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Slack Guide
Last Updated 2/9/21
Credit to Queens DSA for much of the content and all the screenshots
Welcome to Slack! Slack is an excellent tool used to connect all of our various teams and projects! That being said, Slack can be overwhelming and confusing if you’ve never used it before. This guide will help you discover the most useful tools and customize your Slack to get you well on your way to being a Slack Pro in no time!
Please note, clicking on any of the hyperlinks will take you to a document version of this guide which includes photos.
Please note, clicking on any of the hyperlinks will take you to a document version of this guide which includes photos.
Table of contents:
Step 1: Setting up your profile
Step 2: Welcome to Slack!
Step 4: Customizing your workspace
Getting Started
First things first, you can use Slack on mobile for iOS, Android, or Desktop in a browser window or in an app. Finding what works best for you is imperative to becoming comfortable with Slack.
Step 1: User Profile
Step 1: User Profile
Click thru the links above based on your county. You’ll be prompted to create a user profile. Filling out this information and uploading a clear photo of yourself will help the whole team know who they’re talking to and also what work you’re doing for the campaign.
If you need to make changes to your profile, you can do so at any time by going to your user preferences (detailed below).
Step 2: Welcome to Slack!
Step 2: Welcome to Slack!
Once you’ve completed your profile, you should be taken to the Nassau DSA Slack. There is a lot of jargon associated with Slack, and we’ll get there in a minute. Before we do, let’s finish your set up in layman’s terms.
Step 3: Post your Introduction to comrades!
Step 3: Post your Introduction to comrades!
Introduce yourself! Share: your name, pronouns, town, any prior DSA or organizing involvement (union, mutual aid, activism, faith community)
Please also share what kind of work you’re interested in doing with Long Island DSA!!
Step 4: Customizing your workspace
Step 4: Customizing your workspace
Now that we know who you are and how you’re helping us, you’re ready to let Slack help you. An inundation of notifications of busy conversations can be overwhelming. Preventing that is easy by customizing your workspace. See more about notifications.
Finding Your Way Around
Finding Your Way Around
Slack Jargon: Channels, Mentions, and more
Slack Jargon: Channels, Mentions, and more
There are a few main keywords you’ll need to familiarize yourself with to get the most out of Slack. The more you use Slack, the more you’ll understand it.
Channels
Channels
Think of “Channels” as synonymous with “conversations,” or big topic-focused group chats. When you join the Nassau, you’ll be automatically added to a few different channels. The channels within our Slack group will be listed on the left side of the screen. You’re welcome and encouraged to join as many channels as you want. Channels are a great way to communicate with teams, coordinate project management, and reach out to large groups of people at once.
You can find the type of channel or what a channel is all about by looking at the first part of the name: #wg_, #cm_ just to name a few.
Our public Slack channels are as follows:
#slack-help - One stop shop to ask questions about the Nassau DSA Slack workspace. If you are looking for a specific channel, or questions about where to post something, or how to post a poll or gif
#general - For any general chapter updates from chapter members, steering committee officers and working groups/Committees.
#off-topic - For anything that doesn’t fit in other channels and for non-DSA or lighthearted discussion.
#red_petals - The chat for DSA members interested in contributing and adding to the chapter newsletter.
#solidarity_events- Place to post any events you would like to invite Nassau DSA members to that don’t overlap with any of the current working groups or committees. These events should be related to the mission of DSA such as labor, etc.
#swoletariariat - Nassau DSA chat for health and exercise discussions.
#teach-in - For discussions related to upcoming teach-ins
#upcoming-events - Automatic updates about upcoming chapter meetings appear here.
#reading-group - For any updates regarding reading group meetings or suggested readings for chapter members.
Our Committee specific channels are:
#cm_agenda - Chat for agenda committee participants
#cm_communications - Chat for communications committee participants
#cm_electoral - Chat for electoral committee participants,
#cm_finance - Chat for finance committee organizers
#cm_membership - Chat for membership committee organizers
#cm_mutual-aid - Chat for anything related to mutual aid
#gardening-skillshare - Chat for mutual aid gardening sub-committee organizers
#cm_mutual-aid-agenda-committee - Chat for mutual aid agenda sub-committee organizers
#cm_mutual-aid-organizers - Chat for mutual aid organizers
#cm_politicaleducation - Chat for political education organizers
#cm_social_ism - Nassau DSA chat for events
#cm_mutual-aid-comms - Chat for mutual aid communication organizers
#cm-mutual-aid-social-media - Chat for mutual aid social media organizers
Our Working Group specific channels: get updates between WG meetings
#wg_immigrant_justice - Chat for immigrant justice organizers
#wg_healthcare - Chat for healthcare organizers
#comms_healthcare_campaign - Chat for healthcare social media organizers
#tactics-healthcare-campaign - Nassau DSA Healthcare committee chat for tactics to further the campaign for universal healthcare.
