Considering an alternative development forum

[musher0]

Hello all.

Originally posted at
http://murga-linux.com/puppy/viewtopic. ... ost#920615

I thought it should have its own thread since it got no replies there.

musher0
~~~~~~~~~~~

(..)

its too bad-- here you are leaving the forum, and theres no reason for you to take me with you. im sure it would make me happy enough if i followed you, as well as a few others.

oh well, carry on.

Hello learnhow2code and all.

First, this is THE main Puppy forum. I don't necessarily like how the rules
are applied here, but tough, I have to live with it. Besides, there's enough
material accumulated in these threads to earn yourself a Ph.D in Puppy if
you want to. So this forum cannot be ignored (it probably never will be).

Second, on such an important matter as Puppy development, you don't
change forums like you change shirts.

I've been doing some Internet searching, window-shopping if you will, for
a simple forum software; also, some people have got in touch about
hosting the project. rokitnj has even come up with suggestions
(indirectly!) right here on this board.

Fact of the matter is, I don't know what I'm looking for.

I ran a BBS on DOS for a translation co-op 20 years ago, can't remember
the name of the software just now; we even had access to WP-5.1 and to
a simple DBF III database on line!!! We were pioneers in Canada!

But wow, how much that scenery has changed. Should I be looking at a
revved-up ready-made Project Management site? A fancy IRC? A toned-
down copy of this phpBB? The jabber software variant with a white board
(Coccinella)? A traditional blog with replies?

God knows, the Devil has a hint, but moi? Blank. Zilch. Too much to
absorb at the same time. Grey cells slow down at my age, y'know!

Ideas or guidance, by PM -- if you have any -- would be appreciated.

My ideas about this -- in no order:
-- focused on Puppy development: entire Puppies but also open to:
____ various support or home-grown utilities,
____ serious testing,
____ documented comparisons, etc.
____ I think we should try to avoid piece-meal development (we have
____ more than enough of that here).
____ One of the key themes or missions of that board should|would be:
____ "combination, blending, synthesis".

-- simple, easy to navigate, easy to monitor

-- linked to a file exchange site somehow

-- rules: respected ! Pests stay out! (With ways to implement that.)

-- collaboration capacity if requested by two or more participants,
____ and that leans toward including some project management utilities.

That's the sum of my reflection for now.

TWYL, hopefully.

[rokytnji]

My Take. This biker ducks as the pots and pans may start flying at him for this.

This has been tried by another member who was upset with this forum. I can't recall the name or his distro. He took a few folks from this forum from here to there. Then set up rules that were pretty Stalin like (in my opnion} about linking answers from this forum to his forum.

His site made such a impression on me. I can't remember no particular details as far as the name of the forum or his name.

Then there is aitch and the alternate puppy forum .

http://puppylinux.info/

I used to hang out there. But the sound of crickets keep me awake at night.I posted some info there, then slowly wandered away.

My suggestion. Why reinvent the wheel. Just step over to aitchs site. Unless you feel the need to be in control there. Maybe ask if you can mod there? I don't know.

Edit: Cool. My username and login is still good there. OOOOOps. aarf is the main man/person there. Not aitch. My bad.

We are not spring chicken fryers anymore. Just old pot roosters crowing our brains out.
What you suggest should be handled by younger hands. I think.

Hope I did not hurt any feelers. Just a country boy with his own outlook on life and it's foibles.

2nd Edit:

Ideas or guidance, by PM -- if you have any -- would be appreciated.

It is early early morning here. !st cup of coffee with no breakfast yet. I missed that part.
My bad again.

[amigo]

!st cup of coffee
I learned to never post anything til after the third cup.

[learnhow2code]

My suggestion. Why reinvent the wheel. Just step over to aitchs site. Unless you feel the need to be in control there. Maybe ask if you can mod there? I don't know.

im inclined to agree-- but only as a suggestion/option. its a lot of work to get a forum started. i dont know if the forum there has an option for posting code or what its limits are, this one handles tons of bandwidth. i dont know how many phpbb forums have stayed this active for so many years. im guessing not many.

What you suggest should be handled by younger hands. I think.

the hazard of which is some monstrosity with ajax and a required browser upgrade just to view posts. if you think im kidding, try out talk.devuan.org (bring a sick bag.) im not sure nabble works properly with js turned off either, having gone there to look at things about woof-ce.

