Re: PunBB vs. Punres

Please keep in mind that what I said was merely my personal opinion, and it should be taken lightly. I am only a moderator here and not at all involved in the development of PunBB - these issues are not under my control, nor should they be.

That said, let me begin arguing with you. wink

twohawks wrote:

Why not show off PBB for all it can be?  YES

Why not? Because it gives new users a false impression of what PunBB is, and how it works. What is seen on these forums should be what one sees when he or she downloads and installs PunBB. Otherwise, there is great potential for confusion and frustration.

Also, the fact remains that PunBB is a lightweight forum system, and demonstrates the benefits of such a design philosophy. An official site laden with modifications gives the impression that PunBB - or any other lightweight forum package - is insufficient, which is quite simply false.

twohawks wrote:

Does that limit the ability for stock demonstration?   NO

Does it eliminate the ability? Certainly not, but it does indeed limit the ability. An official forum and a separate vanilla installation are counterintuitive to some, including myself. I suppose I may be wrong, but it seems to me that many will go straight to the official forums, quite logically assuming them to exist in stock form, thus limiting the ability for a stock demonstration.

twohawks wrote:

Private messaging capability (if appropriate to the server load capacity here) for those times we need to be collaborating (without having to subscribe to other ircs)

Email?

twohawks wrote:

- 1.x.x Section
   - with demo section as above
   - with mod+ plugins section as above
   - with styles section as above (or see below)

Why keep supporting 1.2.x? Rickard, Paul, and several others have been (and continue to be) working hard to make 1.3 great. Why encourage people to continue using an old version.

Finally, one fundamental problem with this concept of a solitary forum is this - whatever the state of the community, many people will still not search. What posts from the people that do search that are prevented will likely replaced with posts of people asking about "missing" features of their PunBB installs.

Like I said, these are just my opinions, and I'm not making any decision making here. I, like you, am simply stating what I think will work best ( ego is certainly not involved at all wink ).

Looking for a certain modification for your forum? Please take a look here before posting.

27 (edited by twohawks 2006-11-11 18:41)

Re: PunBB vs. Punres

Oh goody! <2hawks likes a good argument! ;^P>

   Thank you for your responses and insights pogenwurst.  I think you make some very solid, good, and quite compelling, points.  I still would consider that "thinking differently" is acceptable and may be better, rather than actually creating problems or false impressions, etc.  Of course, it seems readily apparent that it really is a matter of opinion, so considering your (friendly) retort I would certainly not presume to 'argue' an absolute right vs. wrong... just possibilities...

   Generally speaking I feel that showing people the possibilities, albeit in some otherwise creative fashion, while accommodating their 'natural' needs, can be quite effective, and is not creating false impressions if proper attention is given to responsible presentation of the barebones core (and people aren't later being hit with a hidden cost for the "extra stuff", of course)...

Point by point...
1) I do (and did) understand it was only your own personal opinion, but it seemed it might be fairly accurately representing the heart of the developers' concerns and the centerpiece of the problem... and so I figured it was safe to take that up directly - seems a/the strong issue, this one of 'what is proper representation". 

   In fact, I think the concern over presenting falsity or insufficiency in the product is probably more born of pier pressure (what other limited thinkers [long-standing piers in the business] consider "proper representation should be" for this kind of thing) rather than honest and practical (fresh) consideration for what is natural and best for everyone. 
   My opinion is "I don't care what the other car manufacturer thinks is best or right marketing for cars, I want to think about the people I am selling to, and help them holistically understand the benefits in the best way possible."
   So okay, I got your "basic Honda" here, that can do x,y, and z, but I want to show you what its like when I include the radio, heater, air-conditioning and cushy seats.  Is that cool, or what?! Do those come stock? - Well no, they aren't needed, but you can have those and many more choices ...and at no additional cost and with no modifications to the core of the vehicle! (i.e: the place for all that stuff is already built in - you simply build it up to suit your own needs)... Yeah, its built to take on all that and more... pretty cool, huh?
   More than sufficient, very powerful, and fun to boot!
   And no lies.

2)

pogenwurst wrote:

Why not? Because it gives new users a false impression of what PunBB is, and how it works. What is seen on these forums should be what one sees when he or she downloads and installs PunBB. Otherwise, there is great potential for confusion and frustration.

