Wouldn't a Software section somewhere benefit the community?

[chrisJumbo]

I could go either way. There is an "Other" under Computer Assistance so not sure it needs its own section. I also don't see why it would attract any more spam than any where else on the forum so not sure why you would turn off links and such, but I don't really care. I do see the potential for posts to spin into personal attacks, but so do posts anywhere else. :O)

If the mods don't think it will be worse than any of the other named topics, and some people indicated it would be helpful, why not?

[PoisonJam]

Software forum with Operating Systems as a sub-forum.

[alphaomega]

Software forum with Operating Systems as a sub-forum.

We have OS already elsewhere.
I vote for software too.

[edhan]

Yes for my vote.

Such a discussion would be great and informative for those who need advice or help in solving problems. Thumb up!

[mark3738]

I would certainly like to see a software section, but can understand the mods not wanting to encourage spam. I think that the issue may be categorising the software i.e. are we creating a "Blog" section where Wordpress, Joomla, Drupal, CMS and so on will each have their own supporters, and another section for databases, and so on. There are lots of times when I am looking for software that will do a specific job for a client that I would appreciate being able to find recommendations in this forum - mainly because I know which members I can trust for an honest appraisal - other forums that I may end up in by search can tell me how good something is but I don't know much about the person giving out the info - they could just be the marketer, while in this forum after 9 years of reading (and occasionally contributing) I can rely on advice given.

So yes a software forum has my vote.

[Clint1]

........I also don't see why it would attract any more spam than any where else on the forum so not sure why you would turn off links and such........

I am at a lost to explain that as well. That's one of the things a mod is for; deleting spam, which they already do at the other forums. It would be inconvenient to turn off links. Such "spammy" posts inclusive of purely spam links could also be deleted. Or,make the thread moderated for newbies (members with a certain # of posts, rep, or time, could pass the threshold of being "trusted").

[Clint1]

...... and a stickie posted advising members to use the Reputation System when they get help, as well as Rate This Thread and other forum helpfulness signals.

Unfortunately they rarely do that at any thread. It seems it's always the same few members that are giving "I Agree" or rep.

Why does this thread show up in the WPW newsletter as being posted by someone else? ("Posted by: ackerley1"). That has happened several times before.

[ronchalice]

My vote is also yes, based on weegillis's points. Good information on installation, use, and gotchas is always welcome... buy me! not so much.

[weegillis]

Unfortunately they rarely do that at any thread. It seems it's always the same few members that are giving "I Agree" or rep.

I hear you there, Clint1. We almost need to write a primer for new members so they know the systems exist, and so they will be more diligent at rewarding the members who have been most helpful.

Rate this thread is something I have never done. I'll be needing a primer, too. Well read/posted topics should get more ratings. Time for me to start.

[rah]

OK, I've given this a few days to see how people responded. Since there seems to be a genuine interest, I've now created a new section titled "Software" in the Computer Assistance forum category.


You can view it here: http://www.webproworld.com/webmaster...ms/74-Software


There are a couple things before you head off though.


1) I'm giving this a trial run to see what ends up getting posted. This pretty much means I can, and will, remove the section if it becomes a spam haven.


2) Our linking restrictions are still in place. Meaning if you haven't hit the required mark for linking, that still applies here.


3) For now, no posts in this section count toward a member's overall post count. If the forum becomes popular like I hope, I will remove this restriction further down the road.