Listservs in Google Apps

We're considering moving to Google Apps to replace our email server. The one
thing that's holding us back is our use of listservs. We create
listservs each year for most of our grade levels, our lower school home
bases, and all of our athletic teams. We'd like to be able to continue
this. We see how we can do a massive import of user names and passwords
(which we assume we'd have to do to create a google account for each of
our parents), but we don't see that there's a way to include a
forwarding address for each of these.
We don't want to just use distribution lists as we want to allow any
member on any list to post to the list. Any ideas?

0 members like this

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Melissa Benson on May 25, 2010 at 2:03pm

Using the "Group" feature in Google Apps, RSS feed?

Permalink Reply by Gregg Miller on May 25, 2010 at 2:06pm

In order for them to be in a group we need to give them an account. That's easy. Then we'd either need them to use that account or go in and forward that account to their current email. It's soooo much more cumbersome than what we have now. Thanks, though.

Permalink Reply by Melissa Benson on May 25, 2010 at 2:13pm

We are looking at going gmail from exchange as well.

Why would they forward any email to their "current" email... if you're going to be using that email instead of MS exchange? Or am I misunderstanding your plan?

Permalink Reply by Gregg Miller on May 26, 2010 at 6:05am

This is for all of our parents. We need our listserv messages to go to whichever email address they've provided for us (home, work, etc.). We weren't planning on giving our parents a gmail account, just a google account so we can put them in a group. Sorry I've been so confusing. Does this make sense?

Permalink Reply by Allison Hart on May 25, 2010 at 9:44pm

you can add external email addresses directly to google groups (part of google apps). they log in to your domain with their "google" account - attached to their own email address. (they would click the link under the normal log in box that says "Don't have an account at asdubai.org?
Sign in with a different account "

you can allow all or just certain members to post/send to those addresses/groups.

(we created an account for each family though)

Permalink Reply by Gregg Miller on May 26, 2010 at 6:06am

That sounds like what I'm looking for, however, can I do that with a mass import?

Permalink Reply by Allison Hart on May 26, 2010 at 8:31pm

well, not all at once (you can't import group memberships...)
But if you've got a spreadsheet all sorted, you can copy the address column for the group, paste it into the box (it adds the commas automagically when you hit enter) and add them all at once.
repeat in each group's settings.

Permalink Reply by Gregg Miller on May 27, 2010 at 7:22am

Ok, sorry for my density. Are each of these statements correct?

In order for them to be in a group, they have to have a google account.
I can do a bulk import of names and passwords to create a google account for them.
I can then create a group in google and instead of putting the parents in based on their google account, I can just go into the group's settings and paste a long list of email addresses.

When we send the email, they won't actually have to log into google, they'll just get the email?
If that's the case, why do I have to create an account for each of them?

Permalink Reply by Tony Thompson on May 27, 2010 at 10:17am

Not sure if this will be helpful, but maybe consider replacing the listserv(s) with a blog(s). Rather than maintain a listserv, you direct parents - or any individual or group - to a blog that has a one-click subscription process.

You could create a Wordpress blog with a subscription plugin in an hour, import your email addresses, then, moving forward, just direct new subscribers to enter their email address and click subscribe. Easy as eating pie, and you don't have to go through the annual chore of creating listservs.

Instead of sending emails to a listserv, you post to a blog and the blog automatically notifies each subscriber. This has another advantage over a listserv: The posts are archived and searchable right there in the same space.

Another easy feature: Subscribers can 'unsubscribe' themselves with one-click in the same place they subscribed.

Just my humble opinion: Listservs made sense in the 1990s, but nowadays it seems a shame to let all that information be shared in such a limited medium as email.

Hope that helps some, and good luck!

Permalink Reply by Gregg Miller on May 28, 2010 at 6:47am

We have a couple blogs where it makes sense, and for information like I think you're referring to, we use RSS news feeds. However, most of our listserv use is very specific, short messages for a select group (i.e. a note to the MIddle School field hockey parents that the game that was supposed to start in an hour has been postponed). We also don't want to give parents the option of opting out on their own, if they REALLY want to be taken off the list, they have to request it, etc.

Uggh. This may be the deal breaker for us moving to Google Apps...

Permalink Reply by Matthew on June 11, 2010 at 11:42am