# IMPORTANT: Moving from Google Groups to Discourse **URL:** \ **Category:** Support\ **Created:** [May 17, 2017, 4:09pm UTC](https://forum.getodk.org/t/important-moving-from-google-groups-to-discourse/6610 "2017-05-17T16:09:00Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![yanokwa](https://getodk.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.getodk.org/yanokwa/32/1695_2.png) [@yanokwa](https://forum.getodk.org/u/yanokwa)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 4:09pm UTC](https://forum.getodk.org/t/important-moving-from-google-groups-to-discourse/6610/1 "2017-05-17T16:09:00Z")
Hi all, We have used Google Groups as our mode of communication for eight years now and it’s time for an upgrade! The Program Management Committee ([http://bit.ly/odk-pmc](http://bit.ly/odk-pmc)) has discussed migrating to Discourse and we would like to propose doing a migration over the next few weeks. We strongly believe this move will enable us to have deeper conversations and get more people involved in Open Data Kit. We base this on the lessons learned from other open source projects who also use Discourse. The big six features that Discourse offers over a Google Groups are... - Ability to highlight contributors (e.g., badges for most answers to questions, profiles with links to business) so we can recognize folks who have been major participants in conversations and helped others. - Ability to build sub-forums to enable more focused discussions (e.g., form design, job posts, beta releases) where interested parties can talk in detail without the entire community being notified. - Ability to reduce duplicate posts by showing related questions, stickied posts, etc. - Ability to add features like FAQ, voting for features, @mentioning relevant parties, analytics on activity. - Ability to keep engaging the community by sending out weekly emails with most active discussions. - Ability for folks to keep using Discourse as a plain old mailing list. To see Discourse in action, check out [https://talk.openmrs.org/categories](https://talk.openmrs.org/categories) and see how OpenMRS is using it to bring developers, implementers, and users together. Note also that all mailing list posts would be migrated from the existing lists so that you can claim and own your old posts and we can start recognizing major contributors immediately! I was contacted by someone wanting to volunteer his IT experience a couple of months ago and he has set up all the infrastructure needed for Discourse and to migrate the existing lists (thanks Mike!). I would like to do this as soon as possible because it will help identify the people in the community who can inform concept notes, the convening, and help us get more feedback on the big changes we are making in the tools. Before I share a detailed plan for the transition, I wanted to run the overall idea by the community. Your comments, concerns, and ideas are welcome! Thanks, Yaw ---
**Author:** ![downey](https://getodk.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.getodk.org/downey/32/1630_2.png) [@downey](https://forum.getodk.org/u/downey)\ **Post date:** [May 17, 2017, 11:03pm UTC](https://forum.getodk.org/t/important-moving-from-google-groups-to-discourse/6610/2 "2017-05-17T23:03:27Z")
Hey there everyone. As the person who led the transition from Google Groups to Discourse for the OpenMRS project (the example Yaw listed in his previous message), I'm happy to share our experiences or help find answers to questions that anyone has about one vs. the other. I am really mostly a lurker here on these lists, but can add one small summary statement to Yaw's excellent overview: Generally speaking, Discourse will allow you to interact with ODK communications in the way that fits your needs best. (Email, occasional browsing of one "list" or "category", or searching across all the various areas of conversation within the community.) Searching for past conversations is much easier, and similar to Slack, Discourse can even add a little "fun" into the process for those who appreciate such things. Looking forward to watching the growth of the community, regardless of communication strategy going forward. Cheers, Michael ---
**Author:** ![dkayiwa](https://getodk.b-cdn.net/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/d/9fc348/32.png) [@dkayiwa](https://forum.getodk.org/u/dkayiwa)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2017, 7:40am UTC](https://forum.getodk.org/t/important-moving-from-google-groups-to-discourse/6610/3 "2017-05-18T07:40:41Z")
I just want to add my voice here that having had both experiences from the very first time OpenMRS started to use google groups to when Michael Downey took us through a transition to Discourse, i confess that though i was at first hesitant to the new changes, i finally came to appreciate why this transition was a MUST for the growth of our community! Thanks, Daniel > **···** > > On Thu, May 18, 2017 at 2:03 AM, Michael Downey \< mdowney@digitalimpactalliance.org\> wrote: > > > Hey there everyone. As the person who led the transition from Google > > Groups to Discourse for the OpenMRS project (the example Yaw listed in his > > previous message), I'm happy to share our experiences or help find answers > > to questions that anyone has about one vs. the other. > > > > I am really mostly a lurker here on these lists, but