Management rules for channels in KTH Slack

Management rules for Slack channels

Shared channels between workspaces are not allowed

KTH Slack may only be used for communication with other users in the same workspace. Due to clearing/culling requirements, division between KTH's workspace and external workspaces is not permitted because data is then shared and replicated and thus cannot be deleted by us. Applications to share channels between different workspaces will be rejected by the administrator.

Management rules for Slack channels with external users

When external people are part of the communication in a channel, for example in an e-mail conversation or a chat in Slack, KTH and KTH's employees are obliged to live up to certain requirements because we are an authority. Please contact IT-Support when you want to set up an external channel

The most important expectations:  

• All communication with external persons on KTH Slack is a public document. This means that it may need to be disclosed on request, according to the principle of openness.
• If an external person submits a question or initiates a case, it must be handled in accordance with KTH service obligation. If this is your question, you can handle it yourself. If it is a question that concerns another activity at KTH, you need to convey the question there so that it can be handled there.
• If the communication in KTH Slack means that, for instance, financial agreements are made, decisions are made or that you agree on something, you need to review whether it must be recorded, registered or documented in another way.
• All external communication is culled after 90 days. If there is information in your Slack conversations that needs to stay longer than 90 days, then it needs to be transferred to another system.

An external channel is also the external face for KTH and part of the work environment for everyone who uses it. Hence, it is important that it is moderated and that abusive behaviour, special treatment and illegal actions are captured and taken care of. Appropriately, internal and external should follow the code of conduct, which you can read more about in Staff administration .

What it takes to live up to expectations

In order for us at KTH to be able to live up to these expectations, a Slack channel with external users needs to have:

• A channel manager who actively moderates the channel and is responsible for ensuring that regulatory requirements are met.
• A clear purpose that should be included in the channel description. It must also be stated in the channel description who is the channel manager.
• The channel name should contain the word "ext" or "external" so everyone will know that there are external users with the communication.

When a channel has served its purpose, it will be shut down.

Management rules for Slack channels with exclusively internal users

As a KTH employee, you are expected to follow the rules and codes of conduct that apply to employees when using Slack. More information can be found at Regulations in KTH Slack .

• All internal communication is culled after 90 days. Slack is not intended as a long-term archiving of text or files, and therefore all material is automatically cleaned after 90 days. This applies to open and closed channels, as well as instant messaging.
• If possible, each channel should have a moderator who is responsible for ensuring that all regulations are followed.
• If there are legal or other reasons for retaining data for longer than 90 days, for instance if the information in Slack adds a case factual information / or affects its outcome, a decision made in Slack, then the data must be transferred to another suitable medium. For public documents in KTH Slack, the same handling applies as for other activities at KTH, for instance when requesting a public document.