Google Groups has had a facelift. Unveiled today (after some time in beta) offers a variety of new features, including customization of the look and feel of groups users create and the ability to create web pages within a group. Usenet newsgroups remain accessible through the interface, as well.

I manage one group—the mailing list for CAPOW (Communicatons and Advertising Professionals of the World)—so I took a look at the admin interface for the group. It’s much cleaner with more options. Group members have an easier time participating via the web, now, in addition to getting emails of posts by other group members.

With all the focus on newer social media—blogs, podcasts, and the like—it’s nice to see the usability of old standards (mailing lists and newsgroups) improved to keep them relevant.