i find aarfs forum a little dizzying as well. but it gets points for looking like the early goosee forum. sorry for being light on actual suggestions but i will offer a hint: your forum needs seem modest. this gives you many options-- including more than a handful of simple ones. if you find yourself trying too hard, you may actually be trying too hard.

[gcmartin]

One consideration that has to be forefront is how to move members to the new BBS software. I think there are a few very good packages available,

I am sure, @Musher0, you too have thought of some of the items in selection criterion:

• Ease of Administration
• Ease of migration to an upgraded BBS
• Ease of Use

These, I think are the kinds of things that will be in the plethora for good selection; not to mentioned the need for some community members to weigh-in with ideas and assistance to get a replacement forum in place, if that is the aim.

I have been around the track long enough to know that there will be objections when and if a new BBS is put in place. The obvious signs that us old-timers know is what happened when world moved from Window3.1 to Windows95...a bloodbath of objections.

In reality, it comes down to "change" of which no one likes unless it is properly preconditioned. This will apply if a new Puppy Forum is adopted. Most members are accustomed to this forum's look and feel and may not care that it has shortcomings, including its ability to be upgraded easily to accommodate new useful features for its management and use. Its a human quality that we have to be prepared for is a replacement forum does present itself, if that is the aim.

I know, too, that you are considering these ideas.

One very good forum example of a forum which has the features somewhat of this forum is the one for "Proxmox".

Will try to help as much as I can.

[learnhow2code]

make certain its a place where you can get banned if you literally ask to be banned.

i mean this is ridiculous. apologies for the off-topic. good luck with your forum.

[anikin]

Considering an alternative development forum

... To expedite Puppy's death?
Hey, Mr DJ put a record on I wanna dance on Puppy's grave ...
Are you serious?!

[learnhow2code]

oh cmon, if musher makes a forum its not going to hurt anything.

note the existence of other forums and they dont hurt anything. theres even a woof-ce forum on another site, no one even posts to it. if any forum hurt the puppy community its the partial migration of devs to dev sites away from forums, and that was an honest and fixable mistake.

[jlst]

I think the alternative forum is http://puppylinux.info

woofce does not have a forum. github, does not qualify as a forum. but talking about code and many things here feels out of place. At least that's the impression i get everytime i talk about it.. it's like bringing an alien world. But that's how the world works when you actually talk about and point to the code.

[learnhow2code]

woofce does not have a forum.

what about the one thats not on github? granted youre not wrong, no ones using it.

github, does not qualify as a forum. but talking about code and many things here feels out of place.

yeah

At least that's the impression i get everytime i talk about it.. it's like bringing an alien world. But that's how the world works when you actually talk about and point to the code.

i know.

code is more or less proof. and yet you have to appreciate why to even take it seriously. of course its also fun, and gives you things. its incredible that people are so against it-- no matter how easy you make it, so many people dont want to try it.

[James C]

Long,long ago in a galaxy far,far away a section of this forum was created just for that purpose.......Next Puppy Development .
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/index.php?f=42

Only problem, nobody uses it.Could be an alternative.

[musher0]

Long,long ago in a galaxy far,far away a section of this forum was created just for that purpose.......Next Puppy Development .
http://www.murga-linux.com/puppy/index.php?f=42

Only problem, nobody uses it.Could be an alternative.

Thanks for the reminder, James. However:

Q.: Are pests allowed in that "galaxy"?
If so... I continue to look elsewhere!

[musher0]

One consideration that has to be forefront is how to move members to the new BBS software. I think there are a few very good packages available,

I am sure, @Musher0, you too have thought of some of the items in selection criterion:

• Ease of Administration
• Ease of migration to an upgraded BBS
• Ease of Use

These, I think are the kinds of things that will be in the plethora for good selection; not to mentioned the need for some community members to weigh-in with ideas and assistance to get a replacement forum in place, if that is the aim.

