Gerald, VERY WELL SAID! What's the saying about "great minds"? I luckily just read your post before I hit the "send" key, as I spent the past hour composing a message to the reflector on this very topic, per our past correspondence on it. You said it better, so I've just shunted my missile to the drafts folder instead of sending it to reflector.
Gerald Youngblood wrote: <snip> > > I would like to know what you think about the following: > > 1) Should we create a separate reflector for "Beta Software and > Experimental Topics?" The proposal would keep this reflector with a > general interest and support focus. Yes, definitely! You need to make it clear than anyone can subscribe to both and that the "beta s/w and experimental topics" reflector will not become a "closed" reflector for just a few. > 2) How can we better utilize the website Forum, which now has fairly low > traffic? Would it help to have volunteer moderators who monitor the > Forum to make sure people get their questions answered? I like Jim Lux's comments on this. Knowledge base, FAQ, and known-buglist would all help in this regard. I don't like the forum since it takes extra effort to use web browser to get to it, to get to right section, then to determine anything new. I find it wastes a lot of time due to wading thru old entries. It is much easier and quicker to just read my email. I'd be spending all day web browsing forums with little return since I subscribe to well over 20 reflectors. > 3) How do we address the misperception of product instability caused > by the never ending improvements that will come in the software over the > years? One is by emphasizing the NEW FEATURES added to each release and minimizing the bug fixes aspect. This, then, makes it appear the user is gaining more features (without extra charge), rather than just fixing old problems. The above might help, but in truth, I don't think you'll ever overcome completely that misperception. Moving beta comments off the main reflector will help. > 4) How do we make sure that new users and potential users feel > comfortable posting their questions? How do we make sure they get the > answers they need? If new "beta/experimental" reflector established, this will have the effect of taking much of the problem traffic off the current reflector. That in itself will make the newbie's post stand out more. Once a newbie sees friendly and complete replies being given, he'll more likely feel comfortable posting. I really don't think there will be a problem getting answers -- there are too many "experts" to allow this ;-) === I renew my suggestion to you that your website contain some sort of "known problems" (buglist) with each release. It might be facilitated with the use of a web page form for reporting bugs which would tend to standardize the report and solicit needed info as to user's setup, version, etc. This could be then summarized in a webpage database display. I don't know offhand any available software that could do this, but maybe our vast knowledge base of users might know. BTW, my experience with requiring poster to put such things as [BETA] etc in subjects is quite bad. QRP-L and several other lists were supposed to do that, but it is not followed enough to make it useful. 73, Don AE5K
