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Our User Account Management system brings demographic data,
usage information, and access control to your web site. Track system and user
activities with the built-in audit trails. Automatically grant access to information
and features based on who the user is. Software locks and keys determine how each
user will view or access information and services. Set up security keyrings, time
restrictions, options for billing and expiration dates for individual users, or classes of
users. Running a netVillage is like running
your own America Online.
Security Structures
Our server is highly secure. Their purpose is to identify
users, decide internally which activities and resources they can access, possibly charge
users for access to those areas. NetVillage maintains security through its server-internal
structures.
Identification
At the foundation level, users are not allowed to access a netVillage server until they
sign up - create a User-ID and associated account.
Classification
While users are individuals with a unique User-ID, they are at the same time always a part
of one class or another (USER, MEMBER, COORDINATOR, SYSOP, etc.). This simplifies user
management: you do not track thousands of individuals. Rather, you track a few classes.
When new users sign up, they automatically join the most restricted class. You choose if
and when they switch to classes with higher levels of access.
Our User Class Management allows provides powerful tools for
class management such as automatic switching. An account can automatically be switched
(with a corresponding e-mail message) from one class to another:
- When not logged in for a number of days
- When credits run out (drop to 0)
- When credits are posted (now have more than 0 credits)
- When debt limit is reached (drop to limit less than 0 credits)
For example, a school could assign students to a
particular grade level class. This class could be set to automatically upgrade (e.g. from
GRADE10 to GRADE11) freeing teachers from laborious administration!
Access
Locks and Keys guard individual services and activities within a netVillage. Locks are
checkpoints in the software which screen users. Keys are the security codes locks look
for. While keys can be assigned to individuals, they are far more often assigned to
classes. Users do not need to know that they carry keys. It's all internal to the server.
Accountability
Community resources can be accounted for in terms of minutes online and in terms of
specific actions a user may take (downloading a file, sending a message, etc.). Part of
each user's account is a financial balance which is decreased as the person makes use of
the system. This accounting system lets you strictly control real costs such as outbound
faxes whether or not your users are customers to be billed or employees whose costs need
to be managed.
Infrastructure
At the top level, netVillage comes with model structures for the five most common uses of
a netVillage server: Public, Customer-Service, Sign-up, Private, and For-Profit. These
provide ready-made platforms for which very little user management customization is
needed.
PUBLIC - gives first-timers full access to
all harmless services (reading/writing messages, downloading files, etc.)
CUSTOMER SERVICE - gives prospects access to some services but reserves
the more valuable services for users you tag as customers
SIGN-UP - gives applicants access to enter their names and addresses but
they can't access anything until you approve them
PRIVATE - doesn't give new sign-ups any way to log on - new User-IDs are
created manually by you after contact by voice, fax, or mail
FOR-PROFIT - lets first-timers sign up, possibly giving hints of what's
available but not permitting access until they agree to your payment terms
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