Re: browser interface to forums please?

On Wed, 5 Apr 2017 10:57:23 -0700, "Joshua D. Drake"
<jd@commandprompt.com> wrote:

>Stack Overflow (as an example) is a collaboration platform. Stack
>understands the problem and is very, very good at solving it. It is why
>they are successful.

Stack Overflow *is* successful ... at driving people away because any
complicated question that could lead to a lengthy discussion gets
closed by the moderators.

Hardly an example of "collaborative" behavior.


>Another example of a very good platform (that I can't stand) is Slack.
>It has become so completely dominant in the growth space that even
>Google is changing Hangouts because people were leaving in droves.

Slack is only slightly better.  IRC and other synchronous "rendezvous"
instant messaging methods are great for *simple* questions, but they
are *not* conducive to complex technical discussions.

If you take time to craft a message [e.g., one lacking spelling or
grammatical errors], to gather information for someone trying to help,
or to try out someone's suggestion, very quickly you find yourself
inundated with "are you still there?" messages.


>So the question is, what is the problem we are trying to solve?

How to support BOTH quick and dirty questions:answers AND complex
technical discussions that require significant time from their
participants.


George