Summary
The consensus among experts, marketers, and documentation sources suggests that the decision to create a dedicated Slack channel for email security depends on several factors related to community needs, channel activity, and information organization. A key consideration is whether email security is a central focus for a significant portion of the community, as a dedicated channel can foster deeper engagement and more relevant discussions. However, many conversations start with a deliverability or operational problem but evolve into a compliance or security issue, indicating an overlap. The volume of discussion is critical; a dedicated channel is beneficial if the topic generates enough daily conversation, improving discoverability of information and helping users head to the correct place with their messages. However channels need to be well moderated to prevent user annoyance. The channel's purpose and scope must be well defined, and it should be determined if email security falls under broader categories like 'Ops' or 'Deliverability'. Finally, if the topic is only tangentially related or there is too little content, integrating it into a broader channel might be a better approach to avoid a stale channel.
Key findings
- Community Focus: A dedicated channel is most effective if email security is a core concern of the community, fostering engagement and relevant discussions.
- Topic Volume: The benefits of a dedicated channel is dependent on the topic generating enough daily conversation.
- Information Discoverability: A channel improves the discoverability of information and directs users to the right resources.
- Channel Overlap: Email security might overlap with 'Ops' or 'Deliverability,' affecting channel placement.
- Purpose Clarity: Understanding purpose of the channel will help encourage effective comms.
- Channel Moderation: Channels need to be well moderated to avoid user annoyance.
Key considerations
- Community Needs: Determine whether email security requires its own dedicated space or fits within a broader channel.
- Channel Activity: Ensure that a channel will be active and avoid becoming stale due to lack of content.
- Channel Scope: Assess whether the channel's topic is too narrow or too broad for effective discussions.
- Security Sensitivity: Sensitive channels should be locked down and only allowed to be accessed by certain people.
- Topic Cohesion: Sensitive channels should be locked down and only allowed to be accessed by certain people.
What email marketers say
10 marketer opinions
The decision to create a dedicated Slack channel for email security hinges on several factors. Experts and marketers suggest that a channel should be created if the topic generates enough discussion and requires focused attention, which in turn improves the discoverability of information. It is important to consider whether email security is closely related to other channels, like 'Ops' and whether the channel would be too narrow or broad. Channel engagement is dependent on the channel having significant traction with a dedicated audience, so it will need to be well moderated, and stay on topic for the channel to be successful.
Key opinions
- Discussion Volume: A dedicated channel is beneficial if the topic generates enough daily conversation.
- Information Discoverability: A dedicated channel can enhance the discoverability of information related to email security.
- Channel Moderation: Channels need to be well moderated and stay on topic.
- Focus and Community: It fosters focused discussions and community building.
- Channel Scope: Determining if a channel would be too narrow or too broad is useful.
Key considerations
- Channel Activity: Ensure that a channel will be active before being created to avoid staleness.
- Channel Overlap: Consider if email security falls under other channels, such as 'Ops' or 'Deliverability'.
- Community Needs: Assess the needs of the community to determine if email security requires its own space.
- Communication Effectiveness: Evaluate whether separating into a specific group will make communications more effective.
Marketer view
Email marketer from Forbes explains that separating out specific groups in a team can make communications more effective, as they can get straight to their problem and ask the correct people.
31 Jan 2022 - Forbes
Marketer view
Marketer from Email Geeks suggests that DANE / StartTLS / MTA-STS would be under Ops.
20 Feb 2025 - Email Geeks
What the experts say
2 expert opinions
The decision to create a Slack channel for email security depends on understanding both the nature of the problems discussed within the community and the community's needs. Conversations often shift from deliverability issues to compliance, suggesting a relationship between the two. A dedicated email security channel is valuable if the topic is a central focus for the community, encouraging deeper engagement. If the topic is tangential, integrating it into a broader channel may be a better approach.
Key opinions
- Deliverability vs. Compliance: Many deliverability problems evolve into compliance issues, indicating an overlap.
- Community Focus: A dedicated channel is most effective if email security is a core concern of the community.
- Engagement: A focused channel can foster deeper engagement and more relevant discussions on email security.
Key considerations
- Community Needs: Assess whether email security is a central or tangential interest for the community.
- Channel Relevance: Evaluate whether a dedicated channel would provide relevant and valuable discussions.
- Alternative Channels: Consider whether integrating email security into a broader channel might be more appropriate.
Expert view
Expert from Email Geeks shares that many conversations start with a deliverability problem but end up being a compliance problem.
26 Apr 2024 - Email Geeks
Expert view
Expert from Word to the Wise explains that it depends on the needs of the community. If email security is a central focus for a significant portion of the community, a dedicated channel could foster deeper engagement and more relevant discussions. However, if the topic is only tangentially related, it might be better to keep it within a more general channel.
14 Jun 2024 - Word to the Wise
What the documentation says
5 technical articles
When considering whether to create a dedicated Slack channel for email security, documentation from various platforms emphasizes the importance of organized communication. Channels should be created for specific topics to improve signal to noise ratio and direct users to the correct place for questions. The channel's purpose and scope must be carefully considered to prevent user annoyance with irrelevant content. For sensitive topics like security, access should be restricted.
Key findings
- Organization: Channels organize conversations around specific topics, projects, or teams.
- Signal to Noise: Dedicated channels improve signal to noise ratio by separating topics.
- User Direction: Structured channels help users find the right place for their questions.
- Content Relevance: The channel subject should be specific to avoid user annoyance with irrelevant content.
- Security Measures: Sensitive channels should be locked down with restricted access.
Key considerations
- Purpose and Scope: Define the purpose and scope of the channel before creation.
- Channel Relevance: Ensure the channel's content is relevant to its members.
- Access Control: Implement access restrictions for channels containing sensitive information.
Technical article
Documentation from Slack Help Center explains that channels should be created for organizing conversations around specific topics, projects, or teams. Consider the purpose and scope of the channel before creating it.
15 Feb 2022 - Slack Help Center
Technical article
Documentation from Atlassian explains that dedicated channels should improve signal to noise ratio, by separating topics into their own groups and not flooding the main channel.
11 Sep 2024 - Atlassian
