Re: [libreoffice-website] official forums

Hi all,

Am 12.11.2011 um 22:35 schrieb drew:
> I believe there are pros and cons to type of platform:
> - the more 'traditional' BBS style 
> - the tag/rank based platforms, as here
>
> and each package within a group
> - shapedo, stackoverflow, question2answer …

I have setup a stackoverflow-like q&a system on http://osqa-test.libreoffice.org.
It uses Askbot as platform, simply because the framework it uses is well-known to me and the 
development is quite fast-paced.
Everyone feel free to start playing around / start using it, you can login either by creating a 
local account or using the provided authentication backends.


> I really think that the different platform type come at delivery
> features in rather different ways and maybe cater to somewhat different
> user types (personas) - specifically a difference between people that
> prefer to browse for information vs assisted search [assisted here
> meaning use of a search box] and even then there are difference types of
> browsing interactions - drill down vs jump to, is how I would name two
> patterns.

When I look at many active forums with many topics, new users very often ask duplicated and 
duplicated and duplicated questions, and one of the main answers of moderators is a tutorial on how 
to use the search function. The ofter problem I observe often is the inability of users to stick to 
the category layout, so moderators often have to move topics around. And finally long topics often 
get so confusingly long that the answer to the question is on page 25 of 39.

Thats why I strongly prefer using a rated Q&A system for _problems_ the user has: A Question is 
asked, if necessary refined and edited. The best answer is voted and selected, and immediately 
appears after the question.
Users who work constructively gain points ("karma") and consequently more rights. So the whole 
thing is a lot more self-sustaining than traditional forums.
When creating a new question, comparable questions are automatically searched for, so the user sees 
immediately: There might already be a question similar to mine that has already been answered.

Of course, a Q&A system also has weaknesses, e.g. its layout assumes the structure of questions and 
answers and not a flow of discussion.

> So, I would suggest that, for just the moment, we try to look at package
> pros and cons within it's group, as if we where going to setup one of
> each - pushing back a final decision to one of, which type would be
> implemented.

That's a good idea, also because forums and q&a system both have unique pros and cons…. I'll 
prepare the vm for the setup of a forum when I find time to do this.

Cu,
Alex
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