There are two primary rules that allow one Collaborate user to interact with another Collaborate user. As long as these two rules are not broken for both users, then those users will be able to interact with each other.
Interact basically means being able to search for, view the profile of and/or communicate directly with another user, including the following actions:
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Sending an email concerning site content (and matching the other user's name in the autosuggest list of users in the Send Email form). (The Send via email feature will not be displayed for any site content if the rule is not satisfied)
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Sending a private message to a user (if direct messaging is enabled)
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@mentioning a user in a microblog post or comment
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Searching for a user
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Viewing a user's profile
Same site rule
The first rule of user interaction requires that the following three conditions be met:
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Both users must be members of the same site
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The site where both users are members must be Active or Read Only (Sites in preparation mode or that have been archived do not apply)
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The People module must be enabled on that site. When the People module is enabled, users will be able to see each others' names and other contact information, even if neither user has participated in the site by adding content or commenting
If these rules are satisfied for any two users, they will be able to interact with each other.
There are exceptions to this rule if a user is part of a bidder group.
Internal users rule (system setting)
The other rule is based on a system setting -- Global People Search -- that affects only internal users. (Internal users are users that work for the firm that maintains the instance of Collaborate.) This setting allows any internal user to be able to interact with any other internal user, regardless of whether those two users are members of the same site. (This setting does not apply to external users.) If this setting is not enabled, then two internal users must satisfy the same site rule in order to interact with each other.
The idea behind this setting is that all internal users work for the same firm, the firm that maintains the instance of Collaborate so there is no reason not to allow these users to find out, know about and communicate with each other.
This system setting can be configured by any site administrator.
Exceptions
There are several instances where users will be able to see or interact with each other, even if the two rules above have not been satisfied.
Site activity
If a user undertakes certain site actions (like adding content, commenting, being assigned a task, etc.), other site users with access to the related content will likely be able to see that the name of the first user. However, unless the People module has been enabled, only the user's first name will be viewable and not their profile.
Private messaging
A user may send a private message to two other users and those two other users will see each others' names and will be able to reply to each other, even if those two users do not satisfy interaction rules. For example, User A may send a private message to User B and User C. User A satisfies the user interaction rules with each of Users B and C. But Users B and C may not have any connection with each other. Nevertheless, when User B receives that private message, she will see User C's name (and vice versa), and if User B replies to the private message, User C will receive that reply (and can reply back).
However, Users B and C will only see each other's names and will not have access to each other's profiles, unless one of the user interaction rules apply.
Enterprise microblogging
Assuming that enterprise microblogging has been enabled for the entire Collaborate instance, then a user can send out a microblog post that will be received by other users in the following situations, even if the user interaction rules are not satisfied:
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Firstly, if site-level microblogging is enabled in general and is enabled for a particular site, then any user in that site can send a microblog post to all of the other site users. (This is the case even if the People module is not enabled for that site.) There is a separate setting for each site that enables or disables microblogging for that site
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Secondly, if the default scope for a microblog post is a user's own organisation, then any user can send a microblog post to every other user in their organisation, regardless of whether those users are in the same sites. This applies to both internal and external users
When a microblog post is received, the recipient will see the name of the person who sent the post (but not necessarily have access to the sender's profile). If a recipient replies to the post (by adding a comment), then all of the other recipients of the original post (members of a site or the users in the same organisation) will see the name of the person who replied.
