Re: Proposal: Boost Users List

From: williamkempf_at_[hidden]
Date: 2001-09-26 12:25:05

--- In boost_at_y..., BJORNK <bjorn.karlsson_at_r...> wrote:
> > From: Ihsan Ali Al Darhi [mailto:iad929_at_j...]
> > 
> > How can you differentiate between a boost-developer and a 
> > boost-developer?
> > Suppose a programmer is using one of the libraries in Boost. He 
(She)
> > doesn't like something in that library and rewrote some code 
> > to fullfill his
> > requirements. Can you say this person is a Boost-developer? 
> > Boost-user?
> > 
> > IAD
> > 
> 
> I don't think that the intent is to categorize developers, but 
rather to
> provide different forums for different needs. 
> Example: 
> * If I don't understand how to use something in Boost.Threads, I'll 
consult
> boost-users.
> * If I want to contribute to the development of Boost.Threads (or 
just watch
> Bill and Peter play mind-chess), I'll go to boost-developers.

*laughs*  Interesting way to put it.  I hope this doesn't indicate a 
feeling that I'm inflexible or not listening to the opinions/advice 
of others though.  I have to make some final decisions on my own, and 
I'm likely to make a few that most people feel are wrong, but if 
there's a general trend towards this I hope I get called to the 
carpet for it.  This library is full of design conundrums that are 
very difficult to specify to everyone's consensus.

> This proposed separation of concerns is (at least to me) an 
indication of a
> maturing library, where the needs of users are at a totally 
different level
> than the low-level, highly specialized discussions between Boost
> developers/contributors.
> 
> The value of boost-users could be tremendous.

I think it's high time that we have a boost-users list.  We know that 
there a LOT of users now, but there are very few user type questions 
asked on this list.  I'm afraid this is an indication that users are 
afraid to ask "how to" type questions on such an obviously 
technically slanted development list.  So if they aren't asking here 
and can't figure it out on their own there's a good chance we'll lose 
these users, which will be a bad thing for Boost in general.  In 
other words I'm more concerned with having a user friendly list then 
I am with reducing the (nearly non-existent) posts to this list that 
are of a non-development nature.

Bill Kempf