RWV.groups.io Setup Guide

To promote consistency across RWV.groups.io email groups, and to assure the security and privacy of the groups, the set up for all of the RWV.groups.io email groups is similar and tailored for the Riderwood Village context. This page describes the details of the groups.io settings for RWV.groups.io groups.

Create a Subgroup

Each new email group organizer completes an online Google form that includes the following information:

• Sponsoring group name
• Name and email address for two moderators
• An Email Address for the group
• A group Description
• A selection of Public, Private with a managed member list (Invite Only), or Private with subscriber approval (Restricted)
• A selection of either Discussion Group or Distribution List (Announce Only) for the email group

A link to the Google response spreadsheet is available from groups@riderwoodlife.com.

To create a subgroup, in the Main Admin Menu, click on Subgroups -> + New Subgroup.

Fill in the Email Address and Description from the spreadsheet, and then, for Visibility, select

Subgroup not listed in parent group, messages viewable by subgroup members only

For Public groups, this can be changed later to be listed in the parent group, once the subgroup is fully set up.

• Reply “Yes” to the question about Private messages,
• Check the Online Safety Policy box, and
• Click the + Create Subgroup button.
• Ignore the “Your Group Has Been Created!” page that is displayed next.

Email Group Settings

Once the subgroup is created, select the subgroup from My Groups pull-down, and go to
Admin -> Preferences -> Settings
to start setting up the detailed options for the subgroup. This section discusses the non-default settings that are used for the new email group.

Group Title

The Email Address, Description and [SubjectTag] are already entered by default in the Settings screen, but here you will enter a Group Title as well. It is import for consistency that the group’s email address, title, and subject tag be the same string of characters. Each is visible in different contexts, but they all provide an identifier for the email group, so use the Email Address for the Title as well as the [SubjectTag].

Website

If the group has a page on RiderwoodLife.com, enter that as the Website; the URL will be displayed on the subgroup’s home page under Group Information.

PRIVACY

Visibility

The visibility is set when the subgroup is created, but can be changed to either of these two alternatives later.

• Subgroup not listed in parent group, messages viewable by subgroup members only (Private, and initial setup until the email group is ready to go Public)
• Subgroups listed in parent group, messages viewable by subgroup members only (Public, once group is fully functional )

Member list Visibility

• For a Private Discussion group, select Members, so that all members can be aware of the subscriber list.

Email Address Visibility in Archive

• Show email addresses in Message Archive

GROUP TYPE AND MODERATION

For a Distribution List

• Check Announce-only

For Private, with subscriber approval

• Check Restricted Membership

For Private, with managed member list

• Check Invite-Only Group

For a Public Discussion group, don’t check any box.

MESSAGE POLICIES

• Check Disable Editing Messages
• Set Reply To: Sender (Public, Private Distribution List)
• Set Reply To: Group (Private Discussion)

MESSAGE FORMATTING

• Check Force HTML Emails (no plain text digest)

PREMIUM & ENTERPRISE

Note that if a group wants to use any of these features, they could be enabled for the specific email group. Set each feature via the pull-down list of Permission options.

• Calendar is disabled
• Member Directory
  • Public, Private Distribution List) – is disabled
  • Private Discussion – Members
• Chat is disabled
• Databases are disabled
• Files are disabled
• Photos are disabled
• Polls are disabled
• Wiki is disabled

Click UPDATE to save the settings!

Welcome Message Notice

Next click Notice, right below setting, to update the Welcome Message

Groups.io provides a default Welcome message, but for Riderwood email groups, a tailored version is provided. Additional changes can be made if needed for a specific email group.

Hello,

Welcome to the <emailgroup> email group.  Please take a moment to review this message.

<Short description of the email group>

The email address for this group is: <emailgroup>@RWV.groups.io.  You should add this address to your Contacts, so that group emails will not be considered SPAM. (<For Discussion Groups only>) You can also use this email address to post new topics to the group. (<for announce Only> You cannot send email to this address, but if you want to contact the group send an email to <groupname>@RiderwoodLife.com.

If you do not want to belong to this group, you may unsubscribe by sending an email to: <emailgroup>+unsubscribe@RWV.groups.io.

To see and modify all of your groups, go to groups.io and login using your email address. Visit the help center for more information about how the Groups.io website works.

Regards,
RWV.groups.io
https://riderwoodlife.com/rwv-groups/

Cover Photo

A landscape-oriented photo is best, but any reasonable photo can be used. Upload the Photo and then click Set Cover Photo.

Member Labels

Member labels provide a mechanism for moderators to send email messages to selected subscribers. If the subgroup would like to use this feature, then create the member labels they would like to use. This can also be done at any point the group decides to make use of them.

