Lab 0 - Slack Setup

Questions, discussions, and announcements in this class will all make use of Slack, which is a channel-based messaging platform. Slack will provide a convenient, efficient way to communicate with me, the LAs, your classmates, and your team (for group assignments).

Slack will be used in preference to all other written forms of communication outside of class, including (and especially) email. Once you have Slack set up, do not send me email; send me a direct message (DM) on Slack instead! Similarly, I will post important announcements and information to Slack instead of sending email. Therefore, it is critical that you are configured to receive Slack notifications so you do not miss important information from me.

Joining the Slack

Follow these steps to get set up to use the Slack:

1. First, watch this 1-minute video to get a quick overview of how Slack works.
2. Join the CSCI 2101 Slack by going to this course on Blackboard and clicking on "CSCI 2101 Slack Signup" on the landing page. Sign up using your Bowdoin email. Once you have done this (once), you will be able to access the Slack via the regular "CSCI 2101 Slack" link also posted on the Blackboard landing page.
3. Download the Slack desktop app. While you can also access Slack via the web interface, the desktop app is more seamless and may encourage you to check in more regularly (like a dedicated email client). You can also install the Slack mobile app if desired.
4. Configure your Slack notifications. As mentioned above, I will use Slack instead of email to make important announcements, so it is critical that you are notified of such announcements. Set your notifications to either "All new messages" or "Direct messages, mentions & keywords". At the bottom of the Notifications preferences, under "When I'm not active on desktop", you may want to check the "Send me email notifications" box, particularly if you might otherwise not be signed into Slack on a regular basis (you can always change these settings later on).
5. From within Slack, send your section's instructor a DM with your favorite food. Sending this message constitutes 'submitting' your lab.

Slack Channels

The Slack contains three public channels, which are visible to everyone across both sections of CSCI 2101: general (for course-wide announcements), labs (for discussion of lab assignments), and random (for anything off-topic). You will also be added to two channels that are specific to your section (A or B): announce_a or announce_b for section-specific announcements (e.g., important dates) and inclass_a or inclass_b for discussion of in-class material. You can also create (private) DM threads with multiple participants.

Now that you are set up in Slack, you are ready to proceed with the rest of the course and get help along the way as needed!