Kinds of Google Groups

What is a Google Group?

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

• As part of our DA Google Workspace license we can 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 typically announcements or newsletters going out from the manager(s) to a larger 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 full 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 “Moderators” who can help with approving messages to the group

  • messages may be moderated to keep discussion “on-topic”, to prevent unintended 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 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 one e-mail per day with up to 25 of the full messages sent during a single day

    • “Abridged” – receive an Abridged Summary (not the full messages) of up to 150 messages sent during a single day

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

    • Or, 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.