Suggestions for an equivalent of Google Groups?

October 26, 2010 12:08 PM

Suggestions for an equivalent for Google Groups?

I've recently begun working for a small company which has, in the past, used Google Groups quite frequently. We are embarking on a new project, but with Google Groups being pulled within our time frame, we're looking for an equivalent.

Since I'm not at all familiar with Google Groups, I can't say exactly which aspects of the programme are the most necessary, but any suggestions will be welcome. We require it mainly because our core team works out of three different locations, as well as corresponding with people around the world, so we need a forum for easy communication and editing of documents from multiple sources.

Price should be either free or very low, but higher priced software may be considered if they're absolutely amazing.

Many thanks in advance, and I will try to answer any specific questions with relation to what we're looking forward to!

posted by Planet F to Technology (7 answers total)

What is your source for the notion that Google Groups will be discontinued? I haven't heard that, can't find an reference to it offhand, and have a hard time believing that it's correct, as Groups is pretty heavily used.

That said, Yahoo Groups provides some similar functionality, although it obviously does not integrate with Google Docs in the same way.
posted by enn at 12:14 PM on October 26, 2010

I am in several google groups and administer two of them and, aside from some scaling back in flexibility, I've heard nothing about them being pulled. The alternative is their predecessor, yahoo groups but I personally hate the yahoo style of sending ads with the email.
posted by Obscure Reference at 12:18 PM on October 26, 2010

Google groups is not being pulled, only the "pages" and "files" features within it: http://groups-announcements.blogspot.com/2010/09/notice-about-pages-and-files.html
posted by comwiz at 12:26 PM on October 26, 2010

And if you need that functionality, wouldn't Google Sites work?
posted by JaredSeth at 12:35 PM on October 26, 2010

If it's for internal stuff, you should be using google apps for your domain for pages and files anyway, i'd think.
posted by empath at 12:37 PM on October 26, 2010

Google Apps For Your Domain (http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/business/index.html) has groups and sites and everything and is intended for internal/closed groups, as empath says. I actually use it for my personal domain even.

But if you're comfortable with groups, it's still around and will be. All that's being removed is the little-used features of pages and files (which sites would provide).
posted by wildcrdj at 12:52 PM on October 26, 2010

Response by poster: All - Thanks so much. We were under the impression that it was being pulled all together. (fwiw, the three of us are entirely internet un-savy). I will relay this happy news!

Thanks again :)
posted by Planet F at 1:06 PM on October 26, 2010