Frequently Asked Questions
- What is Cc:Betty?
- Who is Betty?
- How does Cc:Betty work?
- How do I add people to a Cc:Betty discussion?
- Is there a limit on the number of people I can add to a Cc:Betty discussion?
- What can I post at Cc:Betty?
- How do I add an event date or place to my Cc:Betty tracking page?
- How do I add a file to my Cc:Betty Discussion?
- Is Cc:Betty private?
- Is Cc:Betty free?
- How much space do I get?
- What is Cc:Betty's maximum message size?
- How can I use Cc:Betty with Twitter?
- I've got a question not on this list?
- How does everyone on a discussion know when it’s been updated?
- If I comment on a post in a discussion, does Betty notify the person who I commented to, or to everyone?
- Do people have to remember to Cc:Betty on every email?
- Can people stay in email and still participate in the discussion?
- Can I delete someone from a discussion?
- Can I deleted posts or files from a discussion?
- Does Cc:Betty work with any email service?
- I’m an AOL mail user and noticed a Cc:Betty plugin. Is that the same as this site, or…what is it?
- Does Cc:Betty work with Facebook?
- Why would I share a Cc:Betty Discussion to my Facebook?
What is Cc:Betty?
Cc:Betty provides a private web page for you and others to have a discussion, share content such as photos, documents, files, URLs and other media. Betty organizes, sorts and formats the entire content of the discussion in an easy to consume way.
Who is Betty?
Betty is your virtual assistant who facilitates group discussions and sorts and stores the content that's usually buried in email data. You can get help from Betty by starting a new discussion from the home page, or by simply sending an email to her at betty@ccbetty.com.
How does Cc:Betty work?
The easiest way to start a Cc:Betty discussion is to go to http://www.ccbetty.com and click on “Start a Discussion” button. From there you simply enter a subject, email addresses of those you want to share the discussion with, and an opening message for the discussion. At that point you and your recipients will each receive an email with a link to your discussion. Alternatively, you can always simply add “betty@ccbetty.com” to any email and Betty will create a discussion out of that email.
How do I add people to a Cc:Betty discussion?
If you’re Starting a Discussion from our website, then you’ll be prompted to enter people’s email addresses to share it with (you can also import your contacts from any common address book that way it’s easier for you in the future). If you’re Starting a Discussion from email, then Betty will automatically include those people on that email in the discussion. If you’ve already Started a Discussion, there is a share button toward the top right of the discussion page. Click it and enter email addresses. Is there a limit on the number of people I can share in a Cc:Betty discussion? You can share with up to 100 recipients at any one time. We'd like to increase this number in the future but we're also dedicated to protecting Cc:Betty users from potential spammers, so we'll keep it at 100 for now. But, if you'd like to create a discussion with more than 100 recipients we'd like to hear from you.
Is there a limit on the number of people I can share in a Cc:Betty discussion?
You can share with up to 100 recipients at any one time. We'd like to increase this number in the future but we're also dedicated to protecting Cc:Betty users from potential spammers, so we'll keep it at 100 for now. But, if you'd like to create a discussion with more than 100 recipients we'd like to hear from you.
What can I post at Cc:Betty?
You can post text or any type of file and Betty will sort, format and store it on your discussion page. Betty provides convenient views of all types of files, and even takes the liberty of making them usable within the discussion page. Documents become viewable and downloadable files, addresses become Google Maps, dates become calendar events, images are formatted into a gallery, and videos and audios can be played in place.
| File Type | Result | |
|---|---|---|
| Events | .ics | Calendar event, location map |
| Images | .jpg, .png, .gif | Image gallery, slide show |
| Videos | .mov, .mp4, .m4a, .mp4v, .3gp, .3g2, .flv | Embedded video player |
| Audio | .mp3 | Embedded audio player |
| Links | Youtube links | Embedded video player |
How do I add an event date or place to my Cc:Betty discussion page?
In addition to supporting .ics file attachments to add an event or place, Cc:Betty also parses dates and places. Events and places can also be added directly to a Cc:Betty discussion page by adding the 'Add Event' or 'Add Place' feature located under the Message text box.
When included in your email and Cc'ing betty@ccbetty.com, dates and places will be interpreted in the following way:
Events:
| Format | Interpreted |
|---|---|
| June 8th | June 8, 2009 (all day event) |
| 3/1 | March 1, 2009 (all day event) |
| January 24th, 2009 at 8am | January 24, 2009 at 8am |
| Format | Interpreted |
|---|---|
| 444 Geary St., San Francisco | not valid |
| 444 Geary St., San Francisco, Ca | valid |
How do I add a file to my Cc:Betty discussion page?
