Important notice!

Development Suggestions for the Arduino Project
1

While this forum can be used for informal discussions, if you want your suggestions to be
reviewed by the Arduino team, the best way is to use one of the following methods:

This forum isn't regularly read by Arduino Team and we're considering phasing it out in favor of the options listed above.

3 Likes
2

Git is a learning curve for a lot of us and a distraction from this section of the forum.

Maybe the devs should drop in more often rather than have people wandering the net looking for things.

My vote is to keep this section to avoid the pileup that would happen in GIT.
Here at least its easier to weed out insignificant stuff from important.

Plus you get regular members contributing who dont use GIT so you get extra help in that regard.

3

You don't need to know or use git to report an issue.

Zero learning curve.

2 Likes
4

Is cmaglie suggesting the entire Forum should be scrapped? Not good, I think. With all its repetitions of problems posted and solved, the existing Forum ain't half bad. I've had massive help every time I've posted.

Github is great for experts and those who are used to it. It reminds me of trying to find your way on the London Underground without a map. You might eventually get to where you want by exploring myriads of similar pages, all the time feeling "there HAS to be a better way than this".

I think the Forum should be upgraded to a self controlled one, with very VERY specific categories that Users would be forced to choose, a bit like selling on eBay. Maybe directing posts via keywords would be a good way of clearing up some of the confusion with which people arrive at the Forum, and put similar posts where they should be i.e. alongside other similar posts.

For example, categories in no particular order:

1: Compiling issues
2: Coding
3: Electrical circuit diagrams
4: Shields
5: Electronic design
6: Flow charting (my favourite hobby horse)
7: Assembly language
8: Buzzing problems
9: Hardware

and so on (although in fact the existing categories are excellent, if only people would post new threads in the right place).

For instance, I see someone has posted "Servo problem" in the Programming Questions section about a project (not a sketch) which seems to have a buzzing problem. Absolutely nothing to to with programming, as far as I can see at a quick glance. Some unfortunate but big hearted moderator is going to have to move that one somewhere else, I think.

Keywords might be something like (guessing wildly)

1: C (as in the language)
2: backslash
3: verify
4: error

which might trap all the problems I faced this morning, and might have placed my post in the "right" spot for you guys who seem to like ferreting out and solving problems. Probably 6 keywards would do it, you'd have factorial 6 places to post (i.e. 6x5x4x3x2 = 720 categories.

If Users don't fill in enough keywords, they don't get to post. Heck, I'm cruel.

You can see the drift through my confusion, I hope.

5

@ Pat-The-Pirate

LMAO... but only because I made a suggestion last week that new users be FORCED to sit through the "How to use this forum" sections first. They could maybe add a popup about the section they are about to enter with a quick description of it and an option to go back to the main listing if they realise its not really the area they were looking for. Would help with posts not having to be moved and maybe make mods life a little nicer.

You take that up a few notches (OK more than a few) and in part (certainly not all) I do agree.

It would also slow down spammers too although I do have to say the mods do a pretty awesome job in that regard.

I would like to see some upgrades to the forum too from my standpoint the links at the bottom of the page for checking all new posts should be moved to the top of the page alongside "Alerts Unread Posts Updated Topics"

Also consolidate the old read only sections inside a single group to make the scroll down a little shorter.

The picture issue should also be resolved to make it easier for new people to post INLINE. rather than the antiquated method in use.

And on the initial Arduino page stop rotating some of the Arduino features to make it easier for new people to aim for the correct spots around the site. (pet peeve is when I want to look at something only to find it moved) Although They could keep some items revolving.

My take on a minimal post would be word count as its easy enough to implement and would nail a lot of "me too" stuff and again maybe a few spammers too.

As far as new areas / category etc. I think myself the balance is about right and wouldn't want to see too many changes. But am open to see what others say on that point.

keyword usage is something I can see a benefit from and a very basic example would be a small popup or warning if CODE, SKETCH, PROGRAM were used to offer the user a chance to add sketches at that point. No more "my sketch doesnt work" and no attached sketch to even make a guess.

The only issue I see with any of it and I know it will be mentioned (Hi R2) is that the admins don't get around the forum nearly as much as many would like. Although the email or GIT usually work quite well for a quick resolution of immediate issues / failures.

Am sure I could also agree with a few more things I probably missed here that others will bring up too.

6

@cmaglie is specifically referring to this "Suggestions for the Arduino Project" forum. Not the site as a whole.
This thread was started more than 3 years ago. If @cmaglie was suggesting that the whole site be scrapped, I think it would have been done by now.

Pete

7

cmaglie:
This forum isn't regularly read by Arduino Team and we're considering phasing it out in favor of the options listed above.

This four-year old comment refers to getting improvements added to the Arduino software. The suggestion that you add a bug-report or suggestion via GitHub is a useful one.

I expect that the Arduino developers regard the forum as a problem-solving site for new users, not as an appropriate place to report bugs.

3 Likes