Yahoo Group Tutorial Part 3- Group Features
Group Features
Yahoo groups offer many various features to its members that you can restrict so that only certain people can use them or everyone can. Some of the important features yahoo groups’ offers are files, databases, links, polls, photos, calendar, and invite. Now, depending on your type of group some of these features you might use more than others. In this section I will break down each important main feature, what it does, how to use it, and how it is beneficial for you as well.
First, I will cover the files section of groups. This is one of my most used features that I use on all my groups because I make files for a lot of various things, everything from pending member forms, mod lists, and much more. If you are going to have a lot of variety of files I suggest making folders for the various things. Than once you have the folder set up you can add the file in two different ways. You can either add a file which will let you do it through word or any other word processing program or you can create a text file.
I find that doing a text file is best for your main files and easier for people to open without problems. With the fact that many people use many various systems on word processing you have less people not being able to get the file or open it. There are times though you will come across where you will have no choice but doing it by doing the add file way. You will have to play with it a little and find whatever is the most comfortable for you.
Second, I am covering database section of groups. This is another majorly used feature in most of my groups. Most groups I have encountered through being an owner, mod, or member have some sort of contact database and sometimes others as well. Contact ones are the most popular and are built many various ways. In order to make a database after clicking the database on the left hand side you click on create a table. From here you are given many options I find doing contact ones it’s best to use one of the phone book ones and than just tailor it to what you need.
However you can always just use the blank template as well. There are a few options once you start working the database I find letting it so that members can edit their own records is the easiest but only letting owners of the table (the creator) and mods of the group on actually changing the table itself is the safest bet. I find doing it where you have to edit things yourself can create too much work at times, depending on how many members you handle in your groups, and how many groups you might own as well, depending on those factors will determine how you will deal with this feature on the group. Databases, creating them, do get easier over time especially if you use the same format for them.
Third, I will cover the links section of groups. This is a pretty easy thing. This is where you can add various bookmarks that might be good for group members to check out. Some groups use this more than others it just depends. Sometimes this is used for personal sites such as blogs, websites, and etc and other times for things that are specific to that group itself. Again this section is really a group specific one how it is dealt with or how much it’s used will probably depend on the type of group you have.
Fourth, I will cover the polls section of groups. This is a pretty easy section of the groups. All you have to do is click create poll and just go through the steps on that. I find polls are useful at times if you want to get group input on things but I have found also that it just depends on the group on rather or not you will use them. How much you use them is going to depend on your group.
Fifth, I will cover the photos section of groups. This one is pretty straight forward as there isn’t too much one has to know about. All you have to do is go to the photos create an album and add photos it will guide you pretty much step by step.
Sixth, I will cover the calendar section of groups. This can become a pretty neat feature of the group if you want to use it for your groups. You can post members birthdays, important other events for your groups, or if you are like me you have daily activities for your groups that you can post the reminders for it on this. It’s a pretty easy feature you just go to the calendar and it more or less walks you through. All you have to do is add event and it’s pretty easy from there.
Seventh, I will cover the invite section of groups. This is the easiest feature in the groups because all you have to do is either type the email address or the yahoo id of the person you want to invite to the group. After that you click on submit invite and click again to send it. The next portions of group features are if you have the beta version of the newer yahoo groups.
One of the best features with the newer groups I have found is the chat this actually is an older feature from back when yahoo groups were yahoo clubs many years ago. Now, yahoo group owners, moderators, and members can interact with each other more than just through group messages. This is a great tool especially for owners to talk to people in the group to get a more instant knowledge of what could make the group better other than it can be fun. This is something I would suggest making a weekly or at least monthly event and post it on your calendar.
There are a lot of various applications you can add to the groups now with the newer beta version. Some are similar to what there are a lot of various applications you can add to the groups now with the newer beta version. Some are similar to what yahoo groups have currently, but you can add more things to it, such as the yahoo profile that you can create for that particular group in that case you can put something like what you would put for other social networking sites such as facebook. Each of these features is going to depend on what you want to use them for on your groups if you use them at all. Next section we will look into how to deal with certain things that can come up with groups as I am going to refer as how do I do that section.