There are 3 ways to add a file to your Cc:Betty discussion page:
- If you're Starting a Discussion from our website, you can attach files there.
- If you’re Starting a Discussion from email, Include the file as an attachment in one of your emails which includes betty@ccbetty.com.
- If you’ve already created a discussion, then you can also use the Reply button toward the top right of the discussion page.
Either way, Betty will make sure all participants know that the files were added.
Is Cc:Betty private?
A Cc:Betty discussion page is private and has similar privacy as email with a few enhancements. For example, a discussion can be viewed by only the users that have been shared with by you or others in the discussion. At any point in time a user can see who is following the discussion by viewing the 'People' section of the Discussion. However, if you decide to share your discussion with our Facebook share option, then the discussion will show up in your friend’s newsfeeds, and your friends will be able to view or participate in your discussion.
Is Cc:Betty free?
Yes, Cc:Betty is a free service for now. Later, we'll be adding premium features we know you'll love, but there will always be a useful free version you can use.
How much space do I get?
Cc:Betty is in Beta and provides up to 1 GB of space for personal use. If you need more, please let us hear from you at info@ccbetty.com.
What is Cc:Betty's maximum message size?
You can send messages up to 20 megabytes (MB) in size, including attachments. When attaching messages at http://www.ccbetty.com, you can send messages up to 100 megabytes (MB) in size, including attachments.
How can I use Cc:Betty with Twitter?
Go into your SETTINGS page and add your Twitter ID to your account. You'll then be able to hover your people in the main message view, and you'll see their latest tweet. Some people also like to reply within the discussion via a tweet. You can send a direct message (DM) to your discussion ID, i.e. "D ccbetty #[discussion ID] [enter text]" as well. You'll also be able to hover over your PEOPLE in the Messages view, and see people's most recent tweets.
How does everyone on a discussion know when it’s been updated?
Betty sends notifications by email to everyone in a discussion when something’s been added to the discussion. The notification contains an abbreviated form of the update as well as a link to the discussion page. People can elect to turn notifications off if they want.
If I comment on a post in a discussion, does Betty notify the person who I commented to, or to everyone?
Betty notifies everyone in the discussion.
Do people have to remember to Cc:Betty on every email?
No, after the first time the initiator cc’s Betty on an email, we create a discussion address. When notifications are sent out, they come from that discussion address which everyone in the discussion can continue to reply to. All of their replies to that address will land in the discussion.
Can people stay in email and still participate in the discussion?
Yes, so long as they continue to reply to the discussion address, their messages and attachments will collate in the discussion page.
Can I delete someone from a discussion?
Yes. In a discussion page, simply go to the Options button toward the top right, and select people you'd like to delete. Only the discussion initiator can delete someone.
Can I deleted posts or files from a discussion?
Yes. Discussion initiators (which is the person who’s name is at the very top of the Discussion) can delete anything. Other participants can only delete things they’ve contributed.
Does Cc:Betty work with any email service?
Yes, Cc:Betty is agnostic to the particular email service someone uses. However, Cc:Betty does have a special plugin for AOL/AIM.Mail webmail users, which can be found in the Features Plugins area inside AOL.
I’m an AOL mail user and noticed a Cc:Betty plugin. Is that the same as this site, or…what is it?
Having a Cc:Betty account via our AOL plugin is the same as having an account here at Ccbetty.com. If you have the AOL plugin, you can create new Discussions right from your AOL mail and you can see activity updates to your Discussions. When you click on a Discussion or a file inside a the plugin, you’ll link here to view it. Think of it as an easy onramp to using Cc:Betty.
Does Cc:Betty work with Facebook?
Yes, Cc:Betty you can share your discussions with your Facebook friends, which you will find when you click the SHARE button within your Discussion. The discussion title and your name will show up in your friend’s newsfeeds, giving them the option to JOIN your Discussion.
Why would I share a Cc:Betty Discussion to my Facebook?
Private vs, Public Discussions’ is a personal preference. Some people prefer to keep their Discussions private, which is how Cc:Betty started out. But then some customers started asking if we could enable a way to make certain Discussions public, or sharable by Facebook or Twitter. These customers said they would share certain discussions with all their Facebook friends, such as “Who’s your fav for the World Series?” or “Seeking Paella Recipies – anyone have a recommendation?”. These are Discussions that could also be done within Facebook itself via newsfeeds or walls, but with Cc:Betty it’s a different level of a Discussion: it’s less temporary, more significant and thus archived for ongoing reference.
I've got a question not on this list?
Email us at info@ccbetty.com and we'll get back to you right away.