To use Groove, you must have an account and at least one identity in your account.
A Groove account is a file stored on your computer that contains the following types of information:
Your Groove identity or identities, and the cryptographic "private keys" that define them.
Other cryptographic information, such as a "master key" for protecting your workspaces.
The devices on which you run Groove.
References to the workspaces in which you are a member.
Information about the contacts you communicate with.
You secure access to your account and data stored with your account either by setting a log-in password or via a certificate stored on a smartcard. When you log in to Groove, your password or certificate decrypts your account file so that you can access the information in it and thereby assume your Groove identities.
Functionally, a Groove account works much like a Groove workspace, in the sense that you can "share" the same account (and access to the workspaces stored with the account) across multiple computers.
A Groove identity is the “electronic presence” by which other Groove users recognize and interact with you. An identity can be associated with only one Groove account; it cannot be added to additional accounts. However, as noted in the previous section, you can add the same Groove account to multiple computers.
Unless you're restricted by policies set by your Groove administrator in a workplace or organization, you can create multiple identities in your account. This allows you to interact with people using different personas. For example, you might be "Jane Green" when using Groove for business activities, but something more familiar like "JaneG" when using Groove with friends and family. Additional display names can be whatever you choose, although it is more useful to choose names that make sense in each context.
Each identity you create is associated with a Contact file that provides identifying information about the identity. You may supply whatever information you wish in your Contact file (at a minimum, each identity must have a name). Thus, different Groove users may learn different information about you depending on which identity they see associated with you. For example, you might provide only a business address for the identity you use for business activities, but provide your home address for the identity you use with friends and family.
Every account has a default identity. When you create your Groove account, your initial identity (your account name) is your default identity. You can change your default identity.
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