I have been around the track long enough to know that there will be objections when and if a new BBS is put in place. The obvious signs that us old-timers know is what happened when world moved from Window3.1 to Windows95...a bloodbath of objections.

In reality, it comes down to "change" of which no one likes unless it is properly preconditioned. This will apply if a new Puppy Forum is adopted. Most members are accustomed to this forum's look and feel and may not care that it has shortcomings, including its ability to be upgraded easily to accommodate new useful features for its management and use. Its a human quality that we have to be prepared for is a replacement forum does present itself, if that is the aim.

I know, too, that you are considering these ideas.

One very good forum example of a forum which has the features somewhat of this forum is the one for "Proxmox".

Will try to help as much as I can.

Hello gc.

To make things clear: No migration considered!
A complement, not a replacement!

A place where devs can work:
in peace (no pests)

in continuity / in a continuum (with some kind of goal-setting or timeline
or "publication date" items; continuity, continuum: I'm sure I have the
wrong English words for this concept)

with minimal support structure (a couple of elements from Proj. Man.
perhaps)

with a possibility to team up on a particular project if they so wish

where they can be editors or intelligent sounding boards for each other's
work.

BFN.

[Pete]

@musher0

An idea.....
The alternative Puppy forum (puppylinux.info) looks very inactive to me.
One can't log on or even sign up.
The only active member is aarf which somehow managed to not get deleted when raffi closed it down many years ago.

Why not contact raffi and ask him if he wants to sell it to you?
It's already setup so much of the initial work is done, plus you could then run it as you see fit.

His email is listed on the sign up page.
Give it a try, what have you got to lose?
Worse case he says no or wants too high a price.

[James C]

@musher0

An idea.....
The alternative Puppy forum (puppylinux.info) looks very inactive to me.
One can't log on or even sign up.
The only active member is aarf which somehow managed to not get deleted when raffi closed it down many years ago.

Why not contact raffi and ask him if he wants to sell it to you?
It's already setup so much of the initial work is done, plus you could then run it as you see fit.

His email is listed on the sign up page.
Give it a try, what have you got to lose?
Worse case he says no or wants too high a price.

It's not completely dead, I just posted on there.....

[Pete]

It's not completely dead, I just posted on there.....

How did you manage that?
I was a member but once Raffi closed it down, we were all locked out.
Looks like only you and aarf are active there.

[musher0]

@musher0

An idea.....
The alternative Puppy forum (puppylinux.info) looks very inactive to me.
One can't log on or even sign up.
The only active member is aarf which somehow managed to not get deleted when raffi closed it down many years ago.

Why not contact raffi and ask him if he wants to sell it to you?
It's already setup so much of the initial work is done, plus you could then run it as you see fit.

His email is listed on the sign up page.
Give it a try, what have you got to lose?
Worse case he says no or wants too high a price.

Hi Pete.

I probably have a loose dollar somewhere!!!

Seriously: For some reason his e-mail is "blotted" on his 1st page when it
shows in my opera browser. Can you see it clearly? If so can you send it
to me by PM? Thanks.

Or maybe we can convince raffi to make his forum available to us again.

BFN.

[James C]

It's not completely dead, I just posted on there.....

How did you manage that?
I was a member but once Raffi closed it down, we were all locked out.
Looks like only you and aarf are active there.

Actually I had to "recover" my password, took a couple of hours but no problem since. Received a new password in an email and no problems since.

I assume there was a database crash or something that screwed up the passwords. Or could have been those Russian hackers.

[James C]

One serious question that should apply whether it's a different forum or the development section of this forum.

Who would decide exactly who qualifies to be a developer?

I assume you're main concern is keeping the distractions to a minimum , I solved it by not releasing anything anymore.

Good luck in your quest.

[Pete]

@musher0

PM sent.
If he does not want to sell it, perhaps he could make you a mod as I don't think
he has the time or patience to run it.

@James C

From what I heard, there was an almighty fight on there between several members and he decided to call it quits.
Could be wrong though.