NOW THE SUBGROUP OPTIONS ARE ESTABLISHED!

Subscription Setting for the RWV Groups Admin Account

When a new RWV.group.io email group is created, the RWV Groups Admin subscription options for the group are also established, via the
Subscription -> Settings
screen when accessing the subgroup.

• Email Delivery: No Email
• MEMBER NOTIFICATIONS: all set to None
• MODERATOR NOTIFICATIONS: all set to None
• OWNER EMAIL: all set to None

And click Save to set the Subscription Settings.

The RWV Groups Admin account is the sole owner of all groups, but does not participate in the day-to-day functions of the email group.

Moderator Permission Settings

Once the email group has been set up, the two individual moderators can be added via
Admin -> Membership -> Direct Add
Search for the member from the list, check the box by the name, click Add Members. If the moderator email address is not already in Main, you will need to use the Direct Add in Main first.

Then, in the subgroup Member List screen, click on the member’s Display Name to bring up the Member Screen. Change the Role from Member to Moderator and set following groups.io moderator permissions:

For all subgroup moderators:

• Edit Archives
• Add Members
• Create or Modify Hashtags
• View Member List
• Remove Members

For PRIVATE email groups (Restricted with Approval):

• Approve Pending Members

For DISCUSSION groups (message moderation):

• Approve Pending Messages
• Set Member Subscription Options (needed to flag members as moderated)

If the moderator wants to make use of Member Labels or Colors to categorize the members for filtering the member list:

• Set Member Subscription Options (Note that creation of Member Labels requires set up by a moderator with additional permissions)

If a moderator needs to make additional changes to the basic group Settings, then they may need a final permission:

• Modify Group Settings

Don’t forget to save!

groups@riderwoodlife.com

All email groups are created and owned by the RWV Groups Admin account. This account is associated with the groups@riderwoodlife.com forwarding email address. All email addresses in the forwarding list can login as the RWV Groups Admin groups.io account and assume the role of the Computer Club administrator. The email addresses in the list can be updated by a RiderwoodLife.com Admin, so the RWV.groups.io responsibilities can be passed to new volunteers as the need arises.

The RWV Groups Admin account is also responsible for monthly backups (downloads) of the list of Main members; group moderators are responsible for backing up their individual lists.

Subscriber Approvals in Main

To assure that only Riderwood residents can subscribe to any RWV.Groups.io email group, the Main group is set up as Restricted. When a new user attempts to subscribe to any RWV.groups.io email group, moderators of Main are notified. The Computer Club moderators check the email address against the Resident Directory of MyErickson to confirm that the user’s email is a valid resident email address. Here are the basic steps:

• Use a personal account for approvals, not the RWV Groups Admin account; save the RWV Groups Admin account for subgroup setup only.
  
• Check for Riderwood residency
  
  – If the email address is in MyErickson, approve the new member and then update the Display Name to be the same as in MyErickson.
  
  – If the email address is NOT in MyErickson, then 

        Send an email to the applicant 

Subscriptions to this email group are restricted to residents of our community. This email address is not in the Resident Directory. Please respond with your complete name and postal address, including apartment number, so that we can authenticate your residency status.

• If the subscriber replies and is a Riderwood resident, approve the new member and update the Display Name.

If their name is in MyErickson with a different email address, send a follow-up email suggesting they update MyErickson to use the subscription email address.

If you wish to change your Resident Directory email address, you can do so only by changing your MyErickson login, since MyErickson automatically uses that email address as your default email address. To change your email address (and therefore your My Erickson login), please contact the Erickson Resident Computer Services at 800-677-0211, and they will be happy to assist you

• Finally, check for MULTIPLE subscriber email addresses

Go to Main Admin -> Subgroups -> Members and search for the resident Name (possibly in various forms)

If there are multiple email addresses, send an email to the resident about requiring Computer Club membership if they want to use more than one email address for RWV.groups.io.

You are using two email addresses in RWV.groups.io, address1 for XX and YY, and address2 for ZZ.  It is best to use only one email address for all your RWV email groups, preferably the same one you have listed in MyErickson, address1.

Since you are currently a member of the Computer Club, both email addresses are permitted, but please continue to maintain your Computer Club membership if you would like to continue to use both addresses.

or

Please join the Computer Club if you would like to continue to use two different email addresses for RWV.groups.io.

Computer Club moderators are also responsible for removing subscribers from Main when they pass away or move out of Riderwood. The removal from Main automatically removes the subscriber from all of the subscribed email groups as well.

Last Updated 9/13/26