Communication
The simplest organizations only need a way for its members to communicate. Generally, the most convenient method for students is email. If the group is larger than five people or you send frequent emails, you should consider signing up for a mailing list service.
Mailing Lists
UGCS
Many older organizations use UGCS mailing lists because their websites are already hosted on UGCS. Undergraduate students also tend to use UGCS mailing lists because they are not regulated by administrators, so you can make as many as you want, name them whatever you want (e.g. "wankers") and use them almost immediately (after 6:30am of the next day).
A UGCS mailing list basically sets up an alias that references a list of addresses, so that anyone who sends an email to that alias sends an email to every address on that list.
You need to have a UGCS account to make a UGCS mailing list. Refer to the FAQ for details. The mailing list address will be name@ugcs
ITS
ITS provides the much more powerful gMailmanh service. Included features:
- You can set up a list so that people can join and leave without your approval.
- You have the ability to specify who can send email to the list.
- Subscribers can choose to receive mail in digest format.
- Archived messages are available through the list website.
- Automatic spam filtering.
ITS mailing list creation requires ITS administrative approval. Refer to the Mailing List Overview. The mailing address will be name@its.
Outside Services
"Groups"
Outside mailing list services (such as those provided by Yahoo! and Google) have two main features:
- All messages sent to the list are automatically archived in "bulletin board" format.
- List members have the option of receiving list emails in digest format or reading them on the group website, which may be convenient for high-volume lists. List owners have respectable moderating power, as with ITS.
Note that list members need to have an account with the group service provider to receive list emails. Accounts are free, but the services show advertisements on their sites.
Bulletin Boards/Forums
Unlike mailing lists, bulletin boards are accessed and read on the internet. This may be better for discussion-oriented groups.
In order to use the more powerful bulletin board services, you need to install the software on a server, which means either running your own or locating a web hosting service that allows it and offers the necessary support (e.g. PHP, Perl, SQL). Users usually need to register before they can post on the board.
Two of the most popular board services, YaBB and phpBB, are open source. Many other commercial and non-commercial programs can be located through a web search.
- Yet another Bulletin Board (YaBB)
- phpBB Bulletin Board
Commnunal Blog/Journal
A communal "multiple author" blog is similar to a bulletin board, but is more likely to encourage personal, conversational discussion styles.
Livejournal and Blogger are the two most popular blog services, and are convenient if your members already have (free) accounts with those services.
If you prefer to run a blog on a personal website, Wordpress may be a good choice. Like bulletin board software, it requires installation on a properly equipped server (PHP and MySQL).