List of "experts"

For the team expert list, should we keep it onsite on the Ubuntu wiki or offsite? The advantage of having it offsite would be to keep usernames hidden to prevent members from being bugged with support problems, however it would not be linked with the Ubuntu wiki. If we keep the page secret enough from non-members, it shouldn't be a problem.

There is also the option of using Launchpad sub-teams to organize these areas.

Here is an example of how the wiki page could look: https://wiki.ubuntu.com/UnansweredPostsTeam/ExpertList

What do you think?

Transparency is always better, as far as team members, rules and things like that. Would you like ubuntuforums staff list to be hidden ? ;) Edit: a launchpad team could be a good idea too to keep a list of members.

bapoumba said: Transparency is always better, as far as team members, rules and things like that. Would you like ubuntuforums staff list to be hidden ? ;)

Edit: a launchpad team could be a good idea too to keep a list of members.

True, true. Come to think of it, a LP team would work well for splitting this up. Adding an option to the poll. :)

I think whilst clearly transparency is a good thing, there is a point here. The same way people are discouraged from pm'ing forum staff all the time, you wouldn't want a situation where, just because someone had put their hand up and said, I don't know, they know a bit about ATI drivers, that all of a sudden they are being hounded! That said, they're volunteering with their eyes open I guess, so maybe.

I was wondering if a kinder and more targeted approach might be a option, I suppose, either in the Forum, or in Launchpad, where users were asked if they would like to volunteer, by subscribing to tags, They could subscribe to as many tags as they felt they could help with, and we could filter unanswered posts into a daily/2 daily/weekly (whatever) email. Sort of like if you subscribe to a forum (rather than a thread) now, and receive daily notifications.

This is just a thought, and I haven't really thought it through yet, but the point is what we need to do, is get the posts to the people who can answer them directly, in a way that isn't going to be too much of a burden on those volunteering their time. ie by better targeting,

Further to that, I would give some members of the team the ability to 're-tag' posts that go unanswered, after say, 2 hours. The tag scheme is great, but suffers because it assumes the poster has a clue what they are asking, and in fairness to some, they often don't.

Finally, and one I am less sure of, an unanswered tag that automatically gets put on a post that goes unanswered after a couple hours. So for example if one wanted to productively kill twenty minutes, just search for 'unanswered,fglrx' and you would get, well, probably a days work!

I see many good ideas in there we should collect and discuss them which way can we improve our support and cooperation then ask the admins what can be implemented in the forum.

I vote for launchpad teams.

my vote is either ubuntu wiki or launchpad but either way sooner or later someone will stumble om a link looking for help. I suggest that any expert list has a note at the top explaining the correct way to receive help.

Don't think it is really an issue, just write an answer once to explain where to ask and why not on your contact save it and copy paste if someone finds you. I am not really worried about that.

Kateikyoushi said: Don't think it is really an issue, just write an answer once to explain where to ask and why not on your contact save it and copy paste if someone finds you.

I am not really worried about that.

I think I'd agree to disagree! Whilst personally I couldn't care less who has my email address, and am happy sending a stock answer out in such instances, I am not sure I am the norm.

The very fact that the forum options here go so far as to allow almost complete privacy for members in its options, suggests to me that there must be a number of very well informed people floating about, who might be happy to help, but not off a public/semi-public list. I clearly can't really back that up, and it may just be that it's a standard vbulletin setup, but thats certainly the impression it gives. If I am wrong then yeah why not. But I still think we want to be 'directing' relevant threads to those people pro-actively, rather than hoping they find each other! Obviously not until the normal flow of events has failed however.

I wasn't aware this means our emails will be free to take, I thought it will contain a link to our ubuntuforums profile or something similar to PM on UF.

I created a LP team here just for the purpose of organizing the team (whether we will use sub-teams or not is up to this poll however).

https://launchpad.net/~ubuntuforums-unanswered

Feel free to join that team; it is moderated to keep out random users but if you join it I'll get them processed asap.

On the topic of this experts list, another option would be to just get everyone to sit/idle in on the IRC channel. As long as we have a bunch of people on the team in there, someone can just ask a quick question in there and get a quick answer without having to look up someone on the list.

sudo apt-get install xchat :-D #ubuntuforums-unanswered on irc.freenode.net

Jacob

I think that having the sub-teams on LP is a good idea. I also think that putting it on the Wiki is a good idea as well. Some people don't ever go to LP and others don't hit the Wiki.

A list is good so that we will know who is best able to help the user. I would be hesitant to list myself as an expert in any category though. I would rather fall into a general category and help out where I can.

etank said: I would be hesitant to list myself as an expert in any category though. I would rather fall into a general category and help out where I can.

Me too, which is the main reason I suggested that volunteers would 'subscribe' (wrong word but you get the idea) to tags rather than broader topics.eg for me, video and Multimedia, maybe not, but I know a thing or two about those pesky fglrx problems with Beryl. Just an example.

I think Launchpad is a good place to host the list (but I also think it's important that the list should just be one resource among several). I for one wouldn't qualify as an expert in any field but there might be some things within fields I now a bit about. For example, I know a thing or two about some wireless cards (i.e. the one's that has given me hell) but a lot of wireless are set up with ndiswrapper and I've never even used that. I suspect that this applies to a lot of members (e.g. one wouldn't qualify as an expert on, say, graphic cards but might be able to write a smaller manual on a certain type of card) but if the subdivision got too narrow it might not be that useful. I still think the list is a good idea though but we need to map out how to categorize it.

On the privacy note I assume that if we are contacted, it is by pm or, if that forum option has been activated by us, e-mail but our e-mail would never be any more visible than it is in our profile, right?

/Mojoman

mojoman said: On the privacy note I assume that if we are contacted, it is by pm or, if that forum option has been activated by us, e-mail but our e-mail would never be any more visible than it is in our profile, right?

You can use whatever method you want. Launchpad shows your email by default to all logged in users, and you can add Jabber and IRC nicks to that page for contact methods.

For example, see my profile page: https://launchpad.net/~jacobmp92 I have the IRC and Jabber fields listed, and if you are signed into LP then you can also see my email on the top-right.

You can also edit additional contact methods into your LP profile or wiki page.

For the forums, emails are never shown except to administrators. Whatever contact options you use here will be available for all to see, similar to Launchpad.