SETTING UP A DISCUSSION GROUP IN YAHOO

1.      First of all, go to http://groups.yahoo.com and log in with your user ID and password.

2.      Next click on "Start a Group".

Step 1 of 4

3.      Choose the category , eg "Schools and Education" and then "Distance Learning". 

4.      Then click on "Place my group in Distance Learning."

Step 2 of 4

5.      Enter the name of your group , eg Phil's group.

6.      Enter your group email address, eg if you call it PHILG then the address will be PHILG@yahoogroups.com. 

Tip: make the accronym for the group short so that when members receive messages from the group, they will see something like "[PHILG] Test message".  The longer the accronym for the group, the more of the subject line it will obscure, making it difficult for group members to know what the email is about.

7.      Provide a description of the group, eg "This group has been set up by me as a test."

8.      Select primary language, eg English

9.      Select directory listing type.  If your group is for a course you are running, I suggest you choose Unlisted (click in the circle).

10. Select membership type.  Again, if your group is for a course you are running, I suggest you choose Closed.

11. Leave the box next to "Allow members to hide their email address" blank.

12. Select moderation type.  I suggest Unmoderated for a course group.

13. Click on Continue

Step 3 of 4

14. Select your Yahoo profile - you shouldn't have to do anything here.

15. Click on Continue

Step 4 of 4

We are going to skip this step for the purposes of this practice, but if you are setting up a group for a course you are running, I suggest you choose "Directly subscribe members".  I also suggest you paste in email addresses from your address book to ensure you do not make any typing mistakes (typos).

16. But for the moment, click on "Skip This Step"

Step 5

You should now see a page congratulating you on successfully setting up your group.

You will see the name of your group, the URL of the group's homepage and the group's email address.  When you set up an egroup for real, you might like to print this page for reference.

17. Now click on "View your group page" and then click on "Group Settings".

Step 7

On the Group Settings page you can change various settings for the group, eg whether to allow members to send email attachments to the group.  I suggest that you do not allow this to avoid the rapid dissemination of viruses.

Deleting a group

Also on the Group Settings page you can delete the group you have set up. 

18. In the bottom right hand corner you will see Delete This Group..  Click on it and you will be asked to confirm you want to delete the group. 

19. Click on Confirm and then you have to give a reason for deleting the group, eg "Test only"