What should OpenFree be?

**peter** · 02-20-2006, 05:41 AM

In March we'll implement the new color scheme voted on by the community. The bland white will go away and the forums will have more color.

This made me think about what we should do next.

Should the new look require a new meaning? What should OpenFree be? How should it be the same and how could it be different? What forums could be added?

Comments welcome.

**jro** · 02-20-2006, 03:32 PM

A community above all else, then a help site. Just a place where people can come that have Linux as a common bond.

**Compunuts** · 02-22-2006, 03:56 AM

I saw the thread but I wasnt' sure what to say.

I like the community idea. I think OpenFree should be a place where we can all hang around and talk about stuff, be it OpenSource, Linux or Windows. Having Linux help as primary attraction would be the best idea while not leaving others such as BSD and Windows.

**jro** · 02-22-2006, 01:43 PM

I agree with Compunuts. I love Linux, but I am relegated to using Windows XP at work. It might be nice to have a thread about using GNU/Linux tools on Windows.

GNUWin32, and Cygwin, is a life saver if you are used to using a *nix command line and stuck on teh Windows.

**Lovechild** · 02-23-2006, 06:48 PM

I would definately move the distro specific forums into just one forum to get increased traffic to the threads.

I would also like a forum for programming/development/compiling questions.

**jro** · 02-23-2006, 07:28 PM

Yeah, maybe an error dissection thread. Paste your error, and anything related material, and we tell you how silly you are to ask us such simple questions...err, well tell you what we think may be the issue.

**Lovechild** · 02-23-2006, 07:45 PM

Originally Posted by jro

Yeah, maybe an error dissection thread. Paste your error, and anything related material, and we tell you how silly you are to ask us such simple questions...err, well tell you what we think may be the issue.

the "there are no dumb questions" forum ?

**peter** · 02-24-2006, 02:51 PM

Thanks for the suggestions. Please keep them coming.

The merging of the distributions forums into a single one is a good one and can be done relatively easily. The only thing is that once it's done it can't be easily reversed. I don't think that's a big problem at this stage.

I can create the open source on Windows forums. Maybe what I could do is create a small windows section, like the "Playground" area with just two forums "M$ Windows" and "Open SOurce on Windows" and see how that works out.

I think the "Linux - General" section sort of covers the "no dumb questions".

Hmm, the Errors section. That could be a good one, because Linux isn't just installation and configuration, things do go wrong and give funny errors. I'll add it as a main forum, and we'll see what happens.

There is already a sub-forum for programming. Do you mean have it as a full forum?

Let me know what you think. I'll plan to implement it on Sunday.

**Outlaw** · 02-24-2006, 03:41 PM

I like the idea of an actual programming forum too. Maybe an overall programming one, with sub forums for perl, python, shell etc.

**Lovechild** · 02-24-2006, 04:12 PM

subforums are evil, did you miss that meeting just like I tend to miss them when reading the list of available forums. Also if one subforum is updated the top forum shows up as being "with new posts" even if I don't care about that subforum (say distributed computing which updates the playground).. they are evil I tell you, they eat babies and stuff.