Title: Share Files, Links and More With Socialtext Signals

You can now use Socialtext Signals to share files and links to web sites and Socialtext workspace pages. You can also use tags to group similar conversations together and make them easier to find via search.

Sharing Files

Using the new Attach File action, you can now add richer content to a conversation including pictures, presentations or documents. If an attached file is an image, a small thumbnail version of it will be shown which can be clicked to display the full sized version.

Sharing Links

One of the most popular uses of Socialtext Signals is sharing links to Socialtext workspace pages and to web sites:

• Linking to a Workspace Page: After clicking the new Insert - Link To A Workspace Page action, lookahead typing will help you select the workspace name and page title. You can optionally link to a specific section in a page and choose the text for the link people will click on.
• Linking to an External Web Page: Using the new Insert - Link To A Web Page action, you enter the address of the web page and optionally enter text for the link.
• Sharing A Web Page As You Surf: To make it even easier to share links there is a new "Signal This!" tool which you can add to the bookmark bar in your browser. Any time you are on a web page you want to share, just click on "Signal This!"and a new Signal will be created for you with a link to the page.

To Install the Signal This! tool:

• Click on Signals in the universal navigation bar at the top of any Socialtext page.
• Scroll to the bottom of the Signals stream, click on the link in the sentence "Tip: Use the Signal This! bookmarklet to share any page on the web via Signals."
• Follow the instructions on the Signals Bookmarklet page.

Using Tags to Group Topics

Tags are a useful way to group similar topics together. For example, you may wish to tag all Signals about deals your company wins as "Customer Win." Tags can be added either via the Insert - Tag action or if you're familiar with the Twitter "hashtag" convention you can begin a tag using "#" followed by one word. You can click on a tag that appears with any Signal to open a list of all Signals containing that tag. You can also search by tag, using the convention "tag: tagname" where "tagname" is the tag you are searching for.

These new features make it easier than ever to share information and engage with your business colleagues using Socialtext Signals.

Release notes: http://www.socialtext.net/help-en/index.cgi?release_notes_for_socialtext_4_3_add_files_links_tags_to_signals

Release Notes for Socialtext 4.2 - Groups Directory and Self-Join Groups

Socialtext Groups are a fantastic way for people to work together around common goals or interests. In Socialtext 4.2 we've made it easy to create new groups and join existing groups. We've also simplified the administration of workspaces via tighter integration with groups.

Group Directory

To access the new Group Directory click on Groups in the universal navigation bar at the top of any Socialtext screen. Features of the Group Directory include:

1. My Groups: Lists the groups you are currently a member of. The groups people belong to are also displayed on their Socialtext profile.
2. All Available Groups: Displays all the groups you can join. Private groups are not displayed in this list, and require an invitation from the group’s administrator to join.
3. Create New Group: To start a new group click the button then fill in the required information. TIP: Before creating a new group you should use the search box at the top right to see if a similar group already exists.

Group Types

There are currently two types of groups in Socialtext.

1. Self-Join Group: These are listed in the Group Directory as shown above. You can discover them either by browsing the directory or using search. Everyone in the company can join these groups without approval from the group's administrator.
2. Private Group: These are not listed in the Group Directory. In order for people to join they must be invited by one of the group's administrators.

Workspace Administration

To simplify administration, workspaces are now created and managed via groups. For example: to create a workspace that your Sales team can use:

1. Create a Sales group
2. Add members to the group
3. Either add an existing workspace or create a new workspace for the group

Now when you add or remove people from the Sales group they will automatically gain or lose access to the workspace.

Groups are a key element in helping people work together. We encourage you to set up several groups around departments, projects, company wide initiatives, and common areas of interest where people with similar hobbies can meet. With groups in place you can then communicate with the members via Signals microblogging and share pages with them in Socialtext workspaces. To learn more about using groups, please visit the free training resources listed below.