Well, yes and no. I think this is arguable.  I think 'false impression' is a bit harsh, if not even inaccurate.  As an unwitting investigator coming here I would not personally feel that way, especially given that a demo of the barebones setup is right there. 
   On the one hand folks prone to installing something like a Bulletin Board are largely (admittedly not all) into some tech, meaning someone like myself may not only have some capacity to understand, but also to appreciate, that the developers tweaked their own "barebones" project with "readily available plugins" to suit the practicality for this place, ...and that demonstrates what this project can and does support... So That to me 'is' what it is and is also how it works.   
   That's all good, as well as true and honest, stuff in my book. I am some dude looking for a BBSto build and this has got me excited - I am not getting the "false" light here.
  On the other hand, if I have a preconceived notion that the base forum ought to be only the barebones, then, indeed, I will be challenged in my thinking when I come to this place.  But that doesn't mean I am being presented false impressions.  If it pisses me off I might leave.  If it catches my attention, I might choose to stay a bit and check it out anyway.  I might even learn something.  Well I came here to investigate and learn, so there shouldn't be a problem anyway.

   Seems to me the only real question there is how many inquirers do I expect I might lose compared to those that might stay and check it out and get excited?  Are the ones who might check out ones I really care all that much about anyway? (Let 'em go back to phpbb [or whatever] for all I care... if that's what they want, prefab stuff is out there for them!  And this is here for us 'other people', and this is how we are approaching it - in a way different than "the other guys".)

pogenwurst wrote:

...gives the impression that PunBB - or any other lightweight forum package - is insufficient...

I have read this in these forums before and I totally disagree with this.  Again, a la what I stated above, given a demo of the barebones, and then seeing what the pro's are doing with it 'at home', only tells me there's that much more possible with this package - thus it is not only sufficient, it is way more than simply sufficient... it is also powerful because it can do the core thing on its own AND you can build on that... I mean, you do not have to buy something else to 'make it so', you only need to investigate and create, or utilize what has been created for it.  I just find the 'falseness' attitude unnecessarily conservative and, well, limiting and untrue. 
    ....I mean, conservatively I see your position as mostly 'logically correct'... but I don't see how that kind of thinking (probably 'status quo') really takes into consideration the understandable needs of the people who will be coming here and investigating this.  I do not see an argument in conservative logic that necessarily invalidates utilizing a creative approach.  If someone sees something false in this, then they simply aren't bothering enough to really check it out - then its probably not for them anyway.
   I mean who cares about the way the 'other guys" are doing it?... Who made them the 'gods' of 'the right and true way"... obviously nobody did because people are coming to Rickard?s house now to check out the party happening over here, and these Honda's are freaking cool, man. I'm gonna get one and play with it!

3)

pogenwurst wrote:

An official forum and a separate vanilla installation are counterintuitive to some, including myself. I suppose I may be wrong, but it seems to me that many will go straight to the official forums, quite logically assuming them to exist in stock form

Again, you make a 'conservatively' logical point, but I don't think it is necessary or required to support peoples expectations with only straight conservative logic.  A creative approach could be quite insightful and compelling if handled well, and could open people up to alternative thinking/logic that is equally valid (maybe even healthy)... which I see as in keeping with the spirit of the project. 
   I do not think it would be harmful if you arrived at the forum with some preconceived expectation, only to have your assumptions challenged... in fact, isn't that part of the idea?  As long as I am not lying to you and I am leading you in a manner where you can readily and easily gather all the pertinent info and make an informed choice, it doesn't matter whatever your preconceived notions were.  No harm, no foul.

4)

pogenwurst wrote:

Email?

I have done a lot of collaborating, with all kinds of support resources, including email, so yes, I know about it.  If you have ever collaborated over the phone you know its way more immediately productive than relying on (and waiting on) email.  IRC is a close second, maybe the closest, so I find it worthy of mention for this type of "co-productive" environment.  You can get a lot more done with less waiting - and I bet if you asked anyone who has used irc for collaborating they would agree with that statement.  Anyway, I think its very close to necessary in such an actively productive environment where phones aren't happening, so it should be mentioned... just my humble opinion.

5)

pogenwurst wrote:

Why keep supporting 1.2.x?

Because of the pre-existing install base that will not immediately migrate to the new environment.  Just because one comes out with a new version doesn't justify yanking support for the old and existing install base.  Who's going to invest their energy in the new thing if they were slighted with the current investment?  Their going to think, well I'm not doing that again, I cannot trust the developer to support me, and go somewhere else.
  You can soundly bet that many people with complex installs will not migrate right away and that Rickard will keep 1.x.x info and support forum running for the people until such time as that has practically expired.

6)

pogenwurst wrote:

Finally, one fundamental problem with this concept of a solitary forum is this -

I am sorry, I did not understand your last point, would you please clarify?


Please don't read any disrespect into any of my remarks, pogenwurst. .  I do have an opinion about the angle of what you present, and I disagree with it, and my opinions may even have some of my ego behind them in some areas; however, let me be clear, I really do appreciate what you (and us all) bring to these forums, and the opportunity afforded to express these ideas together.

