Kimberly from Basecamp's Customer Success Team led a session explaining the best use cases for Basecamp's primary communication tools: Message Board, Campfire, and Pings.
The discussion included a detailed overview of each tool, guidance on when to use each, and a practical quiz to test understanding.
The session briefly introduced Automatic Check-ins as another communication option and referenced additional resources for further learning.
Action Items
No specific action items were assigned during this session.
Communication Tools Overview
Message Board
Best suited for announcements, ideas, questions, or discussions that need a permanent, visible record.
Messages can include titles, attachments, and formatting, and allow for notifications to selected users.
Useful for project-wide or overarching communications that require easy reference over time.
Campfire
Ideal for quick, casual, group communication similar to group texts or Slack.
Presents messages in a rolling timeline, making it suited for real-time chat but less appropriate for important messages that shouldn’t get lost.
Best for non-permanent discussions, quick updates, or light conversation within a project group.
Pings
Used for direct or small-group conversations unrelated to a specific project.
Provides private messaging between individuals or select groups, visible only to those included.
Requires users to share a project to be able to Ping one another, with the exception of account owners/admins who can Ping anyone.
Ping notifications appear in a separate area from other Basecamp notifications.
Automatic Check-ins
Not covered in depth, but noted as a tool for recurring questions and progress updates from team members.
Further information available in a separate video resource.
Communication Tools—Practical Quiz Examples
Use Campfire for quick, group FYIs (e.g., letting a team know about leaving early).
Use Ping for private, one-on-one or small group questions (e.g., personal benefits inquiries).
Use Message Board for important messages to all project participants (e.g., event rules or guidelines).
Decisions
No formal decisions were made — The session was educational and intended to clarify options for Basecamp communication.
Open Questions / Follow-Ups
None raised in this session. Participants are encouraged to reach out with further questions using the support tools in Basecamp.