Michael Idinopulos
VP, Professional Services and Customer Success
Socialtext

Free Training Resources

• Getting Started Tutorials - A series of step by step videos and instructions that help you learn about some of the key features of Socialtext
• Socialtext's YouTube channel - Watch product overviews and feature demonstrations

For Administrators

More detailed release notes, bug fixes and usability improvements for Socialtext 4.2 are documented in the Help workspace.
A version of this email is also available on the web in the Socialtext Customer Exchange.

For Appliance Administrators
If you have an on-site appliance, we encourage you to upgrade as soon as possible.
To do so, from the appliance console run the following command as the user "socialtext" (you may be prompted for a password): sudo st-appliance-update

Be part of the conversation with Socialtext Signals

Join The Conversation

Socialtext Signals makes it easy for you to share information and participate in conversations with your colleagues. Signals now places responses below the original topic, making it easy for you to follow discussions. Click on the image below to watch a short overview video highlighting the new design.

Share A Link To A Signal

Since a great deal of valuable corporate knowledge is now being shared inside Signals, it is important that you be able to reference past conversations. To facilitate this, each Signal now has a permanent address that displays the message on a web page in context with the discussion it was part of. Click on the image below to watch a short video explaining how to use Signals Permalinks.

Monitor Important Information

Finally, there is a new way you can follow the stream of information in Signals. You can already use a web browser, the Socialtext Desktop client, and your mobile device, and now you have an additional method called "popout streams." A popout stream allows you to open a separate browser window (or multiple), so you can continue using your main browser window for doing other work. Popout streams allow you to filter the information to display the messages that are most important to you. Click on the image below to watch a short video that shows you how to use this convenient new method for monitoring Socialtext Signals.

In addition to the normal Socialtext Help documentation, for this release we've also provided a page titled "Conversations in Signals FAQ," that covers many of the questions you may have. You can access the documentation any time by clicking on Help in the top right corner of any Socialtext screen.

We know that some of the greatest ideas and insights come from open conversations with your peers. With the latest version of Socialtext you can now easily share information, participate in discussions, and keep up to date with the latest activities all across your organization. We hope that you find Socialtext Signals to be an invaluable business tool. As always, we love to hear stories about how Socialtext is helping your company succeed.

Michael Idinopulos
VP, Professional Services and Customer Success
Socialtext

I'm so excited to tell you about the new release of Socialtext 4.0. Our latest version enables you to collaborate in new ways around projects, challenges and opportunities. Socialtext 4.0 delivers several new capabilities including microblogging channels and filtered activity streams to help you digest the information you and your colleagues are sharing throughout the day.

"The focus of our enterprise social software has always been to accelerate business performance for our customers, by giving their people new ways to share knowledge and expertise" says Eugene Lee, Socialtext's CEO.

"Socialtext 4.0 takes that an extra step forward. It allows people to circulate information, ideas and updates in a targeted way with teammates, so they can move quickly to take advantage of new opportunities."

Click the image below to watch a short video of Socialtext 4.0

A Quick Look At Socialtext 4.0

• Collaborative Groups - You can now easily work with others, organized around a common task, project, or goal. Groups provide the social software tools you need to quickly circulate knowledge, ideas, and updates among team members. Each group has a home page with an activity stream of updates, a dedicated microblogging channel for communication, and one or more workspaces to share content.
• Microblogging Channels - Socialtext Signals, our secure enterprise microblogging tool, now enables you to filter the display by the group that messages belong to. Would you like to view all the Signals from just the "Sales" group? Simply choose the group name from the drop down menu to see their Signals. You can post a Signal to any group you belong to, or to all of them.
• Activity Stream Filtering — Activity streams show you what your colleagues are doing, such as editing pages, making comments, and sending Signals. With Socialtext 4.0, you can view the activity stream of any group to which you belong, so you can quickly zero in on what the members are working on. You can also view the activity stream of any individual, of all the people you follow, or of the entire company.

