Special User Sections > Site/Forum Features
Shortcomings of DC and How to Improve
lotusrootstarch:
An improvement of the review area, better organization of the site in general.. Yes, definitely. More big apps released more frequently by more people? Yes! Less insular and more people participating, yes. More attention to the site by the outside world, yes. More attention for our events, yes. More focus on championing the idea of donationware? yes.
-mouser (February 28, 2011, 07:33 AM)
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A resounding YES!
And it seems like your main point recently is, something is not right that these things aren't happening fast enough -- and then critically you make the leap to say that because we aren't achieving "success" fast enough we should be ashamed to have a fundraiser and ask for people's help in keeping the site going.
-mouser (February 28, 2011, 07:33 AM)
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NO! My main point is all these that are long due, and are not happening, in any meaningful manner, at all!
Being an NANY contributor myself (owns multiple mugs, photos available on demand), now I look at the more recent NANY 10/11 -- they are the single most anticipated event, or should I just say the single event period, each year, and despite all the hard work we just ruin it.
Please, acknowledge that NANY's been going down every year and last year's NANY 2011 is the most anti-climatic event ever hosted on DC, despite the amazing work done by Perry Mowbray and the coders... and roflmao we've been sending out mugs and shirts since Day 1, that's not gonna change either. Early last year I posted very constructive comments on the site about changes to the way we do events, well, to hell with that I guess.
Mouser I mean is there a tiny teeny possibility that you have lost your good old touch on DC (bogged down with maintenance maybe?) and how about organizing something serious group projects involving creative minds here doing things new ways? We have worked together previously to great effects and I'm willing to contribute.
Here we are not just sticking to one idea (NANY) for four years until it becomes untenable, we are obviously sticking to a lot of stuff.
There are so many things we can do better here, and should work on. But we also try to be a force for positive change and improvement -- and we try to support each other constructively.
-mouser (February 28, 2011, 07:33 AM)
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IMHO the first constructive step is to realize+ack the problems, without it, how constructive can we get any further? I have not personally attacked anyone so far, I choose to focus on the matters.
That's why your posts are so jarring -- instead of looking at all of the good things we do and celebrating them and trying to help us figure out how to do better, you seem intent on making us feel bad for the things we haven't yet accomplished and insisting that we not ask for help until we achieve some higher level of "success".
-mouser (February 28, 2011, 07:33 AM)
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Mouser I think you've got enough people here looking at all of the good things we do, there's not much that I can add to all the self-satisfaction. I just cannot see anything that remotely reflected on what DC failed or any tangible plan to fix things before I caused this outcry. ;)
mouser:
Well if you have participated in the NANY events, then I guess the first thing to acknowledge at least is that you have participated in making the site a better place, and so you can't be faulted for just complaining and not participating. There is no need for you to change your nickname -- your criticisms might have been received a little bit better if everyone could see that you weren't *just* complaining.
Please, acknowledge that NANY's been going down every year and last year's NANY 2011 is the most anti-climatic event ever hosted on DC
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NANY was a ton of fun this year I thought, and a lot of coders participated. Although a few apps got quite a bit of attention from external sites, in general it got less attention on external sites than have some past NANY events -- and that was unfortunate. But that's something that's really hard for us to control. DC doesn't advertise, we don't have a public relations department, etc. We just don't have the time, money, or inclination for such things. We rely on DC members to spread the word, etc., and we worked hard to spread the word about it.
In many ways DC is a small site, facing the same challenges to get recognized that all small sites face -- and we have to make choices about how we spend our limited time and resources.
Actually it's a little ironic that you are so against having a fundraiser, because the fundraiser is one of the few times when we actually make a real effort to get other sites to tell their members about us and to spread the word that what we do is worth supporting and contributing to.
If you posted some constructive suggestions about ways to improve the site and they weren't taken up, do what I do.. don't get discouraged and try again. Sometimes we are a little thick headed here, and we're all juggling lots of things and working on different projects, and sometimes it takes a few tries to get something done.
lotusrootstarch:
NANY was a ton of fun this year I thought, and a lot of coders participated. Although a few apps got quite a bit of attention from external sites, in general it got less attention on external sites than have some past NANY events -- and that was unfortunate. But that's something that's really hard for us to control. DC doesn't advertise, we don't have a public relations department, etc. We just don't have the time, money, or inclination for such things. We rely on DC members to spread the word, etc., and we worked hard to spread the word about it.
-mouser (February 28, 2011, 08:43 AM)
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Mouser probably you got me wrong as I'm not proposing big marketing money for anything that DC does. It's not the DC way and I cannot remember we ever spent big bucks on marketing. Back in 2006 when I did my first NANY there were tons of external attention and support, there wasn't much promo required, and I don't think we did anything different. Everyone was pretty high at the time and the discussions and resulting improvements on the apps lasted a long while after the event.
This NANY effectively lasted 3 days with most of the replies posted by senior members on this forum. External support was very minimal.
Actually it's a little ironic that you are so against having a fundraiser, because the fundraiser is one of the few times when we actually make a real effort to get other sites to tell their members about us and to spread the word that what we do is worth supporting and contributing to.
-mouser (February 28, 2011, 08:43 AM)
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Nope I'm not against fundraisers, I just have a inner feeling that this fundraiser is not well-timed to highlight anything and will likely make future one much less effective.
tomos:
On a practical note (not directly related to the dialogue here, but on-topic).
One thing that has bothered me over the years is -
sometimes people put a lot of effort into gathering info about a particular subject. Think of Steven Avery's list of software free for business use. Crush's and my list of Disc Catalogers. I'm sure there's others. These tend to die a death because the load of maintaining them is too much/too boring/too whatever, for one person.
I would love to see some sort of a wiki aspect/area that this kind of thing could be moved to. Re Stephen's efforts, I posted an index of sorts here. As I say in that post "It's a brilliant resource, it deserves as much promotion as it can get !!". If it were a wiki it could continually be updated and would get better and better known - instead of sinking into oblivion...
This may have been suggested before (I believe it was but only casually) and certainly doesnt fit into the forum setting, and I have no idea about the technicalities but I'm just throwing it out here again.
Re Reviews -
I can see why the reviews section (full- as opposed to mini-) died a death - too much work.
I wonder could a wiki style section be good for that too? Give it a structure - e.g. add your pros and cons.
vlastimil:
Hm, I only participated in the last NANY (although I noticed the previous one, but had not enough time), but I do not think the reception was that bad. I cannot compare it to the older ones, but one thing is certain: The freeware landscape has changed a lot in the last 4 years. There are now much more freeware applications and freeware is not as attractive to bloggers as it used to be. In order to attract similar level of attention, the event would have to be much bigger.
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