects, or topics that require ongoing group interaction. Channels can be categorized by the organization’s needs, and their purpose is more formal and organized compared to a direct message.

3. Key Differences:

Room is a more generic term, covering any communication space in Rocket.Chat (including DMs, group chats, and channels). Channel is a type of room that specifically refers to a group communication space, often public or private. So, all channels are rooms, but not all rooms are channels!

1. Channel Ownership:

When you create a public or private channel, you are automatically assigned as the owner of that channel.

As the owner, you have full administrative privileges within the channel, including:

• Managing members: You can add or remove members from the channel.
• Changing settings: You can modify channel settings such as name, description, and access permissions. Assigning roles: You can assign other users as moderators or other specific roles, depending on the channel's permissions.

2. Responsibilities of a Channel Owner: Moderation: The owner has the ability to moderate the channel by setting up rules, managing permissions, and enforcing community guidelines. Deletion: Only the owner can delete the channel entirely. If the owner leaves or deletes the channel, the channel will be removed or the ownership may be transferred, depending on the Rocket.Chat settings. Transferring Ownership: If the owner wants to relinquish control of the channel, they can transfer ownership to another user in the channel. This feature is typically available to admins and owners.
3. Public vs. Private Channels: Public Channel: Once you create a public channel, any user in the organization can join, but ownership and administrative privileges remain with the creator (unless transferred). Private Channel: For private channels, membership is restricted and controlled by the owner. Only invited users can join, and the owner has full control over who is part of the channel.
4. What if the Owner Leaves? If the owner leaves the channel, in some Rocket.Chat setups, ownership may be transferred to another member of the channel (such as a moderator), or an admin of the system might need to assign a new owner. In summary, by creating a channel in Rocket.Chat, you are initially the owner and have the full rights to manage and control that channel unless you decide to transfer ownership to someone else.