# External Communication

pyOpenSci uses a multitude of communication platforms to maintain and grow our community. Our external communications fall under the broad categories of:

* email,
* event registration and participant feedback
* pyOpenSci blog,
* pyOpenSci newsletters, and
* social media platforms.

This section provides an overview of each category's purpose and use. It also provides relevant links and insights into each platform's purpose, strategy, and associated processes.

## Email

Emails from pyOpenSci are sent to communicate with potential volunteers, share the monthly version of the newsletter, and keep registered event participants up-to-date on logistics. pyOpenSci also contacts event attendees with pre and post-event surveys and follow-up reminders, as needed. We use SurveyMonkey to develop and send surveys to our event participants.

:::{important}
pyOpenSci does not send unsolicited bulk emails; all emails contain an unsubscribe link following GDPR guidelines.
:::

## Event participation and participant feedback

### SurveyMonkey

pyOpenSci uses [SurveyMonkey](https://www.surveymonkey.com/) to develop and send pre and post-surveys to pyOpenSci event attendees. Events include workshops, talks, and sprints, which may be in-person or online. SurveyMonkey is used due to its ease of use, integration with other platforms, and ability to send out survey reminder emails.

### EventBrite

pyOpenSci uses [EventBrite](https://eventbrite.com), which is provided by our fiscal sponsor, Community Initiatives, to manage event registration. Anyone who has registered for a pyOpenSci event through EventBrite will be contacted through the EventBrite service regarding event updates and logistics. pyOpenSci may also upload EventBrite contacts to SurveyMonkey to send out pre- and post-event surveys.


## Discourse

pyOpenSci also maintains a [public Discourse forum](https://pyopensci.discourse.group/). Unlike Slack, which has restricted access, anyone can join and participate in Discourse. Discourse is a place to announce new packages in our ecosystem, to post messages to the community, as well as to announce meetings and other events. We also want the community to use it to ask questions about peer review and packaging.

:::{important}
pyOpenSci is currently in the process of sunsetting Discourse as it has not proven to be a heavily used platform for our community. We are currently exploring the use of GitHub discussions.
:::



:::{todo}

## HubSpot

[HubSpot](https://hubspot.com/) is pyOpenSci's customer relationship management (CRM) platform. pyOpenSci also uses HubSpot as a catch-all bulk emailing service, for instance, to communicate with individuals who have signed up to volunteer as a [reviewer](https://forms.gle/Mps4UsRHTyF66cdg7) and/or [editor](https://forms.gle/aFAMBjrdU7f7zMP89) as part of our [open software peer review process](https://www.pyopensci.org/about-peer-review/index.html).

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