Slack 101
Workspaces
Separate instances of Slack that sit under the ASU Grid. A workspace has its own administrators and permission settings, and its own members, channels, and apps to enable a large group of people to collaborate long term.
Channels
Context-based conversations where groups of people can communicate, and interact with information related to a common topic (e.g., project). These can be public or private, and can be within workspace or shared across multiple (Org. Channels).
Channel Name
Provides first-glance insight into what conversation is contained in the channel. This should follow a shared convention for consistency across campus.
Chat Box
Once you are in a channel or Direct Message, you can type text into the message box and send it to the channel or Direct Message to communicate. You can also use the + icon to upload files or add attachments from your document management solution.
Direct Messages (DM)
1:1 conversation with teammates, or conversations of up to 8 people in more 1-off topics.These “DMs” are visible to individual users across Grid.
Search
Enter search words here to search all of the information that has been shared publicly within your Slack Grid. This includes all public channels in the workspaces you are a member of, as well as the private channels and direct messages you participate in.
Slack Etiquette
Slack Etiquette is similar to the protocols governing electronic communication in any academic and professional setting, with some unique tips and tricks:
Thread (adding or continuing a conversation) vs. Post (starting a conversation):
This is especially important in channels with many participants because rather than each response coming through as an individual notification, threads ensure they are organized thematically by conversation and also prevents users from being pinged every time.
@Channel Usage: Message goes out to everyone in the channel
Use this feature sparingly as you are sending everyone a notification, regardless of time zone and whether or not they’re in the office.
Setting the Purpose:
Members should create a channel’s purpose that is updated.