Q&A site suggestion

General Discussion
1

Hello,
haven’t been on here in a while.

I suggested at one time that Panda3D community might benefit from a Q&A site similar to that of stackoverflow.com.

However, it is closed source and the commercial option for it was pretty expensive ($130/month).

Well, I’ve recently found out that there is a great Python and Django version of this site which is Open Source!

It is called OSQA and be found here:
osqa.net/

I would be willing to help set it up (or can even supply the hosting in the beginning - as a trial?), as I do Django stuff on my day job.

The advantages of this would be:

  • Better editing tools for code insertion, quoting and referecing than the phpbb forum
  • No duplicate questions
  • Ability to track down problems faster (say a question was never answered)
  • Great Q&A database for common problems
  • Great look & feel

Just a suggestion, take it or leave it!
If you need me - pm me.

2

Well, then what would be the point of this forum? (A serious question, not sarcastic.)

3

That’s up to you to research and decide (or whoever runs this place).

I am just offering an alternative.

4

Is there an advantage of that system over the Q&A system offered by launchpad?
answers.launchpad.net/panda3d

5

Just checked it out… In a word: Yes.

I suggest you try to create a free account at stackoverflow and play around.

They do actually have some panda 3d questions:
stackoverflow.com/search?q=panda3d

Here is my account page:
stackoverflow.com/users/74865/drozzy

6

I think this Forum already does a great job at answering questions. Only difference to stackoverflow and the like is the scoring system, e.g. you can vote for the best answer or gain some points for giving good answers. I personally don’t think we need motivation for giving answers in form of some points as there are only a few unanswered threads here.
The forums are intended to be a place of not only questions and answers, but discussions, which Q&A systems are not that well suited for - or better said: they’re restricted to a clear distinction of questions and answers.
Also splitting the community over multiple web-based communication forms of similar aim is contraproductive from my point of view. There should be exactly one station for each task, e.g. manual for education, blog for interesting announcements, launchpad for bug/feature-request tracking.

The advantages you mention all look fair enough, but some are really optimistic or could be said about phpBB in same way. E.g how does this system prevent double questions or how does it make searching more effective?

While a pure Q&A system surely has its point, I think it’s better to stick to these forums for all user to user communication by now and maybe begin here with including some features (syntax hilighting anyone?).

~ my 2 cents :slight_smile:

How about a poll?

7

Have you used stackoverflow yourself?

8

I once participated in a similar thing, called Yahoo Clever, a Q&A community for all kinds of questions.

9

I think one should try stackoverflow - as it feels much different than anything before it (e.g. yahoo answers).

There is no point debating about it - if you did not try to use it :stuck_out_tongue: is there?

The case can be made FOR - and AGAINST anything anyone would suggest. Both can coexist at the same time, without splitting anyone.
See:
answers.unity3d.com/
and
forum.unity3d.com/

It’s not my intention to “convince” you guys - I am just giving you

  1. an idea
  2. help in settting it up if you choose to use it.

I do agree with some of your points (e.g. discussions are better on forums vs q&a site) while maybe not some much on others (enhancing forums with syntax highlighting, custom layout etc… is a PIA in php-based system).