Yahoo groups offer many various features to its members that you can restrict so that only certain people can use them or everyone can. Some of the important features yahoo groups’ offers are files, databases, links, polls, photos, calendar, and invite. Now, depending on your type of group some of these features you might use more than others. In this section I will break down each important main feature, what it does, how to use it, and how it is beneficial for you as well.
First, I will cover the files section of groups. This is one of my most used features that I use on all my groups because I make files for a lot of various things, everything from pending member forms, mod lists, and much more. If you are going to have a lot of variety of files I suggest making folders for the various things. Than once you have the folder set up you can add the file in two different ways. You can either add a file which will let you do it through word or any other word processing program or you can create a text file.
I find that doing a text file is best for your main files and easier for people to open without problems. With the fact that many people use many various systems on word processing you have less people not being able to get the file or open it. There are times though you will come across where you will have no choice but doing it by doing the add file way. You will have to play with it a little and find whatever is the most comfortable for you.
Second, I am covering database section of groups. This is another majorly used feature in most of my groups. Most groups I have encountered through being an owner, mod, or member have some sort of contact database and sometimes others as well. Contact ones are the most popular and are built many various ways. In order to make a database after clicking the database on the left hand side you click on create a table. From here you are given many options I find doing contact ones it’s best to use one of the phone book ones and than just tailor it to what you need.
However you can always just use the blank template as well. There are a few options once you start working the database I find letting it so that members can edit their own records is the easiest but only letting owners of the table (the creator) and mods of the group on actually changing the table itself is the safest bet. I find doing it where you have to edit things yourself can create too much work at times, depending on how many members you handle in your groups, and how many groups you might own as well, depending on those factors will determine how you will deal with this feature on the group. Databases, creating them, do get easier over time especially if you use the same format for them.
Third, I will cover the links section of groups. This is a pretty easy thing. This is where you can add various bookmarks that might be good for group members to check out. Some groups use this more than others it just depends. Sometimes this is used for personal sites such as blogs, websites, and etc and other times for things that are specific to that group itself. Again this section is really a group specific one how it is dealt with or how much it’s used will probably depend on the type of group you have.
Fourth, I will cover the polls section of groups. This is a pretty easy section of the groups. All you have to do is click create poll and just go through the steps on that. I find polls are useful at times if you want to get group input on things but I have found also that it just depends on the group on rather or not you will use them. How much you use them is going to depend on your group.
Fifth, I will cover the photos section of groups. This one is pretty straight forward as there isn’t too much one has to know about. All you have to do is go to the photos create an album and add photos it will guide you pretty much step by step.
Sixth, I will cover the calendar section of groups. This can become a pretty neat feature of the group if you want to use it for your groups. You can post members birthdays, important other events for your groups, or if you are like me you have daily activities for your groups that you can post the reminders for it on this. It’s a pretty easy feature you just go to the calendar and it more or less walks you through. All you have to do is add event and it’s pretty easy from there.
Seventh, I will cover the invite section of groups. This is the easiest feature in the groups because all you have to do is either type the email address or the yahoo id of the person you want to invite to the group. After that you click on submit invite and click again to send it. The next portions of group features are if you have the beta version of the newer yahoo groups.
One of the best features with the newer groups I have found is the chat this actually is an older feature from back when yahoo groups were yahoo clubs many years ago. Now, yahoo group owners, moderators, and members can interact with each other more than just through group messages. This is a great tool especially for owners to talk to people in the group to get a more instant knowledge of what could make the group better other than it can be fun. This is something I would suggest making a weekly or at least monthly event and post it on your calendar.
There are a lot of various applications you can add to the groups now with the newer beta version. Some are similar to what there are a lot of various applications you can add to the groups now with the newer beta version. Some are similar to what yahoo groups have currently, but you can add more things to it, such as the yahoo profile that you can create for that particular group in that case you can put something like what you would put for other social networking sites such as facebook. Each of these features is going to depend on what you want to use them for on your groups if you use them at all. Next section we will look into how to deal with certain things that can come up with groups as I am going to refer as how do I do that section.
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