Guide to using Slack

Need some help getting Slack to work for you? Here is all the information you need!

Introduction

Using Slack as a GGJ Site Organiser is a requirement when you sign up to run a GGJ site. It allows the GGJ management team to connect with you, as well as being an important channel for major announcements, and a great way to connect with the hundreds of other Site Organisers all over the world!

Making an account

Once you have spoken to the RO, and confirmed that your site will be running, they will either send you an email invite, or a link to get you on to the GGJ Slack. Use a username where people will be able to identify you easily, and make sure you add your site name into your profile description so that if you post photos or questions, we know what site these are from!

What channels you should join

There are loads of channels in the GGJ Slack, and this can be a bit overwhelming at first! You don't need to pay attention to everything all at once, and if you find it all a bit too much, we ask you to at least pay attention to the #announcments channel, which is where all the important information about deadlines, diversifiers, keynotes and themes will appear.

Other channels we recommend keeping an eye on:

• #general - for general conversation among all of the SOs, ROs and others for GGJ that year.

• #help - your first place to go for a quick community response, or to get ideas for your jam.

• #photos - post photos from your jam site here so we can see how you are getting on, and for a chance to be included in the official GGJ Facebook album of the year!

• #posters - if you are going to make a poster for your site, we would love to see it here, as we collect them all together in an album each year. Also your chance to see others creative work.

• #random - more causal chit-chat.

• #stories-and-games - tell us a story from your jam site this year.

• #streaming - post information about any streaming you are doing from your site, and tune into others.

• #gamesiplayedandloved - share games from your site which you particularly enjoyed.

How to directly message someone

The first thing we ask you to do as a new SO is to message your RO. That way we know that you have figured out some Slack functionality, and also can find your first point of contact! Your RO will help you whenever they can, however for quick response - especially as we go closer to jam time - we recommend you ask in the #help channel. Afterall if you have a question, chances are someone else needs the answer too.

To DM your RO, hit the + in a circle in the lower left corner and pick "Create - Message - Start a conversation in a DM or channel". It will then ask who you wish to message in the "To:" field. Write your RO name to search for them and begin messaging away. Alternatively, you can click on the DMs icon on the left ribbon, and either click the "new message" icon near the filtering icon and proceed as previously explained, or just search for your RO in the "Find a DM" search bar.

Once you DM someone, they may also appear on the left side of the "Home" space under the "Direct messages" group under the list of Channels.

If you get lost or confused, remember to ask for help in the #help channel. Feel free to message @jo or @Hyperimus (Sandro Gonçalves) who will be able to point you in the right direction.

How to set up notifications for you

Slack can sometimes get a bit overwhelming, however you can customise what notifications you receive to make sure you get the more important ones without feeling overwhelmed.

To do this, click the small arrow "˅" next to the name of the Slack group in the top left corner (in this case Global Game Jam), click preferences, then make sure you are in the 'Notifications' subsection.

We recommend you select 'Direct messages, mentions & keywords', which means you will get a notification on an important message or when someone directly addresses you. You can also add in some personal keywords below to get a notification if someone mentions something you are interested in (the country you are based in for example).

Another thing we recommend is setting up the "Notification schedule" below (at least to your phone settings). GGJ is a global event, and so it will always be an unsociable hour somewhere when an announcement is made. You can make sure we don't wake you up by configuring this option!

Whatever settings you have, make sure you check the announcements channel at least once a week as a minimum!

How to set your description and see the descriptions of others

As mentioned above, it is really helpful for us if you list your GGJ role, and what site you are involved with in your Slack description. To do this: click your profile picture in the lower left corner, and click "Profile" from the options available on the pop-up menu, this will open a side panel with your details. Click any "Edit" option to open the "Edit your profile" window. Under the "Title" box add your role and location, for example: "SO for Brighton, UK". Since you are there, you may as well fill other fields you feel are pertinent to you. Don't forget to click the "Save Changes" button.

What "pinned" items are and how to see them

After paying attention to the #announcements channel, pinned items are the next most important thing to learn about in Slack. Each channel may have a number of pinned items, and these are normally important or useful documents and discussions to that channel's topic.

To see pinned items, open any channel and at the top of the screen you will see a "Pins" item. Click on that, and then click on any pinned item to explore that further... you never know what you might find!