Channels

Purpose

Channels are persistent, topic-based conversation spaces — AirBalloon's Slack-style alternative to long email threads. The workspace lives at /channels, with a channel list down the left and the selected conversation filling the rest of the screen. A channel is scoped to a conference, a program, or an event, and is either public (anyone in that scope can join) or private (invite-only).

Anyone signed in can take part in the channels they have access to. Creating new channels is reserved for chairs — see Creating a channel.

When you use it

Open Channels for ongoing, many-to-many conversation: coordinating a committee, running PC discussion, supporting authors, or giving attendees a shared space to talk. Reach for Webmail instead when you want a one-to-one message with a durable record, and use Announcements when something should land in everyone's inbox.

How the workspace is laid out

1. 1

   The sidebar lists the channels you can see, grouped into Starred, Channels (conference-wide public spaces), and Tracks (event-scoped track channels). A # marks public channels; a lock icon marks private ones.

2. 2

   The conference picker sits at the top of the sidebar. If you're part of more than one conference, switch between them here — the list reloads to show that conference's channels.

3. 3

   The conversation opens when you pick a channel: a message timeline, a composer, and tabs for Messages and About. Open the members panel from the people-count in the header.

Where to go next

• Joining & finding channels — browse, search, star, mute, and join.
• Inside a channel — posting, threads, attachments, and members.
• Creating a channel — for chairs spinning up a new space.

Tips