What is the difference between a group, channel, broadcast list and community?¶

They describe different communication structures. Establish who can post, reply, view and identify other participants before interpreting audience, participation or delivery.

The message relationship changes by structure¶

A group is usually interactive, with members able to post subject to permissions. A channel is often one-to-many, with limited publishers and followers. A broadcast list sends similar content as separate messages, so recipients may not share one conversation. A community can organise several linked groups or channels under broader membership and roles.

These mechanics create different records. A group has membership and thread events; a channel has publisher and subscriber relationships; a broadcast can generate a separate delivery state for each destination.

Record function, not label alone¶

Preserve stable space IDs, roles, posting and reply permissions, join method, visibility, historical access and how the service treats earlier content. Product terminology can vary.

Membership in a community does not necessarily grant access to every subgroup, and receipt by an account does not prove personal awareness.