Google Power Tools Bible

When you create a Google Group, you create a type of mailing list. Mailing lists are composed of members who join the list. Most mailing lists allow you to receive individual messages as they are sent or to receive a digest of the messages. Google Groups actually gives you two more choices: reading your messages on the Web and receiving a summary of the messages.

There are many parallels to running a Google Group and managing an e-mail list. You can moderate the messages sent to the group, restrict access to the list, or allow anyone to opt in to the list. To opt in means to choose to be part of a list, unlike spam messages that make you a member and then force you to opt out to stop receiving unwanted e-mail.

Follow all the steps earlier in this chapter for creating a group. When you create the group, think of the group as an e-mail list rather than as a passive place to post messages, and configure the group with this in mind.

The main difference between using Google Groups as mailing lists is that most mailing list managers have special e-mail addresses where commands can be sent. Some of the commands understood by these list manager programs include the ability to unsubscribe from the list, change to receiving real-time or digest messages, and choose the message format - text or HTML. Your list members need to use their Google Groups Web interface to change their settings.