Thanks Anthony.

One of the primary features of Basecamp is the Messaging functionality.  When used correctly, this feature is a replacement for project related email communications.  Rather than CC’ing everyone and then dealing with all the responses (that may or may not have been copied to everyone), you send the message from Basecamp.  All replies are saved in Basecamp as well as sent to everyone included in the original Message.

To help you use Basecamp and the Messaging functionality more effiiciently, here are 5 things to remember.

1. It is not a replacement for all email. If you want to ask your buddy down the hall for last night’s scores, send an IM or a personal email. Your project manager and your client may not care.
2. One topic per message. If you include 3 questions in one message that goes to 10 people, you have the potential for 30 different answers. It will be difficult and time consuming to follow the message thread if everyone responds and/or comments.
3. It is about content, not presentation. This is a text-based tool.  Special formatting will not be preserved, so focus on the words, not the layout.  If you need to convey something where layout and presentation are important, attach a Word doc or PDF.
4. Nothing is private or confidential. Just because you unchecked Suzy from email notifications when you created the message, doesn’t mean Suzy can’t read the message.  If you have an issue with someone on the project or the project itself, figure it out off-line.
5. Use the tool as it was intended. You can only create a new messages while logged into the tool.  Accept it, it is what it is.  You can reply directly from your email client to a message, but I would suggest you log into the tool for replies as well.  Here’s why.  You’ll be able to catch up on the entire thread before you reply.  You may find that someone else already did and you just missed that email.  Reading everything again may spark something new you hadn’t thought about.  Finally, Basecamp can’t accurately convert the formatting from the various email clients, so replies you send from Outlook 2007 may loose their returns, bullets, fancy backgrounds, etc (see number 3 above).  When you reply directing from Basecamp, you message will look exactly as you typed it.

Basecamp is a great tool with many useful features.  As with any tool, it is only as good as those using it.  It will take some time to learn and use correctly, but when you do, it will save you, your team and your clients a lot of time and money.

In the last month or so, I upgraded my package on both apps to include new features (more projects and time tracking for Basecamp and for the “Deals” feature in Highrise).  2009 will be the year I become “religious” about using both these tools because I truly believe they can make my life easier and more productive.

As I started to use the time tracking feature in Basecamp, I had a question about what the clients could and could not see.  I first looked up the FAQ, which answered my question, as well as logged in as a client to “see what they see”.  From there, I took a quick detour to the Forums just to see what others might be asking (you can learn a lot by reading how others are using something).

One of the first posts I read was a rant about what the time tracking feature didn’t do.  My first thought was, “You idiot, did you bother reading about the feature before you upgraded.”  It clearly doesn’t do what they thought it should.

Beyond that, I wonder how many people buy something thinking it will do what they want without actually reading about the features before the purchase.  I wonder how many people use the wrong “tool” for a job.  I wonder if it is the tool’s fault, the user’s fault or maybe the marketer’s fault.

I my opinion, it is rarely the tool’s fault.  It does what it does.

If you’re using a hammer to drive a screw…  Having all-wheel drive doesn’t mean you can go off-roading (Porsche Turbo).  The picture on your new 46 inch LCD TV isn’t going to be better if you’re still using an analog antenna on your roof.

Sometimes the “marketing” of a product or service isn’t entirely accurate.  Just because an app can send email messages doesn’t mean you can use it as an email marketing tool. Just because your phone has internet access doesn’t mean you’re going to be able visit YouTube and watch videos.

Back to Highrise and Basecamp, more often then not, I find myself and  my clients using them incorrectly and/or with unrealistic expectations.

I need to stop trying to make the tool do something it wasn’t designed to do.  Or, maybe I need to find a different tool.

In the end, if you use the right tool, at the right time, in the correct way, you just might be able accomplish something you never thought possible.