How Do I: Send Messages to Groups (Using Blasts, Conversations and Distribution Lists)

When sending messages you have a choice of three types of "dialogs."  The first is an individual message, from the dispatcher to one person and back.  The other two are dialogs with groups that work in different ways. You can choose the one that best suits your needs and situations.  The three different types of group dialogs are:

1. Distribution List
2. Conversation
3. Blast message

These choices are found in the Manage Threads dialog box that opens whenever you create a new thread or click the "gear" link next to an existing thread. Any method takes you to the Manage Threads dialog box that offers a dropdown menu that looks like this:

When you choose a Distribution List you send a message to everyone in that thread.  When anyone in that thread replies to you, only you see that reply, along with all of the other replies.  This makes it a private two-way conversation between you and each individual person in that group.

When you choose a Conversation you send a message to everyone in that thread.  When anyone in that thread replies to that message the reply will be sent to you and to all of the other members of the thread.  It is exactly like a standard group text on a phone.  If someone receives a reply that was sent to a message that you originated they can reply to that message and it will be seen by everyone in the thread including the dispatcher.  

These two options give the dispatcher a granular level of control in determining who will see which messages.  You may have a Distribution List, for example, that deals with only office announcements and you don't want everyone to see the replies that come back from everyone else on that list.  On the other hand you might have a field crew that is coordinating about a repair and it is essential for all of them to see all of the messages sent to each other in that thread.  That is an ideal application for a Conversation instead of a Distribution List.

The last one, the "Blast" message, works differently.  It sends the same message to multiple recipients simultaneously in individual threads.  When someone responds it comes back in that individual thread instead of a group thread.  This allows for easy management and all messages are sent and received over one main phone number assigned to your account.