Re: gEDA-user: Asking questions, obtaining answers ...

[Stuart Brorson <sdb@xxxxxxxxxx>]

The idea is twofold:

1.  Create a web-based "support bulletin board".  This would be a lot
like the e-mail list, except that you wouldn't need to subscribe or
read your e-mail.

2.  Put a link into each program's help menu item which would open a
browser up on the support bulletin board page.

My thought:  In principle, a great idea.  Indeed, lots of commercial
software products include stuff like this.

For us, however, it may represent a lot of maintainence work.  We're a
small project with a finite  number of developers whose time is 
already streched between family, work, other activities, and gEDA.
However, maintaining a BBS means administering the box or finding
hosting.  Next, somebody must diligently watch the BBS and remove
spam, flames, and off-topic junk.  Oh, and answer questions too.

Hmmmmm.... I'm sorry that sounds so negative.  Is there a way to make
the support site self-service, like the wiki?  After all, we already
link to the wiki from within gschem.....

Stuart




On Sun, 30 Mar 2008, Peter Clifton wrote:

> Hi guys,

I just came across this blog post from an Inkscape developer:

http://bryceharrington.org/drupal/inkscape-answers

Bryce is also a Canonical employee, so there may be some Launchpad
bias, but I think the idea is neat.


We could similarly provide a more direct link to human help from gschem
and other gEDA tools, from the help menu.

I realise we currently have links to the wiki / FAQ, but feel there is a
high barrier to entry for a new user to sign up to a mailing list for an
answer to what might be a simple question, even if they can't find the
answer in the FAQ.

I'm very keen that we should encourage new users to join the gEDA
community, and think this may be a good way to get them thinking more
about gEDA as something they aren't "alone" in using.

Any thoughts?

--
Peter Clifton

Electrical Engineering Division,
Engineering Department,
University of Cambridge,
9, JJ Thomson Avenue,
Cambridge
CB3 0FA

Tel: +44 (0)7729 980173 - (No signal in the lab!)



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