Subject: Re: mailing lists, processes, modernization
To: Ariadne Conill <ariadne@dereferenced.org>, Wolf <wolf@wolfsden.cz>
Cc: David Demelier <markand@malikania.fr>, ~alpine/devel@lists.alpinelinux.org
References: <20200419090413.GA4104@kiwi.home>
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From: j3s <j3s@c3f.net>
Message-ID: <2af23d66-1a00-85be-6d6d-a4b24c39192c@c3f.net>
Date: Mon, 20 Apr 2020 15:38:23 -0500
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Please tell me if I'm overstepping, but as a (very happy) Alpine user, I 
feel obligated to speak up here.

On 4/20/20 2:23 PM, Ariadne Conill wrote:
> Well, the problem is that we do not own our own support
> pipeline right now.  Yes, there is the mailing lists, but almost
> nobody is using them.  Instead, they go to third-party websites
> like StackExchange.  We would like to own our support
> pipeline, so that we can ensure it continues to exist regardless
> of what happens to some otherwise unrelated company.

My opinion is that this isn't going to happen regardless of the software 
that the Alpine project sets up. People like StackExchange, and if those 
users were interested in hearing from the Alpine folks, they'd probably 
be using the mailing list today.

Currently, it takes 3 clicks and two distinct webpages to get to the 
support mailing list. I bet that having a "support" header on your home 
page that provides a mailto: link would drive as many people to the 
mailing list as standing up Discourse would.

I guess my point is twofold; I don't think you can "own" the support 
pipeline, and I don't think that lack of a shiny forum is the solution 
to what I perceive as a UX problem.


j3s