can add one small > > summary statement to Yaw's excellent overview: Generally speaking, > > Discourse will allow you to interact with ODK communications in the way > > that fits your needs best. (Email, occasional browsing of one "list" or > > "category", or searching across all the various areas of conversation > > within the community.) Searching for past conversations is much easier, and > > similar to Slack, Discourse can even add a little "fun" into the process > > for those who appreciate such things. > > > > Looking forward to watching the growth of the community, regardless of > > communication strategy going forward. > > > > Cheers, > > Michael > > > > -- > > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > > "ODK Developers" group. > > To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an > > email to [opendatakit-developers+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com](mailto:opendatakit-developers+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com). > > > > For more options, visit [https://groups.google.com/d/optout](https://groups.google.com/d/optout). > > -- > If we keep uppermost in our minds the unkind and unjust acts of others, we > shall find it impossible to love them as Christ has loved us; but if our > thoughts dwell upon the wondrous love and pity of Christ for us, the same > spirit will flow out to others. ---
**Author:** ![yanokwa](https://getodk.b-cdn.net/user_avatar/forum.getodk.org/yanokwa/32/1695_2.png) [@yanokwa](https://forum.getodk.org/u/yanokwa)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2017, 9:06pm UTC](https://forum.getodk.org/t/important-moving-from-google-groups-to-discourse/6610/4 "2017-05-25T21:06:02Z")
Hi all, Thanks to those of you who have written in to say you’re excited about Discourse! No one has voiced objection so I think we should proceed. There isn’t going to be a perfect time to do this, so I think we should do it sooner rather than later. My plan for the transition is as follows. Monday – June 29th, 8 am PDT - Post transition reminder to mailing lists - Post transition announcement to website, Twitter, Facebook Thursday – June 1st, 8 am PDT - Post transition reminder to mailing lists Friday – June 2nd, 8 am PDT - Put mailing lists in read-only mode - Start migration of mailing list threads to Discourse Sunday – June 4th, 8 am PDT - Open Discourse server to the public - Update Google Groups to point people to Discourse - Post update to website, Twitter, Facebook Note that there may be up to 48 hours of unavailability of the mailing lists between Friday the 2nd and Sunday the 4th as we migrate everything over! To keep everyone in the loop, I will be on [http://slack.opendatakit.org](http://slack.opendatakit.org) in the #meta channel during the transition with play-by-play updates. I’ll also post major updates to status on [http://twitter.com/opendatakit](http://twitter.com/opendatakit). Thanks, Yaw > **···** > > On Thu, May 18, 2017 at 2:40 AM, Daniel Kayiwa wrote: \> I just want to add my voice here that having had both experiences from the \> very first time OpenMRS started to use google groups to when Michael Downey \> took us through a transition to Discourse, i confess that though i was at \> first hesitant to the new changes, i finally came to appreciate why this \> transition was a MUST for the growth of our community! \> \> Thanks, \> Daniel \> \> On Thu, May 18, 2017 at 2:03 AM, Michael Downey wrote: \>\> \>\> Hey there everyone. As the person who led the transition from Google \>\> Groups to Discourse for the OpenMRS project (the example Yaw listed in his \>\> previous message), I'm happy to share our experiences or help find answers \>\> to questions that anyone has about one vs. the other. \>\> \>\> I am really mostly a lurker here on these lists, but can add one small \>\> summary statement to Yaw's excellent overview: Generally speaking, Discourse \>\> will allow you to interact with ODK communications in the way that fits your \>\> needs best. (Email, occasional browsing of one "list" or "category", or \>\> searching across all the various areas of conversation within the \>\> community.) Searching for past conversations is much easier, and similar to \>\> Slack, Discourse can even add a little "fun" into the process for those who \>\> appreciate such things. \>\> \>\> Looking forward to watching the growth of the community, regardless of \>\> communication strategy going forward. \>\> \>\> Cheers, \>\> Michael \>\> \>\> -- \>\> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups \>\> "ODK Developers" group. \>\> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an \>\> email to opendatakit-developers+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. \>\> \>\> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout. \> \> \> \> \> -- \> If we keep uppermost in our minds the unkind and unjust acts of others, we \> shall find it impossible to love them as Christ has loved us; but if our \> thoughts dwell upon the wondrous love and pity of Christ for us, the same \> spirit will flow out to others. \> \> -- \> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups \> "ODK Developers" group. \> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an \> email to opendatakit-developers+unsubscribe@googlegroups.com. \> \> For more options, visit https://groups.google.com/d/optout.