[mythtv-users] Forum better than mailing list

[Curtis Wood]

Im probably going to get flamed for this, but so be it...

   You are right in that the tools are there to do your own searching -
but if you look at it from a newbies stand point, who may not not grasp
the concept of a mailing list (simple as it may be, I know more than a
few), they are going to want a simple way if looking for there
questions. It all boils down to which way is easier - searching, or
posting. Mailing lists - make it very easy to post, while forums make it
very easy to look (not search) for your question.

1) Users (subscribers) will not get there mailbox flooded with email
that does not pertain to them... (big one for me)
2) With an apropriate forum, and being moderating - its more than likely
a bunch of support will be knocked out for the simple fact, that they
have to surf the categories (many with Myth) and by the time they get to
the correct one - a quick look will more than likely reveal there
question (and answer).
3) Im not to sure about the line that users will be more than likely to
post a question, than to look for it - if it is unknown how to look for
it, ofcourse they will, but if it all it takes is to scroll down the
page, looking for there question, as opposed to emailing something and
then waiting for an answer(if they get one) - 99% will scroll down the
page... It all depends on how easy it is to post a question, compared to
looking for your question or something very similar.
4) Personally, when searching for answers to my own questions - I found
them on other forums, not in the online mailing list. With the online
mailing list archives, all you got was one very long page of links to
threads that you had to search yet again. This is using google as a
starting point...
5) If you dont know exactly what your searching for - searching is a
waste of time, and so there for you will post a question. Remember,
newbies will not neccisarily know what to search for, let alone possibly
how to search or what to search. Thats the big reason for the forum I
think - NEWBIES....


On Thu, 2003-12-25 at 09:51, J. Donavan Stanley wrote:
> reflex wrote:
> 
> >Hello,
> >
> >There are thousands of questions about mythtv. Does it support my
> >card, can I have this feature, why does it not work with
> >$Mydistro??
> >
> >Getting MythTV to work is not that easy. But the biggest problem
> >is the lack of proper documentation. It works for me now more or
> >less but I had to surf google all the time and distiguish between
> >unrelated info and outdated info.
> >
> >We could greatly improve the documentation section if you would
> >provide a Good Forum(tm) like phpBB and create several sections
> >like
> >
> >Installation probs:
> >-------------------
> >MythBackend
> >MythFrontend
> >MythTV Modules
> >	MythTV
> >	     XMLTV Fetching problem for non supported countries
> >	MythMusic
> >	MythDVD
> >	etc.
> >
> >Feature Requests:
> >-----------------
> >Modules:
> >	TV
> >	DVD
> >	etc.
> >
> >Hardware:
> >---------
> >PC's
> >	pundit
> >	etc.
> >TV-Cards
> >	Hauppauge 250/250
> >	etc.
> >
> >This would prevent questions to be posted over and over again to
> >the list. And in case of phpBB we would finally have a really
> >good searching function!
> >
> >
> >Just my 2 cents
> >
> >Have a nice X-mas
> >  
> >
> 
> You can already search the mailing list / browse it in a threaded manner 
> on the web.  Most people can't be bothered to try and look for an answer 
> themselves before posting it to the list.  If there was a web board 
> nothing would change you'd STILL get the same questions asked over and over.
> _______________________________________________
> mythtv-users mailing list
> mythtv-users at mythtv.org
> http://mythtv.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/mythtv-users
> 
>