Feature changed by: Denver D. Robinson (DenverD) Feature #310508, revision 2 Title: Tech-Support Desktop Widget openSUSE-11.4: Unconfirmed Priority Requester: Important Requested by: 6tr6tr 6tr6tr (6tr6tr) Description: It's not usually included in reviews of OS's but the community behind an OS is actually pretty important. Especially since most people needing help on linux will not be able to just call a "geek squad" to fix things. openSUSE has a strong community but most people might not know to go to the web forums, so I think it would be VERY powerful to build it in to the OS. It would be a built-in widget that sits on your desktop, called openSUSE Free Tech-Support (it's mostly a client to the web forums). Any questions you have, you could ask right there on your desktop, similar to a Twitter widget. Also, it would popup un-obtrusive alerts in the lower right of your screen when you get replies (similar to firefox's "file download complete"). As well, it would be integrated into the built-in OS apps something like this: * If an OS-level error or openSUSE built-in app error occurs, the error box has a link "Get help with this error from openSUSE Tech Support" which goes to the widget on the desktop and starts the post/question with the error message in code tags and any other important info needed. (The user could then give it a subject, change the category or add any text before submitting it) * Built-in apps (like Dolphin, or anything from the openSUSE repos) have a link/icon for asking for help in doing something (e.g. in YAST) that opens the desktop widget - the widget then periodically checks for responses and alerts you when you have one (similar to a twitter widget) and shows the response. And what a huge selling point this would be for openSUSE! It'd be like your own built-in tech support! No other OS has that! + Discussion: + #1: Denver D. Robinson (denverd) (2010-09-10 12:06:58) + the widget might be more flexable if support seekers could choose + between raising the question with any (or all) of the web fora, mail + lists and/or internet relay chat channels.. + perhaps each of those communications lines could have a new forum, list + or channel dedicated to supporting widget generated querries.. -- openSUSE Feature: https://features.opensuse.org/310508

Feature changed by: 6tr6tr 6tr6tr (6tr6tr) Feature #310508, revision 4 Title: Tech-Support Desktop Widget openSUSE-11.4: Unconfirmed Priority Requester: Important Requested by: 6tr6tr 6tr6tr (6tr6tr) Description: It's not usually included in reviews of OS's but the community behind an OS is actually pretty important. Especially since most people needing help on linux will not be able to just call a "geek squad" to fix things. openSUSE has a strong community but most people might not know to go to the web forums, so I think it would be VERY powerful to build it in to the OS. It would be a built-in widget that sits on your desktop, called openSUSE Free Tech-Support (it's mostly a client to the web forums). Any questions you have, you could ask right there on your desktop, similar to a Twitter widget. Also, it would popup un-obtrusive alerts in the lower right of your screen when you get replies (similar to firefox's "file download complete"). As well, it would be integrated into the built-in OS apps something like this: * If an OS-level error or openSUSE built-in app error occurs, the error box has a link "Get help with this error from openSUSE Tech Support" which goes to the widget on the desktop and starts the post/question with the error message in code tags and any other important info needed. (The user could then give it a subject, change the category or add any text before submitting it) * Built-in apps (like Dolphin, or anything from the openSUSE repos) have a link/icon for asking for help in doing something (e.g. in YAST) that opens the desktop widget - the widget then periodically checks for responses and alerts you when you have one (similar to a twitter widget) and shows the response. And what a huge selling point this would be for openSUSE! It'd be like your own built-in tech support! No other OS has that! Discussion: #1: Denver D. Robinson (denverd) (2010-09-10 12:06:58) the widget might be more flexable if support seekers could choose between raising the question with any (or all) of the web fora, mail lists and/or internet relay chat channels.. perhaps each of those communications lines could have a new forum, list or channel dedicated to supporting widget generated querries.. #2: Martin Seidler (pistazienfresser) (2010-09-10 18:02:12) "perhaps each of those communications lines could have a new forum, list or channel dedicated to supporting widget generated querries.." Hello D. D., hello 6. 6,, maybe your ideas could be integrated in this (planned) project: http://news.opensuse.org/2010/09/03/opensuse-connect-beta/ Regards M. S. + #4: 6tr6tr 6tr6tr (6tr6tr) (2010-09-10 18:13:52) (reply to #2) + Actually, I would keep them separate. I think mixing it with + "friending," etc would dilute the power of having tech support so + readily accessible and cloud the clarity of it. If the projects were + merged, people wouold have to sift through events, chats, friend's + funny posts to get to tech support. I think that completely negates the + purpose of this idea. (Just my opinion though :) ) + #3: 6tr6tr 6tr6tr (6tr6tr) (2010-09-10 18:08:53) + I don't see why you couldn't have it go to both the forums and the + mailing list at the same time? It would use thread merging and would + simply need a small "push" on both the forum and mailing list side that + would make all mailing list messages get added to the forum thread and + vice versa. This would be quite easy: * On the mailing list side, + there's two options: 1. when the anyone adds a message to the thread, + it sends an email to a forum email receiver using either custom message + headers or the subject field to notify which forum thread it belongs + to. (The forum would have a simply PHP page that parses the email and + adds it to the forum thread) 2. Or it could simply have the forum's + email receiver (say techsupportwidget@opensuse.org (mailto: + techsupportwidget@opensuse.org) ) automatically added as a CC to the + thread. The forum's email receiver would then do the parsing on their + side. * On the forum side, whenever it receives a post/reply to a forum + thread that's marked as from a tech support widget, it sends an email + to the mailing list with the proper subject field +   + (Or something along those lines. It's not well thought out but just a + quick example) -- openSUSE Feature: https://features.opensuse.org/310508

