How to Use Slack at Very Friendly
Welcome to our communication HQ! Slack is where we handle day-to-day chatter, quick updates, and file sharing. Unlike email (which is slow) or texting (which is messy), Slack keeps our conversations organized by topic. This is the primary internal communication device at Very Friendly.
Finding Your Way Around
The sidebar on the left is your navigation map. It is divided into two main sections:
# Channels
These are public "rooms" for specific topics:
| Channel | Purpose |
|---|---|
| #general | Company-wide updates and random cool finds |
| #studio | Anything related to recording gear, sessions, or technical setup |
| #records | Discussions about the record store inventory |
| #store-layout | Specific discussions about the retail side |
| #launch | High-priority discussions about opening day |
Direct Messages (DMs)
Private 1-on-1 chats. Use these for quick questions or private coordination (like confirming a meeting time).
The Golden Rules of Etiquette
To keep our workspace sane, we follow a few simple rules:
🧵 Rule #1: Always Use Threads
This is the most important rule in Slack. When replying to a message, do not type in the main text box at the bottom.
How: Hover over the message you want to reply to and click the little speech bubble icon ("Reply in thread").
Why: This keeps the main channel clean. If you reply in the main feed, it pushes important info off the screen.
- ✅ Good: Clicking "Reply" on Mike's post about the tapes to discuss logistics.
- ❌ Bad: Posting a new message saying "I can pick them up!" five minutes later.
👀 Rule #2: Acknowledge with Reactions (Emoji)
You don't always need to type "Okay," "Got it," or "Seen."
How: Hover over a message and click the smiley face icon with the +.
Standard Reactions:
| Emoji | Meaning |
|---|---|
| 👀 (Eyes) | "I've seen this." |
| ✅ (Checkmark) | "I've completed this task." |
| 🙌 (Hands up) | "Great news / nice work." |
🔔 Rule #3: Tagging People (Notifications)
| Tag | When to Use |
|---|---|
| @Name (e.g., @Maggie) | When you need a specific person to see your message immediately. It will ping their phone/computer. |
| @Everyone | (Use Sparingly!) Alerts every single person in the channel. Only use for urgent announcements that affect the whole team. |
| @Here | Alerts only the people currently online. Good for "Is anyone free for a quick call right now?" |
Advanced Features
📌 Pins
If a message contains crucial info (like a Wi-Fi password or a door code) that we shouldn't lose, we can "Pin" it. This saves it to the channel details so you can find it months later.
Search
The search bar at the very top is powerful. If you remember talking about "cables" three weeks ago but forgot the details, type "cables" in the search bar to find that conversation instantly.