Hello, Codeforces.

Today group functionality was updated and extended:

Here is a list of changes:

• Personal blog entries now can be attached to the group blog.

• New blog entries can be written directly to the group blog. Such entries won’t be displayed in recent actions and votes for it or for it’s comments will not affect contribution.

• Only managers can write or attach entries to the group blog. Entries can be read by and commented by all group members.

• New group role was added. Now there are three group member types: spectator, participant and manager. Spectator is a group member, which can not register to the group contest and is not displayed in group standings. But spectator can see the standings, see the problems, read and comment group blog. For example, if you want someone to see the trainings of the group, but not to participate, you can invite the user as spectator.

• Spectator registration policy can have same values as participant registration policy. Spectator registration policy can not be more strict that participant’s one. By default it is set to be the same as the participant registration policy.

• Also, there is an additional registration policy for spectators – automatic registration. It means that anonymous and non-member users will be considered spectators. They will not be displayed in group members table. For example, if you want to organize the championship of your university, you can create a group, invite only official participants of the contest as group participants and set spectator registration policy to automatic. So only official participants will be able to register to the contest and take part in it, but standings and problems will be open to public.

• There were changes in the security policy of the group web pages. To access a group web page, user must be a group member. To all anonymous or non-member users to see the web pages of your group, you must set spectator registration policy to automatic.

With best regards, Ivan.