I wonder if Rickard is piqued by any of this?

Sincerely,
TwoHawks

TwoHawks
Love is the Function
No Form is the Tool

Re: PunBB vs. Punres

twohawks wrote:

4)

pogenwurst wrote:

Email?

I have done a lot of collaborating, with all kinds of support resources, including email, so yes, I know about it.  If you have ever collaborated over the phone you know its way more immediately productive than relying on (and waiting on) email.  IRC is a close second, maybe the closest, so I find it worthy of mention for this type of "co-productive" environment.  You can get a lot more done with less waiting - and I bet if you asked anyone who has used irc for collaborating they would agree with that statement.  Anyway, I think its very close to necessary in such an actively productive environment where phones aren't happening, so it should be mentioned... just my humble opinion.

I'm confused here, PunBB has an irc chat room (#punbb on quakenet) but IRC has nothing to do with private messages in the sense of a forum.

29 (edited by twohawks 2006-11-12 01:42)

Re: PunBB vs. Punres

@Connorhd...
lol...  of course... don't you mean "I" am confused, I mean since you clearly indicate my misunderstanding?!

My bad (or rather, 'my stupid', but you decide)... I was meaning private, or personal, messaging (pm) system actually... which I incorrectly assumed as irc, but I see my folly in that irc only means chat, ...sorry. 
- But what the hey, either would do. - 

...I never saw any indication before on this website that irc for punbb existed.  I see your reference, but since I am totally unfamiliar with what you posted I will have to google it and figure it out (np).  Thank you for mentioning it.

  What I find strange is why I never had anyone here ask me to collaborate with them utilizing this, yet I have been asked to sign up for pm (like yahoo and aol) occasionally?  Also, its not listed on the home page, so I do not know how it is intended I would 'naturally'  find out about the availability of that here ...did I overlook something blatantly obvious?

Cheers,
TwoHawks

EDIT - PostScript: I go to the site quakenet and search for #punbb (and did many other searches), but I turn up bupkiss. It is not clear to me at all how to use this service.  How is one supposed to access this chat zone you mention, Connorhd?  thanks.

TwoHawks
Love is the Function
No Form is the Tool

Re: PunBB vs. Punres

I'd be glad to argue with you more twohawks, but at the moment I've got work to do. I'll get my response written soon. wink

Looking for a certain modification for your forum? Please take a look here before posting.

Re: PunBB vs. Punres

twohawks wrote:

@Connorhd...
lol...  of course... don't you mean "I" am confused, I mean since you clearly indicate my misunderstanding?!

My bad (or rather, 'my stupid', but you decide)... I was meaning private, or personal, messaging (pm) system actually... which I incorrectly assumed as irc, but I see my folly in that irc only means chat, ...sorry. 
- But what the hey, either would do. - 

...I never saw any indication before on this website that irc for punbb existed.  I see your reference, but since I am totally unfamiliar with what you posted I will have to google it and figure it out (np).  Thank you for mentioning it.

  What I find strange is why I never had anyone here ask me to collaborate with them utilizing this, yet I have been asked to sign up for pm (like yahoo and aol) occasionally?  Also, its not listed on the home page, so I do not know how it is intended I would 'naturally'  find out about the availability of that here ...did I overlook something blatantly obvious?

Cheers,
TwoHawks

EDIT - PostScript: I go to the site quakenet and search for #punbb (and did many other searches), but I turn up bupkiss. It is not clear to me at all how to use this service.  How is one supposed to access this chat zone you mention, Connorhd?  thanks.

Let me just get you up to speed on a few terms here
IRC is a chat protocol which doesn't work through your webbrowser without a client, either a program like mirc or a java applet like pjirc, irc is "instant" chat rather than a forum
PMs are a feature of both IRC and of most forums, punbb doesn't have this feature by default as emails are a more effective way of contacting each other, for PMs to work on IRC both users have to be online at the same time.

To connect to the punbb chat room you can download a chat client such as mirc (www.mirc.com) connect to the server quakenet and type /join #punbb and yes the punbb chat room isn't very well advertised.
or after installing mirc simple Click Here smile

Re: PunBB vs. Punres

Connorhd wrote:

and yes the punbb chat room isn't very well advertised.

The reason for this was that Rickard wanted support to be handled through the forums, since forum posts are permanent while on IRC, you need to repeat the answer every time someone asks.

Re: PunBB vs. Punres

Thank you for the clarifications, Connorhd ...and Jansson.

   I agree, and feel strongly, that it is most productive to always be posting issues and their solutions in forums one may be participating in.  It is important so that everyone may benefit from the record of the information of troubleshooting procedures and solutions, whether or not work continued [for whatever reason] somewhere else outside the forum.

