Communications

[DGDanforth]

If we modify the Group notification so users see posts via email they still need to visit the forum to reply.
That keeps the community together focused around the forum. It simply makes it easier for
everyone to determine whether a posting is worth visiting the forum rather than always having
to visit the forum to read postings. I think that is a good compromise.

Doug, now the message sent only once until person do not visit topic. You will not get emails about each message in thread. I very like this polite notification style. I think it comes after the years of forums experience.

Ivan,
My suggestion is to keep notifications as they are now and to add [email] as an option where every post to is sent.
So you have the option of either [notify] or [email].
If you select [notify] then at the bottom of the page it changes to [no notify] or [email].
If you select [email] then at the bottom of the page it changes to [notify] or [no email].
You get what you want that way and I (and Robert and Bob) get what we want.
I all cases everyone must visit the forum to post a reply.
-Doug

[DGDanforth]

Here is how I envision this would work.
A simple 3 state machine.

[Ivan Denisov]

So, those who wants will get all messages from selected topics by email? Do I understand right?

[ReneK]

Honestly, I am one of those who severely hate the forum idea. There is not a single benefit, IMHO.

I mean,
1) in our age and day, with at least 1GB of free mailing space,
2) search options,
3) folders in web clients
4) automatic filters etc.,
anybody who wants forum-like behavior can implement it for free on his on mail account from Hotmail, google, yahoo or gmx.

And with services like google groups, those who really want a "real" forum can have one, while those who prefer to receive emails, can receive and answer the postings via eMail. The postings are archived and can be public, while still being able to restrict who can post.

Now, concerning the things I dislike about forums:
1) Instead of a natural flow of communication (replying to each other), a forum is only then well structured, if either people cross-post (which breaks the normal flow), or if an admin uses much of his time to move postings where they should belong, opening new threads on the way. Ivan tried to do this for some time. Again, the normal flow of communication is totally broken, and it takes much work.
2) Instead of being logged in to one website (my eMail client) and clicking "receive mails" now and then, having all my communications centralized and organized my way, and answering from the one client, I have to have my eMail web client, the framework center forum, the framework community forum and all other forums I am part of and interested in open, cluttering my working space.
3( To force the wider community to use a board, simply because one's personal preference is to boards is patriarchal and condescending. I do not believe it will lead to more people using "our" community service at all.

Therefor I propose:

1) For the forum enthusiasts, we have our forums on this server
2) For those who prefer mailing lists, we use the google group Doug has implemented and link to it from our website.

[DGDanforth]

So, those who wants will get all messages from selected topics by email? Do I understand right?

Yes.

[cfbsoftware]

1) For the forum enthusiasts, we have our forums on this server
2) For those who prefer mailing lists, we use the google group Doug has implemented and link to it from our website.

I second that proposal.

[Ivan Denisov]

So, those who wants will get all messages from selected topics by email? Do I understand right?

Yes.

That seems as resonable comprimise and it is easier to implement. But Rene sugested easiest solution, keep as it is now (Forum + Google Group). Google Group has one more advantage, because it will agregate people who does not like Center idea. However I share Josef's point of view.

[DGDanforth]

Test of Group notce.

[DGDanforth]

However I share Josef's point of view.

The users of BlackBox are already divided into two groups: Center and Community.
The Community does not need a Forum. They only need email.

o I suggest that we delete the Community Forum.
o I suggest that the Community use the Google Group BlackBoxFramework
(or any other such email service with a better Graphical User Interface GUI)
o The Center Forum stays at it is now + a link (somewhere) to the Email server.

[Ivan Denisov]

The users of BlackBox are already divided into two groups: Center and Community.
The Community does not need a Forum. They only need email.

I am not such sure. I am also the part of the community and I need forum. I know many people who prefer to use forums.

o I suggest that we delete the Community Forum.
o I suggest that the Community use the Google Group BlackBoxFramework
(or any other such email service with a better Graphical User Interface GUI)
o The Center Forum stays at it is now + a link (somewhere) to the Email server.

Using the Forum for support users keeps time, because users can serach some information before asking the same question again and again. Without Russian forum I never study BlackBox.
Now the community is VERY SMALL, so it is possible to track subscribtion list. However I hope with our efforts it will grow and the subscription become bottle neck.