Hello world,
Truth of the matter is that when it comes to online solutions – there are so many ways to accomplish stuff that it is overwhelming!! As I thought about what a good friend is trying to achieve I thought it would be good to cover several options that can fit her goals and her approach to organizing people, schedules and more.
Objective: coordinate a choral group with calendar of events, group email and manage membership details.
Solutions worth testing:
Features include the ability to have a ‘private’ group with members being invited/added by the moderator, opting to read messages on the group page or to receive the information in their email. To post email to the group you send one email to: group-name@googlegroups.com
Information pages can be created and people can access your group at its own address: i.e. http://groups.google.com/group/choralgroup (if the group is private and not public only people who are logged in and are members of the group will be able to access the page).
To get a tour of the google groups
To read the answer to “What is a Google Group?”
Before you read more visit the site.
To watch the demo click the “Why it’s Better” page and follow the link for the tour.
This is probably the most logical choice in my mind. I have not used the service personally – yet 
And the price tag is right: $0
The way it is organized makes sense.
Here is what one group says (BRIGADA) about this online communication/collaboration tool:
1) TRY AIRSET.COM FOR COLLABORATION/COMMUNICATION — Lately, a few of us
have been trying out the collaborative site…http://www.airset.com
Granted, it’s not a perfect world, and it’ll only work for you if web access is fairly cheap, but it’s got a lot going for it:
*** It’s free (if your web time is “all-you-can-eat”).
*** It allows easy access to a file storage area. Use it to pool your team’s strategic planning and/or policy documents.
*** You can log in via the secure (https:) gateway, which should especially appeal to those in sensitive lands. (on the far upper-right is a link titled “Secure”) What’s more, in talks with insiders at Airset, I learned that all user data is stored encrypted in their database so even in the unlikely event a hacker managed to breach their firewalls and dump their database they would only get encrypted files.
*** Those in the USA with cell phones (e.g., mission agency-types) could especially profit from the sms distribution-list approach. They sell a mobile client for “smart-phones.” That would *really* be cool for those who live by their PDAs.
*** The collaborative calendar would help those with trouble merging their personal life (kids’ soccer games) with work life (meetings).
*** Sharing contacts should help those who previously were working only in separate flat file databases like Microsoft Outlook.
*** Work groups should appreciate the ability to share tasks and other lists — and update them corporately via the web.
So give it a try. No credit cards needed. Word for the wise: Be sure to check first before assuming that others will want to receive SMSes.
Don’t make the same mistake I did — *ask* permission before entering cell phone numbers. AirSet will try to SMS them without you even knowing it.
More Options:
The above options offer a number of great features and are designed with the use and purposes you have in mind. Here are some options focused solely on the idea of email:
This is a straightforward online list machine – no flair or special features. Invite people to join the notify list, login to your account and send the message – your whole list gets it. Designed for website owners who want to invite people to join their list and get text updates in their email accounts. Works best if you have a website where people will be able to sign up.
There are some basic features for managing multiple lists, etc. If simple email is the more appropriate choice this is a good one.
Price = $0
“Wouldn’t it be great to be able to keep track of all the events in your life, coordinate schedules with friends and family, and find new things to do — all with one online calendar?”:
So some information to get you started.
Most of the solutions mentioned here are offered free of cost – but not lacking in support or solid usefulness – and built to do what you are wanting to do.
Signing up is easy so pick one or two to tryout and begin using the service – if you like it then enjoy the function and use of online tools
Any other services you know of that may fit the bill for organizing groups? These are just the tip of the ‘berg.
I am currently managing a choral website using both WordPress and AirSet. My eventual vision is that the WordPress side (http://cantabilesingers.org/) will be the public face of the choir and AirSet will be used for internal, member-related information.
Here are some of my experiences so far with AirSet. This is a ~40 member community choir in Boulder, Colorado.
The good:
AirSet allows you to assign roles to members, and roles determine group email addresses. So the group address is [groupname]@airset.com, the altos are [groupname]/altos@airset.com, the board of directors is [groupname]/board@airset.com, and so on. This has been fantastic and you can create groups quickly and easily just by assigning new roles (which you are entirely free to make up; you don’t have to pick them from a pre-determined list.
Airset allows members who do not have AirSet accounts. We used Yahoo Groups before, and some of the less computer-savvy members had great difficulty figuring out how to opt-in to the group.
Some AirSet components can easily be embedded into a website. Calendars are pretty easy (see http://cantabilesingers.org/member-information/rehearsal-schedule/).
AirSet supports playlists (collections of MP3s or other music formats drawn from the group’s AirSet files). This has enabled me to easily set up playlists for each voice part containing practice recordings.
The bad:
AirSet does not permit the use of HTML forms in blog entries or announcements. I wanted to set up online dues payments through PayPal on AirSet, but wound up having to do it on the public website instead (http://cantabilesingers.org/handbook/pay-dues-online/), because AirSet wouldn’t allow forms.
As we found with Yahoo Groups, some members are reluctant to sign up with AirSet. As the group organizer, I either have to make AirSet files and playlists public (and go to the trouble of maintaining links to them from somewhere else), or these folks aren’t able to use all the resources that I’ve been accumulating on AirSet.