Announcements, discussions, polls and events

Use Communication for messages and decisions that should remain available after an email thread ends. Use Events for dates and reminders.

Announcements

Announcements are formal updates for residents or the association. Write a clear title, explain what has changed, what the reader needs to do and by when, then attach supporting files if needed.

Save a draft while the wording is being reviewed. Publish only when the audience should see it. When editing a published announcement, consider whether residents need a new email notification.

Discussions

Discussions are for questions, ideas and replies. Link a discussion to a work record when the conversation is about a repair or project. That preserves both the resident conversation and the operational record.

Moderation permissions are separate from permission to participate. Remove content only for a clear reason; a concise moderator explanation is more useful than an unexplained gap.

Polls

Use polls for lightweight resident input, not as a substitute for a formal meeting or professional advice where those are required.

Set a clear question, options, closing date and voting rules. Depending on the poll, voting can be per person or per unit and voters may or may not be able to change their choice. Check those rules before publishing because they affect how the result should be interpreted.

Link the poll to relevant work where appropriate. Results show participation and choices, but the committee should separately record any formal decision and follow-up action.

Events

Events can represent meetings, work dates, resident events, inspections, cleaning and other shared calendar items. Add a useful location, description and recurrence where needed.

For a recurring event, choose carefully whether an edit applies to the whole series or only future occurrences. Stopping future occurrences should not erase the history of events that already happened.

Authorised users can connect Google Calendar. Events are pushed one-way from Our Stairwell; personal Google Calendar events are not imported. Treat Google as another view of the shared dates and update the Our Stairwell record when the association's source information changes.

Choosing the right tool

Use an announcement when people mainly need to read an update.
Use a discussion when replies and follow-up conversation matter.
Use a poll when you need structured choices and a closing point.
Use a meeting when attendance, agenda, minutes and formal outcomes matter.

An update has not reached someone

Check that the item was published, that the person can access its audience or record, and that their notification preferences allow the expected email. They may receive a digest rather than an instant message. Ask them to check the app and their spam folder before publishing the same announcement again.

Use an event when the main purpose is a date, time or reminder.