[gobolinux-users] Gobolinux Forum?

[Michael Homer]

On 5/25/07, molfar <molfar.ua at gmail.com> wrote:
> On 5/25/07, Michael Homer <gobo-users-dufus at wotfun.com> wrote:
> > http://www.pakistanopensource.org/goboforum/
> > As you can see, it wasn't very well-used, and it doesn't seem to be
> > linked from the website any more. I think the reasons that there isn't
> > a forum have been gone over pretty thoroughly in the past every time
> > the subject came up; chiefly, because nobody would read it, and
> > because fragmentation is bad.
> What fragmentation you are speakin of? If the forum is integrated into
> main site structure why there would be any fragmentation?
Because some discussions would be on the lists, and some would be on
the forum, and there'd be no link between the two. Some people would
be on the list, and some on the forum, and the two would diverge.
> And that's
> also one of primary reasons why there were so little users on that
> forum, as well as on google groups relevant list - how would anyone
> know that there is such a thing? I wouldn't personally.
By my recollection, it used to be linked. Nobody used it, and I think
it went down entirely for a while, so the link was removed. Somebody
can jump in and correct me on that if they like.
> Second, the argument to not have the forum because nobody reads it is
> lame (no offence please). You can also say the same to having
> Gobo-distro entirely. There is very small userbase - so why bother?.
> Certainly, this is not an option.
I should be clear that by "nobody" I mean "none of the developers".
See the previous discussions for a taste of the feelings around it. If
those feelings have changed, you're in with a better shot.

I also suggest that you re-read the user-base comment, since you seem
to have missed the point I was actually getting at with it. What I
meant is that since there's so few people in total, and many of them
wouldn't be there, the forum wouldn't be monitored well enough. When
there are thousands of users it can be relied upon that a few of them
will be there at any given time. Without that, and without the
developers, it's a bit of a flop.
> Having said this, one would also wonder if it isn't for the lack of
> forum and adequate PR-campaign that Gobo's community is that small?
I wonder if it's because we don't have a magical rock to keep lions away.
> > If you want a forum or other interface, you can pick the one that
> > suits you best:
> It's not only about "interface" as I mentioned earlier.
>
> > If it's
> > infrequently-visited people will have unrealistic expectations for
> > responses, and that doesn't reflect well.
> Yet it is even worse without one.
Somehow, I think unanswered messages and requests are a little worse
than people being forced to endure the everlasting travesty that is a
mailing list.
-Michael