SMF or QA

[yeehi]

Perhaps you have already seen the grand-daddy of all the Q&A websites, Stack Exchange:

http://stackexchange.com/ [nofollow]

It is software like a forum with a focus on people asking and answering questions.  There are free as in freedom software alternatives to this now, for example OSQA:

http://www.osqa.net/ [nofollow]

If you are unfamiliar with them, you are in for a treat. They take a bit of time to get used to, as they are quite complex, and functionality is crippled until you acquire some reputation, so perservere. The have very nice permissions system, and sophisticated tag functionality and you can really add value to data in your system by voting on it. askubuntu.com [nofollow] is a popular stack exchange implementation. The stack exchange philosophy is that it is best to have all the people working on providing answers to questions on a specific subject centralised.

I wonder what you think of these sorts of website. Do you think they will come to replace traditional forum software? What do you think forum software like SMF has to offer that these sorts of Q&A programs don't have?

[kat]

We have an FAQ...

http://wiki.simplemachines.org/smf/Category:FAQ

[Arantor]

The structure in such places is very geared to Q&A, whereas SMF is not geared for any specific type of community. The upshot is that SMF is generic and suitable for all sorts of things, but not ideal for Q&A, though I'm sure you could add facilities that would make it suitable for Q&A primarily should you want to.

They won't replace traditional forum software because as intimated, not all forum-type communities are based around Q&A structures, they often serve other purposes too.

Could you imagine this forum as a Q&A? The main difference is that here, the responses all form discussions in their own right, not as in answers with comments attached.

Seems to me based on what you've said thus far SMF is not the right software for the need you have, but that something like Stack Exchange's software would be; because you're looking for a Q&A system, not a forum.

[Chalky]

Are you absolutely sure you're not a spammer? 

From your other posts today I was under the impression that you had already installed SMF to find out for yourself whether it suits your purpose rather than asking for subjective third-party opinion - was I wrong?

As you appear to still be comparing what's available, I suppose the obvious question, which I don't think you have clarified anywhere as yet, is what are you hoping to achieve?  What do you want to create with your chosen software?

[Arantor]

That's the thing: I'm getting the impression that it's about creating a Q&A setup, which is not what SMF is geared to, though it could be made to be.

[kat]

Sure gets around...

[Arantor]

*shrug* None of that surprises me. If you're going to highlight what looks like genuine posting as spam, might as well tar-and-feather me right now too, since I get around as well.

[yeehi]

As you appear to still be comparing what's available, I suppose the obvious question, which I don't think you have clarified anywhere as yet, is what are you hoping to achieve?  What do you want to create with your chosen software?

This is a very good question. I haven't been focused so much on what I want to achieve. I have been too much concerned with what I can do. I started off this research into forum, and then Q&A software looking for a better alternative to an existing forum. Better in the sense that it would be able to do more things, so I was looking at everything from a functional perspective. I was looking for something that could provide a solution to an existing problem, too, spam.

I think a major goal is to help continue the development of an online community which uses a particular free software.  A lot of the usage would be for solving problems people are having with the software.

Funnily, community building is actually another function of forum software. I will have to look into that sort of functionality, too.

I won't be able to try out SMF as I would like to till next week.

[kat]

*shrug* None of that surprises me. If you're going to highlight what looks like genuine posting as spam, might as well tar-and-feather me right now too, since I get around as well.

That was actually designed to show the non-spamminess of his posts, elsewhere.

[Kindred]

Personally I am getting sick of the FSF crap...   And I have I idea why he keeps posting these silly posts comparing SMF to other non-forum softwares.

[yeehi]

You all love SMF because you know it. I am not a proponent of it (yet). I am still at the stage of trying to objectively assess which platform to use for the project. I am grateful for the objective advice I have received from this community. I have found it quite hard to find impartial discussion on the relative merits of forum software. Each site tends to rave about its own merits. ForumMatrix was a big help to me there, but it was restricted purely to functionality, really. My best efforts at objectively assessing forum software on my own led me to SMF. Now, of course, I want to hear from people whether it is best for this project or even the right sort of platform at all. I think that this website is stronger if it can provide support to people still at this stage of planning.  And I thank the community for its help so far.

[Arantor]

Now, of course, I want to hear from people whether it is best for this project or even the right sort of platform at all.

Seems to me based on what you've said thus far SMF is not the right software for the need you have, but that something like Stack Exchange's software would be; because you're looking for a Q&A system, not a forum.