10 reasons Why I Like Slack and Think You Should Try It

At Code Fellows, we’ve cut down on our internal email by taking advantage of a tool called Slack. Here are several reasons why I like it (and think you will, too).

1. It cuts down on email

Each project or program can have its own chat room, which means all communication and information for a project is in one place, rather than distilled across several emails.

2. It’s inclusive

Frequently, people get left off email cc’s. Rather than cc’ing everyone, people can check out the chat history at their convenience.

3. You can have private messages with people

The chat format for private messages is a lot smoother than email, and you still have the ability to share links, documents, photos, and anything else that you’d include in an email.

4. It integrates with Asana well

Changes to Asana projects in your workspace are posted to Slack. This integration looks really cool and is super useful, but I haven’t quite figured out how to take advantage of it yet. If you have any ideas, let me know.

5. It’s easy to share files

As mentioned above, sharing files is really simple in Slack. It integrates both Google Docs and Dropbox, plus it’s easy to upload images, documents, and spreadsheets from your local machine.

6. It means less in-person meetings

Slack allows for async meetings, which helps with productivity and uninterrupted workflow. While some in-person meetings are valuable, Slack allows you to update your team at their and your convenience, rather than at a certain time every day or week.

7. It enables remote work

If you’re working remotely, sign on to Slack to have some “presence” and to remain available to your team.

8. It’s searchable

Yes, just like email, but BETTER.

9. It’s mobile

Slack has apps for iPhone, iPad, and Android devices. Plus, there is also a Mac OS X app.

10. It can improve team communication

All of our development accelerators use a similar system called Gitter.im, which is tightly integrated with Github. However, Gitter is public, which is why Slack may be a better choice for companies.

There—top ten reasons why I like Slack. Try it out for yourself!