i know a lot of people here are probably lifetime linux/unix users who are used to newsgroups like this but for me it's just.... counter-intuitive.  it's practically impossible to find anything in a text list of links, not to mention virtually impossible to navigate through a thread (slow on a modem and with all these people quoting others it's hard to follow).

what say we have an actual forum like YaBB?  or phpBB?

In article <bklnih$244n$1@digitaldaemon.com>, DrakeX says...
>
>i know a lot of people here are probably lifetime linux/unix users who are used to newsgroups like this but for me it's just.... counter-intuitive.  it's practically impossible to find anything in a text list of links, not to mention virtually impossible to navigate through a thread (slow on a modem and with all these people quoting others it's hard to follow).
>
>what say we have an actual forum like YaBB?  or phpBB?
>
>

Are you using just the web from end?
try using you news client application on the server
news.digitalmars.com

Ant

############## original message, before counting to 10 ;) #######

Your are mistaken,
1)
You are probably refering to the web from end of the forum.
set your news client application (you do have them on windows don't you?)
to the digital mars new server at
news.digitalmars.com
2)
linux/unix users don't do things the hard way.

DrakeX wrote:
> i know a lot of people here are probably lifetime linux/unix users who are used
> to newsgroups like this but for me it's just.... counter-intuitive.  it's
> practically impossible to find anything in a text list of links, not to mention
> virtually impossible to navigate through a thread (slow on a modem and with all
> these people quoting others it's hard to follow).  
> 
> what say we have an actual forum like YaBB?  or phpBB?
> 

I have to say, I think the forum idea would be a neat idea... if it were anything like the Gentoo Linux forum (and numerous other projects; it's become very popular) -- searchable, sectioned, nicely arranged into topics and generally just quite pretty to look at.  Not to mention that being a member is great because you can see how many posts you've made and get a funky little title that rates your level of participation in the group (come on...somebody has got to like the idea of eventually getting called a D Guru! ;-)    )

The other advantage is that people can see the stats for the site... how many posts, how many people logged in per day, how many members, how many guests.  All that would help us see the course of the language popularity.  It would add some professionalism too, I think.

Digitalmars' newsgroup right now does function well, though.  If you've got Mozilla Thunderbird on any OS, you've got all you need; integrated search tools are useful enough to find the topics you want. In comparison, the problem with adding a web type forum would be (maybe?) increased maintenance and the need for administrators.  That may be the main thing holding it back.  Most people here have a busy schedule.  I still would like to see it happen, though. The current digitalmars newsgroup is also one of the best spam free newsgroups I've seen yet.  I think this could be maintained with a member-type forum also, perhaps not as easily.  I don't know

Another thing, Walter seems to use this newsgroup for bug submissions, where he takes a bug post from here and plops it in a TO DO directory within his browser (am I correct?)  A forum would make things difficult for him to manage bug submissions like he's used to.  Unless the forum could implement a separate bug submission section which auto-forwarded mail directily to Walter as posts to the area were submitted.  A simple email filter on his end could redirect the email into the appropriate folder.

I actually don't think the vast majority here are Linux/Unix users - maybe most are casual linux users.  I think many migrated on over from the Digitalmars C/C++ windows arena.  Certainly the more Linux users the better, though! :-D  That makes for a more balanced community.

Later,

John

"you do have them on windows don't you?"

no i don't believe we do..

"linux/unix users don't do things the hard way."

hehe, yes you do :)

"(come on...somebody has got to like the idea of eventually getting called a D
Guru! ;-)    )"

i do :D  man i'm such a nerd.

"It would add some professionalism too, I think."

agreed.  this board is like an anciet BBS you would navigate from a DOS console with a 1200 baud modem.. and frankly, doesn't make a very good impression about the company that owns it.

"the problem with adding a web type forum would be (maybe?) increased maintenance and the need for administrators."

true.  however:

"The current digitalmars newsgroup is also one of the best spam free newsgroups I've seen yet.  I think this could be maintained with a member-type forum also, perhaps not as easily."

because of the fact that this place is a well-behaved community, the moderators probably wouldn't have to clean up the messes members make.  and so, it could probably be moderated by one or two moderators (i've seen larger forums with only three and not a problem).

"Unless the forum could implement a separate bug submission section which auto-forwarded mail directily to Walter as posts to the area were submitted."

most message boards allow you to put your own custom code in to do stuff like that.

DrakeX wrote:
> "you do have them on windows don't you?"
> 
> no i don't believe we do..
> 

You are kidding, right??? Of course windows has newsgroup clients!

Thunderbird
Outlook Express
Netscape Messenger
Mozilla Email
Gravity

The Digitalmars site even tells you how to setup common windows newsgroup clients for news.digitalmars.com:

http://www.digitalmars.com/NewsGroup.html

Later,

John

> "It would add some professionalism too, I think."
> 
> agreed.  this board is like an anciet BBS you would navigate from a DOS console
> with a 1200 baud modem.. and frankly, doesn't make a very good impression about
> the company that owns it.
> 

Woah! Ouch! I wouldn't go that far.  If you have the proper tools, it looks and works quite nicely in a newsgroup client program.  Maybe the web-interface at digitalmars isn't much to look at or use, but I don't think most people use that interface for real D interaction (so far as I know). The web interface is a pain, but I'd say it's just there as a last resort. I know I use it when I'm away from my home computer and just want to see any new posts.

I actually don't mind the current newsgroup method, I just think it would be better and prettier with a NEW web forum interface as is becoming popular these days with Bulletin Boards.

Later,

John

In article <bknmco$2c5m$1@digitaldaemon.com>, DrakeX says...
>
>"you do have them on windows don't you?"
>
>no i don't believe we do..

Yes you do, are you trying to keep me on the "bad" systems?

>"linux/unix users don't do things the hard way."
>
>hehe, yes you do :)

You know, this w2k thing doesn’t look too bad (as a workstation,
even if it's limited compared to my linux box),
but I was hit by a windows when I was a child...
(Actually several: 3.0, 3.1, 3.11,9x)
I’m gonna need some heavy psychotherapy to recover...

;)

Ant

win2k with cygwin == awesome.  I still keep a linux box around but for a desktop win2k has won my heart ;)

Charles

"Ant" <Ant_member@pathlink.com> wrote in message news:bknog9$2jbp$1@digitaldaemon.com...
> In article <bknmco$2c5m$1@digitaldaemon.com>, DrakeX says...
> >
> >"you do have them on windows don't you?"
> >
> >no i don't believe we do..
>
> Yes you do, are you trying to keep me on the "bad" systems?
>
> >"linux/unix users don't do things the hard way."
> >
> >hehe, yes you do :)
>
> You know, this w2k thing doesn't look too bad (as a workstation,
> even if it's limited compared to my linux box),
> but I was hit by a windows when I was a child...
> (Actually several: 3.0, 3.1, 3.11,9x)
> I'm gonna need some heavy psychotherapy to recover...
>
> ;)
>
> Ant
>
>

>You are kidding, right??? Of course windows has newsgroup clients!

to tell you the truth i never have had to use one... i didn't think newsgroups still existed until i found this place!