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HOW TO CREATE DELIVERY FOR YOUR MESSAGES - YG NEO
Automated messages are a great time saver in getting the word out to everyone. Used sparingly they can help manage your groups. Whenever you create a new file (html or text), you will be offered several auto-send options. Some of the most useful of these are discussed below, but first some advice on creating a text file.
Creating a new text file
Creating a file is easy, but keep in mind:
- An html file is easy to create and open if you know a little html, or have an html editor. It is not a good idea to use MS Word and then "Save as.." html. The message may appear very strange in some browsers.
- If you send an MS Word file, it may be stopped by spam blockers. Word is notorious for containing viruses.
- A text file is the most acceptable by any browser, but be sure to add a carriage return at the end of each line; otherwise, the lines of text will run on.
- pdf files are fairly universally accepted.
Auto-Send Options
The Yahoo Groups Help File for automated messages gives the basic information on auto-send conditions, and how to create or add delivery conditions to a file. The categories are as seen in Figure 1, those most important for EVO marked with arrows.
Figure 1. Auto-send categories
Uses of Auto-Delivery for EVO
Probably the most frequently used auto-delivered messages for EVO purposes are
- Upon pending membership - you may need this in December, before the EVO has officially opened. You could have a file directing potential participants to wait until the opening date. Or you could send them to the syllabus or readings while reminding them to return later to officially enroll in your group.
- Upon joining group - This is a good time for an automated greeting and link to the syllabus and other communication media you will be using in the session.
- Upon leaving group - This might be a good time to ask the member to tell you why they are leaving, with your personal email address.
Adding Auto-Send to an existing file
Where the YG Help file seems to have a break (see Figure 1), here are the remaining steps:
1. Choose >Files from the >More menu on your front page (Figure 2).
Figure 2. Selecting a file to auto-send
2. Choose the previously existing file you wish to auto-send from your list of files. Hovering over the file name will show the edit, cut, and delete icons. Select >Edit (Figure 3).
Figure 3.
3. In the resulting edit panel, you will see the file, which can be edited physically at this point, and the >Scheduling options in a pull-down menu (Figure 4).
Figure 4. Scheduling options for existing file.
4. Select the option you want, and be sure to click the large >SAVE button before leaving the page (Figure 4).
EVO is a project of TESOL's CALL IS
last updated 25 October 2013 by E. Hanson-Smith