[K12OSN] Opinions on a Forum

[Darryl Palmer]

On 11/13/06, Shane Sammons <shane.sammons at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> Hi Everyone,
>
> I had a little side questions about a forum in a previous question.
> However, I wanted to be a member here for at least a week to see the flow
> and organization of stuff here.
>
> Now I have decided it is time to ask your thoughts and opinions on forums.
> Not to replace the mailing list, but to offer a more interactive, community
> driven, better organized, and active resource to add to the items K12LTSP
> and such might have. I think a lot of good can come from it, but only if
> many people agree and willing to use it.
>

My vote is NO.

Let me quickly go through your list of Pros:


> *We can organize, categorize, and sub-forums things
> Think of things broken down like Client Setup -> Brand -> Model with topic
> for each system, how much cleaner could it be?
>

We should capture information and put it on a Wiki.  A set of
messages/problems do not necessarily fit one category, or is not posed in
such a way to fit an existing category, but can be post-edited to follow
some hierarchy.  If someone is having severe issues and can't categorize it
as being their client, their server, or their switch, then most issues will
originally end up in a catch all group anyway, or worse the wrong group.


> *Its able to be searched, no need to use Google, though we all love it,
> you need not take an extra step
>
K12OSN can be searched also from the mailing list webpage I thought?  If
not, then is using Google really that hard?  Some people may not realize
there is a mailing list and by using Google they can find it, it will be
much harder if Google can't spider our forum boards as easily.


> *We can rank members, give awards (special ranks), and if modded even more
> potentially
>
I don't see a need for this.  Most people on the list are naturally helpful
and don't have to be tossed trinkets such as a rank or award to help others
out.


> *We can moderators to help manage posts and topics, editing, and more is
> available.
>
I for one am bogged down as it is with all the Linux and educational FOSS
mailing lists I am on and I don't know if there are too many people that
will raise their hands to do more work.  I also believe in the free and open
flow of information, without moderators.


> *It is database driven, which we can export and move elsewhere is the time
> comes

*It is convertible, most major forums convert between each other without
> topics loss

These really don't count.  You assume we want a forum to begin with so not
losing the information and converting the forum data to another forum system
is a good thing.


> *Member groups allows easy identification of developers, contributors,
> company reps, etc. and can be optional

Just have people add it to their signatures, but please no more then 6 lines
or 200 characters.


> *You can still "subscribe" to topics and forums to still get email updates
> of events.
>
This could be useful.


> *We can make guides and topic solutions that can be submitted to the Wiki

Nothing stopping us from doing it now.


> *Because of categories the community can have "other" topics to help
> branch out beyond the scope mailing list

There are already other mailing lists and associations out there.  To think
that we can take something that is very technical and branch out and get
more members might be harder then you think.  Hosting for other groups or
creating an umbrella association may be better, but then we already have
SchoolForge.

Darryl
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