Aw: Re: Gnucash list protocols

[Geert Janssens]

On Wednesday 17 June 2015 14:02:54 Peter Von Kaehne wrote:
> Forums are good if they are lively as they are searchable and easily
> understood by everyone. They also remove the need for receiving
> endless numbers of emails on matters irrelevant to one's own
> questions, while allowing easy browsing for those who want to answer
> a few questions for the sake of the common good, but do not have
> their email client warmed up.
> 
> Forums are bad if they are filled by people who are clueless, while
> the clueful abstain. And they are really bad if they are not accepted
> by their users, so posts are infrequent and illinformed. Nothing is
> more dispiriting than a forum which is not taking off and full only
> with half started threads without any answers.
> 
> Email lists are good when they are accepted by the developers which
> leads to queries being generally answered more quickly. Flames though
> attract more nourishment as every post is received by everyone. And
> searchability is poor unless one keeps the whole archive around -
> which I do on my main computer, but not in my webmail accound which I
> use here right now. As a result unaswered queries often fizzle out
> and stay unanswered, if they are not picked up within a day or two.
> Further email lists are more onerous for the user with the occasional
> query, mainly at the start of using a programme. No one wants to have
> a dozen of mailing lists actively accummulating unread bulk.
> 
> In general I think fora linked with email list  are a decent
> compromise and should be encouraged. Nabble tries to do this, but is
> not the only solution IIRC.
> 
> I am closely involved in a number of FOSS projects (libsword, Xiphos,
> BibleDesktop) and work preferentially on Linux other than when forced
> onto Windows. Here on GnuCash I am simply a grateful user. I do not
> think this is a matter of Windows vs Linux, but more a matter of age
> and - sorry to say this - affection. For us (CrossWire) fora failed
> largely because of lack of interest by the main developers which
> rendered the fora dead - the very same reasons applied. But I do
> think many of our users struggle with the preferred forms of support
> offered by us (mailing list + IRC).
> 
There was a thread on mailing lists vs fora on this very same list
(search of "Unofficial GnuCash Forum" in the archives)

My personal preferred setup would be a piece of software that acts as 
both. I did suggest mailman 3 in combination with hyperkitty as one 
possible solution to try. At the time both were still in beta, although 
I believe the first stable versions have been released recently are will 
be in the next few weeks.

> None of this though answers why wm is allowed to flame in the fashion
> he does without any consequences for him.
> 
I understand this was an unpleasant situation. For all of us.

In case you missed it, there have been consequences: Wm has been put on 
moderation. Liz our moderator is dealing with it.

Can we please put this matter to rest now and continue with more 
interesting topics ?

Regards,

Geert