Feature changed by: Karl Cheng (qantas94heavy) Feature #310508, revision 6 Title: Tech-Support Desktop Widget - openSUSE-11.4: Unconfirmed + openSUSE Distribution: Rejected by Karl Cheng (qantas94heavy) + reject reason: It would most likely make people expect a response like + actual technical support, which is not the impression we should be + giving to users. Priority - Requester: Important + Requester: Desirable Requested by: 6tr6tr R (6tr6tr) Partner organization: openSUSE.org Description: It's not usually included in reviews of OS's but the community behind an OS is actually pretty important. Especially since most people needing help on linux will not be able to just call a "geek squad" to fix things. openSUSE has a strong community but most people might not know to go to the web forums, so I think it would be VERY powerful to build it in to the OS. It would be a built-in widget that sits on your desktop, called openSUSE Free Tech-Support (it's mostly a client to the web forums). Any questions you have, you could ask right there on your desktop, similar to a Twitter widget. Also, it would popup un-obtrusive alerts in the lower right of your screen when you get replies (similar to firefox's "file download complete"). As well, it would be integrated into the built-in OS apps something like this: * If an OS-level error or openSUSE built-in app error occurs, the error box has a link "Get help with this error from openSUSE Tech Support" which goes to the widget on the desktop and starts the post/question with the error message in code tags and any other important info needed. (The user could then give it a subject, change the category or add any text before submitting it) * Built-in apps (like Dolphin, or anything from the openSUSE repos) have a link/icon for asking for help in doing something (e.g. in YAST) that opens the desktop widget - the widget then periodically checks for responses and alerts you when you have one (similar to a twitter widget) and shows the response. And what a huge selling point this would be for openSUSE! It'd be like your own built-in tech support! No other OS has that! Discussion: #1: Denver D. Robinson (denverd) (2010-09-10 12:06:58) the widget might be more flexable if support seekers could choose between raising the question with any (or all) of the web fora, mail lists and/or internet relay chat channels.. perhaps each of those communications lines could have a new forum, list or channel dedicated to supporting widget generated querries.. #2: Martin Seidler (pistazienfresser) (2010-09-10 18:02:12) "perhaps each of those communications lines could have a new forum, list or channel dedicated to supporting widget generated querries.." Hello D. D., hello 6. 6,, maybe your ideas could be integrated in this (planned) project: http://news.opensuse.org/2010/09/03/opensuse-connect-beta/ Regards M. S. #4: 6tr6tr 6tr6tr (6tr6tr) (2010-09-10 18:13:52) (reply to #2) Actually, I would keep them separate. I think mixing it with "friending," etc would dilute the power of having tech support so readily accessible and cloud the clarity of it. If the projects were merged, people wouold have to sift through events, chats, friend's funny posts to get to tech support. I think that completely negates the purpose of this idea. (Just my opinion though :) ) #3: 6tr6tr 6tr6tr (6tr6tr) (2010-09-10 18:08:53) I don't see why you couldn't have it go to both the forums and the mailing list at the same time? It would use thread merging and would simply need a small "push" on both the forum and mailing list side that would make all mailing list messages get added to the forum thread and vice versa. This would be quite easy: * On the mailing list side, there's two options: 1. when the anyone adds a message to the thread, it sends an email to a forum email receiver using either custom message headers or the subject field to notify which forum thread it belongs to. (The forum would have a simply PHP page that parses the email and adds it to the forum thread) 2. Or it could simply have the forum's email receiver (say techsupportwidget@opensuse.org (mailto: techsupportwidget@opensuse.org) ) automatically added as a CC to the thread. The forum's email receiver would then do the parsing on their side. * On the forum side, whenever it receives a post/reply to a forum thread that's marked as from a tech support widget, it sends an email to the mailing list with the proper subject field   (Or something along those lines. It's not well thought out but just a quick example) #5: 6tr6tr 6tr6tr (6tr6tr) (2010-10-01 20:12:52) I've seen a lot of reviews on "the best" linux OS's and openSUSE is never included as a good option for people coming from other OS's or for desktop users. Personally, I think this is wrong and a big part of that is YAST but also the tech support in the forums. Making that a part of the openSUSE experience would catapult openSUSE beyond Ubuntu as the reviewer's choice for Linux OS, I believe. -- openSUSE Feature: https://features.opensuse.org/310508