Sharing with everyone doesn't always work

Question

I've had my students create a LearnGIS account and run through the Getting Started with AGO tutorials. I've asked that they 1) create a pdf of a map, 2) share a link of their webmap after enabling popups and 3) share a link of a web app. Problems I've encountered is 1) students just use our org account instead of the LearnGIS account I've asked them to make to save credits, 2) I've seen them check the share with everyone box, but the link they send me still needs a sign in to access the map. Some links work, some require a sign in. What is going wrong? Does this have to do with which account they used? Shouldn't everyone mean EVERYONE no matter the account?

Dom

DominiqueEvans-Bye · Answer

It was simply the ArcGIS Online tutorial. Some were able to share, others not.

InaAhern · Answer

Dom-

Is it possible that the maps/apps that are being shared contain a layer that Esri classifies as Premium Content?  Or is there a layer in the map that is not publicly shared?  Esri has certain data that requires an organization login.  It can be any organization login--it doesn't have to be the organization that created the map.  For example, if I was using the LearnGIS account and created a map with certain demographic data, I could share it with everyone.  If I then signed out and attempted to access the map, it would request a sign in.  I could sign in with my school account and the map would appear.  Premium content just requires you to "prove" you are a member of an organization.

In the second situation, suppose the "LearnGIS" organization had created a layer and shared it with the LearnGIS organization only.  I could create a map or app that contained the layer, share the map/app with everyone, and then sign out.  Now when I tried to sign in with my school account, I still wouldn't be able to access the map, because the layer was only shared with the LearnGIS organization.  As I'm not an administrator in the "LearnGIS" organization, I wouldn't be able to share that map layer with everyone, so there wouldn't be an easy solution, unless I could somehow make a copy of that layer and share it with everyone.

Esri attempts to warn you when you attempt to share a map with a layer that is not publicly shared, but it doesn't always seem to catch it, and seems to warn you less often when sharing an app.

For publishers/administrators in an organization there is a solution for Esri's Premium Content.  It's described in an Esri blog at:  http://blogs.esri.com/esri/arcgis/2015/05/07/sharing-arcgis-online-demographic-maps-with-the-public/

Hope this helps.

Ina

DellaRobertson · Answer

Is a LearnGIS account something new?  How did you set up your groups?  I'm getting ready to do that with my 6th-grade Earth System Space Science students.

Thanks for the post Dominique.