Re: [cobalt-users] cobalt discussion channels

[Kris Dahl <kris@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>]

on 2/24/00 5:00 PM, Fred Wunderlich at fwunder@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx wrote:

> At 4:22 PM -0800 2/24/00, Jeff Lasman wrote:
>> 
>> A board is very different from a mailing list.  It's html based so it runs
>> slowly (when it runs at all <wry grin>).
> 
> Doesn't have to be <why grin>. Php3/MySQL forums (like Phorum) are very
> fast and quite extensive.

They aren't any faster than my mail client.  Personally, if OE would support
some decent threading, I'd be a real happy camper.  It would make web boards
obsolete--if they aren't already.
 
>> It's quite public.
> 
> Doesn't have to be, if you are familiar with .htaccess, phplib or any other
> creative authentication/session management routines <lips pursed, but
> smiling ever so slightly>.

I think what he means is that it would be less exclusive--for better and
worse.  The people that would be posting would be people that aren't
investing the time to be part of an actual 'community' of cobalt users and
subscribe to the list.  So, IMHO, you'd be getting a lot of newbies posting,
while at the sametime, professionals and the 'core audience' would probably
be alienated and gain very little from the list.  If you password protected
it, essentailly you'd eliminate the newbies that aren't willing to
RTFM--great, but you'd end up with a dead board.

>> I generally DO NOT use boards, and probably never will.  I find
>> them too time-consuming.
> 
> Hmmmm. Maybe you need to get out more. <big Jimmy Carter grin showing lots
> of teeth>

I don't use web boards either.  Innefective way of communicating.  Its
'location' based--I have to go out and find the board and actually
participate.  This works *ok* if its a site like slashdot that I go to
several times a day anyway.  I occasionally participate in those baords and
actively read them.  But I don't go to cobaltservers.com everyday, and hence
never particiapte.  But when an thread lands right on my desk, how can I
*not* participate?

>>> What I was thinking of was a chat based server something like irc.
>> 
>> I'm sure that somewhere there are chats that take place quickly enough, and
>> in orderly enough a fashion that I might use them.
>> 
>> I've NEVER found one, though <frown>.
> 
> I agree that chats are inneffective <muttering, "chats are stupid.">, but a
> forum tied to a Majordomo list (like Phorum 3.1) can be very effective
> <sticking tounge out cuz I know>.

Chats can be really effective.  My friends and I have solved some tough
problems over IRC before.  Its just another method of communication, but
happens to be real time.  The problem is that I am not even willing to idle
on IRC anymore.  And I doubt anyone else is.  Probably the only people that
would be willing (or able) are going to be jobless 16yo's that get home from
school.  Not typically the type of people that are going to be able to
answer your question about majordomo!

>>> Any how it's upto everyone's opinion whats the best thing to do.
>> 
>> Continue to use the mailing list.  That's my vote.  If you don't like this
>> list, because it's sponsored by Cobalt, then start your own, or ask me to
>> start one.  Nothing wrong with using this one, though; it's easiest to
>> find, as people will always look at the cobalt site for cobalt support
>> options.
>> 
> 
> Yeah. What he said <well, kinda sorta with a wrinkled brow>. You should use
> this resource as well as the many others available on the net and you
> should even invent your own. You can do it! You can do it! <corners of
> mouth turned up so far they are meeting eyebrows and it hurts>

Hey, I'm all about resources.  Personally, I'd like to see cobalt foster
more third party support stuff like having an 'interactive', contributed
knowledge base.  It would be visible because it'd be on the cobalt support
page.  There are a lot of solutions to common problems that aren't in that
knowledge base.  And I think knowledge bases are the killer app of support
tools.  The KB is better then its ever been right now, but it still is
lacking a lot of knowledge that we have right here on this list.

cheers,
-k