[webdev] Re: bug reporting

[Tom Hull <thull2@xxxxxxx>]

Zack Clobes wrote:
> My question for you is what is the purpose of the site?

The simplest, clearest purpose is that the website should explain who
we are and what we do. Most LUG website do just that, and little more.
We had some of that in the V-1 website (the openacs prototype), and
we had more of that in the V-2 website (John Goerzen's zope-based one).
Some of that material is pretty dated, but there are things that can
(should) be brought forward. One problem in doing so is that the new
(V-0) website hasn't been hacked much from what comes out of the
postnuke can, which is basically a news-journal-oriented format.
I'm not sure whether that's a problem with the tool or the user;
that's something we'll have to get a handle on to move forward.

A slight extension of my first definition is that the website should
make it possible for the group to do more things. We have a monthly
meeting which is run by the Presentations committee, which has mostly
been awol this summer. We also have an Activities committee, which
hasn't done anything since last spring's install event. The website
should be used to schedule and promote ACLUG events. In particular,
one thing we want to see is more advance info about presentations,
and possibly more feedback as well. Also a more public wish list
program, where the Presentations committee can try to balance supply
and demand for presentation topics.

Beyond that I think there are other things that we could do: things
that spotlight local resources, make use of local expertise, and help
connect people within the local area.

> It's been my experience that if a small group/organization is trying to
> compete with the resources of a long established website, you'll probably be
> wasting your time unless you have some trick up your sleeve.  For example, I
> use the RedHat distro and so I always start at the RedHat.com website when I
> have a problem because their knowledge base is thick enough to solve my
> problem most of the time.  I don't want to go looking through the knowledge
> base from a dozen different LUG's around the country to find the answer.
> 
> The same things goes in the way of a user forum - why are people from around
> the world going to suddenly start using your website?  Are you going to be
> advertising it other Linux sites?  Will you be doing a weekly give-away of
> some piece of computer equipment?  Again, why would I ask a question for a
> dozen people to answer when I can ask it of hundreds or thousands?

There are some questions that are basically local -- one that comes up with
some frequency is where can I buy some piece of used equipment?

> My recommendation would be to start small and begin documenting everything
> the group does.  Document presentations, allow people (like myself) to
> document a particular project that I've been working on such as SAMBA or
> Evolution.  The other thing that I've noticed the ACLUG site severely
> lacking it is information about the group.  It is very difficult to
> ascertain when and where the club meetings are to be held, and what is on
> the agenda.  Member photos could be helpful, especially to new members.
> 
> That's my two cents...
> Zack Clobes
> Hutchinson

Thanks. Good ideas. We could use some help figuring out how to do them.

-- 
/*
  *  Tom Hull * thull2(cox.net) * http://www.tomhull.com/
  */