Slack is an instant messaging application that was created by Slack Technologies as an internal tool for Tiny Speck. Slack was built for teams so they can communicate effectively without anyone losing track of the conversation. It has evolved to provide automation of messages and other repetitive tasks.
Slack was officially launched in August 2013, and by April 2019, Slack went public with a market valuation of $21 billion. Slack stands for “Searchable Log of All Conversation and Knowledge”.
What makes slack different from other similar instant chatting applications like Facebook Messenger is its feature that allows all content to be searched. This means anyone can search for any info on any content, which includes files, documents, and people. Information is not lost in a multitude of messages. All messages can be easily located and replied to. It is also easy for anyone who later joins the conversation to follow the trend. Slack is designed with teams in mind. It thus has extensive features that make it very effective for use among teams.
Teams and communities who want to communicate effectively regarding a project or topic can connect and share important documents or information between team members. Members can be added individually by the person that created the workspace or invited to join the workspace via a shared link. Note also that Slack has paid and free plans and for the free plan, users can only view and search the most recent 10,000 messages.
Slack Features
The major features of Slack include the following:
Teams:
Slack was designed for teams and it provides spaces where teams can meet and communicate. A team leader or any member can create a workspace and invite other members of the team through the workspace URL or an invite link. Slack is currently being adopted by many communities who also need similar communication features. Members of a team can discuss different topics via channels which are like chat rooms that allow members to discuss particular ideas.
Channels are very easy to create and manage. Slack has two types of channels, Private and Public. Public channels are those where there is free entry and exit by members of the workspace. It is also visible to all members of the workspace and can be created by only the members of the workspace. Private channels are the opposite of public channels because there is no free entry and exit. Membership is purely by invitation and the channel is not visible to all members.
Messaging:
Communication in Slack comes in three ways, through public channels which is for everyone, and private channels which is for limited members – mostly for organizing the larger group. The third form is direct messages which is for direct private messages to a specific person.
Integrations:
Slack provides integration with many other third-party software and systems like Dropbox, Google Drive, Trello, Box, Github, Zendesk, Runscope, Zapier and IBM Bluemix. In total, slack integrates with over 150 apps which users can install.
API:
Slack has extended its features to include Application Programming Interface, which are tools for users to program on Slack. The things that a user can do with the API include creating and automating processes, which may be to send automatic messages based on user input or sending alerts based on special conditions. The API provided by Slack is compatible with many other applications and services.
The features of Slack discussed above makes it find application with various companies and communities. Slack is used by many, and you might be wondering how to enable Slack notifications on your PC. This is simple and straightforward. If the Slack notifications is enabled, Slack will notify you on your PC whenever you have new messages, whether direct or on a channel, when you are mentioned, or when a document is shared.
Enable Slack Notifications
Here are the steps to enable Slack Notifications on a PC:
Step One
The first thing is to be logged in to the workspace. Log in if you are not already logged in. Once the workspace opens, click on the name of your workspace at the top left corner of the page.
A pop-up will appear. Among the first four options of the pop-up, click on Preferences.
Step Two
After clicking on Preferences, another pop-up will open. Click on Enable Desktop Notifications.
Step Three
After clicking on Enable Desktop Notifications, a system notification will pop out telling you that slack wants to show notifications. Click Allow.
You have successfully enabled Slack notifications on your desktop. You can now select the type of notifications you want. If you select Nothing, that means you will not receive any notifications. If you scroll further down, you can select the sound you want to be played whenever there is a notification. You can mute all sounds if you don’t want any notification sounds.
