[Asterisk-Users] Re: Are there online forums instead of, this email

[Jean-Michel Hiver]

>  1. Support for message threads - replies to messages are shown right 
> below the original message.

Any decent mailer has that functionality.

> 2. Support for subject matter sub forums - different message 
> categories can be established.

You just split the list into differents mailing lists and you're done.

> 3. Built in search engine - messages relevant to the problem you are 
> working on can easily be located.

You can either use your mailer search functionality on your existing 
archives or google on the web archives.

> 4. Moderated forums - postings and discussions can easily be 
> supervised. Trouble makers can be banned from posting.

I'm grown up enough to deal with trouble makers myself. I don't want 
some daddy to decide what's good for me and what's not. Thanks.

(besides, mailing lists can be moderated too so this point is moot. You 
*really* should learn more about mailman...)

> I have been involved in supporting another Linux based product for 
> more than a year now via a proper web based support BBS setup, and it 
> is a far superior approach to the Asterisk mailing list dump that this 
> memo will end up in.

If you use digests, then you will get all messages in a big lumpy file. 
Don't use them, that's all. Again, you clearly show that you don't know 
squat about mailing lists.

> Take a good look at:
>
> http://www.astaro.org

It's a typical table based, invalid HTML, unusable, inaccessible web 
forum. It's just so nineties... thanks for making my point. My mail user 
agent provides a better interface than this website. If you can't 
understand why, maybe you should learn more about email and mailing lists...

* I have an asterisk subfolder which I call "useful" where I move 
messages which I find useful. Does your web thingy do that?

* I can go away for two weeks and see quickly messages which are read 
and messages which aren't. Does your web thingy do that?

* I can manage multiple mailing list through a single, simple, 
consistent interface - without having to remember different usernames / 
passwords. Does your web thingy do that?

> This is the support BBS for Astaro Security Linux, a hardened Linux 
> firewall distribution that delivers around 80% of the features of 
> CheckPoint Software's Firewall-1, but at 20% of the cost. And they 
> give away free licenses for non-commercial home use. Their support BBS 
> currently has more than 9000 registered users.

I use firehol. I have 100% of the firewall functionality I've got for 
zero cost. And they have a mailing list too :)

> It would do Digium well to establish a similar BBS, since it would 
> dramatically ease the support issues for the membership. Running a web 
> based BBS forum is not particularly load intensive, even if it ends up 
> having many thousands of registered users.

Well maybe a web forum thingy would be good for people who buy support 
from digium. But even in the case of paid support, I think email 
combined with "RT" (request tracker) makes a superior product.

Regards,

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