I took the liberty of looking up a couple of options that would make group chatting a little easier (and more efficient than one-on-one texts or emails).
Skype
So the first one that I figured the most people would be familiar with is Skype. Skype is a very popular video-chatting program that also has group messaging. I've used it before and it works pretty well, even for sending files back and forth. It's used for both professional and personal types of communications, and so it would likely serve our purposes fairly well. It also comes in iPhone and Android apps, as well as Windows, Mac, and Linux. So really anybody can use it. The main drawback from Skype would appear to be that it doesn't have in-browser options, so you have to download the apps or programs, and that in order for Skype to be useful, you have to be signed in at all times, which for some may either not be possible or may not be desirable.
Some useful links:
Skype Download (computers)- http://www.skype.com/en/download-skype/skype-for-computer/
Skype Download (iPhone)- https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/skype-for-iphone/id304878510?mt=8
Skype Download (Android)- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.skype.raider
GroupMe
I've only recently discovered GroupMe, and to be honest to some degree I find it less invasive than Skype. Like Skype, GroupMe allows a group chat in which you can see what each member is saying, and also allows one-on-one messaging. Also like Skype, it comes in iPhone and Android flavors, but it also has an in-browser option for people that do not wish to download anything (or people that just need to access it when they aren't near a device that is capable of using the apps). The apps are pretty simple and run in the background so you will tend to forget they're even there unless you are using them. They act much like text messaging, sending you a small notification when somebody replies to the group chat (which may have the potential for being annoying if for some reason you want to ignore the group chat, but I imagine there are ways to silence it). Another useful feature is that this app seems to store everything that is sent in their logs, so if a new member joins the group, they can see everything that has been said since the group was created, which is good for adding any of our professional contacts, as well as for passing the project on to the next class that takes over. It could also potentially be useful for interacting with the various groups involved. So far, the main drawback to this option is just that I haven't had time to get familiar with it, and so I don't know what all it can do or can't do. So far it seems solid and I hear that a number of UCA RSOs and even teachers and classes are using it, so that may be a good indicator of the usefulness of the apps. Either way, I'll drop a few links for them below as well.
Some useful links:
GroupMe (Online)- https://groupme.com/
GroupMe (iPhone)- https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/groupme/id392796698?mt=8
GroupMe (Android)- https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.groupme.android
If anybody else knows of some good, free apps or programs that compete with these, or if you want to weigh in on your opinions of either one (or if you know more than I do about GroupMe, which shouldn't be hard), please comment and let us know. For now, my tentative vote is for GroupMe, just because I think it has a lot of potential.
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