Click the image below to watch a short video of Socialtext Groups

Free User Training

 Would you like to learn more about how to use Socialtext? It is easy with our free training resources:

• Watch recorded training sessions at your convenience
• Watch videos on the Socialtext YouTube channel

I'm sure you'll enjoy the many benefits of Socialtext 4.0. If you are a Socialtext Administrator, please see the additional information below.

Michael Idinopulos
VP, Professional Services and Customer Success
Socialtext

For Administrators

More detailed release notes, bugfixes and usability improvements for Socialtext 4.0 are available in the Help workspace.

For Appliance Administrators

If you have an on-site appliance, we encourage you to upgrade as soon as possible. To do so, from the appliance console run the following command as the user "socialtext" (you may be prompted for a password): sudo st-appliance-update

With the latest release of Socialtext, we've made it a lot easier for you and your colleagues to work together. We do this via our newest feature, Socialtext Groups.

We know that projects often require two or more people working together to complete the task. With Socialtext Groups, people now have a virtual gathering place, complete with the social software tools they need to share information and get work done.

Individuals can create groups that represent a variety of different communities: project teams, interest groups, events, and more. You can also synchronize Socialtext Groups with existing groups in your company's directory. For example, departmental groups like Sales or Marketing.

Access and create Socialtext Groups from the universal navigation bar

With Socialtext Groups, teams can easily stay connected, informed, and synchronized. Let's take a look at some of the ways Groups can help you.

Choose Your Target Audience

Socialtext Signals provides private microblogging, enabling you and your colleagues to openly share information, ask questions, provide status updates, etc. Now when you send a Signal you can choose which Group you would like to receive the information. You can post to everyone in your company, or maybe just the members of the Sales team for example. Similarly, when reading Signals you can choose to display all messages you have access to, or just those from a specific Group.

Choose which group you wish to send Signals to.

Filter The Flow Of Information

Socialtext activity streams enable you to see when pages are updated, tags are added, comments are made, etc. Now with Socialtext Groups you can filter the activity stream to display only the events related to a specific group. For example, you can see the pages being edited or the comments being made by members of The Green Team.

Image 3: Filter the activity stream to show events from a specific group.

We know that Socialtext Groups are going to make it much simpler for you to share information, and discover new content and new people within your organization. There are going to be many exciting new features added to Groups in upcoming releases, so we encourage you to starts using Socialtext Groups today.

Free User Training

Would you like to learn more about how to use Socialtext? It is easy with our free training classes:

• Sign up for an upcoming live webinar
• Watch a recorded version
• Visit the Socialtext Youtube channel

If you are a Socialtext Administrator at your company, please see the additional information below. Otherwise, I hope you enjoy the new Groups feature.

Ross Mayfield
Chairman, President & Co-founder
Socialtext

For Administrators

More detailed release notes, bugfixes and usability improvements for 3.7.3 and 3.7.4 are available in the Help workspace.
A version of this email is also available on the web in the Socialtext Customer Exchange.

For Appliance Administrators

If you have an on-site appliance, we encourage you to upgrade as soon as possible. To do so, from the appliance console run the following command as the user "socialtext" (you may be prompted for a password): sudo st-appliance-update

In addition to the standard release update process, there are two things you need to know specific to the addition of Groups.

1) If you have LDAP groups enabled on your appliance, you will need to run the command: sudo -u www-data st-admin index-people after the upgrade which will cause the People database to be updated.

2) If you've previously configured your Socialtext environment to use multiple Accounts and Workspaces to create private Signals channels, you should now convert that setup to the new Groups format. Documentation on the utility to use for the conversation is available in Administration Guide on your server at:

In the new release of Socialtext (3.7) you can now easily look up a colleague's phone number and other contact information, as well as locate people that have specific skills or expertise.

Easily Find The People Your Are Looking For

When you enter a value into the Search People input box, Socialtext returns a list of profiles with matching values from people's names, contact information, and profile tags. You can sort the results by name or relevance, where relevance will put the people more relevant to you higher on the list.

