Discussion Groups

About Discussion Groups

Alumni.Harvard discussion groups serve as a forum for alumni to communicate about a variety of topics.  Discussion groups are email listservs which are also accessible on the web through Alumni.Harvard.  To join a discussion group or start a new discussion group, visit the Discussion Groups section of Alumni.Harvard.

Activating an Email Address

You will need to have an activated email address in order to join discussion groups or start a new discussion group.  We recommend that you do not use a forwarding address (such as a Post.Harvard address) for discussion groups, as you will need to send from your activated email address when posting messages to a group.  Please follow the instructions below to activate your email address.

  1. Go to the Discussion Groups section of Alumni.Harvard, and click on the Edit my profile link.  To access this page, you will need to sign in with your Alumni.Harvard user ID and password.
  2. Type in your email address in the "add a new email address" field and click the "add email address" button.  This should cause your new email address to appear in the "email settings" area.
  3. Click on the "activate" button next to your email address (if there is no "activate" button, this means the email address has already been activated).  This will send an email to you with an activation code.  If you do not receive an email, click the "(re)send activation email" button.
  4. Go to your email account and check for an email with an activation code.  Type the activation code from the email you received into the "activation code" field.

Joining a Group

To join a discussion group, go to the Discussion Groups section of Alumni.Harvard.  You can browse discussion groups by category, or search for groups by name.

When you have found a group that you wish to join, follow the steps below to subscribe.

  1. Click on the group's name.
  2. Click on the "Group Details" link to subscribe
  3. Fill in or select the following information under "Subscribe to this group"
    • Your full name
    • Your email address
      If you have activated your email address, it will appear in the drop-down list.  If your email address is not listed, click on the Manage activated email addresses link, and follow steps 2-4 in the email address activation instructions, above.
    • Your preferred delivery mode
      Web access only.  You will not receive posts via email, but can check the message archives on the web.
      Receive individual email posts.  You will receive each posting to the group as an individual message.
      Receive a summary digest once a day.  You will receive one message per day with a summary of the messages.
      Receive one email a day with all postings attached.  You will receive one message per day with the full text of the messages as an attachment.
    • Your acknowledgment preferences
  4. Click the "Subscribe" button

Unsubscribing from a Group

To unsubscribe from a discussion group, follow the procedure below.

  1. Go to the Discussion Groups section of Alumni.Harvard, and click on View my groups.
  2. Click on the name of the discussion group that you want to leave.
  3. Click on the "Group details" link.
  4. Click the "Unsubscribe" button, at the bottom of the page.

Modifying Subscription Settings

To change your settings once you have subscribed to a group (e.g. to change your email address or your mode of delivery), follow the instructions below.

  1. Go to the Discussion Groups section of Alumni.Harvard, and click on View my groups.
  2. Click on the name of the discussion group whose settings you want to change.
  3. Click on the "Group details" link.
  4. Edit your name, email address, delivery mode, and/or acknowledgement preferences.  If you are trying to change your email address and your desired email address does not appear on the list, click on the Manage activated email addresses link, and follow steps 2-4 in the email address activation instructions, above.
  5. Click on "Modify Subscription Settings."

Posting Messages to a Group

You can post a message to a discussion group by simply sending a message to the group's email address.  You can find the discussion group's email address in the "From" line of any messages previously posted to the group.

In order for your message to be accepted, they must be sent from the email address that you used when subscribing to the group.  If you are not able to send from that address or if you wish to use a different email address, you can change your address using the Modify subscription settings instructions, above.

In addition, you can post a message to the group online, using the instructions below.

  1. Go to the Discussion Groups section of Alumni.Harvard, and click on View my groups.
  2. Click on the name of the discussion group.
  3. Click on the "Post a Message" link.
  4. Compose the subject and body of your message, and click on "Post this Message."

When you post a message to a group by either method, only plain text will be submitted, and attachments will not be included.

Viewing Message Archives

In addition to receiving messages via email, you can view an archive of the group's messages online.  Please note that you usually need to be subscribed to a group in order to view the message archives To view a discussion group's message archives, follow the instructions below.

  1. Go to the Discussion Groups section of Alumni.Harvard, and click on View my groups.
  2. Click on the name of the discussion group.
  3. Click on the "Message Archives" link.

Requesting a New Group

Alumni can start new discussion groups.  To request a new discussion group, go to the Discussion Groups section of Alumni.Harvard, click on Create a new group, and fill in the requested information.  Please note that you will need to use an activated email address for "owner email addresses;" if your email address is not activated, please follow the email address activation instructions, above.  After completing the form, you should hear back shortly about whether your request for a new group was accepted.

Still need help?  Contact the Help Desk for assistance.