OK, the forum is coming..

Andreas Kostyrka andreas at kostyrka.org
Tue Jul 24 22:10:58 CEST 2007


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Well, you started to get personal.

Now, a newbie forum is fine, do as you like. Although one might argue
that you are splitting the community in two.

The problem is that you need a communication tool that is appropriate
for newbies. And it must be appropriate for power user, or you'll have
trouble to get enough answers for the questions your newbies ask.

Now, if the FIC decides that they want to have forums (and notice that
typically mobile manufacturers don't have forums on their site), they
will have the additional option of paying the answerers.

But currently, you are advocating an end user newbie communication tool,
for a device that can (perhaps?) dial a number without hacking a Unix
command line.

Furthermore as an example for a pure newbie "forum" that runs as a
mailing list, and runs well, take a look at the Python Tutor mailing
list, where we regular deal with computer illiterates that have problems
even writing a simple mail.

You should consider the fact that, in a pure FOSS "market", you have
newbies that post questions and advanced users that answer questions.
Now, it's easy to find newbies, it's way harder to get professionals to
donate their time to answer questions. Using a tool that is NOT good at
heavy communication to make it more hassle for these advanced users is
not a good strategy. Now, if you have a company that is willing to pay
employees to answer these questions, you have at least a partial
solution. Although it's still a solution for support, and not for a
community, but who cares ;)

Andreas

Jonathon Suggs wrote:
> Andreas Kostyrka wrote:
>> My mail client sorts and deletes mailing posts for me :)
>>
>> <snip>
>>  at least if you use a sensible client.
>>   
> AGAIN, you are forgetting who we are targeting with a forum!  They will
> be using Outlook.  They will NOT be setting up filters or doing anything
> other than hitting Send/Receive!
>> The theoretical aspects are that Email is way more organized and
>> standardized than the average html page.
>>   
> We are not talking about "average html pages"  We are talking about
> setting up forum software that will correctly format html pages for the
> task that they would be providing.
> 
> You are directly embodying the persona that characterizes the people
> that give FOSS a bad rep with "average users."  You assume them to all
> be at the same technical level as you.  You would just as soon tell them
> to change their MUA and setup filters as opposed to actually help them
> with their problems.  This type of arrogance will be what (potentially)
> keeps people from using OpenMoko/FOSS despite its technical merits.
> 
> I'll try to keep this civil, but PLEASE stop thinking only about
> yourself.  What is being proposed is not to kill the mailing list.  What
> we ARE proposing if you (collective you) would listen is to supplement
> the mailing list with a forum.  WHY ARE YOU RESISTING????!!!!
> 
> -Jonathon
> 
> _______________________________________________
> OpenMoko community mailing list
> community at lists.openmoko.org
> http://lists.openmoko.org/mailman/listinfo/community
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