Last comment on this:   There are times when a topic can become bogged down... and people may feel it better to move outside for some one on one work, and then come back later to post what happened [in a more condensed or precisce communication].  I find it a huge bonus when my bbs is providing that/those feature(s) 'built-in' so others and myself do not have to deal with having to figure out who may have what pm or irc clients installed and setup, or focus on installing/settingup new services for ourselves, or working out email problems, in order to do that.

I have to say I have found it quite compelling that others have worked on providing such cool mods as pm/irc stuff for punbb.  Seems to me a most natural combination, and I do no t think I am alone in that thinking - it seems very popular here, indeed. 

Cheers,
TwoHawks

TwoHawks
Love is the Function
No Form is the Tool

Re: PunBB vs. Punres

twohawks wrote:

Thank you for the clarifications, Connorhd ...and Jansson.

   I agree, and feel strongly, that it is most productive to always be posting issues and their solutions in forums one may be participating in.  It is important so that everyone may benefit from the record of the information of troubleshooting procedures and solutions, whether or not work continued [for whatever reason] somewhere else outside the forum.

Last comment on this:   There are times when a topic can become bogged down... and people may feel it better to move outside for some one on one work, and then come back later to post what happened [in a more condensed or precisce communication].  I find it a huge bonus when my bbs is providing that/those feature(s) 'built-in' so others and myself do not have to deal with having to figure out who may have what pm or irc clients installed and setup, or focus on installing/settingup new services for ourselves, or working out email problems, in order to do that.

I have to say I have found it quite compelling that others have worked on providing such cool mods as pm/irc stuff for punbb.  Seems to me a most natural combination, and I do no t think I am alone in that thinking - it seems very popular here, indeed. 

Cheers,
TwoHawks

Just to let you know what the situation is and will be
Now, there is a PM mod and an IRC chat room mod (i happen to manage them both)
In the foreseeable future neither features will come with PunBB by default.
In PunBB 1.3 both mods will install without any edits to PunBBs files but by simply uploading the mod and clicking install

35 (edited by twohawks 2006-11-12 21:17)

Re: PunBB vs. Punres

@Connorhd
Ty, Cool... I thought you were making a plugin for 1.3 ;^)

TwoHawks
Love is the Function
No Form is the Tool

Re: PunBB vs. Punres

@ twohawks

That is quite possibly the longest post i have ever seen, (apart from guides). Good job!

Re: PunBB vs. Punres

I'm going to be busy for the next few days or longer, so unfortunately I cannot keep arguing like this, despite wanting to. wink

Here's what I had written already, but was waiting to post until I had written more.

twohawks wrote:

I do (and did) understand it was only your own personal opinion

Ok, good. smile I wasn't trying to chastise you or anything, I just didn't want you to get a false impression.

twohawks wrote:

In fact, I think the concern over presenting falsity or insufficiency in the product is probably more born of pier pressure (what other limited thinkers [long-standing piers in the business] consider "proper representation should be" for this kind of thing) rather than honest and practical (fresh) consideration for what is natural and best for everyone.
   My opinion is "I don't care what the other car manufacturer thinks is best or right marketing for cars, I want to think about the people I am selling to, and help them holistically understand the benefits in the best way possible."

I agree that fresh thinking deserves merit, but it is not always a suitable alternative to traditional thinking (which I obviously believe is the case here).

twohawks wrote:

and at no additional cost and with no modifications to the core of the vehicle!

I will concede here that yes, with the addition of 1.3's extension system many extra features will likely come "at no [or at least very little] additional cost".

twohawks wrote:

(admittedly not all) into some tech

*Shudders at several particularly painful past topics.*

Looking for a certain modification for your forum? Please take a look here before posting.

38 (edited by twohawks 2006-11-15 22:22)

Re: PunBB vs. Punres

@pogenwurst 'shuddering' ...LOL...
I think I might understand that ;^)

Thanks for getting back, pog..
...and I look forward to any additional comments that you may wish to add at a later date, should you find the time or interest.
Or anyone elses' for that matter.

And @liquidat0r... yeah, a wee bit long, I know.  Considering your 'pre-quil' I am uncertain if 'good job' is meant faceciously or for really!  So, thank you, I think.
:^P

TwoHawks
Love is the Function
No Form is the Tool

Re: PunBB vs. Punres

the 2 cents of a quite new user of punbb: I like very much the division between the actual forum and the mods. Two websites aren't REALLY that hard to keep track of, and I have had no problems with it. It gives me a much bigger sense of quality of the forum knowing that the author(s?) are focusing only on the forum itself, and not spreading their time doing all and everything of the different features.

Jan Terje