[wp-forums] Drinking coke zero

[Lara at Anubis Marketing]

Just a few cents from my pocket...

 - When I came to use WP over a year ago, I admit I was drawn in by the 5
minute install. And while maybe my first time it took me 15 minutes, because
after all, I'm an SEO chick and a designer, not a programmer or database
guru, I can easily install WP in 5 mins or less. It rings true, and maybe a
little more depth in the explanations of "what could go wrong" might be in
order, but otherwise it should stay put. (Example: You're hosted on GoDaddy
and get the "can't connect to MySQL..." error - check to see that you're
hosted on a linux server - here's how: blah blah blah)

 - I think the forums need a little expanding. People tend to get way over
frustrated when they're hit with CSS questions over and over again in the
"How to and troubleshooting" thread. Why not just create a thread for HTML
and CSS help, and let people who want to help there, go there to help? That
way the others can stay out if they don't want to. I'm not saying to go all
out and add 50 new category threads - but a few wouldn't hurt.

 - We've all gone and searched the codex for answers for people, and posted
the link/s, and invited them back if they still needed help after reading.
MOST times, people go, come back and say "thanks, I think I've got it now"
and move along. Others get frustrated because they don't understand, it
doesn't fit their overly-specific issue, or it doesn't do the work for them.
That's where the problems arise, and it can only be blamed on the lack of
completeness of the codex. 

 - Part of the whole push for people to use WP is because we all tout it as
being easy. And once you play around with it a few times, it does become
easier. But even I have had to resort to outsourcing some things to high-end
programmers, and I'm in the biz. I can't imagine being someone with no clue,
and no money to pay someone, and not being able to find the answers I
desire. While I'm all about marketing, and convincing your prospects that
your product is easy to use, but let's face it - not all of it is. It's easy
to set up a basic site, sure. But to do any sort of customization, people
need the "want" to learn something. We need to make that more clear, in the
most polite way possible - by making it an announcement at the top of every
"complex" codex page? by allowing users and mods to make that sort of polite
statement without being touted as unhelpful? whatever it takes. my thing is,
"if you want to have the version where you're allowed to make the most
customizations, you'll need to really do your research, and we'll be happy
to help with anything you can't find - otherwise, if you want it done for
you, I recommend wp.com"

 - the elusive search feature: PLEASE make it default to searching the
forums instead of the codex!? at least until everyone's confident in the
codex's ability to address the specific issue. the results that come up are
confusing, as the title links often don't even include the words used in the
search - so people think their time is wasted, come to the forum, say "I've
searched but can't find anything..." and then people get frustrated. When
you do the search for something, and then re-search for the forums, you get
the best results, period.

 - Someone said something a while back about possibly thinking of taking on
a "pro" to sort through the codex and make it work. I'm for it - at least to
get it started in the right direction. And before you go saying, "Sure, Lara
- go ahead and spend someone else's money!" - I'm thinking again as a
marketing person. It takes money to make things work. In my first two years
of business I reported a loss on my taxes because I put every penny and then
some back into the business. That's just how successful companies go. Make
it right the first time, and you won't have to do it again - and you'll have
happy people to keep coming back. I don't know what plans there are to ever
make money off of WP, but if there is any to be made, it'll come back to you
three-fold if you do it right, now. Just think: You buy a new food
processor, and the manual says "Just put in the blade, add the food, and
push the button." - You wind up putting the blade in upside down, forget to
put on the cover, toss in a carrot and push the first button you see... the
blade pops out and cuts your hand, and you sue the company. You also blog
about it, and tell everyone how much that brand of food processor sucks the
bag. Bad press is the worst of WP's worries, but it's out there now. Let's
nip it in the bud and avoid the downfall.

Okay - I'll stop there for now. ;)

~ Lara
(One more thing - congrats Spencer! You deserve it!)