Some of the advantages of a proper support forum BBS are:
1. Support for message threads - replies to messages are shown right below the original message.
2. Support for subject matter sub forums - different message categories can be established.
3. Built in search engine - messages relevant to the problem you are working on can easily be located.
4. Moderated forums - postings and discussions can easily be supervised. Trouble makers can be banned from posting.
I have been involved in supporting another Linux based product for more than a year now via a proper web based support BBS setup, and it is a far superior approach to the Asterisk mailing list dump that this memo will end up in. Take a good look at:
http://www.astaro.org
This is the support BBS for Astaro Security Linux, a hardened Linux firewall distribution that delivers around 80% of the features of CheckPoint Software's Firewall-1, but at 20% of the cost. And they give away free licenses for non-commercial home use. Their support BBS currently has more than 9000 registered users.
It would do Digium well to establish a similar BBS, since it would dramatically ease the support issues for the membership. Running a web based BBS forum is not particularly load intensive, even if it ends up having many thousands of registered users.
Since Asterisk is here to stay, why not get serious about the support, and do it right?
Tore Hansen Calgary, Alberta Canada _______________________________________________ Asterisk-Users mailing list [email protected] http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users To UNSUBSCRIBE or update options visit: http://lists.digium.com/mailman/listinfo/asterisk-users
