Slack

Slack is a virtual office space where users can chat to each other one-to-one or in various "Channels" about a given topic. Slack is still to gain a critical mass within the collaboration but it is hoped that it will be a useful tool in the future.

Mu2e has a 'pro' license to slack, which is supported through a rotation of university groups; previously BU, currently Yale. This allows essentially unlimited archives of discussions in the mu2e channels, and allows us to search within channels. Details can be found here

How to Use

Go to slack.com and sign up with your fnal.gov e-mail address. You should be able to see a list of workspaces you can join and "Mu2e" should be one of them.

• if you don't see it in the main list, then go to mu2e.slack.com and you should be able to login directly
• if this does not work, ask anyone who is already a member to invite you. Follow the instructions in the invitation email.

Download the appropriate slack application for your OS (ie from Apple App Store)

Browse the list of channels by clicking "Channels" in the left sidebar and join those you are interested in.

The current, most-used channels are:

• #general
  • all members of the Mu2e "team" join this channel
• #is_it_me_or_a_bug
  • the Slack equivalent of the "HELP! Is it me or a bug?" hypernews forum
• #basicqs
  • a channel for asking any basic question about anything related to the experiment of Fermilab
• #meeting_rides
  • a channel to organise carpooling (e.g. for collaboration meetings)
• #youngmu2e
  • a channel for all Young Mu2e members to chat about anything

Can't find an appropriate channel? Then request a new one by posting to #computing-and-software

Slack archives can be browsed (entries are listed in chronological order) or searched. Search can be global or restricted to specific channels or even threads.

Private discussions with one or a small group of individuals can be started using the Direct messages. These are extremely useful for short-term discussions of active work, more spontaneous and interactive than email, and much easier to navigate the history or search.

Unlike email, Slack allows editing responses. That way typos or errors can be quickly fixed, not saved for eternity as wrong information. The archive of the edit is kept.

Use 'reply in thread' to start a thread. The Slack interface compresses threads so they don't clutter the default view, but they can be expanded as needed.