harryc wrote: jdd, thanks for your thoughtfull reply.
When we say we need our own forum, it's a way to say we need to have a point to which redirect people asking for help.
We already have a "communicate" page on the wiki, but when we a face to face, with a question, we can't for now send the people to any link with real confidence (and why this and not an other).
I see your point here, but if the Official forum were moderated by the same folks that moderate existing forums, where would your new confidence level come from? I think you'd have no problem recommending either forum as they exist today.
And do the forum users quote the opensuse website at all ? (I really don't know, I hope they do, of course).
Of course, I personally link to it on every occasion that is appropriate.
I think there is a solution for both according our problems and using your experience: that is creating an "associated web forum owners/moderators group".
In this groups, could come any forum, list, wiki, list owner/moderator that wants to.
I like this idea. Any way to bring the community together is a good use of our time.
So why??
Because this could set up a direct link between opensuse members, forum and such admins and moderators, give knowledge and confidence between them. Shared with I18n pages, the list of such links should be short and easily readable by users.
Users could also see that the community is ONE (sort of a webring)
In fact this discussion shows we mostly lack of link between active members of all sorts.
I agree with this concept, but still fail to see how a seperate webforum is going to get us there. Harryc --