When you create a new Google Group, you will need to manually tweak some of the settings to make sure the Group functions as you intended. To modify a Group's settings: go to groups.case.edu, click My Groups, then click the Manage link beneath the Group you want to modify.
**WARNING: When modifying your group, be very careful NOT to accidentally remove yourself as the group manager!
If you remove yourself as a manager, you will require another manager of the group to give that role back to you. If there are no other group managers, you will need to contact help@case.edu to restore your manager role.
There are four permissions that group managers should have within a group, but that default to "Owners Only" when a group is created. Locate and add "Managers of the group" to the following:
Under Permissions > Moderation Permissions
- Approve Members
- Ban Users
- Modify Roles
Under Permissions > Access Permissions
- View Member Email Addresses
Subject prefixes (the text appearing in brackets at the head of an email’s subject line) are not provided automatically. To include a subject prefix for all messages sent via your Google Group:
- Go to Settings > Email options
- Enter your desired text (including brackets) in the Subject prefix text box
NOTE: An example prefix using the group’s name is displayed under the Subject prefix box. To use this as your subject prefix, just click the example text to have it automatically entered in the subject prefix box.
Archiving (the ability to view, post to, and store group discussions online) is turned on by default for most groups. To verify or change this setting:
- Go to Information > Content Control
- Check the box next to Archive messages to the Group if you would like to use this feature; clear the box if not.
- NOTE: there are additional settings that may be used to control who has read/write access to the information appearing in the web archive.
External Members (individuals who do not have a case.edu email address) may be included or excluded from any Google Group. To verify or change this setting:
- Go to Permissions > Basic Permissions
- Check the box next to Allow members external to this organization if you would like those without a case.edu address to participate in your group; clear the box if not.
Post replies (what options are available when replying to a post) varies with the type of group that was created. To verify or change this setting:
- Go to Settings > Email options > Post replies
- Select the desired option from the drop-down menu. The most-used options are:
- To the entire group (user can only reply to the entire group)
- To the author of the message only (user can only reply to the sender of a message)
- Users decide where their replies are sent (user has access to both the Reply and Reply All options)
- Other options available are Reply to Managers of the group, Owners of the group, or Reply to a designated custom address.
What constitutes a Spam message is determined by Google's spam filtering system. Group managers cannot control what Google flags as spam, but can control how those messages are handled:
- Go to Settings > Basic Moderation > Spam messages
- Select the desired option from the drop-down menu.
- Note: while there are four options available, CWRU strongly suggests sending spam to the moderation queue - either with or without notification to moderators. This will prevent potentially harmful messages from posting to the group while allowing group managers the chance to approve legitimate messages that Google has incorrectly flagged as spam.
There are differences in the names of the Roles used in Google Groups vs those used in Sympa. Refer to the chart below to compare the old vs new role names and permissions:
|
If Your Sympa/List Role Was: |
Your Google Groups Role Is: |
And Your Permissions in Google Groups Are: |
|---|---|---|
|
Listmaster |
Owner |
Same as listmaster in Sympa |
|
Owner |
Manager |
Same as owner role in Sympa, PLUS message moderation permissions |
|
Moderator |
n/a |
There is no Moderator role in Google Groups. Sympa list moderators are migrated to a new role as follows: Individuals with case.edu email addresses become Mangers Individuals without case.edu email addresses become Members |
|
List Subscriber |
Group Member |
Same as subscriber permissions set in Sympa |
Google Groups at CWRU - Overview
[U]Tech Training Resources for Google Groups
If all else fails, please contact the [U]Tech Service Desk at 216.368.HELP (4357) or help@case.edu.
It is possible for group managers to send messages out in the name of the group while hiding their personal information (name, CWRU ID, CWRU email address). The exact setup necessary will vary with the specific needs of a group.
If you would like to add this functionality to a group that you manage, please open a help desk ticket requesting assistance. UTech will work with you to set up anonymous sender functionality per the needs of your group.