Slack vs. Socialtext (discontinued)

I would definitely recommend Slack to everyone who needs a messaging platform for work. The thing that I most appreciate on Slack is the possibility of talking to my coworkers without using my personal number or personal apps. This way, I can separate what is work and what is not. Slack even has the option to mute notifications after work hours. I'm able to keep track of every project and discuss them in an easy and fast way. Another great thing is that you can keep and check the history of channels and groups, this way the discussions are never lost when someone joins the project in the middle of it or someone leaves, the history is always there. The only thing that bothers me in the platform is the system of threads, where you can easily lose the messages cause they look kind of hidden. If you have multiple subjects with someone and the person only responds in threads, it's very common to lose their messages.

Incentivized

We use Social Text as a platform to air our issues with different departments. We voice our concerns and suggestions so we can help find a solution to the problems we incur on a daily basis. We need to have social text as an app so we can communicate in real time not only during work hours.

• Organize threads of project content - WAY easier than having multiple emails
• Provide the ability for others to observe communication on projects or topics that they aren't directly involved in
• Create a space to share universal business announcements
• Create spaces for topics that are fun

Incentivized

• Version history - Always keeps the edited versions and one can revert back any time
• Creating and Editing an article is very easy and intutive
• Sharing the articles with peers

• While threads exist to keep conversations organized, managing and finding threads within channels can be cumbersome. Enhancements in thread management and search capabilities could be beneficial.
• Slack has a limit on the size of files that can be directly uploaded. Increasing this limit or providing smoother integration with external file-sharing services could be beneficial.
• Managing guest access can be cumbersome, and simplifying the process for inviting and controlling guest users would be beneficial.
• Slack primarily operates within individual workspaces, making it challenging to collaborate across different workspaces. Enhancing features for inter-workspace communication could improve collaboration for organizations with multiple Slack instances.

Incentivized

• Search needs a ton of improvements. It was very slow a year ago
• Search result quality was also not that good
• I know they have improved their UI recently but when i used it last year it did not really have any design elements which could be used to make the articles look more presentable. It was important for us as we used it for external communication as well.

As useful as Slack has become within our company, I feel fairly confident we will continue to use Slack as a communication tool. They continue to improve their software and add value to its use within our office. Customer service delivers, which is an absolute must. Looking forward to how they improve.

Incentivized

We have a lot of info in Socialtext already. It would be hard to get all that info out and port it to a different system

As long as you use the basic chat features and nothing more, it really is super easy to understand and use. Once you want to take advantage of some of the more advanced features and capabilities, that's when things get complicated. Anyone who has use SMS or a chat program before will be able to figure out the basics though, so rolling this out should be relatively straightforward and not required exhaustive training. Teaching chat etiquette is something else though.

I've never had to contact support for Slack which is a great testament to its ease and use. Adding people outside of the organization takes a little getting used to, but ultimately allows for greater collaboration between FTE and contractors. There is no clear alternative to this software, so it's the best we can do for now.

It always helps if you communicate to everyone in the organization how important it is to drop whatever other chat tools they are using and jump quickly to Slack. They will all fall in love with it.

Incentivized

Microsoft Teams got very confusing for me with all of the tabs and different things to learn how to use it. I felt that Slack has a much cleaner look and makes it easy for anyone to learn how to use. I also like how it integrates seamlessly into our Google/mac workspace!

Incentivized

I frankly like Confluence better than socialtext because of the speed and the quality of search. They also have better design elements which can help make the articles pleasant to the eyes.

• Allowing our team to communicate, especially in a remote-first environment is invaluable
• Sharing sensitive information securely is a great feature so we don't have to rely on other software
• Direct communication with our clients through Slack Connect helps us reach a larger audience and therefore increases our opportunity for revenue

Incentivized

• We get solutions to concerns much faster
• We promote interactions with the other depts
• We listen and have discussions