What social features are available in the social network?

You can invite anyone who has a login to your social network to collaborate in any Conversation you're a member of. If your company has enabled extended collaboration, the person doesn't even have to have access to your business applications. For example, you can invite people to a Conversation about a Social Object, even it they don't have access to your business application.

While social networking features are there to assist you in effectively conducting business, lots of business involves socializing. Your social network also has features that support social activities. For example, people can add their own avatars to represent themselves, you can write on someone's wall, you can add people as contacts, and you can like things that people post.

Avatars

Everyone has an avatar (picture). The picture lets you know what people look like or how they want to represent themselves.

The colored circle around a person's picture signifies the person's presence:

  • Available presence status - A full green circle around the person's picture shows that the person is available (logged into and currently interacting with Oracle Social Network).

  • Idle presence status - A three-quarter yellow circle around the person's picture shows that the person is idle (logged into but not currently interacting with Oracle Social Network).

  • Offline presence status - A half gray circle around the person's picture shows that the person is offline (not logged into Oracle Social Network).

People outside your company with limited access to Oracle Social Network (outside users) have a special avatar (Outside user avatar) and their names are in purple text, so it's clear when someone from the outside is present. For more information on outside users, see Outside Users.

Tip: An animated pencil icon in the lower right corner indicates that the person is entering content in the current Conversation or on the current wall.

Profiles and Walls

Everyone who is a member of your social network has their own profile, and (other than outside users) has a wall that you can post to. You can go to a person's profile by clicking the linked name or picture on anything they posted throughout the social network.

A person's profile includes the following information:

  • At the top of the person's profile is the person's picture and some general information such as their name, title, and whether the person is active.

    Click One-on-One to start a private conversation with the person. For more information, see How do I start a one-on-one Conversation with someone?

    Click Follow to add the person to your contacts and follow the person's activity.

  • Wall tab—View or post messages, replies, and documents for the person. For information on posting to a person's wall, see How do I post a message on someone's wall?

    Note: You must follow the person before you can post to the person's wall. Some people might not allow other people to post to his or her wall.

  • Profile tab—View additional details about the person, such as contact information.

    If you're viewing your own profile, click Edit Profile to edit your personal details or your picture.

  • Following tab—View the people the person follows. The number in the tab shows the number of people the person follows.

  • Followers tab—View the people following the person. The number in the tab shows the number of people following the person.

  • Documents tab—View any documents uploaded to the person's wall.

  • Referring tab—View any items the person has been added to as a related resource.

Note: Depending on how many people are following a person, you might not see all the tabs. To see hidden tabs, click More.

Outside Users

Users with limited access are called outside users. There are indicators throughout your social network that show you outside users and their presence. For example, outside users' names appear in purple text and have icons (Outside user avatar) after their names so you know who they are and can keep confidential information out of the Conversations they belong to. In a Conversation with outside users, you see a banner stating "Visible to outside users." at the top of the Conversation and any associated message dialogs. Be careful not to post any sensitive information to Conversations that include outside users.

Notes:

  • Outside users have profiles like other users, but they don't have walls.

  • You can't follow outside users, but you can add them as contacts. (Outside users can't make contacts of their own.)

  • You can invite outside users to Conversations but not to groups, collections, or Social Objects.