[vlc-devel] Re: RFC: New forums setup

Sun Jul 24 11:03:22 CEST 2005

>From: Derk-Jan Hartman <hartman at videolan.org>
>Date: Thu, 21 Jul 2005 23:54:18 +0200
>
>I suggest a new layout along the line of:
>VLC media player
>- VLC Windows: windows specific usage questions
>- VLC Mac OS X: mac specific usage questions
>- VLC Linux and friends: *nix specific usage questions
>- General VLC discussion: anything not fitting in the above forums can go 
>here
>- FAQ entries
>- Feature Requests
>- Bug reports
>- Skins (i'm in doubt about this one, but i think it might help spur skin 
>development).
>
>Serving streams
>- Broadcasting
>- Video On Demand
>- Encoding/Transcoding
>- VLS/miniSAPserver
>
>Other
>- Forum/Website discussion
>- Coffee Corner
>- Private: moderator forum
>- Deleted: deleted posts forum
>
>I would also like to create a few more rules.
>
>1: when a bug has been confirmed the topic name needs to get [CONFIRMED #] 
>word added to it, where # is the trac ticket number. This should also be 
>posted as a link in the forum post.
>2: when a usage issue or bug has been solved it needs the [SOLVED] word 
>added to the topic name.
>3: moderators need to actively move topics if they are in the wrong place 
>and inform the users.
>4: all rules for a specific forum need to be in one permanent sticky and 
>not in multiple
>
>That basically leaves one problem... We need a lot more moderators for the 
>forum. FK, zorglub, courmish, dionoea and me are the most regular 
>moderators, but it really is not enough. I think we need more 
>non-developers to moderate the forum. Moderating != answering all the 
>questions. If we can find a few enthusiastic users that would be willing to 
>help us regulate the forum, then that would help a lot.
>
>I would like some feedback from the mailinglist, before posting this RFC 
>online on the forum. What do the mailinglist subscribers think about the 
>setup of the forums and how they should be regulated and maintained?
>
>DJH
>---
>

I think a very useful proposition.. -have been thinking the same thing in 
the past weeks.

It appears *almost* like most of the activity is happening with 
less-technical oriented people and is all over the place.  I realize how 
people are posting related posts under the:
>General Discussion
>- VideoLAN: General discussion about VideoLAN

and:
>Technical Discussion
>- VLC media player: Technical discussion about VLC media player

and even:
>Technical Discussion
>- Requests: Feature requests for all VideoLAN products

-all for what should seem to be the same catagory.  Or at least it would 
appear to be more helpful on the developer-side if they were all 
together(and of course I refer to all those posts that are really just in 
the wrong place due to perhaps the mere technical inabilty for a general 
user to discern the best place).

I see alot of posts under the sticky topic about the latest release as 
well(maybe it should only be read-only to make it easier on the people who 
can/would offer a helping hand.

Overall I think it's safe to view the whole situation that MOST of the 
posters are much less technically oriented even unto getting confused by too 
many options.  For this it almost implies that having one whole open forum 
called "Post Here" would seem to be more organized not only for people 
looking for help but also potentially offering help.  I know, I know.. 
-that's insane, but just trying to bring the point of it.

The suggested new design setup looks like it could prove to be a better 
layout for sure as for intuitive use of the common general user, as well as 
those behind the scenes and/or more technically oriented.  Certainly if we 
want to get directly into some deep technical issue related to about 
anything, -there's an obvious place for it.  And for the "common man" they 
can just click the top forum, first forum they see..  I think having the:
>VLC media player
>- VLC Windows: windows specific usage questions

at the top will prove to work out better(that whole section at the top will 
be good).

================

Also, as for the Skin area, I would say yes, definately, right on!  And in 
fact I have been working on the idea of a "Skin SDK" with some easy samples 
and a reference.  I'm sure I could offer at least a good basis to work with 
along with the already available docs.

And, this area could also be responsible for receiving/testing/posting new 
skins and handling that entire side of it, so it could relieve some pressure 
from others.

================

I do have a couple comments related to the suggested rules.  I'm only 
thinking to make it easier on the upkeep side of things:

>1: when a bug has been confirmed the topic name needs to get [CONFIRMED #] 
>word added to it, where # is the trac ticket number. This should also be 
>posted as a link in the forum post.
Do you mean CONFIRMED added to the topic name? -nice! :)  -and will this 
only be happening in the "Bugs" forum?

>2: when a usage issue or bug has been solved it needs the [SOLVED] word 
>added to the topic name.
Again just thinking about the organization and making it easier and less 
time-consuming on the moderators.. how will this *actually* play out.

>3: moderators need to actively move topics if they are in the wrong place 
>and inform the users.
The best organization that can be done to where mods RARELY need to do this, 
will be optimal.  Just for thought, would it be better to make the "Bugs" 
forum read-only?  -topics get moved there that all come out of the regular 
forums.. people could easily glance through to confirm or deny their(almost 
always wrong) assumption.. ;)

The main reason I'm saying this is because I see how people tend to post 
"here's a bug" in so many different sections... -it may lower the required 
activity by admins.

Same thoughts are about the FAQ's section. (this could easily help form the 
shape and design of the docs FAQ.. also perhaps catagorizing for O/S since 
there are a few unique-to-the-O/S issues..)

Is FAQ and HOWTO the same?  Either way, I think they could point to each 
other to reduce the workload as well as alot of those repetitive questions.

================

Needing more moderators?  I'll be glad to help in any way I can on this.  
It's taking me quite a while to even become familiar with the code base as 
for offering any real programming help, but I have become familiar enough 
with a few topics in the Windows dept. anyway enough to be at least somewhat 
useful there.

================

anyhow..  I think it's a good idea to do do some reworking on the forum.  
Oh, also, is there a way to remove the built-in search feature of the forum 
because it really just doesn't work... -maybe hook the link for google right 
there..

love,
zcot

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