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What are Google Groups and how can they be Configured?

Some description and help resources to support users/subscribers in understanding the different kinds of G-groups, and to help Group Managers select how they want their G-group configured.

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Topics Covered in this page:

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What is a Google Group?

  • A Google Group, or sometimes shortened here to “G-group”, is a subscription-based e-mail distribution or discussion list that is hosted using Google’s Google Group e-mail list service.

  • As part of our Google Workspace license, DA can now create Google Groups under our own DemocratsAbroad domain name, with an address like: NewGoogleGroup@DemocratsAbroad.org

What Kinds of G-groups are there?

A G-group can be set up as one of the following types of e-mail group:

  • One-Way Announcement/Distribution Group

    • restricted so that only a few individuals are able to send out messages to the full group 

    • messages are announcements or newsletters going out from the manager(s) to the group

    • any replies are set to go back to the original author, not to the full group

  • Group Discussion Forum

    • designed to encourage discussion and interaction between group members

    • all members of the list are able to respond to list messages – possibly with some rules or moderation

    • replies go to the Group address, not to the original message author

    • messages relating to a common topic are usually “threaded” or kept under the same subject line

  • Moderated Discussion Group

    • a variation of the Group Discussion Forum

    • messages to the full group are limited or “moderated” based on clear rules or guidelines that have been shared with the group in advance

    • the Group Manager can assign additional

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    • Moderatorswho can help with approving messages to the group

    • messages may be moderated to keep discussion “on-topic”, to prevent inadvertent replies, to handle Un-subscribe requests, and to prevent inflammatory, irrelevant, or offensive posts

    • new Group members may be moderated for their first few posts to help them understand the group guidelines and expected activity

What are the different Group Membership Roles?

  • Group Manager

    • the Manager is the person who is generally responsible for the overall setup and maintenance of the Google Group

    • the Manager will usually be the person who requested the setup and creation of the Group

    • the Manager can add members and remove members from the group 

    • the Manager can set some members to be a Group Moderator

  • Group Moderators

    • Moderators can approve or deny the distribution of specifically moderated messages

    • Moderators are assigned by the Group Manager

  • Group Members

    • Members are participants in a

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    • G-group and will receive messages sent to the Group address

    • Members can also view the Group discussion and the history of past messages on the web under: https://groups.google.com/my-groups

    • Members can change their message delivery status under: Group > My Membership Settings > Subscription:

      • “Each Email” – receive each e-mail sent to the group

      • “Digest” – receive a Daily Digest of

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      • one e-mail per day with up to 25 messages sent during a single day

      • “Abridged” – receive Abridged Summary of up to 150 messages sent during a single day

      • “No Email” – turn off the receipt of e-mail messages (No E-mail) – but they remain a member of the Group and can read messages on the Web

      • Or,

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      • members can “Leave Group” and fully Unsubscribe from the Group and be removed as a participant – If a member leaves the Group, they will no longer have access to new message postings and will need to be re-added by the Group Manager.