GroupMe

Since 2024, the MET and Painted Cave Community has used GroupMe as a free application for communication. This tool is a sophisticated chat room where text, images, files, and other messages can be shared.

The Mountain Ember Team Board of Directors has developed two channels that can be used for communication within the Painted Cave Community. Below is an explanation of these channels, what their use is, how to join them, and some additional information at the end on how to use Group Me

Chat rooms are moderated by the MET Board of Directors and select community members. Everyone is welcome to support one another with best practices while using the chat rooms.

At a minimum, we encourage everyone to gain access to the “Painted Cave EMERGENCY” chat room to receive important information about critical events. If you have any questions about GroupMe, reach out to the MET Board at info@mountainemberteam.com.

Painted Cave EMERGENCY Chat

This channel is used solely to send out important information regarding potential threats to the Painted Cave Community.

This is not a community chat room. It is vital that we respect the few selected people to manage this chat and collectively commit to not crowd the chat room. Information shared in this channel must be reduced to immediate and critical information only.

Link to Join: https://groupme.com/join_group/98240758/FkaFrFQE

Painted Cave COMMUNITY Chat

This channel may be used for all-things related to the Painted Cave community and surrounding areas. Find a stray animal? Your peach tree is popping off? Coordinating a small gathering? This is where we come together and stay connected on general matters.

This channel will also be used for general conversations for the Community Defense Team and Firewise Community efforts. Coordinating chipping events, brush clearing, trash cleanups, or other educational offerings may be shared here.

Please keep communication to neighborhood updates only, keep language factual and respectful. Be brief and refrain from gossip and gatekeeping.

If you have something to share with a single neighbor, or find yourself in a back-and-forth conversation, please click on their name and send them a direct message to prevent the channels from getting cluttered.

Link to Join: https://groupme.com/join_group/98240868/pWnDYLCk

General Tips

Group Me can be accessed on your computer through the web application (https://web.groupme.com) or on your smartphone via the app store.
You may find each of the chat rooms simply by searching for them by title once you download Group Me on your desktop or phone. Alternatively, you can copy/paste the links provided or scan the QR codes with your phone camera.
In your “Settings”, you can elect to receive notifications on your desktop, in the application itself, or none at all.
If you prefer to receive messages via text on your phone when others are chatting, you can select “Receive Messages via SMS” in your settings. If you are involuntarily receiving text/SMS messages from Group Me, this is how you can turn them off.
When you’re in a chat, you can add a specific “Topic” within the chat by pressing the three dots (…) next to the main chat and select “New Topic”. This will create a unique conversation within the main chat, which can be convenient if you want to isolate a specific event or discuss an item without it getting lost in the main chat room.
You may use the voice-to-text option when on your phone. Simply press and hold the microphone icon and speak into your device. Group Me will convert your voice to text, which can then be shared within your specific chat.
Here is a WikiHow link for users that wish to download the application on a Windows computer: 6 Ways to Use GroupMe on PC or Mac: with Pictures (wikihow.com)
Here is a GroupMe help and learning website: GroupMe help & learning (microsoft.com)

Reminders

Please keep the updates neighborhood-focused and, as best you can, keep communication positive and supportive.

We (Mountain Ember Team Directors) do not intend on "policing" the chat, so we rely on all participants to keep an orderly conduct.

Communication should be kept factual, brief, and respectful. No gossip, gatekeeping, or commentary about other members' personal matters will be permitted.

Please share what helps everyone, as a whole, and skip what doesn't. If you have a 1 on 1 conversation, open a direct message so not to clutter the community chat.

We thank everyone who has participated to date and continue to make this community great!