Refine Your Search

You can also narrow the scope, by searching for people based on any of the fields in their profile, or any of the tags. For example, you could search for people that live in London by entering "location: London." Similarly, you can search for people whose profiles contain a certain tag, such as "tag: social media."

Phonetic Searching

Search results will also display matches which sound similar to your query. For example, a search for Chris will also return profiles that contain Kris. This can be extremely helpful when you are not exactly sure how to spell someone's name.

For more information, please see the Help documentation on People Search.

Here are a few of the new Socialtext features available to you in version 3.6.4

Search Socialtext Signals

Did one of your colleagues answer a question, or share a link last week that had information you'd like to find? Now it is easy with integrated Signals search. From either a web browser, or the Socialtext Desktop client you can now locate old signals, and sort the results either chronologiclly, by sender, or by relevance.

Avoid SocialCalc Contention Issues

If you are editing a SocialCalc spreadsheet page, and one of your colleagues updates the page before you save your changes, you are now prompted to either save your work as the newest version, or save your page with a new name.

For Administrators

Here are the 3.6.4 Release Notes.** If you have an on-site appliance, we encourage you to upgrade as soon as possible, from the appliance console. To do so, run the following command as the user "socialtext" (you may be prompted for a password): sudo st-appliance-update

NOTE: Activating the new search capability requires a one-time step in the upgrade process. After running the upgrade command, the system will ask you to accept the standard Java License that is required for a new search engine component. Following the system prompts, type yes to accept the license and go ahead with the update.

To communicate these new features to users, you can post a link to this page in the Socialtext Customer Exchange, or forward this email.

Free User Training

• Watch a recorded version
• Sign up for an upcoming live webinar

Happy Collaborating!

Ross Mayfield
Chairman, President & Co-founder
Socialtext

Your Socialtext software now has a mobile interface that lets you stay connected and updated while on the go. Socialtext Mobile lets you continue to work in Socialtext all ways you do while in the office:

• Participate in microblogging conversations via Socialtext Signals
• Stay up-to-date on what others are working on and sharing via activity streams
• Click to look up a colleague’s profile, and click to communicate with him or her
• Collaborate on workspace content that is automatically shared with others

Socialtext Mobile supports a variety of mobile devices. It is currently in beta, with the beta version supporting Blackberry, iPhone and Android devices.

On supported mobile phones, it automatically detects when you're logging in from a mobile device and gives you an optimized mobile interface.

The URL to access Socialtext is the same whether you are logging in from your computer or your mobile device.

Give it a try!

Watch the video>>

Socialtext 3 Mobile

Socialtext Mobile has been upgraded to deliver the capabilities of Socialtext 3 in a streamlined mobile web interface.

• View and search People
• View and post Signals
• View other Activity Updates

Socialtext 3 Mobile requires a mobile OS and browser with a full implementation of CSS. BlackBerry users require v4.5 or later, for example.

Delete a Signal

Users can now delete a signal that they posted. Account administrators can delete a signal posted by any user. An account administrator is any workspace administrator in any workspace within an account.

Bugfixes and usability improvements

Socialtext 3.6.1 and Socialtext 3.6.2 contain a number of bugfixes and usability improvements.

Fixes in 3.6.2

• The user interface of the "Activities Widget" has minor visual design improvements that look better in all browsers, particularly in Internet Explorer.
• Mobile: numerical values for time missing from display (3082)
• Editing: Inserted wiki page link is added to the wrong table cell (2820)
• Wiki: Italicized text appears smaller than surrounding text in Internet Explorer 6/7
• SocialCalc: Spreadsheet macro in table corrupts page data (3095)
• SocialCalc: User can't edit after receiving an edit contention warning (3052)

Fixes in 3.6.1

• Dashboard: Unable to build tag cloud for all tags (3054)
• Dashboard: Widget additions to gallery appear in activity stream (3046)
• Desktop: Too general search freezes desktop instead of displaying alert (3065)
• Editing: Add a link converts '&' to '&amp' in IE (2484)