Getting started

1. Join our slack channel with the link. You can find that on PSL, or get it from your teacher, or get it here .

2. Join the pre-requisite channels: your teacher's channel (e.g., #class-kirwin), your class's channel (e.g., #class-e1), your teacher's class channel (e.g., #class-kirwin-e2), the channel for your expertise(s) (e.g., cclm-cad)

What should I use slack for?

Slack should replace the normal chatter that would happen among people in a group. At it's simplest, if you want to ask the group something -- like, "Does anybody know how to..." -- you would use slack for that.

Use slack even if you're physically in the room as the people you're talking to. For one thing, you're seldom in the room with everybody you want to ask. Especially if we're working across class periods and if people are working remotely. But also, if you have the conversation on slack you can share links, share files, take polls, set reminders, and keep a record that you can look at in the near future.

But also, it's supposed to be public; people are supposed to be able to overhear conversations. If you want to address everybody in the channel, simply mention @Channel and everyone will get a notification. If you want to ask one person in the group something, ask in the appropriate public channel, and use a mention (e.g., @MsDougherty) to make sure they know you're talking to them (and make sure they get a notification about it). It's important that you ask that question or make that comment in public, because it will give others a sense of what you're working on. And if @MsDougherty isn't the right person to ask the question, someone else will jump in and help you.

We don't use DMs (direct messages); use email for that. You should only communicate with someone in this kind of private way if you would ask them to step out in the hallway to have a conversation others wouldn't overhear. That kind of communication is quite uncommon. Almost everything should go in a public channel.

How is the engineering slack organized

Most of the channel names have a prefix, which will make browsing channels easier.

cclm- curriculum rc- RoboCup class- class

qpmt- equipment robot- big robot project-project

Other guidelines

• Install slack on your phone (if you can).

• Don't use DMs at all. If you absolutely must have a private conversation, use your school email.