Problems with these fora(?)

[mohsart]

I've been here a couple of years now and my view is that these fora are not really functioning anymore.

While the above may be a bit excaggerated, in essence, and in particular in view of how it used to work (while not perfect then either) I think it is true.

 

1. People post in the wrong forum/topics are not moved/some forums are too much alike.

- There are numerous posts in eg General, Configuring, Development, and even Free Modules (possibly other too) that are of the basic form "How do I?" or "Problems with xxx".

Some may be in the correct place despite that it doesn't seem so - "How do I?" may be answered "modify file x" so Development could apply, while the question in itself implies that it should be asked in the Configuring forum, but many, MANY questions/posts are just asked/posted at the wrong place.

- The ones clearly posted in the wrong forum are rarely moved to the correct place.

- The cause is possibly simply that it is not so easy to know when you have a question if the solution involves editing files or just finding the correct path in the back office.

- This breaks the search.

 

2. Threads diverge into involving subjects that was not intended by the original poster.

- Instead of creating a new thread, some people "hook into" a existing, active, thread, "hijacking" it to ask questions more or less connected with the original question.

- I don't think that I've EVER seen such diversions being broken off into a new thread, which is the normal way to handle this phenomenon in other fora that I frequent.

- This breaks the search.

 

3. While I'm a firm believer of "help others when you get help" and "help others and you will get help", I don't see this being neither practised by many nor does it seem to work for me.

- Sometimes, eg when searching for a problem, I run into questions asked some time ago without answers, sometimes I can make a educated guess and sometimes I even have the answer, so I try to help.

- There seems to be A LOT more unanswered questions now than it was two or even one year ago.

- For me the above is certainly true, of my last 20 or so problems about ONE was answered.

- One cause may be that people tend to see this as a official support forum.

- Another that people don't use the search/the search seems a bit broken sometimes, so (in particular VERY basic) questions appear again and again, and again.

 

4. Forum etiquette is not followed. I must confess that I haven't read the rules etc, at least not recently, but.

- People don't mark solved issues by [sOLVED], not even after reminders.

- Threads diverge into issues that are not implied by the threads title.

- People don't change the title of threads if they learn that the original title was wrong/misleading.

- People don't state their version, what theme they use, supply screen shots, or supply other more or less relevant information when askin questions.

 

5. "Easy" issues/questions are not easilly found elsewhere.

- prestashop.com is sometimes a joke when trying to find answers, I usually try google before searching the site (I kid you not).

 

6. Moderation is (too) scarce.

- Break out new issues from existing threads.

- Move threads.

- Change titles.

- As for "too" basic questions, maybe a newbe forum would be a good idea, some kind of system with "mini moderators", eg users with status "Advanced" could have the power to do actions such as moving threads there (and have these powers revoked if misused)?

- It seems there are too few moderators? Could a system with groups of moderators with different powers at least partially solve this?

 

7. Award active members; it seems to me that it (no longer) helps in getting answers by helping others.

- It is too easy to reach eg "Advanced member".

- Maybe number of posts should not suffice for getting a "higher" status, maybe also number of solved issues should count?

- Maybe a higher status could give something more than just that? Eg "lightweight" moderation, access to a "higher level" forum, or something else.

 

8. New versions (modules) are not in the first post.

- When finding a free module, it is more often than not necessary to read the (sometimes very long) thread so find the latest version.

- This is of course a matter of disipline with the original poster, maybe such disipline could be awarded somehow?

- While moderation of such threads may be difficult, I sure would like it.

 

9. Change the structure of the fora.

- I propose something like this (for the English fora):

• Installing/upgrading
  
• Basic/"Newbe" questions
  
• Configuring
  
  • Using the BO
    
  • Modifying files
    
  • Themes
    

  [*]Modules

  • Paid
    
  • Free
    
  • Problems
    

  [*]SEO

  [*]Hireing

  • Looking for coders
    
  • Coders for hire
    

  [*]General/Off topic

- A new structure will not work in itself without moderation, but eg Development "so far" from Configuring is IMO not so good.

 

10. The search needs improvement.

- Sometimes I find answers in the fora when searching with google but not with the internal search.

- The search from within a forum should IMO only search in that forum.

- Moderation and poster dicipline needs to be improved.

 

Ahh, feels good to get that off my chest :-)

 

Please excuse me if I seem impolite, wrote unstructured, and used bad English!

I just kept typing without much editing, so some things may have been less thought-through than necessary, and English is not my native tongue.

 

And lastly: This post is not meant as a complaint, I am very thankful for this forum, and overall very satisfied with Prestashop; it is meant merely as a suggestion to make it better.

 

/Mats