Re: Support forums / mailing lists future?

> I'd like to try this first, and then look at other solutions in the
> meantime. I do think we have to bite the bullet and provide a kick-ass
> comment/forum infrastructure with proper email integration eventually, and
> it should be easier to do this with the latest improvements to our
> infrastructure. (ie. using Archetypes for something like this isn't really
> the best idea ;)
> 

Sounds very reasonable :) 

Few notes (which you might or might not to want give feedback). They mainly
consider the "new" support page as the old will luckily have its retirement
from the active duty :)

- "Asking for help" should be more visible and the article text should be
revisited. Also we still have two articles (discussed on docteam list
before) http://plone.org/documentation/kb/asking-for-help
http://plone.org/documentation/kb/ask-for-help

A minimum requirement would be to give instructions for the user how to
extract proper error infomation out of Plone if it doesn't work (i.e. how to
read a log file). In Ploneconf2009 in the docteam meeting we also played
with the idea of having a instructional form for filing out questions (i.e.
in this text field paste the content of event.log file from the bottom of
file when the error occurs..., in this text field paste the version number
of Plone, you can find it here...)

- Anything should be promoted over Nabble/mailman as web user interface is
horrible for the first time users. You get to the point where you actually
submit the post, but it either 1) never appears on the mailing list because
pain in the ass mailman auth is so difficult to do and user did not
subscribe 2) you'll get all messages from the list 3) you get none messages
from the list. Ideally from the casual user point of view you get messages
related to questions and threads you have flagged interesting. Bearded users
can still continue to debate in-depth using their terminal based mail
clients :)

- About the new support page layout: I'd like to see all options "equal" and
chat next to forums. If four columns is not enough, then let's make three
rows and two columns. The forumns shouldn't be called forum as long as it
nabble based, as users who think they work as forum (and never subscribe)
don't get their posts through. Simply call them mailing lists.

- Have link "Guidelines for Asking for help" next to Visit to forums and
"Find more about online chat", preferably so that text is tailored for those
medias (i.e. pastie and hello behavior applies only IRC)

- Promoting Stack Overflow as "Questions and Answers service for
programmers". Stack Overflow wants to focus on programming and does not
really like generic support questions.

Just my Sunday morning thoughts.

-Mikko

-----
Mikko Ohtamaa
mFabrik - Freedom Delivered.

Web site - http://mfabrik.com
Mobile site - http://mfabrik.mobi
Blog - http://blog.mfabrik.com
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