[wp-forums] Forum makeover

[Podz]

Some thoughts and proposals for the forums.
Lots to read here ...please snip mercilessly when replying and we can
try and pull it all together as an agreed view later.

Also, I'm not expecting fast replies - though don't leave it weeks :) -
as we need to think through the holes first, find out where is weak and
remedy that. There may be complaints so we need to think about those.


Suggestions:
- that WE make a list of what is and is not acceptable in each forum.
After all, if we cannot do this, how can a new poster figure it out ?
This list gets turned into a post called "What you can post in this
forum". The same list gets posted to each forum, but where the item
applies to that forum, it is in bold and at the top of the list. That
way each forum has a complete list but the relevant details are highlighted.
Making this list will be difficult - but we must try to get things right
and in language that the majority of people will understand. We'll never
get it 100% but this could help.

- non-wp problems. Somewhere we need to draw a line. I honestly think
that the majority of issues now in the forums are aiming to the edges of
wp code, if not completely away. While this is excellent news for
someone with a gallery problem who knows someone who has WP on the same
server, it's annoying for me (us ?). So we need to get rid. We have two
options: delete or move away. Deletion will lead to flames. Deletion
will also tend to happen to the 'long answer' type posts, again leading
to flames. So how about we throw them all at the Misc forum ? We make a
list again and we stick to that list with the condition that we may vary
the conditions :) That way, IF you want to peruse the Misc forum, you
can help out. If you do not, stay away. We need to consider carefully
though what is / is not a non-wp problem. A sendmail problem is not wp
but is essential. A .htaccess to password protect is not wp and is not
essential. Both have snappy answers, but if we move, we MUST do it
consistently regardless. The Misc forum will literally be for 'anything
else'.

OR

- a new forum section. (Not a whole new forum, just a section in what we
have). This would be for 3rd Party apps / integration. Want gallery help
? post there. Want WP and phpbb to share data - post there. Having a new
forum means that we acknowledge these posts will be made and we provide
a place for them - though of course like everything else we promise no
answers. This 'new forum' is in some ways an easy answer, so we need to
think things through to be sure that it will be an enhancement and not
just extra fluff. I'm not sold on having one, but equally I think it
could be useful. This means we still have a Misc. forum. Feedback /
suggestions would be great.
Thought - as these are non-wp issues (as such) should posts from this
forum appear on the front page ?
Yes - it's still a problem that needs sorting and more eyes = more help.
No - it could keep genuine wp problems off and they are our prime focus.
(If No, I would favour being open about this)

Neither of the above will ever get it spot-on, but I do think we need to
move on this.

And .......

- attitudes from posters. We don't need to add to their frustration, and
I feel that sometimes they already have their own agenda. Do we ignore ?
Do we have a stock answer ?

- FAQ. I like FAQ's. If you have them, no-one reads them. If you do not
have them, you get told off. But I like writing them more. The one
previously posted comprehensive yet concise enough ? Do we have one per
forum ? That viable / useful ? Want to write one ?

Overall what I'm after at the top is control. We need to regain control
and we do that by putting up the pointers for people. Enforcing that
will be the next step once we have agreed this part.

P.

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