Forum Feature Suggestion

[OT²O]

Hey, I hope this is close to the right place to post this. I recently came accross this App for mobile devices called Forum Runner. There are over a million people using it and it is free to set up on your forum. It's basically an app that helps you browse your favorite forums without the dificulties of using a web browser on your mobile device. It also gives notifacations of new posts and such. I have not really used it yet but that is my understanding. I origonally downloaded it so i could more easily browse your forum but you were not listed.

Anyways it is simple to set up and i think it could greatly increase forum activity.

[OT²O]

Any thoughts from admins?

[penagate]

My thoughts (not necessarily those of the administrators):
— the main type of discussion we get on this site (code Q&A) doesn't really lend itself to mobile devices ;
— if it drives traffic away from the website, it is unlikely to happen.

[techgnome]

Additional thought: it's just one more thing on top of the list of other things that has to be installed and tested everytime there is an upgrade, further slowing down the upgrades...

-tg

[OT²O]

My thoughts (not necessarily those of the administrators):
— the main type of discussion we get on this site (code Q&A) doesn't really lend itself to mobile devices ;
— if it drives traffic away from the website, it is unlikely to happen.

I don't see what your point that the subject of Q&A not "lending itself to mobile devices," All it does is provide easyer accsess to the forum from an application. Allowing users that want to access the forum and answer or ask questions from their mobile devices when they are some where other than at their computer. I know that I would be on the forum asking and answering questions 300% more than I am with this kind of ease of access.

All it takes is signing up the forum at http://www.forumrunner.net/ and installing the Vbulliten plugin then the board would be in their databass and be accessesable by anyone who uses the app on their device.

Please just look into it.

[si_the_geek]

The important part of the phrase was not just "Q&A", but "code Q&A".

One issue that brings is the width of screen needed to view (or write) code - and the screens of mobile devices are generally far too small for that purpose.

Another is the kind of typing that is needed to write code - which is something that the "keyboards" of mobile devices are usually very bad for.


I haven't heard of anyone coding on (rather than for) a mobile device before, and despite the improvements in those devices in recent years I don't see that changing... and unless it does, I don't see the benefit of being able to access the forums in that way.

[MarMan]

Good idea OT but you are ahead of your time. I don't see much benefit for the current users. But as mobile devices scale up and portable computers scale down they will meet somewhere in the middle (iPad). Not only will they just need to meet, but they will need to be accepted and used. Since people don't like to change what they use that will require new users (kids) who accept the new device as standard.

[RhinoBull]

The important part of the phrase was not just "Q&A", but "code Q&A"...

Great point, SI. A lot of people don't realize that this is mostly live-code-exchange technical board.
How can you possibly post more or less accurate sample code (I'm not referring to assigning text to say label or textbox but something more complex) from your mobile device without having access to software (visual studio perhaps or database management utility, etc)?
I think that plugin is going to be pretty useless for technical board such this one, devx, codeguru, etc...

... just an opinion ...

[brad jones]

I think that plugin is going to be pretty useless for technical board such this one, devx, codeguru, etc...

Of course, this thread would have been perfectly fine to read on a mobile device


I'm looking into this. The only way it makes sense is if there is a revenue model associated with it. I see there is something available, but I'm not sure it will work for us. We'll look into it.

Brad!

[OT²O]

That is a good point si.
Tablets are starting to become more popular and in my case I have an ipad and am a beginner still in college. I feel I would learn lots by being active on the forum, and though there are other ways for me to be active what could be easier than being able to read, reply and post as if I were instant messaging? There are no other programming forums using this feature yet so the board would defiantly benefit from what ever traffic is looking for coding forums.

[LaVolpe]

...I'm looking into this. The only way it makes sense is if there is a revenue model associated with it. I see there is something available, but I'm not sure it will work for us. We'll look into it.

Brad!

Glad to see possible acceptance. I contribute a lot on the keyboard but I also come back here now & again just to grab a tip or reference I've recalled or pass this site and/or a post to a friend in need. It would be a benefit if one was able to use their mobile device for similar actions: read, review, search