How to Assign Source-Connection Responsibilities at Home

Assign a source steward to verify authorisation, protect credentials, approve connection changes, document impact, coordinate outages, and maintain an exit plan.

In short: Assign one willing source steward for each compatible media source. That person verifies household authorisation, protects credentials, coordinates connection or removal, warns affected viewers, documents major changes, and knows the exit path. Other members can request changes without receiving source secrets. The role is organisational and does not imply a Norva administrator permission.

Norva is software for organising and playing a compatible source the user owns or is authorised to use. The subscription does not include media access.

Start with one source at a time. A single “media administrator” for every source can hide different ownership, terms, and recovery paths. Separate cards make those distinctions visible and keep one outage from changing unrelated connections.

Identify source ownership and authority

Record who owns or controls the source and why the household is authorised to use it. Do not copy credential values, private URLs, or access tokens into the record.

If authorisation is unclear, do not connect the source.

Select a source steward

Choose someone who:

• understands the source terms;
• can protect credentials;
• is available for planned changes;
• communicates outages and refreshes;
• respects profile privacy;
• can contact source or Norva support through verified routes.

The steward may differ from the Norva account coordinator.

Define the credential boundary

Household members should request access outcomes, not secret values. The steward enters credentials privately through verified controls and does not post them in group chats or shared notes.

Use the source-credential boundary guide for examples.

Map affected contexts

Before connecting, refreshing, or removing a source, list:

• profiles that browse it;
• active progress tied to its media;
• grouped versions that may change;
• eligible local items;
• favourites or categories that may be affected;
• devices used with it.

This does not require copying private histories. Ask profile owners for the minimum relevant state.

Set approval thresholds

A routine refresh may need notice; connecting a new source, replacing credentials, or removing access can affect the whole household and should require approval from the source owner and account coordinator.

The new-source approval workflow provides a pre-connection gate.

Plan outages and removal

State who communicates an outage, what evidence is collected, and when support is contacted. For removal, pause active sessions, preserve needed state, review eligible local media, and verify the documented disconnect control.

Do not repeatedly reconnect or rotate credentials without an incident plan.

Original evidence: source assignment card

Keep one card per source, stored without secrets.

Ask an affected profile owner to verify the source label and one authorised reference item after a planned change. This confirms the visible outcome without granting them credential access or exposing another profile's history.

Communicate the role

Tell household members what the steward handles and how to request a change. A steward should not use the role to inspect personal favourites or history unrelated to source maintenance.

The shared governance guide defines proportional decision rights.

Common mistakes and limitations

Avoid one shared credential note, connecting before authorisation, changing a source without notice, and treating the steward as owner of every profile.

Source terms, availability, and compatibility can change. This process cannot guarantee source uptime or rights and should not replace current terms.

Add an absence rule

Define who can pause a failing source connection when its steward is unavailable, who may approve reconnection, and how the action is recorded. The temporary operator should not receive permanent credentials or authority beyond the incident.

Frequently asked questions

Must the account coordinator also be source steward?

No. Separate roles can reduce secret exposure when responsibilities are clear.

Should every household member know the source password?

No. They need the approved access outcome and request path, not the secret.

What if source ownership changes?

Pause changes, re-establish authorisation and responsibility, then update the secret-free card.