GoogleApps@UIC: Using Google Groups
A Google Group, as you might think, is an email discussion group that comes with its own Web page to read the email sent to it. But it is much more -- it is a collaboration tool. Pretty much anything you can do in Google Apps you can share with a Group. Docs shared with a group can be edited by one person while other people look on and see the changes almost real time. (And those other people can make changes also.) You will want to use Google Groups. I promise you.
This page is a very brief introduction to Groups in Google Apps at UIC, with an emphasis on what is different here. The most important differences is that you will use a UIC Web page to create personal groups in GoogleApps@UIC. Another important feature of Google Groups at UIC is that once a UIC Google Group has been created, you will not be allowed to change its name. This is to prevent problems in sending and receiving email by the group.
For more information on using groups in Google Apps, see the Google Groups Help Center.
To go to your personal Google Groups page, click on the Google Groups icon: 
at gapps.uic.edu.
Table of Contents
Your Personal Google Group Page
The usual way to go to a group in Google Apps is to click on the the more item in the top left menu on any Google Apps screen, then select Groups from the more submenu.
Or you can get there directly by clicking on the groups icon: at gapps.uic.edu.
The resulting screen will list the groups you are in, allow you to search for or browse other groups, and manage your group memberships.
Personal Google Groups at UIC
Personal Google Groups are groups that are associated with a specific person's netid. You can create this type of group yourself.
Personal Google Groups will have names of the form: netid-description@uic.edu, where "netid" is your netid and "description" is something that describes your group. The description part can be between 3 and 15 characters, numbers, letters, hyphen/dashes (-), and underscores (_) only. If Ada Byron Lovelace, abyron1, had a number of knitting-related groups, she might name them the following:
- abyron1-knits
- abyron1-adv_knits
- abyron1-knits-list
- abyron1-knits-3
These lists names are email addresses also: abyron1-kints@uic.edu and so on.
It is common to use the hyphen/dash or the underscore to separate words. Remember that only letters, numbers, hyphen/dash, and underscore are valid characters.
Official Google Apps Groups at UIC
We understand that there will be need for official Google Groups, as well -- ones that should not be named with a particular person's netid. Say, if UIC had a Knitting department, the department might want to have a knitting-dept group. Or knitting-undergrad. Or a campus-wide topic, such as uic-alumni. I hope you get the idea.
If you would like to open a group/email list in Google Apps of this sort, please send email to googleapps@uic.edu. Give us the name of the group, the name and netid of the group's owner -- even though these groups will not have a specific netid in their names, they will have to be owned by a specific person on campus -- and a description of what the list is for.
Creating Personal Google Groups
This you can do yourself.
- Go to Google Group Creation Form.
- Personal Google Groups have names of the form: netid-description@uic.edu, where "netid" is your netid and "description" is a name that you've chosen for your group. The description part can be between 3 and 15 characters, numbers, letters, hyphens/dashes (-), and underscores (_) only. Ada Byron Lovelace, abyron1, has chosen knits for the description part of the name of her group, so the group's name will be abyron1-knits and its email address will be abyron1-knits@uic.edu.
- Click Submit Request.
- Assuming that you have selected an appropriate name for your group, the next screen will say that your group has been created, will list:
- Groupname: abyron1-knits
- Email: abyron1-knits@uic.edu
- and Owner: abyron1@uic.edu
- This screen will also give a link to click to manage your group, of the form: https://groups.google.com/a/uic.edu/group/groupname
(https://groups.google.com/a/uic.edu/group/abyron1-knits for Ada's group.) Click on it. - Logging on this way is a two step process, because you will be going to Google first, which will send you back to UIC for the login. After you login, you will be at the group home page.
The group's Discussions (email) are on the left (and any Docs that have been shared with the group). Links to manage the group will be on the right.
- Click on More group info >> on the right for, well, info about the group.
Using Google Groups at UIC
When not using the group's direct URL (see Step 5 above), the usual way to go to a group in Google Apps is to click on the the more item in the top left menu on any Google Apps screen, then select Groups from the more submenu.
The resulting screen will list the groups you are in, allow you to search for or browse other groups, and manage your group memberships.
For more information on using groups in Google Apps, see the Google Groups Help Center.
Click Help on the upper right of your Google Groups screen to go to the Google Help Center, with a highlighted link to the Google Groups Help Center.
Managing Google Groups
The management of a Google Group in GoogleApps@UIC will be done with the standard Google Apps tools, but do not change its name once it is created.
Also, if, as the owner of a list, you want to add additional people to manage the list, we ask you to add him or her as a Manager rather than an Owner.
For more information on using groups in Google Apps, see the Google Groups Help Center.
Click Help on the upper right of your Google Groups screen to go to the Google Help Center, with a highlighted link to the Google Groups Help Center.
How do I...
How do I create and share a Google calendar with a Google Group?
- First create a Google calendar for your group.
- And share it with your group; use the group's email address.
- Then each member of the group will receive an email message telling them about the calendar; they should subscribe to the calendar.
Some notes:
- Google on Embedding calendars in Google Groups.
- You don’t have to enter the email addresses of the members of the group individually; just adding the group's email address is enough.
Now, to get alarms -- notifications -- of the meeting in the shared calendar.
- Open Google Calendar.
- Click Settings under My calendars on the left.
- Click Notifications beside the calendar’s name.
- Turn on the notifications that you want (SMSes even!).
- Click Save, then Back to calendar.
Need Additional Help?
Consider our Troubleshooting Guide. If you need additional assistance, please call the Client Services Office at (312) 413-0003. You can file a problem report or email us at consult@uic.edu.
| 2011-3-7 ACCC Consultants |
|