#wg_housing - Chat for housing organizers
#wg_protest - Chat for protest organizers
#wg_ecosocialism - Chat for eco-socialist organizers
Some discussions may be relevant to multiple channels - but please try to keep the discussion in one channel (preferably the most specific one). If you’d like to draw eyes to the discussion, feel free to post in other channels to direct people to check it out.
You can easily toggle between channels that you’re a part of in your left toolbar panel and “star” a favorite or frequently used channel by right-clicking on the channel you wish to star.
If you’d like to add a channel, reach out to Admins in the #slack-help channel!
Mentions
Mentions
If you need to get one person’s attention, you can “mention” them in a message by prefacing their name with the @ symbol. For example:
If you need everybody’s eyes on what you have to say, you can use “@channel” which will notify everybody who has their mention notifications turned on. We recommend and urge you to use this sparingly.
Threads
Threads
Threads keep discussions in Slack organized. They let you ask questions, add context, or give feedback on a specific message, all without disrupting a conversation's flow. A thread will remain connected to its original message, and only those that have contributed to it or who are following it will be notified of new replies.
Pinned Items
Pinned Items
Important messages can be pinned to any conversation for easy reference. Pinned items are stored in the Details section and are accessible to all members of a channel or direct message. Pinned messages are important and should be checked when you join a new channel.
Direct Messages
Direct Messages
Although most discussions in Slack happen in channels, direct messages work well for one-off conversations that don't require an entire channel to weigh in. Direct messages (DMs) are smaller conversations outside of a channel, between you and up to eight other people. You can find them in the left-side navigation panel.
Learn More
Learn More
This was meant as a starter guide, but there is a wealth of information about Slack just waiting to be absorbed.
Slack themselves have tons of helpful articles with visual aids to walk you through common issues and questions: https://slack.com/help/categories/360000049043
You can also find a myriad of video tutorials on Youtube, a few of which have been listed here:
Other Tips & Tricks
Other Tips & Tricks
Security & Privacy on Slack
If you are not comfortable posting your message to a public internet forum with your name attached, do not post it in the Nassau DSA Slack. If the message or discussion is sensitive, then we recommend using Signal. Slack is supposed to be used for comradely conversations, organizing, discussing future meetings, the news of the day. Slack is not to be used for casual non-political talk, posting business/self promotional stuff, things not relevant to socialist organizing.
To join the Nassau DSA Slack, please email us at [email protected].
Currently the Steering Committee are acting as moderators for this workspace. If you have additional questions or concerns, please reach out to one of us!
Discussion Guidelines:
Slack Admins include Steering Committee (SC) members and the chapter Harassment & Grievance Officer(s). If you need an admin’s attention, you can direct message one of them (direct messaging can be done by finding the user in the list below the channel list). The admin(s) you DM will respond as soon as they can. They may take action immediately or investigate further, and they will update you with actions taken if appropriate.
Current Steering Committee members include: Anne Flomenhaft, Austin Lynch, Eliot Friedman, Simran Nanda, Charles Nieves and Jamie Diamond
Actions available to Admins are the following (in order of severity):
Public warning to group of users via post in discussion
Private warning to user via DM or email
Private warning to user via DM or email and request the user remove their own post
Private warning to user via DM or email and request the user take a week break from posting in the Slack (after deliberation with other admins)
Private warning to user via DM or email and removal of post (after deliberation with other admins)
Public warning to users via post, and removal of discussion (after deliberation with SC for future moderation)
After repeated infractions or an action in clear violation of Nassau DSA code of conduct, removal of user from Slack altogether and post the reasoning publicly. (after deliberation with and notification by SC for future moderation)
Offenses and violations of the Code of Conduct will result in consequences which may include: a mediation with the Grievance Officers; an education and accountability process; a restorative justice process; suspension from the local chapter; expulsion from the local chapter.
If you have a concern about an admin, you can DM another admin or you can file a formal grievance by emailing the Nassau DSA Grievance Officers at [email protected]
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